The creature that had sliced him in two with one stroke now loomed before her, its blood-stained, blade-like tail swaying, seemingly ready to strike Eriri next.
Just as she sat frozen in terror, Rei Ao appeared in a flash, landing on top of the creature.
With one crushing stomp
'Boom!'
The ground split open.
"Hisss!!!"
The monster managed a single pained hiss before Rei Ao's foot drove it into the ground, lifeless in an instant. Its twitching tail fell limp.
It was dead in seconds.
This creature was a low-level demon.
[Demon]: Scorpion Demon
[Level]: 8
[Ability]: "Enhanced Strength"
"A demon?"
Rei Ao found this strange. It wasn't a beast, but a demon. Did Tohru's world have demons? Or was it from some other demonic realm?
In this world, demons were more like Vignette and Satanianot this kind of monstrous form.
"Rei Rei Ao!!!"
Eriri's hoarse voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
She was completely shaken, unable to process what had happened. All she knew was that Tomoya had been killed by a monster, and that Rei Ao had saved her.
Rei Ao jumped down to her side, and Eriri, trembling visibly, clung to him like a frightened rabbit. Her body was shaking uncontrollably; she was clearly in shock.
""
Rei Ao chose not to say anything to unsettle her further.
Instead, he sent a message to Raphiel, asking her to bring Vignette along.
~~~
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Chapter 101: Towards Eriri's Home
While waiting for Raphiel and the others, Rei Ao didn't just sit idle.
He ignored Eriri, who was clinging to him, seemingly in shock, and sent an image to the chat group.
Rei Ao: "[Image]"
Rei Ao: "@Tohru, do you recognize this creature?"
Tohru: "A monster?"
Rei Ao: "No, it's a demon."
Tohru: "There's nothing called a demon in our world."
Rei Ao: "I thought so."
Megumi Kato: "Didn't Rei Ao go to check on Sawamura-san? How did this demon appear?"
Mai Sakurajima: "That looks like the woods behind our school."
Rei Ao: "This demon creature appeared here, and Tomoya Aki was killed by it."
Megumi Kato: "!!!"
Mai Sakurajima: "Someone died behind the school?!"
They weren't the only ones startled by this news.
Yumiko Miura instinctively looked toward the back of the school, and Utaha Kasumigaoka started tapping her foot nervously.
A death at school was a big deal. And on top of that, this was the first time any of them had seen a monster!
Rei Ao: "He was a nobody, so it doesn't matter if he's dead."
Frieren: "It seems you really disliked him, Rei Ao."
Rei Ao: "It's not that I disliked himI was just disgusted by him. He used to harass Megumi."
Stella: "Oh, so he was a creep? He deserved it, then!"
Rei Ao: "I sense a hidden meaning there, Stella."
Stella: "Oh? Really? "
Mai Sakurajima: "So, what are we going to do about this?"
Rei Ao: "I've already called Raphiel and Vignette to handle it. Just act like nothing happened."
Before long, Raphiel and Vignette arrived. Since they were so close to the school, they hadn't needed to teleport.
"What?"
Seeing the bodies of the creature and Tomoya, Vignette's face turned grim.
Raphiel sighed. "Another tragedy"
Rei Ao shrugged. He could only think, 'serves him right'.
Regardless of what Tomoya had done, this creature's presence raised questions. Rei Ao decided to inform them of the situation.
"Vignette, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Do demons like this exist in your realm?"
"Huh?"
Vignette looked confused, then shook her head. "No, demons are more like me and Satania."
Rei Ao frowned. Something was off about this.
It wasn't a demon from Tohru's world, nor from Vignette's demon realm. And the energy lingering in the creature's body felt strange.
"Raphiel, Vignette, there's something unusual about this creature."
"Huh?"
Both of them looked puzzled. To them, it seemed just like a monster.
Rei Ao reached toward the creature's body, drawing out a trace of dark energy from it.
"This is strange."
Raphiel and Vignette noticed it too. This energy was completely different from the other monsters they'd encountered. Ordinary monsters only contained a single kind of energy, but this dark essence emitted an oddly negative aura.
"This energy it feels like demonic power from the underworld," Vignette said in surprise.
Rei Ao nodded. "That's what's puzzling me. This creature might not be a monster at allit could be a demon."
"!!!"
Vignette's expression turned serious. She was certain her realm didn't have such demons, but now she wasn't so sure.
