"Sexual harassment? That doesn't really qualify," Riku said with a grin. "I'm just stating a fact, Katō is indeed very cute."
"Dola-kun has conveniently left out the part where I'm unnoticeable," Katō Megumi replied. Her eyes showed almost no fluctuation; her tone stayed as flat as ever.
Should he say, as expected of "Saint Megumi", still no reaction.
Riku rubbed his chin, looked at the girl before him, and chuckled with a shake of the head. They'd had exchanges like this many times; he'd teased Megumi plenty. She was probably used to it by now.
"Hey, Katō, aren't you going to invite me over for tea?" Riku's lips quirked. "I'm really thirsty right now."
"As for a boy who just harassed me, I don't quite dare to invite him over when no one's home," Katō said in that same even tone, as if stating a fact. "If I were assaulted, that would be a problem. After all, if I had to send Dola-kun to prison, my dad and mom would lose their jobs."
"What are you taking me for?" Riku said, half laughing, half exasperated. 'To be honest, if he really wanted to do anything to her, even fleeing beyond the solar system would be useless.'
"Katō, I'll stop teasing you. Let's talk next time. I've got something to do, so I'll get going, won't disturb your walk."
"Mm. Be careful on the road." Megumi blinked, swallowed back the words that would have invited him to her house, and only nodded softly.
Riku then drove on toward Eriri's home.
"What's Dola-kun doing out here?" Katō murmured as she watched the Audi pull away. In her mind, Riku was one of her few friends. He teased her often, but he was also the only one who could effortlessly notice her and start a natural conversation.
"I'll invite him next time. I should prepare the tea set properly," Katō said to herself, and resumed her leisurely stroll.
…
In Tokyo's Nerima Ward, there stood a building familiar to the locals: a Western-style mansion perched on the edge of the area, up on a slope. Recently built, it looked like a medieval European castle fused with modern materials.
The residents of such a mansion were, of course, well-off. Its true master was a British diplomat.
Not especially powerful, perhaps, but well known in the neighbourhood.
At the mansion's front gate stood three figures waiting: Eriri, Sawamura Sayuri, and the British diplomat, Reid Spencer, drawing curious looks from morning walkers.
An engine roared; an Audi A6 pulled in and stopped.
Seeing this, Reid Spencer and Sawamura Sayuri wore respectful expressions. Eriri, meanwhile, brightened with obvious delight at seeing Riku again.
"Let's talk inside," Riku said mildly through the open window.
Reid Spencer nodded. After Riku parked, the group went into the mansion.
On the second floor, a large balcony adjoined a bedroom. With the window and curtains open, the cool spring breeze drifted in, neither too cold nor too warm. The bedroom was Eriri's boudoir.
"Kuangshao-sensei, I'm Reid Spencer Eriri's father. I apologise for inviting you over so abruptly," Reid said, face full of contrition.
It was a deftly phrased greeting: addressing him as "Kuangshao-sensei" to talk as an illustrator's parent to a light-novel author, and offering an apology suited to Riku's real status.
"Kuangshao-sensei, thank you for looking after our daughter," Sayuri added at just the right moment. Perhaps by temperament, she was livelier than her husband; her manner came off more natural.
"Mr Spencer, Ms Sawamura, hello. In fact, I was already thinking of coming to your home. I take Eriri's illustrations for The Devil's Interlude very seriously," Riku said casually after a glance over the two.
Riku's words made Reid and Sayuri exchange a look of relief; perhaps they had been overthinking things.
Right now, Reid's face was deathly pale, his eye sockets sunken he looked unwell. That was only natural: the evil spirit had already devoured most of his vital energy and fortune; left alone, he'd probably be dead within a few days.
"Riku, long time no see. I've already revised some of my illustrations. Could you take a look?" Eriri, seemingly unaware of her parents' oddness, gazed at Riku with anticipation and a bright smile.
As she spoke, she nervously took out the fruits.
A week earlier, when her parents suddenly wanted to invite Riku over, she'd felt a bit embarrassed. After much hesitation, she'd asked Machida Enko for Riku's number. She'd thought they would meet somewhere else; she hadn't expected Riku to actually come to her house. Honestly, she was both surprised and happy.
"Eriri, don't be so rude." Seeing Eriri steer the conversation straight to business, Sayuri chided her.
