"Gah gah gah!!!"
The monster slammed against the window frame in a frenzy, shattering glass in an instant. The window's frame bent and warped under the pressure, about to collapse entirely. Realizing the danger, Haruno forced her trembling legs to move, calling to her mother, who was still dazed:
"Mother, snap out of it! We have to run!"
"!!!"
At Haruno's shout, Mrs. Yukinoshita finally snapped out of her terrorbut her expression was still one of horror.
"Haruno! Look out!!!"
Crash!!!
Haruno felt a sudden chill behind her. A massive shadow loomed over them. She turned, her blood running cold. The monster hadn't fully entered the room, but its long neck was stretched inside. Its headbigger than an adult'swas right there, its eyes locked on Haruno with a ravenous gleam.
It opened its beak, big enough to swallow a person whole, and lunged for Haruno.
"Haruno!"
Mrs. Yukinoshita watched in horror. Fear rendered her legs useless; she couldn't stand, much less move to help. Haruno felt sure she was about to die, devoured by this terrifying, unknown monster. As her life flashed before her eyes, Yukino's face flickered into her thoughtslike a final vision before death.
But just then, something on Haruno's collar glowed.
Crack!
The giant avian beak seemed to crash into an invisible barrier.
"Huh?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita saw that Haruno was surrounded by a golden, translucent shield of light. The monster's beak was caught on its edge, kept away from her. And Mrs. Yukinoshita felt warmth on her own neck. An identical glowing barrier had enveloped her as well.
"This is"
Both mother and daughter were at a loss. The monster flew into a fury. It couldn't accept that its meal was right there yet completely unattainable.
"Gaaah!!!"
Opening its beak wide, it looked as if it were building up some kind of energy in its throat.
Vvvmmm!!!
A purple beam of light shot out toward the shield around the two women.
"Ugh!"
They instinctively raised their arms to protect themselves, though it was unnecessary. The beam struck the barrierand vanished without a sound or ripple, as if into a black hole.
"Guh?"
Now the monster was the one confused. Its surprise, however, didn't last. A moment later, a powerful sense of danger made its eyes flash with terror. It tried to pull its head out of the room.
Too late.
The crystal amulet at Haruno's neck glowed, drifting forward. Before anyone could react, it fired a golden ray of light at incredible speed.
Whoosh!
The ray penetrated the monster's head without giving it any chance to defend.
"Grah"
Its screech cut off abruptly. Its eyes dimmed, and life drained away. Thud! The creature's massive head struck the floor, blood seeping from the wound. Its body went limp.
Haruno and her mother remained still, hardly daring to breathe, fearing the beast might have one last attack.
~~~
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Chapter 444: Rei Ao is Yukino's Boyfriend?! (Bonus Chapter)
After waiting a moment, it became clear that the monster wasn't breathing at allit was definitely dead.
The floating charm crystal slowly descended, and Haruno dazedly caught it in her hand. It was the protective amulet Yukino had given her, but right now her mind was blank.
"Harunowhat on earth just happened?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita's voice still trembled with lingering fright. It felt like a horrific nightmare, yet the monster's corpse and the blood pooling on the floor told her this was real. She had no choice but to accept this bizarre reality.
"II don't know, either"
Haruno's lips were painfully dry.
Mrs. Yukinoshita came up to her side, holding out the still-glimmering charm that hung around her own neck.
"Is this what protected us?"
"Itseems like it."
"You said Yukino was the one who gave it to us?"
"Yes And she insisted I wear it at all times, no matter what."
The mother and daughter looked at each other in shock.
"It seems Yukino's the only one who can explain this," Mrs. Yukinoshita said.
"Haruno, where's your phone?"
"Here."
Mrs. Yukinoshita bent down and picked up her phone, still spotted with blood. Her unsteady fingers navigated through her contact list until she found Yukino's name. She glanced at Haruno, then pressed the call button.
Meanwhile
When her phone started ringing, Yukino lightly patted Rei Ao's hand, which was wandering around her waist.
"Hold on, there'sa call."
The intimate atmosphere was broken. Rei Ao halted his movements, and Yukino recalled what had almost happened just moments ago, her cheeks instantly flushing with heat.
"Who in the world calls at a time like this, spoiling the mood?"
Rei Ao frowned. "If I find out who it is, I'll have to teach them a lesson."
""
Yukino took one look at the caller ID and murmured quietly:
"It'smy mother."