"Rei Ao, may I take this body back to the demon realm for examination?" Vignette asked. "This matter could be quite serious and needs to be handled carefully."
"The body's no use to me, so take it. I called you here to let you know about this creatureand to handle the other body."
"I'll handle the deceased," Raphiel replied. She was no stranger to dealing with these situations.
"I'll make it look like an accident, and as for our classmate here"
She glanced at Eriri, who was clutching Rei Ao tightly, her eyes wide with shock.
"!!!"
Noticing Raphiel's gaze, Eriri quickly buried her face in Rei Ao's clothes. Right now, he was the only one who made her feel safe.
Raphiel looked at Rei Ao, silently asking him how he wanted to handle her.
Rei Ao replied, "Leave her to me; no need to erase her memory."
It was another opportunity handed to him, so he couldn't resist.
"Alright."
Raphiel nodded, and then she and Vignette began cleaning up the scene.
"Let's go over here," Rei Ao said softly, patting Eriri's back as a signal.
"Mm"
Eriri nodded softly, letting out a tiny "Mm" as she followed Rei Ao, her hand never releasing his the entire time.
Once they were far from the scene, Rei Ao gently patted her head and asked, "Feeling any calmer?"
""
Eriri nodded silently. Although she seemed more composed, it was clear she was still deeply shaken.
"Sawamura-san No, Eririis that alright?"
"Eriri is fine."
Rei Ao raised an eyebrow. "Alright then, Eriri it is."
"Everything you just saw is part of the hidden side of this worldthings most ordinary people know nothing about."
Eriri, almost like a quiet, obedient child, listened intently, her eyes never leaving his. She absorbed what he said, despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
Rei Ao kept the explanation simple, avoiding any mention of the complexities between worlds.
After a moment, Eriri asked, "I need to keep this a secret, right?"
"Yes," he replied. "If you don't, they might erase your memory." He gestured toward where Raphiel and the others were.
"I don't want my memory erased! I'll keep it a secret!" Eriri clung to him tightly, looking up with a pleading gaze.
From her position directly in front of him, she felt something against her stomach. She glanced down briefly.
"!!!"
A flush of red quickly spread from her neck to the top of her head.
Rei Ao sighed, then said with a slight smirk, "Relax. I'm not reacting; that's just normal."
"???"
N-normal?
Eriri was stunned. That couldn't be right!
Seeing her reaction, Rei Ao raised an eyebrow and asked, "Don't believe me? Want me to prove it?"
"Ah! N-no need!!!" Eriri stammered, retreating in embarrassment, now unable to meet his eyes.
"Sigh"
Rei Ao shrugged. "Alright then."
"Just remember what I said. Go on with life as usual. If you really can't handle it, Raphiel can erase your memory for you."
"No, I won't forget this," Eriri replied firmly, shaking her head.
She was determined not to lose this memory. As for Tomoya, he was already just a stranger to her now. His "accident" was something she didn't want to think about. Yet, recalling the scene still made her feel pale, nauseous, and dizzy.
Seeing her condition, Rei Ao suggested, "You should take the rest of the day off."
"Don't worry about Tomoya. Raphiel will take care of everything."
A wave of warmth filled Eriri's heart. Rei Ao's presence gave her a profound sense of safety.
She found herself looking at his hand, wanting to hold it, but her sense of propriety held her back. She gave a small nod.
"I'll go take a leave of absence."
Eriri informed the school that she wasn't feeling well and was granted permission to leave.
"Where do you live?" Rei Ao asked.
"M-my home is at"
Nervously, Eriri provided her address, thinking he'd asked for her home details deliberately. But the next moment, she felt the world blur around her, and in an instant, they were in front of her house.
Dizzy, she stumbled and fell forward, and Rei Ao caught her, steadying her.
As his warm hand gripped her arm, Eriri's face turned beet red. That familiar sense of safety returned.
"Ding-dong!"
Rei Ao pressed the doorbell, and soon the door opened.
Sayuri, Eriri's mother, appeared with a look of concern as soon as she saw her daughter's pale face in Rei Ao's arms.
"Eriri! What happened?"
To prevent Eriri from blurting out anything sensitive, Rei Ao spoke up. "Eriri had a bit of a scare and wasn't feeling well, so she took the rest of the day off."
"Oh, I see! Come inside, please," Sayuri said, rushing to help her daughter.
""
Eriri, somewhat reluctantly, let go of Rei Ao and leaned on her mother as she entered the house.