"Kuangshao-sensei, let me make you a cup of tea first." Sayuri then smiled and moved to brew tea for Riku. Her grace made Riku's eyes brighten slightly.
This left Eriri baffled. Mom, since when are you this cultured and polite? Sure, Riku is your beloved Kuangshao-sensei, but is it really okay to act this demure? Don't think I don't know your true nature!
"Ms Sawamura, you can relax. Being casual is fine," Riku said softly.
"I see." At that, Sayuri's fair hand paused, and she nodded.
Riku took Eriri's original illustrations and began looking through them one by one.
His serious expression made Eriri's heart skip a beat.
Sayuri and Reid Spencer exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly. Regardless of what Riku might be thinking, their daughter clearly had strong feelings for him.
They weighed things in their hearts. Aki Tomoya was a decent kid, but he didn't suit a tsundere like Eriri, never mind that the two were currently at odds.
As for Riku… if he truly had intentions toward Eriri, they would raise both hands in approval. After all, Riku was that mysterious figure to whom even the Emperor and Prime Minister had to tread carefully. In both status and talent, he was top of the world.
But if they thought along darker lines, the worry returned. If he only wanted to toy with Eriri's body and feelings, they would never compromise.
After all, they had only this one daughter, and there would be no other children.
"Riku, how are the new illustrations?" Eriri asked nervously. The calligraphy made all three of them widen their eyes a little. Riku's hand had a sense of depth to it, even a touch of dominance.
"That's great, Eriri…"
"Cough, cough, cough." Reid managed a smile and tried to speak, but he broke into a cough halfway through, hurriedly taking out a handkerchief.
"Mr Spencer hasn't been well?" Riku asked, feigning a casual question.
"Well, lately it's been like this, some overwork and a chill. I'm sorry you have to see it," Reid said helplessly.
"Overwork and a chill?" Riku narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the evil spirit hovering over Reid Spencer's crown, and said meaningfully, "This isn't overwork or a cold. The cause is rather more… special."
"Uh, what do you mean?" Reid, Sayuri, and Eriri all froze.
"Tell me, do you think there are monsters and spirits in this world?" Riku said lightly.
At that, the evil spirit over Reid's head started and stared at Riku with doubt and alarm. But no matter how it looked, it couldn't spot anything unusual about him.
"Kuangshao-sensei must be joking. There are no such things as monsters or spirits," Reid said, shaking his head.
"So Sensei likes to joke, too," Sayuri said with a cheerful smile.
"This isn't a joke. Mr Spencer, the reason you're growing weak for no apparent reason isn't illness; it's that an evil spirit has possessed you. It's been siphoning off your vital energy; that's why you're fading. Lately, you've been having nightmares every night, haven't you? And even bouts of sleep paralysis." Riku spoke slowly.
"…!" Reid and Sayuri stared at Riku in shock. He had described it exactly.
Eriri also looked at Riku in astonishment, struggling to process it.
Could there really be an evil spirit?
At that thought, Reid and Sayuri felt their scalps prickle and a chill run through their bodies, able only to look at Riku in fearful uncertainty, hoping to hear him say, "I'm only kidding."
Riku only took a calm sip of tea.
"Riku, do evil spirits really exist in this world?" Eriri's fair, delicate face trembled; she asked in nervous disbelief.
"Of course they do. Not only evil spirits. On the mystic side, there are yokai and demons, onmyōji and exorcists. Even gods and demon kings exist," Riku said with an easy smile, casually shattering the trio's worldview. "In short, the fantastical beings you see in fantasy novels basically all exist in this world for real."
"…!" At that, Eriri, Sawamura Sayuri, and Reid Spencer felt their worldview crackle and splinter.
Had they not seen it with their own eyes, their worldview might have utterly collapsed.
Who would have thought that in this peaceful, everyday, high-tech world, so many fantastical beings were hidden?
"You probably only half believe me after all that," Riku shrugged. "Since I've run into this anyway, I'll do you the favour of removing the evil spirit."
As he spoke, Riku calmly stretched out his hand and slowly opened his palm over the crown of Reid Spencer's head.
Meanwhile, black miasma suddenly welled up from Reid Spencer's brow; within it gleamed a pair of sinister crimson eyes.
