Behind him, Ren heard the sound of someone running away, followed by the heavy sound of a door closing. Clearly, Yukino had run back to her room with the bath towel. With nothing else to do, Ren sat on the sofa and waited. His mind was still replaying the alluring scene. He unconsciously compared Yukino and Exusiai. Both were slender, fair, pink, and tender, but Yukino was clearly not as full as Exusiai. What surprised him the most was that both of them were actually divine beasts! Observing with his many years of gentlemanly gaze, he could confirm that it was natural! It was definitely untouched by artificial landscaping!
"Are all two-dimensional girls like this?" Ren was genuinely curious. Perhaps the answer to this question could be found by admiring a few more different samples.
*****
A moment later, Yukino's door opened. She had changed into casual clothes and came out. The blush on her face had not dissipated. It deepened when her gaze met Ren's. But her actions were orderly. She took out a cup and poured Ren a cup of black tea, then poured one for herself. Since there was only one sofa, she could only sit beside Ren. As she sat down, her arm subconsciously shielded her body. Only then did she casually ask Ren:
"Thank you for helping me again... What was that evil spirit?"
Ren was surprised. He had expected Yukino to tell him to forget what had just happened. But Yukino didn't mention the recent incident at all. Instead, she asked about the evil spirit. It was better that she didn't ask; Ren was happy about it. He took a sip of black tea. It tasted quite good. He patiently began to explain to Yukino.
"It's a monster formed by a kind of malevolent obsession, similar to what remains after death."
"Ordinary people can't see them; only those with spiritual vision can see evil spirits."
As he spoke, Ren pointed to Yukino. "And you, you should have awakened spiritual vision now; it probably appeared along with your ability."
"These evil spirits will ask if others can see them, and if you answer that you can, they will attack. It should be some kind of rule for the evil spirits' actions."
"Of course, besides ordinary evil spirits, there are also some evil spirits that can disguise themselves as humans, like the girl you saw that day." Ren spread his hands: "That's why I said, sometimes ignorance is bliss."
"So are these evil spirits everywhere?" She thought about what she saw in the bathroom. That evil spirit kept asking her if she could see it. She instinctively felt that not answering, pretending not to see, was the correct thing to do. And that action saved her. Of course, if she had instinctively attacked with her ability, she could also have eliminated it. But she had only just gained the ability. Yukino couldn't think of using it immediately.
"That's right, I've already killed thousands of these evil spirits, and they're inexhaustible; new evil spirits regenerate every so often." Despite saying this, Ren still offered comfort. "You don't need to worry too much; at least you have no problem dealing with these ordinary evil spirits now."
"Mm." Yukino nodded. After hesitating for a few seconds, she gathered her courage and looked directly at Ren. Her tone was serious and sincere: "Thank you for telling me so much and for helping me so much."
"Mm-hmm, I'll accept your thanks." Ren was not a pretentious person. Did he help her without a motive? Absolutely not, he had already said he was lusting after her body.
"Also, regarding the apocalypse and the anomalies, I won't tell anyone else. I will bear these with you!"
"..."
Hearing this suddenly, it felt a bit like a confession. But to Ren, this was a promise he had received since learning about the apocalypse. Since then, he had been tense and busy every day. Aside from the girl named Yang, this was the most solemn promise he had heard for the first time. Ren's casual gaze deepened at this moment.
"If that's the case, you'll have to be prepared to face death with me."
Three Twelve-Star apocalypses. Even in Little March's world, where Star Gods exist, it's only an 9-star apocalypse. What is the concept of a 12-star apocalypse? He himself couldn't comprehend it. He himself didn't know if this world still had a chance to be saved. He himself was just a small figure toiling in the unknown.
Yukino Yukinoshita showed no signs of backing down; instead, her gaze was resolute. "From the moment you helped me, from the moment I learned everything, I was prepared."
"You have saved me too many times; without you, I would probably be dead. All I can do is face the apocalypse with you, and that is insignificant."
There were some words she couldn't bring herself to say. As Ren's classmate, in Yukino Yukinoshita's eyes, Ren had always been an excellent yet unmotivated person. He seemed indifferent to everything. First in grades, first in sports—only because he could do it, not because he was pursuing anything. But the experiences of this period changed her perception of him. She understood the truth of the world's apocalypse. She began to perceive Ren's true self. He wasn't born unmotivated and indifferent. He was simply moving forward under some immense pressure. Only an unmotivated attitude could make him forget his troubles. She sensed the loneliness hidden within Ren's body. At this moment, she wanted to step forward, to go with him, at least as a companion on the path of the apocalypse.