The young Taimanin and the mage made their way home. With Ryuji riding on Kirara's back, one person in particular felt a pang of jealousy: Sakura.
‘Why does Kirara get to carry Ryuji? I'm plenty strong too.’ She trudged along, her face tight with frustration. Then she caught a scent, a familiar scent. Semen. And it was coming from Kirara. Sakura had been smelling it ever since Kirara left the room carrying Ryuji. Not only that, when Kirara had emerged from that room, she'd looked flustered, her breath coming in heavy pants.
The evidence only made Sakura more certain, Kirara had slept with Ryuji. Taken advantage of his vulnerable, aroused state. Though Sakura supposed she couldn't complain too much since she had done the same.
But she couldn't hold it in any longer. "Kirara-chan… did you and Ryuji do the thing?"
Kirara gave her a confused look. "The thing?"
"You know. A guy and a girl, alone in a room… doing the thing?"
Realization dawned on Kirara's face. Her cheeks erupted in a deep crimson. "I-I didn't do anything to Ryuji!"
“Liar! I can smell semen coming from you and Ryuji!”
"W-what?! How can you tell what semen smell like?!"
"I had sex with Ryuji yesterday. Of course I know what semen smells like."
As the two argued, the others—Asuka and Kosuke—kept their distance, exchanging awkward glances.
"What the fuck are they talking about?" Asuka couldn't understand what was happening to her friends. Had Ryuji rotted their brains or something?
"I don't know. Is this what happens when their brains are filled with love?"
"But Kirara doesn't like Ryuji. There's no way she fell for him, she hates guys."
"I don't know. She didn't seem to mind being close to him. And if what Sakura said is true… maybe she does have feelings for Ryuji?"
“Hah?" Asuka rejected the idea completely. "No way. I know Kirara. And how could she fall for a guy she's only known for a short time?"
"Well, Ryuji is an amazing person." Memories of Kosuke's past life began to surface. He spoke as if he were a fan. "He has badass friends, he's good at magic, and his fire is pretty cool too. And when he goes into hypermode, he becomes this badass figure with sharp amber eyes, just looks incredible. He's really smart and a hardworking person, though maybe too hardworking. You could call him a workaholic. And he's got a bounty on his head, which makes him even cooler."
Asuka stared at him for a moment, surprised by the description he'd given. Still, she latched onto the latter point. "How can a bounty on your head make you cool?"
"Come on, have you ever watched any action show? When a new character is introduced with a big bounty, it usually means business. That makes them cool."
This made Asuka ponder for a moment. It did make them cool, having a huge bounty on their heads. Like a background character screaming, telling everyone how dangerous they are. Now that she kept thinking about it, she wanted a bounty on her head as well.
"Hm… No matter how great the guy is, there's no way a girl would fall for him instantly. Especially Kirara." Asuka refused to believe that Kirara held any feelings for Ryuji.
.
.
.
Ryuji's eyes slowly fluttered open. He sat upright and stretched, releasing the tension from his body. Then he went to grab his phone… Right. His phone had been destroyed. How was he supposed to tell what time it was? It didn't matter. He would head to the agency early. As he stepped outside, the sky was still dark.
Walking toward the agency, he noticed a silver cat gleaming in the night. Ryuji rubbed his eyes. The shine was gone. I should go back to sleep. I'm hallucinating. Instead of listening to his own advice, he kept walking.
The cat followed behind him. "Meow."
Ryuji couldn't help but feel uneasy about this cat. He didn't know why, but his Third Eye kept telling him something was off. Still, he ignored the feeling and continued toward the agency.
He reached the door and quickly slipped inside before the cat could follow. The cat scratched at the door, begging to come in. Ryuji felt a pang of guilt, but he pressed on.
He took the elevator up. When he arrived at the agency office, he stepped inside to find only darkness and silence. He flipped on the light, brightening the room. Now he searched for the laptop he had used yesterday, intending to continue writing his report.
There it was, the laptop had been sitting there since yesterday. It looked like it hadn't been moved or touched by anyone. He opened it then saw the time was 5:15 AM, enough time to finish the report. Then went to Google Docs to begin typing away. Words and letters filled the screen. Sentences formed into a written history of the previous day. Accounting for their fights, their approaches, the encounter with Kurenai and Ayame. All of it went into the document.
Then he heard a sound.
"Mrrr…" A purr. It jolted Ryuji upright. He searched for the source. And there it was, the cat he had just met? No, the cat he had just left outside.
Wait. How did this cat get here?