That eerie sight thoroughly shattered Eriri's and Sayuri's worldview and made them believe in the existence of evil spirits.
"Are you an onmyōji? Or an exorcist?" The evil spirit stared coldly at Riku. "Whichever you are, with such paltry strength, you dream of purging me? Leave now, and I might spare you."
By the time Eriri and Sayuri reacted and tried to say something, an abnormal scene unfolded; their eyes flew wide, and an intense chill ran through their bodies without warning. "Why do so many weaklings always change their tune to bluff and bluster?" Riku looked at the evil spirit and spoke evenly.
A pure Holy Light flared, wrapping the evil spirit. It didn't even have time to scream before it was cleansed to nothing.
"…!" From start to finish, only a few seconds passed. And in those few seconds, Eriri and Sayuri were left reeling, able only to stare blankly at Riku.
What they had just seen and heard, and that bone-deep chill couldn't have been faked. Then the light dispelled everything, sweeping away the fear and cold lodged in their hearts.
As for Reid, he had fainted.
"Kuangshao-sensei, thank you for saving our lives." Coming back to herself, Sayuri looked at Riku with heartfelt gratitude and hurriedly thanked him. She was no fool; she understood perfectly well what would have happened if the evil spirit hadn't been dealt with. Their whole family might well have died.
"Is Reid alright?" Sayuri couldn't help asking next.
"Relax. He's fine. He'll just sleep for a while. The evil spirit drained a lot of his vital energy, so he's going to need a long period of recuperation," Riku said matter-of-factly.
Saving Reid was already generous; Riku wasn't about to play the good guy and restore his body on top of that. He had other aims besides.
"I see." Sayuri let out a breath.
"Riku…" Eriri just stared at him in a daze. She couldn't shake the image of him coolly eradicating the evil spirit; her heartbeat sped up, and her pretty face flushed red.
Seeing her daughter like that, Sayuri smiled faintly. By now, she no longer suspected Riku of "just playing" with Eriri. Riku was their benefactor. That warm, reassuring feeling from moments ago had left her a little intoxicated.
Someone like that couldn't be a bad person.
"Um, Riku, could you tell me what that power just now was?" Having accepted the truth hidden behind the world, Eriri asked, curious. As a dyed-in-the-wool otaku, she often fantasised about all kinds of powers.
Not just Eriri; Sayuri looked over as well.
"Holy Light," Riku said with a teasing curve of his lips. "And for the record, I'm not an angel."
"Uh…" With Riku blocking the words in their throats, Eriri and Sayuri were a little deflated.
"But isn't Holy Light only for angels? No, wait, are you with the Church, then? Like an Inquisitor, a Father, something like that?" Eriri rattled off, full of interest. As a hardcore otaku, those factions and occupations came naturally to her tongue.
"Nope. Anyway, don't overthink it. I'm not one of those low-tier existences. You'll find out in due time," Riku said offhandedly.
He left something unsaid, of course 'When you become my wife, you'll naturally know.'
"Don't talk about mystic-side matters outside. That's a prohibited category. Ordinary people without special powers, if they're found to know about the mystic side, at best get their memories erased; at worst, they get erased," Riku said, half joking.
"Ha…!" Eriri and Sayuri jolted, glancing at Riku in a fluster. "Riku, you're not going to erase our memories, are you?"
"If I wanted to erase your memories, I wouldn't have explained so much," Riku said casually. "The rules of the mystic side aren't something I particularly care about."
"Thank goodness…" Eriri exhaled in relief.
"It'd be such a loss to have these interesting things erased," Sayuri muttered. She wasn't the type to sit quietly with folded hands.
"So that's how it is, this world hides the mystic side and nothing leaks out… I suppose even the national leadership…" Sayuri analysed, then glanced carefully at Riku and trailed off.
"Exactly what you're thinking," Riku shrugged. "But don't dwell on it. Life goes on as usual."
Eriri and Sayuri touched their faces and nodded with wry smiles. They really did want to dig further into the mystical side.
After some more conversation and to Eriri's puzzlement, her mother, Sayuri, tugged Riku into another room.
"Riku-kun, what do you think of my daughter?" Once the door was locked, Sayuri beamed. "Isn't she very cute?"
