Unfortunately, Rei Ao's answer dashed her expectations.
"I'm not some 'score-controlling genius.' I just improved a lot in that period, that's all."
"Ah so that's all it was."
Chika didn't seem suspicious or rude, but she quickly returned to her original purpose for seeking him out.
"Then, Rei Ao-kun, since you improved so much, do you have any special techniques?"
"You want to learn them?"
"Hehe"
Chika scratched her head sheepishly, looking both hopeful and frustrated.
"Honestly, my grades are always just a little shy of being good. I've been spending so much time in tutoring sessions lately that I barely have any allowance left or time to play!"
So that's what this is aboutwanting more playtime, huh?
Still, Rei Ao's response wasn't what she was hoping for.
"I don't really have any special techniques. It just came naturally."
His improvement stemmed from his enhanced cognitive abilitiesa perk of his unique situation. It wasn't something Chika could emulate.
"Eh is that so"
Chika visibly deflated, her disappointment evident.
However, she quickly composed herself and gave him an apologetic smile.
"Sorry for bothering you with all these questions!"
"It's no bother." Rei Ao offered a piece of advice. "If you really want to improve, just focus on paying attention in class and studying diligently. There usually aren't any shortcuts."
Of course, Rei Ao privately admitted he did have some unconventional ways to improve, but they weren't exactly applicable to Chika.
"Uh"
Chika nodded awkwardly. "I'll try my best."
She walked away slowly, her head hanging low in disappointment.
Rei Ao watched her retreating figure and chuckled softly.
Clearly, expecting her to study seriously was a bit of a stretch. Chika Fujiwara probably preferred board games and gossip far more than cracking open a textbook.
Tomorrow was Saturday.
The student council office was scheduled for its regular cleaning.
"Kaguya-chan, life is so hard~"
Chika Fujiwara lamented dramatically as she wiped the tables.
Dragging a mop across the floor, Kaguya Shinomiya rolled her eyes.
"Let me guessyour so-called hardship is just supplementary lessons because of your poor grades?"
"Boohoo, yes~"
"I have to attend an hour of extra classes every day! Kaguya-chan, you have no idea how precious my time is to me!"
Chika sniffled, looking as if she were on the verge of tears.
But her sadness was clearly superficial.
"Time? For you, that just means gossiping and playing board games, doesn't it?"
Kaguya's cold words pierced through Chika's attempt to dramatize her trivial complaints.
She couldn't fathom how this "cancer of Earth" did anything but fool around.
"Uh"
Chika froze, a faint "uhh" escaping her lips.
She looked pitifully at Kaguya and muttered, "You don't understand my pain, Kaguya-chan, since you're always first in class. I wish I could be first, too!"
"First"
Hearing the word, Kaguya's gaze darkened.
Her grip on the mop tightened involuntarily.
"I'm not first right now."
"Oh, that's true. Rei Ao-kun was first this time."
Chika finally remembered.
"Hmph."
A deep sigh escaped her lips.
"I even went to see Rei Ao-kun today, you know."
"Hmm?"
Kaguya raised an eyebrow.
Why would Chika have any interaction with him?
Chika quickly explained.
"I wanted to ask Rei Ao-kun if he had any special techniques to improve grades so quickly."
"There are no such shortcuts," Kaguya stated firmly.
"Exactly! That's what Rei Ao-kun said too. What a shame."
"I wish I could be a genius like you two."
Chika sighed, her face full of admiration and envy.
"A genius?"
Kaguya didn't consider herself a genius.
She simply studied hard and learned a lot.
Unbeknownst to others, she put in significant effort behind the scenes.
She was surprised Rei Ao had said something similar.
For some reason, she felt a sense of camaraderie.
He must've worked hard to improve his grades, just as she had.
'But I won't lose.'
A fiery determination to reclaim the top spot burned in Kaguya's eyes.
She firmly believed she'd be number one again next time.
"Eh? What's this?"
Suddenly, Chika paused her cleaning.
She bent down and pulled an envelope out from between the desk crevices.
"It'sa complaint letter."
The words "Complaint Letter" written in bold on the envelope confused her.
"A complaint letter?"
Kaguya walked over. "Who's it addressed to?"
"Let me see."
Chika turned the envelope over and looked at the sender's name.
The moment she saw it, she screamed.
"Ahhhh!!!"
Chika threw the letter away like it was cursed.
"What's wrong?"
Kaguya couldn't understand Chika's sudden outburst.
"A ghost! It's a ghost, Kaguya-chan!"