Ryuji rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, the cat was gone. In its place a man with silver hair.
"Yo, Ryuji-chan."
"G-Gin? What the— How— Where's the cat?" Ryuji looked left and right, starting to wonder if he was truly losing his mind.
"Cat?" Gin tilted his head. "I don't see any cats. Did you get enough sleep?"
"No?"
"Hmm… Trouble sleeping?"
"Yes."
"Want to talk about it?"
Ryuji hesitated. "I don't know."
Gin grabbed a chair and sat down. "Well, sit down. Let's have a long chat."
Ryuji obliged, grabbing a chair and sitting across from him.
"So, what troubles you?"
Surprisingly, Ryuji was very open. "A lot. There's a bounty on my head. My dad works with a villain organization. And I'm dealing with Sakura's feelings for me… and possibly Onisaki-san's as well."
"Did you let out your anger at Victor?"
"No? Why?" Why would Victor be involved?
"Oh, I thought you were going to go on a rant about your dad to him."
"Wait, the reason you didn't tell me earlier is because you didn't want to hear my rant?"
"Hey, you can be an angry, chatty guy. What can I say?" Gin smirked and gave a wink.
"Hmm…" Ryuji grumbled.
"Ahem." Gin cleared his throat. "Anyway, you know your dad didn't fully join them."
"I know. My dad hates demons, and joining an organization full of them just contradicts everything I know about him. Unless he plans on betraying them in the future."
Gin nodded. "Good. Next, that bounty."
"Any idea?"
"Someone from Under Eden, possibly."
"Under Eden?" Ryuji's eyes went wide. "The Incubus King. I took Shiranui away from him, and now he wants payback."
"Shiranui? Who's she?"
"A Taimanin who was brainwashed into working for the Incubus King. The woman I was protecting on the streets of Yomihara."
"I see." Gin leaned back. "Well, let's talk about something else."
"That quick?"
"We lack information about the Incubus King, Ryuji-chan. If we could track down one of his henchmen and extract information from them, we'd have a clue."
"Actually, I know two. Real and Yazaki Muneichi."
"Hm?" This made Gin sit forward, intrigued.
"Real is the head of the Under Eden brothel. There's probably tons of information in his head and in the computers. The same can be said for his brother, Muneichi."
"All right. I'll send someone to kidnap them and extract the information. Though, unless the Taimanin get to them first?"
"I don't think they'll take any action against them. Especially Muneichi—the guy's a politician. Interrogating him is apparently a no-go." Ryuji remembered some parts of the story from the visual novel.
"Well, despite being ninjas, they still have to play by the books since they're part of the government."
"I didn't know it was that bad, actually." Ryuji hadn't realized how restricted the Taimanin really were.
"Ah, well. Sucks to be them. Anyway, onto the girls."
"Can we just skip that part?"
"Relax." Gin held up a hand. "I know a thing or two about handling girls."
"Alright." Ryuji took a deep breath, trying to find the best way to explain. "You know Sakura likes me, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, another one likes me. And it's Onisaki-san."
"Hmm…"
"And the thing is, she hates men. But I managed to make her like… me? But…"
"But?"
"How did I make her like like me?! Just how?"
"Ryuji, you look a lot like your dad."
"Okay?" That only confused Ryuji more.
"And do you think your dad is attractive to girls?"
"I don't know. He looks average."
"Ryuji, your dad is hot as hell. He's got that handsome look with piercing eyes that makes him even cooler. A herculean body that makes most men jealous. And that means you look very attractive as well."
Ryuji tried to rebuke him but couldn't find the right words. Still, he rejected the idea. "N-no, I don't think I'm that great to look at."
Gin didn't want to argue, so he shifted gears. "Well, maybe she fell for your personality. You do have a great one. You're kind and always try your best to solve someone's problems. You're a helpful person who always takes time to help the weak become strong. And lastly, you're the most dependable person I can think of."
"Aren't you mistaking me for someone else?"
A vein began to bulge on Gin's forehead. Ryuji was always like this. Despite being a great fighter, confident and witty in battle, a leader who could inspire hope and even revive the great Miyatake clan… he had low self-worth. Though maybe that was why he always put himself in harm's way.
"Ryuji, what do you want?" Gin decided to strike at the core of the problem.
"What do I want?"
"Yes. What is your goal? Your aspiration? Didn't you mention you wanted to revive your dead clan?"
"That wasn't my dream. It was my mother's." Ryuji's tone turned sad. "I thought I could carry her dream and fulfill it for her. But I realized I couldn't."