"Eriri? She's a good girl tsundere, yes, but diligent and serious. She's also quite cute. From a male perspective, I personally like her quite a bit," Riku said with a faint smile, looking at Sayuri with layered meaning, giving his evaluation.
--
"Then, Riku-kun, this may be a bit forward, but… have you considered dating Eriri?"
Hearing an almost perfect answer from Riku's own mouth, Sawamura Sayuri felt there was hope at once; her eyes lit up, and she asked with barely contained excitement.
"…" Although he had anticipated this, Riku still gave her a peculiar look and didn't answer immediately.
"I know our family's status is far beneath yours. There's a real mismatch there," Sayuri rushed to say when Riku didn't speak, a knot forming in her heart. "But please believe us, we have no intention of using Eriri to climb the social ladder. We just want to find her a good home."
Sayuri explained earnestly, afraid Riku would mistake them for craving power.
"I know that. You're not the type to covet influence, I'm very clear on that," Riku shook his head, easing Sayuri's nervousness.
"Whew." That made Sayuri exhale in relief. In her eyes, Riku belonged to the highest circles, and she had to make herself clear.
After all, in that world, when a parent from far lower on the power scale proposes dating, the subtext is often "sacrifice the daughter for a marriage alliance." Since Riku wasn't thinking that way, she'd passed the first hurdle.
"All this is for Eriri's good," Sayuri said, clearing her throat and putting on a straight face.
"Riku-kun, if you really do have… favourable romantic feelings toward Eriri, then tonight you could spend time together at home. I'll even give you an assist." Sayuri gave a thumbs-up, brimming with enthusiasm.
"…." Riku rolled his eyes.' Are you really this eager to hand your daughter over? From what you're saying, don't tell me you want to make it a done deal tonight…'
"Don't worry. Even though that girl is always drawing yuri doujinshi and has even made a name for herself as 'Kashiwagi Eri,' she's actually quite pure, absolutely natural. As her mother, I can vouch for that," Sayuri said, as if some strange switch had flipped; even more alarming words popped right out.
Sayuri quietly mustered her courage, fixed her eyes on Riku again, took a deep breath, and said:
"Riku-kun, I won't beat around the bush. As a mother, I can tell Eriri has already fallen for you. Have you noticed?"
"Mm." Riku pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"I see. And do you have any particular thoughts about Eriri?" Sayuri pressed her lips together, a bit anxious.
Riku was a major figure that someone, the Sawamura family behind her, and even her diplomat husband, put together could never oppose. His answer concerned everything about the future.
"I've said before: Eriri is a very cute beauty," Riku touched his face and spoke slowly. "Any normal man would feel affection for a beautiful girl. But for now, what I feel for Eriri is more like an appreciation of something lovely. As for whether it's liking in the romantic sense… I'm not sure."
"I understand." It was a candid answer; Sayuri was a little disappointed.
Still, he hadn't rejected it outright; there was hope. She had to work harder.
"Feelings take time; after spending more time together, Riku-kun might truly come to like Eriri," Sayuri said quickly.
"Don't be fooled by how slender she looks, actually that girl's figure is 79,9-56-86 with a well-balanced shape, a real healthy type, and she still has room to grow." Sayuri gritted her teeth and raised the stakes. "It's the sort many people consider ideal, I believe even you'd have to admit that, Riku-kun."
"Pfft!"Riku stared, dumbfounded, at Sayuri so casually revealing her daughter's private details, selling her out completely. He was genuinely shocked. 'Is this really her birth mother?'
"Well? Are you tempted?" Seeing Riku's dumbfounded expression, Sayuri smiled cheerfully.
'Eriri, your mom's helped you this far. If you still can't clinch it, there's nothing more I can do.'
"Ahem… it is quite good," Riku said, at a loss for words. Could he admit he'd known those details already?
This was getting weird, discussing Eriri's figure with her mother. But then he remembered Sayuri often talking yuri with Eriri; with that fujoshi side of hers, it made sense.
"As expected, Riku-kun isn't a hypocritical man," Sayuri's eyes brightened in praise. "An average boy would hem and haw and dodge the question."
"An average mother wouldn't say things like this," Riku shot back.
To be honest, Riku was once again surprised by Sayuri. He really hadn't seen such an open-minded mother before.
"I can see what Eriri's true nature is," Riku said, looking at Sayuri with a peculiar expression. "But feelings can't be forced."