Sayuri then turned to Rei Ao and said, "Thank you so much, Rei Ao, for bringing Eriri home."
"Of course," he replied, following them into the Sawamura home without hesitation. As he observed the mother and daughter, his gaze flickered thoughtfully.
Sayuri helped Eriri settle in her room, then returned to Rei Ao, who was waiting on the living room sofa.
"Thank you again for bringing Eriri home safely," Sayuri said, bowing deeply.
She had noticed Eriri's fragile state, sensing that her daughter had gone through something distressing.
"Rei Ao, could you tell me what happened?"
After a pause, Rei Ao replied, "In truth, Eriri witnessed someone's accidental death."
This was the story he had discussed and settled on with Eriri and Raphiel.
"What?!"
Sayuri's eyes widened.
Eriri had witnessed a death?
"Just the body?" she asked.
But Rei Ao shook his head. "Not just that."
"It was Tomoya Aki. He suffered an accident and was split in two. Eriri saw everything."
""
Sayuri's expression changed drastically, and she even trembled slightly.
Not just because it was Tomoya, but because the thought of a body split in half was horrifying even in her imagination, let alone for someone who had witnessed it firsthand.
Now, she understood why Eriri had looked so pale.
She resolved to keep an eye on her daughter's condition in the days ahead and consider finding a therapist if necessary.
~~~
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Chapter 102: A Trade with Saya Takagi
'Click!'
Eriri's bedroom door suddenly opened.
A small head peeked through the gap.
"Eriri? Why aren't you resting?" Sayuri asked, concerned.
"Um, I just wanted to see if Rei Ao had left yet."
"I was just about to go," Rei Ao replied, standing up.
But before he could leave, Eriri ran out of her room and hugged him in front of her mother.
She whispered softly, "I-I'll keep the secret."
Rei Ao chuckled. "I know."
He patted her gently on the head and said, "Alright, I should get going."
"Mm!"
Although reluctant, Eriri let go of him and watched him leave with an unwavering gaze until the door closed behind him.
Sayuri observed this with a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. It seemed her daughter had special feelings toward Rei Ao. In truth, she was pleasedEriri had clearly developed a very positive impression of him.
Tomoya's unexpected death had indeed come as a shock, but maybe it was a turning point that would help Eriri leave the past behind and grow.
As for Eriri's feelings, Sayuri thought it best to watch over her daughter's mental health first and then address things further down the line.
Thanks to Raphiel and Vignette's efforts, Tomoya's death was officially deemed accidental, and the entire Academy was put on a mandatory break. They would be informed later about when classes would resume.
The break had barely started when someone came to visit Rei Ao at his home.
Yukino Yukinoshita.
In the living room, Rei Ao looked at her, surprised. "Is that all you came here to ask?"
"Yes."
Yukino nodded. She had only one question: Weren't monsters only supposed to appear at night?
But Rei Ao shook his head with a small laugh. "Yukinoshita-san, I think you misunderstood."
"When I told you not to go out at night, it was because there's a higher chance of encountering monsters then, not because monsters can 'only' move at night."
""
Yukino fell silent, realizing he was right.
"And besides, the creature at school wasn't a monsterit was a demon."
Yukino's expression turned serious. "Does that mean the world is becoming dangerous?"
At that moment, Mai entered with a plate of freshly washed grapes. She sat down beside Rei Ao, casually offering Yukino some, then started feeding one to Rei Ao.
Their close behavior made Yukino feel uncomfortable, but Rei Ao remained completely at ease.
He explained, "The danger is only temporary."
"The Heaven and Demon Realms are in negotiations with this other world, and a solution should be reached soon."
"If you don't want any of your family to end up like Tomoya Aki, dead under strange circumstances, then it's best to keep them from wandering around recklessly."
""
Yukino had already learned from the chat group what had really happened to Tomoya. His "accidental death" was simply a cover for the truth.
No one would want such an unclear, unresolved death.
"But you don't need to worry too much. Since your family's right next door, I'll notice if anything happens."
However, his reassurance didn't ease Yukino's concerns. She had familyher sister, her mother. Despite their strained relationship, she couldn't ignore them.
So she asked, "How can I gain the strength to protect myself?"
She didn't think it was right to rely on others forever.
Yukino wanted the power to protect herself. With the changes in the world, she felt a strong sense of impending crisis about the future.
Rei Ao lifted his gaze slightly, smiling. "A trade."