"Ryuji, you can do it." Gin looked him straight in the eyes. "You have the potential to- no, you shouldn't ignore your past achievements. You've fought monsters that even powerful mages would have trouble handling. You've won the hearts of many people, even demons. Hell, you succeeded in making all the clans of the Miyatake League acknowledge you as the patriarch of the Miyatake clan."
Ryuji couldn't say anything. He fell silent, staring down as if the praise was too heavy to bear. Then he felt hands grab his shoulders. He looked up. Gin was right in front of him, close and intense.
"Ryuji, you're directionless. You don't know what to do with your life, and because of that, you're regressing. You're weaker than the you of the past. That's why what you need to prioritize is finding a dream, a goal."
"A… goal…?"
"Yes. It doesn't have to be big. Make it small if you want. But the most important part is that it has to come from you. Yourself. Not from anyone else. Just you. Meaning… it's time for you to be selfish."
"A goal for myself?" Ryuji nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think I understand. But I don't think I—"
A sharp smack echoed through the room. Ryuji felt a sting bloom on his left cheek.
"Just do it, you stubborn dumbass!" Gin's voice was hard, commanding. "And this is an order from me, the Commander of the Tokyo Branch. Understand?!"
"Yes, I understand, sir!" Ryuji shot to his feet and gave a sharp bow.
"Good. You'd better. Now go finish your report."
.
.
.
“Alright, is everyone ready?" Gin announced.
"I'm ready." Oiwa stood in a sharp suit with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Are you going to confess to someone?" Ryuji asked.
"I'm just trying to make the best impression I can to her." Everyone—except the Taimanin—knew who he was implying.
"I'm ready." Kyousuke appeared in his white armor.
“You look familiar," Sakura said, staring at him.
"Go change your clothes, Kyousuke-kun. We're not in any danger, so change into something more appropriate and less threatening," Gin said.
"I'm ready as well," Emily said, practically bouncing. "A village full of Taimanin, meeting Asagi herself. Ah, I can't wait."
"Well, keep that excitement contained. You have to act professional since you represent the DSO."
"Man, I can't wait to get back to the village," Kosuke said.
"Yup. Then we can go to all the places we used to visit as kids," Asuka said.
"Why can't I go? I have to accompany Lord Kyousuke," Ae said.
"Because it's just a diplomatic mission. There's no need to bring that many people. We already have heavy hitters—Kyousuke and Oiwa—if things turn sour. Right now, it's better to focus your power on kidnapping Real," Gin explained.
This, of course, didn't sit well with Ae. He clicked his tongue in frustration and walked away.
"Alright, I'm done." Kyousuke reappeared in professional attire, a tailored suit.
"Nice choice of clothing. Especially since you're going to meet your ex‑fiancée."
"Oh…" Kyousuke froze mid‑step.
"You forgot about that, didn't you?" Kosuke said.
"Yeah."
"Alright, that's enough. Let's go to the dropship." Gin’s lead the way to the designated point.
.
.
.
The dropship landed. Asagi and Murasaki stood ready, mentally prepared for what was to come. The mages of the Sovereign Mage Militia were a complete unknown to the government—their methods, their ideologies, their way of operating. And for Asagi, more personally, there was her ex‑fiancé.
The Militia emerged from the dropship, revealing themselves to the Taimanin. They both eyes widened by the familiar faces.
The commander stepped forward. "I am Gin Daishou, Commander of the Tokyo Militia Branch." He gestured to the others behind him. "These are my companions, tasked as my bodyguards."
"Myouga Oiwa." Oiwa introduced himself, his gaze fixed on Murasaki. He even gave a small wave.
"Sawaki Kyousuke." Kyousuke's face was stone. Taking the responsibility of the bodyguard seriously.
"Sawaki Kosuke." Kosuke, by contrast, looked visibly nervous. He could feel the tension crackling between Asagi and Kyousuke.
Then Emily stepped forward. “I am Emily Simmons, I will be representing the DSO and by extension the UFS of Japan.”
"I am Igawa Asagi, the Chief Commander of the Taimanin." Despite finally seeing Kyousuke she acts calm and collected. "Come, let me walk you to the room where our meeting will take place." Then she turned to the Taimanin and Ryuji. "All of you, good job. You're dismissed."
"Oh, you don't mind if Kosuke-kun follows the kids as well, do you? He just wants to visit the place. The bodyguard stuff is just an excuse." Gin said.
