Chapter 915: Ch 914: Before the Storm

Underground, before the gate that linked the secret passage to the hidden chamber.

The eyes and mouth set into the massive door watched Kurousagi pace back and forth with a look of pure resignation. "Lady Kurousagi, you're putting Aman in a really awkward spot by standing here."

"This has nothing to do with you."

The blue-haired, rabbit-eared girl kicked a pebble at her feet, clearly irritated, then asked urgently, "Is Ryo still in there?"

'You ask me that and still say it's nothing to do with me...' Aman grumbled inwardly, feeling deeply sorry for itself.

Wasn't it supposed to be the Secret Guardian, the hidden line of defense? So why did people keep trooping down here every other day to shut themselves away or barge in on someone? Could this place even stay secret at this rate?

"I'm very sorry, Lady Kurousagi, but the Leader's whereabouts are classified."

At that, Kurousagi raised a small fist and slowly curled it tight.

The door spirit Aman fell silent for a moment, then said, "You're welcome to ask me whether there's anyone alive in there."

Kurousagi nodded, deeply satisfied. "Then I'll ask. Is there anyone alive in there?"

"One person," Aman said, sweating cold.

"Good. When he's free, tell him I'm waiting for him at the door." With that, she let out a breath and planted herself in front of the gate, perfectly still.

Aman sighed in relief and sank into the same stillness.

About twenty minutes later, Aman suddenly shut its eyes and its face vanished from the door.

Kurousagi perked right up. She slapped her cheeks and stared at the gate like she could pull it open with her eyes.

With a soft creak, the door slid aside and a figure stepped out.

Ryo's voice came with it. "Kurousagi? Looks like you brought the Machine God like I asked."

"Ryo, I want to know what's going on. You write me out of nowhere to say you're sending Kalki to Sanzen, then suddenly tell me to bring the Machine God who guards the city. What exactly are you..."

She trailed off. Her eyes had landed on the young man in front of her, and she flushed bright red, then spat out, "What were you doing in there? Did you get plastic surgery?"

"I don't think so?" Ryo touched his own cheek, puzzled. "I look exactly the same as always to me."

"Tell that to the ghosts!"

She stared at that face, the one that was somehow making her heart bounce around like a startled deer, and couldn't help scoffing.

It was the same face. His aura hadn't changed either. So why did her whole body feel like it was buzzing?

"Did Lady Algol teach you some terrible trick?"

"A terrible trick?" Ryo looked at her, completely lost. "Why is your face suddenly so red?"

"Is it?"

Kurousagi clapped a hand to her cheek. It felt like it was on fire.

Then a thought hit her, and she said, sour as lemons, "You used some kind of Demon Charm, didn't you?"

She didn't wait for an answer. "Using it on me is fine, but when you go out there, please act normal."

Ryo opened his mouth, closed it, and gave her a strange look. Then he asked, with a fairly peculiar feeling in his chest, "Did I just get better looking?"

"No way!" Kurousagi waved her hands, all bashful giggles. "And who says that about themselves?"

Ryo went quiet for a second. Then a mischievous idea struck him. "Kurousagi, are you free?"

"Eh? Now? Here? That's not really... okay?" She jumped and glanced at Aman.

The door spirit looked at the two of them, speechless, and sank into the ground with a string of censored curses in its head.

Seeing Kurousagi like that, Ryo murmured, "So Pisces comes with a charm effect too..."

No wonder Pisces was called the most beautiful of the Saints, with the thorned rose as its emblem.

"Pisces...?"

Kurousagi blinked. Ryo's face seemed to blur a little in front of her, and her head cleared along with it.

"Wait, did I just want to..." She covered her face and crouched down on the spot.

"It's not your fault." Ryo walked over with a look of deep sympathy, reached out, and patted her head. "For a rabbit, loving the great outdoors is just instinct!"

"I guess that's true..." She stopped halfway and cried, "What the heck! No, this is all your fault!"

"Yes, yes, my fault," Ryo said with a laugh, ruffling her hair. "So, did you bring the Machine God?"

At the mention of business, Kurousagi shot him a red-faced glare and took a Gift Card out of her pocket.

"You're taking even the Machine God along. You're definitely about to do something dangerous, aren't you?"

Ryo looked at the name Ares on the card, quietly put it away, and glanced at her. "There might be a surprise waiting when I get back."

He paused before adding, "Of course, it might be bad news too."

'Like one of the former members dying,' he added silently.

Kurousagi looked at Ryo's blurred face and said nothing for a moment. In the end she sighed and swallowed what she'd been about to say.

Instead, she leaned in and kissed his cheek lightly. "Be careful."

"I will."

Ryo smiled, gave her a hug, patted her back, let go, and stepped into the boundary corridor.

...

..

Outer Gate 3345—

At the tallest building in the Thousand Eyes' territory. Shiroyasha, in a neat kimono, stood at the railing gripping the handrail, looking at a big department store in the distance.

She scoffed. "If someone had told me when I first came down to the lower layers that the biggest store near my territory would be an Ouroboros base, I'd never have believed it. After all, not even a two-digit would dare insult me to my face like this."

"That's true enough." Streaks of golden light gathered beside Shiroyasha, and a lovely woman with golden hair and crimson eyes appeared next to her. "Which is exactly why I suggested building the base here."

A flame-red gown hung from the golden-haired girl's frame, impossibly elegant.

"You look so cute when you're fuming, Shiro."

The star spirit everyone of the Little Garden called the "Queen," Queen Halloween, smiled, delighted.

"You little bitch..." Shiroyasha sighed. "Fine. Let's call it the price for stealing Ryo away."

Queen Halloween tilted her head and smiled. "When did you get the idea that he'd been taken from me?"

"You?" Shiroyasha froze, then gasped. "Wait, don't tell me you did something to that boy's spirit rank..."

"Shh!" Queen Halloween raised a finger to her lips and pointed sweetly into the distance. "It's about to begin."

She smiled again. "Don't we look like human parents watching their kid in the high school talent show?"

"What a boring comparison." Shiroyasha clicked her tongue, then fell silent and gazed at the store in the distance, her hands tightening on the railing without her noticing.

_ _ _

At a tall building a hundred meters from the department store, Ryo Yagami appeared on the roof without a sound and looked down, wordless, at the crowds streaming through the streets below.

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