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I don't know if it was just my imagination, but for a moment, I could have sworn I saw a terrifying dark aura rise from behind the gentle Kurumi.

Even Mayuri, Shiori, and Sawa were taken aback, never expecting to hear such a secret. Instantly, their faces flushed a deep crimson. Their gazes were a mixture of resentment and shyness.

Seeing everyone getting the wrong idea from Tohka's words, I had no choice but to step in and explain. "Don't get me wrong. I just decided to tutor Tohka on a whim last night. It's not what you think."

Hearing this, Kurumi paused for a moment, then looked me up and down with a sly grin. "Well, well, Kyoya-chan, you're not being very honest. Coming up with an excuse like 'tutoring'?"

"Even if that's true, knowing your personality, I doubt you would stick to just tutoring."

"Do you guys believe him?"

After shooting me a teasing look, Kurumi turned to her friends, who were enjoying the spectacle. Hearing her words, Mayuri and the other girls glanced at me with suspicion. Immediately after, they all shook their heads in unison, making their disbelief clear.

Having been around me for so long, they knew my type all too well.

'A guy and a girl, alone in a room.'

'With Kyoya's perverted personality, there's no way he'd just "tutor" her...'

Imagining all sorts of spicy scenarios, the girls all blushed furiously.

Noticing the change in their expressions, I fought back a smirk, cleared my throat, and put on my most virtuous, gentlemanly expression.

"Ahem! You're slandering my good name. Be careful, or I'll sue you for defamation!"

"But, if you're willing to offer some emotional compensation, I might consider forgiving you."

"Smooth talker—" Mayuri huffed softly, though she couldn't suppress a small smile.

"You... just like Kotori said, you're a pervert whose mind is always in the gutter."

Far from being ashamed, I took it as a compliment. "Ahem, thank you for the praise!"

Those words nearly left the girls speechless.

'I've met some shameless people, but this guy takes the cake.'

Ignoring the glares from all the girls, I decided to press my luck. "How about... I go to each of your rooms tonight to help you study? What do you think?"

"NO!!!"

The girls shouted in unison. This guy was too much. They were at their wits' end.

'We can't let him keep talking. Who knows what other nonsense he'll come up with.'Chapters first released on NovєlFіre.net

'Besides...'

'Helping us with homework?'

'He's just after our bodies! Despicable!'

Seeing the blush on the girls' faces, a glint of amusement flashed in my eyes.

———

Time flew by. After school, just as the girls and I were preparing to head home, something unexpected happened.

WEEEE-OOOOO-WEEEE-OOOOO!!!

The windows and desks in the classroom suddenly rattled as a piercing alarm echoed throughout Tengu City.

"Th-This... Is that another Spacequake?"

The remaining students stopped their conversations, their eyes wide with alarm.

Hearing the Spacequake alarm, I also paused, surprised.

'A Spacequake?!'

'It's been a while since the last one, back during Kerubiel's rampage.'

Stroking my chin, I thought for a moment before my eyes lit up with a sly smile.

'My influence may have shifted the original timeline a bit...'

'But...'

'If I'm not mistaken, the Spirit appearing this time has to be her.'

Just then, my phone rang. It was Kotori.

"Hey, a new Spirit has appeared."

"Understood. Tohka and the others are still at school. Teleport them to Ratatoskr in a few."

"I know. Remember your earpiece."

After saying a quick goodbye to the girls, I teleported directly to the epicenter of the Spacequake.

Before me was a vast, deep crater about a kilometer in diameter, as if the ground had been scooped out in a perfect circle. Surrounding it were the bizarre, skeletal remains of various structures: a roller coaster track broken in half, a damaged Ferris wheel, a dilapidated carousel, and a half-destroyed house of mirrors.

This was once an Amusement Park, a Tengu City relic that had survived the Great South Kanto Air Disaster thirty years ago.

Poor management and a lack of visitors eventually led to its complete closure. The destruction from the Spacequake, combined with the encroaching dusk, created a deeply eerie atmosphere.

"Whoa... This atmosphere is straight out of a horror movie!"

"Get your head in the game!" Kotori's annoyed voice crackled through my earpiece just as I was admiring the scene. "The AST will be here any minute. Hurry up and make contact with the Spirit."

"Alright, alright. Easy there, Kotori-chan. You're a commander, but you're still so impatient. Such a kid."

CRUNCH!

I heard the distinct sound of a lollipop being fiercely bitten in two. A vein throbbed on her forehead as she stared at the display screen, wishing she could run over and give me a swift kick.

Hearing her fuming through the earpiece, I cleared my throat, knowing it was time to back off. After all, continuing to tease Kotori really wouldn't end well for me.

"Hmm?"

After a few steps, I suddenly noticed the ruined amusement park had transformed. The landscape was now dotted with Gothic architecture and cross-shaped tombstones. Before I could process it, another message came from Kotori.

"Be careful. We're detecting Reiryoku fluctuations in the area. It's probably related to the Spirit's ability."

"Also, one more thing. Regarding the strategy for winning over the Spirit this time, leave it to our outstanding elites at Ratatoskr. We've been preparing for this historic moment for a long time."

Hearing Kotori bring this up again, my eye twitched. I had serious doubts about the "outstanding elites" she was referring to.

"Look, Kotori, the 'elites' you've picked... they don't seem very reliable. Let's just skip it!"

The moment I finished speaking, a burst of indignant noise erupted from the earpiece.

Kozue Minowa: "What?! Are you saying I, the Deep Love, am not reliable?!"

Company President Mikimoto: "That's right! Even if you are the Commander's love interest, you can't look down on us like that!"

Dimension Breaker Nakatsugawa: "At this point, we'll bet our very dignity on showing you just how formidable we are!"

Straw Doll Shiizaki: "Hehe... Hehehe..."

"..."

Hearing the furious roars of those "outstanding elites" on the other end, a chill ran down my spine. I could practically picture their enraged faces.

'I have no words. Absolutely none.'

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