Asagi's expression softened. 'Kosuke has grown so much,' she thought. "Very well. I'll allow it."
“Ah wait Ryuji-kun. Don’t forget your arm hasn't healed yet so don’t put too much stress on it alright?” Oiwa reminded Ryuji of his injuries.
“I will Oiwa-san.” Ryuji answered.
.
.
.
As the girls and Kosuke walked through the halls, Ryuji fell behind. He wanted to be alone. He needed time to think. Gin's words still echoed in his head. ‘What goal should I have?’ A goal…
Maybe becoming president of the student council? Nah. Too much busywork.
Maybe video games? Yeah… that could work. Playing challenging games and beating them would be a start. He'd never finished a video game before. That was a goal he could set for himself.
Then he felt it. Anger and electricity crackling in the air, marching straight toward him. He looked behind.
"Yukikaze?"
Yukikaze was furious. Lightning sparked around her body, her eyes blazing. Behind her, Tatsurou and Rinko looked worried.
"You!" she shouted. "Explain this!" She hurled a crumpled piece of paper at him.
Ryuji caught it, opened it, and read. His eyes widened in shock. Juryu… you're already causing trouble for me.’ He sighed. "I know who wrote this letter, and I assure you, your mom is fine."
"I don't care about that! I want my mom now! So call this friend and bring her back!"
"Yukikaze, I don't have a way to contact him. And even if I did, he wouldn't listen to me. Once Juryu has a plan, he executes it without compromise."
"Didn't you hear what I just said?! I'm going to shock—"
But before she could finish, Ryuji pulled her into a tight hug. “Then do it, shock me you flat chested midget.”
Yukikaze unleashed a torrent of lightning, so powerful that anyone outside could see yellow lights flashing through the windows. She poured out all her frustration, not caring what happened to Ryuji, until she ran out of energy.
"Are you done?" Ryuji seemed completely unfazed, except for his hair, which had turned curly.
Yukikaze didn't answer, just muffled noises escaped her. For some reason, this hug was starting to feel… nice.
They stayed like that for a few moments. Ryuji glanced over at Tatsurou and Rinko and gave them a small, reassuring smile.
"You feeling better now?"
Yukikaze didn't answer.
So Ryuji simply let her go. But her head stayed bowed, eyes fixed on the floor.
"Yukikaze, your mother is fine. I assure you, she's safe. I know Juryu well. He won't kill the people I care about most." Ryuji clenched his hand into a fist, veins bulging across his knuckles. "After all… the one thing he's afraid of is making me angry." Bloodlust can be felt that it jolted the three.
That moment was enough for Yukikaze to snap out of it and look up at Ryuji. Considering his words, she felt a little better. "Okay, I guess."
Ryuji sighed. He had done all he could. Now he would let the Akiyamas handle her. He looked at Tatsurou and realized something. "Right, Tatsurou-kun. You have a demon flesh bug inside you, don't you? Let me purify it."
"Senpai, before you do that… there's someone who wants to meet you."
.
.
.
Shizuru looked at Ryuji, the one who had tasked the three with investigating Muroi. "What you did was incredibly dangerous. One of them had become a victim of Muroi!"
"I know, and I accept full responsibility, Sensei." Ryuji responded calmly.
"Well, do you have a way to cure this?"
"Actually, yes, I do. Tatsurou-kun, come closer." Tatsurou stepped forward. Ryuji raised his fist, gathering his flame, and punched Tatsurou square in the gut. Tatsurou doubled over, gasping for air.
"Does that work?" Shizuru was taken aback by Ryuji's abrupt action.
"Yes. No impurity can escape the purifying effect of the flame, especially in high concentration. So, Tatsurou-kun, how do you feel?"
"Feeling fine. The pain went away surprisingly quickly, and I felt this warm feeling inside me." Tatsurou had never felt like this before. It was… nice.
"Good. I have to ask, how many people do you know are infected by Muroi's flesh bud, Tatsurou-kun?"
"A lot. I'll make a list and give it to you by tomorrow."
"Good. Tatsurou-kun, you can leave," Shizuru said. "I need to speak with him alone."
Tatsurou left the room, leaving Ryuji and Shizuru alone.
"So, what punishment am I going to receive?"
"Oh? Assuming I'm going to punish you?" Shizuru's tone turned seductive. "Are you into that, Ryuji-kun?" She tried to pull him in with her words, but it had no effect on Ryuji.
"Shizuru-sensei, you're a teacher. I must ask you to refrain from talking inappropriately, especially to a student."