"On that point, I agree," said Sayuri, smiling helplessly. Of course, she didn't want to shove ducks up a ramp. It was just that Riku was far too exceptional; she'd never seen anyone who could match him on every front.
A boy like that would naturally attract girls. There would definitely be a flock of outstanding girls circling around him. If she didn't assist Eriri a bit, with Eriri's tsundere personality, she might well lose out in the competition.
It had to be said. Sayuri saw things clearly. After all, in Riku's former world, Eriri was famous… as the losing heroine.
"I only hope you'll pay a bit more attention to Eriri," Sayuri said softly.
"Sayuri, you should understand." Riku narrowed his eyes and looked straight at her, speaking slowly. "Successful men in the upper circles rarely have only one woman. Knowing that, you still want to hand Eriri to me?"
"…" Sayuri fell silent. Although it was a monogamous society, among successful men in the upper echelons, there were almost always lovers behind the scenes besides the legal wife, one or two at the low end, a dozen or more at the high.
Men are philanderers; those who aren't are usually the incapable and the unambitious.
Let alone someone like Riku, who, in her eyes, stood at the pinnacle of the world, understood the occult inside out, and possessed tremendous power himself.
"As for lovers… as long as it doesn't get out of hand like bringing them home right to my face," Sayuri said through clenched teeth, her voice low.
By now, the topic was completely out in the open. This was exactly how that "circle" spoke.
"Sayuri, I think you've misunderstood something." Riku suddenly stepped forward, braced his hand against the wall by Sayuri's left temple, and kabe-donned her. Looking down at Sayuri, finally flustered from the sudden kabe-don, he spoke slowly.
Because of how close he was, the normal breath from his words brushed across Sayuri's fair cheeks. Her eyes began to waver; her heartbeat quickened.
It was the first time a man had treated her like this, and the man was the very person she had wanted as a son-in-law.
"In my eyes, there's no such thing as 'lovers,'" Riku said at last, just as Sayuri's mind was coming undone. "Any woman I like, I welcome into my harem to live together in peace. They're all my wives, not mistresses."
Sayuri was stunned, unable to react for a moment. Even the most formidable men wouldn't speak of "keeping a harem" so matter-of-factly; at least they would be a little more reserved.
"You've been very curious about who I really am, haven't you?" Riku abruptly shifted topics.
"Uh… yes," Sayuri nodded on instinct.
"Then I'll tell you." Riku's lips curled. Under Sayuri's panicked gaze, he leaned in to her ear; his faint breath made her earlobe twitch and redden.
Just as she moved to push him away, Riku spoke in a low, magnetic voice: "My true identity is a demon-god from another world. Both a god and a demon king, hence, a 'demon-god.' But due to matters in a certain world, I prefer to call myself a demon king."
"A demon-god from another world… a god… a demon king?" Sayuri's eyes flew wide. She stared at Riku, who was whispering in her ear, in disbelief.
Because of the evil spirit incident and the power Riku had shown, she already believed that beings from fantasy novels truly existed in this world, gods and demon kings included.
But she had never imagined that Riku himself would have such a terrifying origin. Not only a god, but a demon king and from another world.
Even as a normal person, she could tell what that implied.
"I won't abide by this world's systems," Riku went on, calm yet overwhelmingly domineering. "Any woman I like, I'll openly bring to my side. Even if she flees to the ends of the earth, it's useless. 'Monogamy' and the so-called 'unspoken rules' of human high society mean nothing to me."
"…" Sayuri stared blankly at Riku, her entire being in disarray. How had it come to this? She'd gone looking for a son-in-law for her daughter… and ended up knocking on the door of a demon-god.
Does a demon king need a reason to keep a harem? No such thing. Try to stop him? Don't even think about it.
As for the terrifying "upper-class human" identity she had suspected for Riku before "demon king" and "god," it wasn't even worth mentioning.
No wonder the prime minister and the emperor were so cowed so this was why.
Sayuri looked dazed.
"Sayuri, as for Eriri, because of you, I've taken quite a liking to her. I won't let her slip out of my hand," Riku murmured, still kabe-donning her, a smile at his lips. "And you, Sayuri, I like even more. After our talk just now, I've fallen for you, so…"
The demon king's whisper continued to echo through the room.