"Uh"
"So it's my future mother-in-law. I take back what I just said."
The swift change in Rei Ao's attitude made Yukino snort with laughter, though she still shot him a glare.
"Future mother-in-law? Don't get ahead of yourself."
She pressed the answer button. Right then, Rei Ao scooped her up onto his lap, holding her tight around the waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"You!"
Feeling embarrassed, Yukino started to protest. Rei Ao gestured at the phone to remind her:
"We're on the line already."
"Yukino?"
Her mother's voice came through, still sounding slightly shaken. Yukino had no choice but to continue the call, though she glared at him to make sure he didn't pull any more stunts. In a calm voice, she said:
"Mother, it's me."
"Has Haruno already come back?"
"Yes, she's right here with me."
Yukino's brow furrowed slightly. Something about her mother's tone seemed strange tonightrather than stern and imposing, she sounded cautious and gentle.
"Is something the matter?"
For a few seconds, there was silence on the other end.
"Yukino"
When the voice came back, it was Haruno's.
"Mother and I just went through something bizarrea terrifying monster showed up at home."
"?!"
Yukino's eyes widened. Her heart flew into her throat as she rushed to ask:
"Haruno, are you and Mother hurt?!"
Her alarm and concern were obvious from her tone alone. Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita both felt a warmth blossom in their chests.
"We're not hurt."
"That's a relief."
Hearing they were safe, Yukino's tension eased.
"It's all thanks to the amulet you gave us," Haruno continued. "Yukinocan you explain what's going on?"
""
Yukino certainly hadn't expected the charm to be used so soon. It was practically pure luck. She was extremely glad now that she had insisted on obtaining that protective item the other day, after her sister went missing.
Otherwise, she would never have worked up the courage to request itand in turn, Haruno and her mother might have been in real danger.
She felt relief but also found herself in a difficult situation. The charm involved Rei Ao. Her eyes flicked to him.
"Mhm, I heard everything," Rei Ao said calmly, speaking up so Haruno could hear him through the phone. "Haruno-san, you wouldn't mind if I drop by your house right now, would you?"
"Huh?"
"This voiceRei Ao-kun?"
"That's me," he confirmed.
"Just so you know, that charm you're holding came from me."
"It was from you?!"
"Right. So, may I come over?"
""
"Sure."
Haruno hung up, looking a bit uneasy.
"So the amulet was something Rei Ao gave to Yukino. But why would she pass that on to us? What's really going on?"
"Haruno, just who is this 'Rei Ao' anyway?" Mrs. Yukinoshita asked, having overheard their conversation.
Haruno let out a wry smile.
"Mother, I'm not entirely sure, either. All I know is he's Yukino's neighbor in the apartment she's renting. Now, I guess we can add another line to his rsum"
"!!!"
A voice rang out, causing both women to jump.
"Yukino? Rei Ao-kun?"
Haruno blinked hard. She needed to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
"Mother, are you seeing this, too?"
"YesI see it."
The pair stared in shock. There were now two people behind themindeed, Yukino and Rei Ao. But they had just hung up the phone barely seconds ago. How had they appeared here soundlessly?
Rei Ao gave a friendly smile.
"Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Rei Ao. I'm currently Yukino's boyfriend, and soon I hope to be her husband."
"!!!"
Yukino's eyes went wide with disbelief, and color rushed to her cheeks. Wh-why would he say something like that so suddenly?!
Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita were taken aback by his forceful introduction as well.
"Huh?"
Haruno was dumbfounded. B-boyfriend? This was the same guy who said he would help keep an eye on Yukino to make sure no other men tried to get closeand now he was saying he was Yukino's boyfriend?!
With no room to argue, it looked to be the truth.
Wasn't that basically betraying the job of "watchful neighbor"?!
~~~
300 Powerstone Bonus Chapter!
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Chapter 445: Telling Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita about the World....
Nighttime at the Yukinoshita Residence
Paying no mind to the mother and daughter's bewilderment, Rei Ao took Yukino's hand and walked over to where the monster lay.
Seeing the creature's gruesome form calmed Yukino somewhat. It was a giant bird, nearly ten meters long. Its head and neck now hung inside the room, while the rest of its body drooped against the outer wall.
"Rei Ao-kun, is this a magical beast?"
It was Yukino's first time seeing a monster with her own eyes, and she gripped Rei Ao's hand nervously.