‘Great. She's one of those weird teachers.’ He'd already had enough of that sort, especially from Master Kazimir.
"Oh? Alright, though I'm sure you'll like what I'm about to say."
"No, I won't." His voice was flat, his expression deadpan.
"We can't ignore the actions you've caused." Her tone turned serious. "So we've assigned a teacher to discipline you."
"Discipline me?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow. He supposed he should have expected this. But who?
"And the teacher assigned to you is me."
"Is there a reason?"
"Well, since you haven't done anything maliciously wrong, we considered that maybe you need a positive influence. And you're already a good fighter, so we decided to branch into another skill to teach you. So I'll be assigned to you, to teach you infiltration."
That was already a skill he was good at. But he didn't say so, fearing they would just increase the difficulty. "Then I'll do my best to improve myself and be better in your eyes."
"Why are you being so formal, Ryuji-kun? Just treat me like you treat your friends."
"Hmm…" Ryuji rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought for over thirty awkward seconds. "No."
This, of course, didn't sit well with Shizuru. She could tell Ryuji was messing with her, but she didn't want to argue. "You are dismissed."
Ryuji headed to the door. Just before he left, he turned back. "Sensei, why are you upset? Didn't you say you want to be treated like one of my friends?" With that, he left with a smirk, which Shizuru noticed.
"What a naughty boy I'm dealing with. If we had known he had that side to him, we would've assigned Rin for this."
.
.
.
Myouga Oiwa was nervous. Very nervous. He hadn't seen Murasaki in years, and the worst part was that he'd left on a bad note, and left her pregnant with his child. ‘Just calm down. She hasn't tried to kill me or anything.’
"Nice weather we're having."
Murasaki remained silent. He was just making things more awkward.
How to fix this? Oh—the flowers. "These flowers are for you." He held out a bouquet of dead flowers. Damnit. I was so nervous I accidentally oozed my magic into these. "N-never mind."
Murasaki just sighed. "It's been years, and you're still the same nervous wreck from the day we first met."
That jolted Oiwa. "Yeah, I guess I haven't changed much."
"So, what were you doing these past nine years?"
"Um…" This was awkward, since he couldn't exactly say he'd gone back to his own world. "I went to med school and became a doctor. Studied magic while I was at it."
"I see." Her gaze sharpened. "Then, mind telling me why you haven't made contact with me?"
"I was very busy."
"I know you're part of the Militia. You've taken missions for them instead of just being a physician"
"What? How?"
"From the various CCTV cameras and reports."
"But I wear a mask to hide my face." He was certain he'd worn a mask during every mission to conceal his identity.
"Ryuji told me."
"Ryuji!" Oiwa pinched the bridge of his nose. "That damn kid. He threw me right under the bus."
"So." Murasaki grabbed Oiwa's hands with a strong grip. "Mind telling me?"
The grip was starting to hurt. But the shame felt even worse. "I don't know. I did want to see you again, but I was scared."
"Scared of what?"
"I don't know. I was just scared. Maybe of your hatred. Or that you'd forgotten about me. Those possibilities… they terrified me. But…" Oiwa took a deep breath and let it out. "I heard you have a daughter. Fuyuki. That was reason enough to finally see you again."
"I-I…" Murasaki's eyes widened. "I didn't tell Ryuji about my daughter. Everyone knows her as my niece, except… Lady Asagi and Kuro. But they promised to keep it secret."
"Ryuji is very perceptive and intelligent, even. He met your daughter and heard our history from me. That was enough for him to conclude that the 'aunt' story was a lie. He figured out she's your daughter."
Murasaki fell silent for a moment. For someone to deduce so easily…
Oiwa continued. "That's how intelligent people work. You give them the barest hint of information, and their brains already start forming answers."
"Ryuji… is he really that smart?"
"You have no idea. If you had seen him early on—his growth, his charisma—you'd know. Ryuji is a prodigy. But sadly, he lacks motivation now. After the war, he's been weaker. Mentally, at least."
"The war?"
"It's best I keep that a secret."
This piqued Murasaki's interest. Now she wanted to train Ryuji harder, to see that potential for herself. Still, a war… she wanted to know more.
"Was Ryuji involved in this war? What role did he play?"
"Role?" Oiwa let out a short breath. "He was a leader. He took charge of a small group, and slowly it grew so large that it even surprised the Militia. The people who followed him were young mages, criminals, and demons. And they revered him. The mages fell for his ideals. The criminals wished to reform and live better lives thanks to Ryuji kindness. And the demons… their hearts were captured by the spirit of humanity."