Chika, trembling like a frightened bird, clung to Kaguya's back.
"A ghost? Ghosts don't exist."
Kaguya's expression was filled with disdain. "What exactly did you see?"
"Uuuu~"
Chika whimpered pitifully.
"The complaint letterit's from Tomoya Aki!"
"Him?"
Kaguya's expression shifted.
Tomoya Aki his name was infamous around the school.
He was the student who'd tragically passed away in an accident, leading to several days of canceled classes.
His complaint letter
Looking at the desk crevice, Kaguya made a guess.
"It must've fallen in there and gone unnoticed before his death."
She bent down, picked up the letter, and checked the date.
Sure enough, it was dated before Tomoya Aki's untimely death.
"Phew, that scared me. I really thought it was a ghost," Chika muttered, patting her chest in relief.
Her dramatic gesture inadvertently set certain assets into motion.
'Cancer of the Earth.'
Kaguya did her best to ignore Chika's excessive energy.
She tore open the complaint letter and began reading.
Curious, Chika leaned in closer.
As they read the contents, both gasped softly.
"Eh?"
Chika's cherry-pink lips parted in surprise.
Kaguya's crimson eyes narrowed, filled with intrigue.
"This complaint letter It needs to be investigated thoroughly."
~~~
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Chapter 157: New Members! Yippee!
At noon, Rei Ao found Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I'm here to request leave."
"???"
Behind her desk, Shizuka Hiratsuka raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"You're requesting leave again? Do you even remember how many times you've taken leave in the past two weeks?"
"Hiratsuka-sensei, you know I'm not like other people."
"..."
Shizuka was speechless.
"Is there really so much going on in the 'other world'?"
Rei Ao shook his head. "While the state of the world does make disturbances more likely, like Tomoya Aki's death, this time I'm just visiting a friend."
"Huh?"
She had assumed he was off to deal with some extraordinary issue.
But what she just heard didn't sound like it at all.
And
"Did you just mention Tomoya Aki?"
Shizuka felt as if she were brushing up against something deeply unsettling.
"Wasn't his death an accident?"
Her voice lowered, and a glint of curiosity sparked in her eyes. It felt impossible to let this mystery lie unsolved.
"He was killed by a demon."
"Tsk!"
Hearing the truth about Tomoya Aki's death, Shizuka couldn't hide her shock.
"If that's true, the world's far more dangerous than I thought!"
Rei Ao wasn't trying to frighten her. He simply wanted to give her a reminder:
"So, Hiratsuka-sensei, avoid deserted places whenever you can. Trouble doesn't find those who don't go looking for it."
"I'm just a regular personif you're saying this, do you think I'd dare wander around?"
Shizuka chuckled bitterly. "But if I ever did encounter something, I don't even know what I'd do."
No sooner had she said this than Rei Ao suddenly took a step forward.
In the blink of an eye, the distance between them shrank to barely the length of a fist.
Even more outrageoushis arm slipped boldly around her waist.
"If it happens, just contact me," Rei Ao declared earnestly. "I'm courting you now, Hiratsuka-sensei, so naturally, I'd come to your rescue."
"But don't mistake me for a pushover. I'm only in this for you."
"???"
Shizuka's body softened under his fiery gaze, but her reason kicked in. She shoved him away, her face a mix of fury and embarrassment.
"Don't you dare act so disrespectfully toward your teacher!"
"Besides, I'm not interested in little brats like you!"
As she spoke, her eyes instinctively flickered downward.
"..."
Tch. Why is that so... visible?
There was no way something like that belonged on a so-called "little brat"!
"Hiratsuka-sensei, what are you looking at?" Rei Ao asked with a sly grin.
"Ahem!"
Shizuka coughed loudly, trying to mask her embarrassment, and quickly changed the subject.
"Fine! Your leave is approved. Now get out, quickly!"
She was genuinely worried that if Rei Ao stayed a moment longer, her composure as a teacher would completely crumble.
"Thanks, Hiratsuka-sensei."
With a smile, Rei Ao didn't push her further. He turned and left without another word.
The office fell silent.
Only then did Shizuka realize how unusually she was acting.
Thump, thump, thump!
Her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears, fast and irregular.
Her cheeks burned as heat flooded her face.
"Did... did he just get to me?"
Shizuka stared at the door in disbelief.
Had she really just been flustered by a kid?
"..."
No, Rei Ao wasn't exactly a kid.
Recalling the unreasonable proportions she'd just glimpsed, she clicked her tongue internally.
She had always thought the jokes about him juggling multiple women were exaggerations. Now, she wasn't so sure.