"No, it's not a magical beast," Rei Ao replied with a shake of his head.
"It's a demon."
"???"
Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita, overhearing them, were both taken aback and somewhat enlightened at the same time. Clearly, these two knew something. Unable to endure her total lack of understanding, Haruno spoke up:
"Um, Rei Ao-kun, Yukinocould you two please explain what in the world is going on here?"
Rei Ao raised an eyebrow.
"Of course, but let me dispose of this thing first."
By "dispose," he meant lifting a foot and kicking the monster's corpse out of the window.
"Done. Now, let's have a proper talk."
In the Yukinoshita family's drawing room
"Ask whatever you want. I'll answer."
Though it was his first time here, Rei Ao showed no hint of restraint. On the contrary, it was Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita who appeared uneasy in front of him.
Seeing Rei Ao open the floor, the mother and daughter exchanged glances. Mrs. Yukinoshita took a deep breath and spoke:
"Rei Ao-san"
She hesitated over how to address him. Calling him "Rei Ao-kun" felt too familiar. He was her daughter's classmateapparently also her boyfriendbut there was no ignoring that he clearly wasn't an ordinary person.
Everything he'd displayed so far was shrouded in mystery. She naturally wondered if there might be some secret organization out there and if he deserved the utmost respect. In the end, she settled on calling him "Rei Ao-san."
"My mother-in-law," he interjected smoothly, "calling me 'san' is too formal. Just use my name. I've already accepted you as my mother-in-law."
He was entirely at ease with such familiarity, as though he'd decided she was his mother-in-law for sure. Mrs. Yukinoshita glanced at Yukino, who sat beside Rei Ao with her head down, and understood. Their relationship seemed even closer than she'd imagined.
"All right Rei Ao-kun, could you please help us understand a few things?"
"That demon you mentionedand the amulets Yukino gave us."
She and Haruno both were desperate for answers, feeling stifled by their utter lack of information.
"I'll explain it in the simplest terms," Rei Ao replied. He might be willing to talk for Yukino's sake, but he disliked giving complicated explanations.
"First, the world is not as simple as it looks. Second, demons come from another world. Third, those amulets are a protective measure I set up."
"That's it. From that, you can probably guess the rest."
""
It was conciseso concise that Mrs. Yukinoshita and Haruno, who had geared up to listen seriously, were left hanging the moment he finished.
"But" Haruno tried to speak, only for her mother to squeeze her hand in warning.
Mrs. Yukinoshita said,
"Thank you for telling us, Rei Ao-kun."
She knew full well there was a disparity in their positions. Rei Ao obviously had no intention of going into detail, so pressing further would be pointless.
He had already revealed enough. Even if he explained every technical term, that wouldn't help them much, given they had never encountered such things before.
For now, they could be sure there really were demons, and also individuals like Rei Ao, and possibly even connections to some other worlds. That alone was extremely significant for Mrs. Yukinoshita.
A serious look crossed her face.
"Rei Ao-kun, I have a guess. Would you mind if I shared it with you? All I ask is that you nod or shake your head to confirm or deny it."
Rei Ao eyed her thoughtfully. Despite having no wrinkles, she looked remarkably youthfulsimilar in appearance to Yukino, but with a fuller figure and an air of mature composure.
Even after what had just happened, she'd pulled herself together impressively quickly. And her method of accommodating him by getting straight to the point was something he appreciated. He gave a slight nod.
"Let's hear it."
"Please forgive me if I'm off the mark."
Mrs. Yukinoshita composed herself.
"I've lived many decades, yet never heard of anything like this. Of course, it may be that my experiences are limited. But having gone through something so frightening tonight, I can't help but think: Has there been some change in these 'otherworldly' forces that everyday people like us aren't aware of?"
"Oh?"
Rei Ao raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his expression.
"That's quite a crafty approach."
Her reasoning basically revolved around whether or not some 'abnormality' was occurring. Most of what she'd said was just a preamble leading to that yes-or-no question.
""
Mrs. Yukinoshita paused, a little taken aback that he'd seen through her intentions so easily. Her aim was simple: if there was "no abnormality," she would treat this incident as a one-off.
If there was an abnormality, she'd escalate her concern to the highest level. After all, if there were unknown, terrifying powers hidden in this worldlike the demon earlier or a mysterious individual like Rei Aoordinary people could be killed in an instant.