Murasaki was impressed, but she couldn't help feeling skeptical.
Oiwa continued. "And you know, if Ryuji keeps doing what he did… I'm sure a cult would form around him. Haha!" He laughed at the very idea of a cult forming around Ryuji.
Murasaki let out a sigh. "So, where will you be staying?"
"Oh, I figured I'd stay wherever Gin is staying."
"Then stay at my family estate. I want you to meet Fuyuki—and to teach her about being an onmyouji."
Oiwa froze at the idea of meeting his daughter. "Can I do it another time?"
Murasaki responded by tightening her grip.
"Ow! Ow! That hurts! Okay, I'll visit Fuyuki." She loosened her grip. "And, onmyouji? I'm not an onmyouji."
"You're not? Then what are you?"
"I'm a necromancer, Murasaki. You know—manipulating the dead, puppeting corpses to do my bidding. All that classic fantasy stuff."
"Then teach Fuyuki how to be a necromancer."
The moment the words left her mouth, the air around Oiwa turned dangerous.
"Teach… her?" His voice dropped, low and cold. "Why would I teach someone something as horrible as necromancy?" Bloodlust oozed from every word. "Necromancers are scum. They deserve to be wiped from existence. That includes me."
Murasaki could see it—a skull. Death itself, forming around his head. "I won't teach my daughter to become me!"
"Why? Why wouldn't you? You use this power for good."
"After I reformed. After I decided to become better, thanks to Master Kazimir's guidance." Oiwa sighed, the tension still coiling in his shoulders. "Listen. Necromancers are known for their deteriorated mental state. They lose their minds. Go insane. It's the curse of Hades. Though, thanks to my father's blood, the curse doesn't affect me as strongly—so I still retain my sanity."
Oiwa grabbed Murasaki's hand to reassure her. "I'll just teach her the basics of spirit manipulation. That's it. If Fuyuki decides to push further, promise me you'll push back against the idea. I don't want her to become like me."
"I understand."
"Thank you."
Murasaki glanced at the time. "Looks like the meeting is about to end. Oiwa, wear this." She held out a collar.
"Oh, a gift for me? I've never worn a choker before." He put it on.
Murasaki attached a chain to it.
"Um… this is a gift, right?"
Murasaki remained silent.
"Y-you tricked me!"
"You tricked yourself, stupid. Now you won't disappear again like last time."
"Last time? I disappeared once, and you already decided to treat me like a dog."
She didn't answer. Instead, she gave the collar a sharp tug, as if leading a dog. And Oiwa simply accepted it.
.
.
.
Kirara separated from her friends and returned home. She entered the house and saw the picture on the shelf—her mother with her father. The three of them together. It made her wonder, had her father really killed her mother, like the rumors said?
"Oh, Kirara? You've returned from the mission." Her father, Onisaki Hajime, stood in the doorway. "How was it?"
"It was fine. Stop ta—" Then she remembered the conversation she'd had with Ryuji. 'You can resent him and still love him… Spend time with him… Before it's too late.' "It was great. We fought that spider lady, and the day after, we went shopping." Kirara would try, just to silence Ryuji's voice in her head.
Hajime's eyes went wide. "O-oh… alright." He hadn't expected his daughter to engage. He'd assumed she would simply shut down the conversation again. "Well, I'm glad you had a good time. What do you have in there?"
"Just some clothes and this plushy."
"Oh? Who went with you on this mission?"
"Asuka, Sakura, and Ryuji."
"Ryuji?"
"Yeah. He's an outsider mage, just starting at Gosha Village."
"Oh, a mage? It's rare to encounter one. How was he? Didn't cause any trouble, did he?"
"No, not at all. He's very reliable." She blushed a little.
Hajime noticed the change in his daughter. "You mentioned shopping. Where did you go?"
"Oh, the mall, a family restaurant, and the arcade."
"The arcade… Did you get the plushy from a claw machine?"
"Yes, I did."
"Did this Ryuji play it for you? To win the plushy?"
Kirara's face turned crimson. "S-stupid dad! Shut up! I'm going upstairs! Don't talk to me again!"
The moment Hajime saw that red face, he could tell exactly what his daughter felt about this Ryuji fellow. ‘Ryuji… I don't know you yet, but I won't accept your relationship with my daughter.’
Then an idea began to form in his head. The image of Ryuji as a womanizing scumbag started to take shape. Hajime won’t let his daughter be taken away by him!