"Ugh, what am I even thinking? Get a grip, Shizuka Hiratsuka!"
Berating herself for her stray thoughts, Shizuka was convinced that if she let this go on, she'd end up doing something utterly indecent.
If she stooped to dating someone that much younger
It wasn't just others who'd look down on her; she wouldn't be able to respect herself either!
She needed adviceand fast.
"Haruno Yukinoshita"
Only one name came to mind.
After a moment of deliberation, she pulled out her phone.
Rei Ao's leave of absence had a purpose.
Stella had reminded him about the upcoming intra-school battle at Hagun Academy.
Initially, Rei Ao planned to directly have Kurono Shinguuji initiate a trade request. However, something unexpected caught his attention.
[Ding! Hijiri Kasuga has joined the chat group!]
[Ding! Shinoa Hiragi has joined the chat group!]
Two new members had joined the chat group.
The names felt slightly unfamiliar to Rei Aoor at least, he couldn't immediately recall who they were. He decided to check their profiles.
[Name]: Shinoa Hiragi
[Level]: 10
[Abilities]: None
[Items]: "Cursed Gear: Shikama Djo," "Cursed Talisman," "Cursed Gear Stimulants"
"It's her?"
Seeing her abilities and items jogged Rei Ao's memory.
She was Shinoa Hiragi from Seraph of the End.
The other newcomer, however
[Name]: Hijiri Kasuga
[Level]: 15
[Abilities]: "Magic"
[Items]: "Grimoire: Astil Manuscript"
"..."
This one left Rei Ao stumped for a moment.
"Magic... Grimoire..."
He mulled over the clues for a while before finally recalling an obscure title from his distant memories: Trinity Seven.
"The younger sister of the protagonist?"
(Note: Hijiri Kasuga's character and setting will be adjusted accordingly. If you know, you know.)
Rei Ao found the addition of these two to be a pleasant surprise.
Both worlds represented unique power systemsone steeped in vampire progenitors and "angels," the other revolving around demon lords and forbidden magical grimoire.
These worlds piqued his interest.
Of course, his curiosity wasn't just academic. He was also interested in the two new members themselvesboth of whom were undoubtedly within his target range of beautiful girls.
In fact, Hijiri Kasuga's world, the Royal Biblia Academy, featured multiple striking female characters, each with distinct personalities, appearances, and charms.
Since they had joined, it was only natural for Rei Ao to greet them.
Rei Ao: "@Hijiri Kasuga, @Shinoa Hiragi, welcome to the chat group."
Megumi Kato: "They're probably not from our world, right?"
Rei Ao: "At least, I haven't come across them in this one."
He couldn't say for sure, thoughgiven that both Tohru and Mabel were also from entirely different worlds yet had made their way here.
Saeko Busujima: "Welcome, new members."
Ayame Yomogawa: "Welcome."
Shinoa Hiragi: "???"
Shinoa Hiragi: "Another world? Are you serious?"
Chapter 158: Shizue: I'm not part of Rei Ao's Harem? Did overindulgence Impair your memory?
Second Shibuya High School.
In the classroom, a lavender-haired girl (anime-style depiction) stared in astonishment at the sudden appearance of the trade chat group.
Her violet-red eyes, filled with world-worn wisdom, reflected deep confusion.
"What a strange thing..."
This girl was Shinoa Hiragi.
On the surface, she appeared to be just an ordinary high school student.
However, in reality, she was the second daughter of the Hiiragi family, the rulers of Japan's cursed-gear organization, "The Imperial Demon Army".
Shinoa had been assigned to Second Shibuya High School as an inspector, tasked with keeping an eye on Yuichiro Hyakuya.
Naturally, her position granted her extensive knowledge about many thingsvampires, vampire progenitors, cursed gears, and so on.
But she had never heard of something like this Trade Chat Group, capable of enabling cross-world communication and trades.
The knowledge embedded in her mind, however, seemed to confirm its legitimacy.
Faced with something so far beyond her comprehension, Shinoa approached it with cautious skepticism.
She mentally called out to her companion:
"Shi-chan, can you see anything unusual in front of me? Or detect if I've been cursed?"
"Hm?"
A voice responded in her mind.
This was the voice of "Shi-chan," the demon sealed within her cursed gear, the Shikama Dji.
Cursed gears were weapons created by binding and sealing demons into them. They were humanity's only means of combating vampires.
By forming contracts with the demons within cursed gears, their wielders could gain physical capabilities seven times stronger than an ordinary human.
