Chapter 172: Hayasaka Ai, Who Wants to Commit Suicide! Noragami! Yato!
After school, Ren did not go home with Yukino and the others.
Instead, he went alone to find Adashino Benio.
"I'm going to the Onmyoji Union. Do you want to come along?"
"Return to the Onmyoji Union?"
Adashino Benio hadn't expected Ren to ask her about this.
She guessed he might have something to discuss with Tsuchimikado Arima-sama.
"Yes!"
Adashino Benio nodded. She wanted to know what exactly was going on.
After confirming that the Kegare and Kamui had disappeared, she didn't even know what she should do herself.
[Inorin's Note: The Onmyoji Union, Kegare (Impurities), and Kamui are all core concepts from the series Twin Star Exorcists (Sousei no Onmyouji). The Union is the exorcists' organization, and Kegare are the monsters they fight.]
"Then let's go."
"How do we get there?"
The Onmyoji Union was still very far from the school.
As soon as Adashino Benio finished speaking.
She felt her eyes blur.
When her vision stabilized again.
She found herself already back at the Onmyoji Union!
On the main seat within the Onmyoji Union, Tsuchimikado Arima, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly sensed something.
He opened his eyes and saw Ren, immediately dropping to one knee and bowing: "Ren-sama."
"!!!"
Adashino Benio was stunned.
Tsuchimikado Arima-sama... even called Ren-kun "-sama," and was so respectful!
Ren nodded nonchalantly, saying calmly, "The Twelve Heavenly Generals should also come over."
Tsuchimikado Arima immediately assented: "I will notify them at once."
"No need."
Ren simply confirmed the locations of The Twelve Heavenly Generals through spatial perception, and with a single thought.
All twelve were transferred to this location.
"Are there enemies?"
They all activated their Cursed Armaments, entering a combat state, vigilantly looking around.
Upon seeing the familiar Onmyoji Union, and the three of them, including Ren.
They immediately understood there was no danger and quickly retracted their Cursed Armaments.
Like Tsuchimikado Arima, they knelt on one knee, saying in unison: "Greetings, Ren-sama!"
[Inorin's Note: The Twelve Heavenly Generals are the elite group of the most powerful Onmyoji in Twin Star Exorcists, each inheriting the power of one of the twelve divine guardians.]
"!!!"
Adashino Benio, standing beside Ren, felt her head buzzing.
Lord Tsuchimikado... The Twelve Heavenly Generals... all the top figures of the Onmyoji Union, actually revered Ren-kun as if he were a god.
She was wringing her fingers, hesitating whether she should also bow.
Noticing Adashino Benio's small thoughts, Ren patted her head and smiled: "We are classmates now, there's no need to bow."
"Mm… Oh…"
Adashino Benio's face instantly flushed, and she quietly lowered her head, standing obediently to the side.
Tsuchimikado Arima's eyes lit up when he saw this scene, then instantly retracted.
Ren scanned the crowd and slowly told them about the Ghouls.
Amakawa Seigen, with his dead-fish-like dark circles under his eyes, looked like a corporate slave who had been working overtime all night: "There are actually such creatures in the world."
The well-mannered noblewoman Mitori Subarashi narrowed her eyes: "Twisted creatures that can only eat humans should be purged."
Ren gave her an extra glance, "This is why I'm telling you: send out all Onmyoji to search for man-eating Ghouls in society and exterminate them. Can you do it?"
"We will not fail our mission!"
"Very good~~."
...
"You live here?"
A residential complex that looked quite luxurious from the outside.
The Onmyoji Union was indeed rich.
"Yes, it's very close to the school."
Adashino Benio's expression was quite complex.
From school to the Onmyoji Union in an instant.
Summoning The Twelve Heavenly Generals in an instant.
From the Onmyoji Union to her home in an instant.
Making all the strong individuals of the Onmyoji Union submit.
This man was both mysterious and powerful.
Thinking of what Tsuchimikado Arima-sama had quietly told her before leaving, Adashino Benio couldn't help but blush.
Ren took it all in, sighing slightly in his heart.
What was all this about?
It was nothing more than Arima asking Adashino Benio to try "serving" him, like a maid or attendant, to bind Ren closer to their organization.
Of course, Tsuchimikado Arima didn't force her, but sought Adashino Benio's opinion.
She could make her own choice.
Surprisingly,
Adashino Benio, for some unknown reason, actually agreed.
Perhaps it was because he had avenged her?
Adashino Benio lowered her head, feeling uneasy, her feet restlessly scuffing the ground, muttering nervously: "Lord Ren, do you need me to serve you now?"
This maid-like appearance made Ren laugh and cry: "Don't call me Lord; at least on the surface, we are classmates."
Adashino Benio raised her moist eyes: "Then… Ren-kun, do you need me to serve you now?"
"No need, I still have to go home."
He rubbed her small head and said softly, "Go back."
Adashino Benio took a deep breath, her apple-like cheeks puffing with courage: "Mm, Ren-kun, when you need me, please be sure to tell me, no matter where!"
"…"
Ren admitted… he was a little tempted.
So, in Adashino Benio's shocked gaze, he leaned in and directly kissed those tempting red lips.
As a novice, Adashino Benio was naturally no match for Ren, the experienced veteran. He pulled her close, one hand on her back and the other tilting her chin, deepening the kiss. His tongue parted her lips, exploring her mouth with a practiced confidence that made her knees weak. She was completely conquered and defeated.
When they separated, Adashino Benio was already dazed and limp in his arms, a thin string of saliva connecting their lips.
Ren whispered in her ear: "Do you want me to take you back to your room?"
"Mm."
Her crimson face buried in Ren's embrace, she was picked up by Ren in a princess carry.
He dutifully took Adashino Benio back to her home, laying her on her bed, then left.
He still had to go back and see if Neko was adapting to life there; there would be plenty of opportunities for such enjoyment later, and he wasn't in a hurry.
After saying goodbye to Adashino Benio, Ren chose not to teleport directly home but to walk.
The distance from here to his home was decent, not too far.
One shouldn't forget ordinary life just because one has great power, otherwise life would only become more and more boring.
"Ren-kun and Adashino-san…"
A pair of eyes saw the intimate pair.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who lived in the same building as Adashino Benio, saw everything clearly from her window.
"Ren… Ren…"
She leaned against the window sill, savoring these two names repeatedly.
...
Night fell.
Streetlights began to illuminate.
The buildings, shops, and pedestrians on both sides of the street were adorned with colorful lights.
Full of vitality and life.
Streetlights lined up neatly on both sides of the road, emitting a soft glow that illuminated their path.
Light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground, giving a sense of tranquility and peace.
Shops and buildings also lit up with neon lights.
The lights were colorful and varied in shape; some presented a dazzling starry sky, while others outlined beautiful flowers.
Pedestrians wore various kinds of clothing.
Laughter, conversation, footsteps.
Walking leisurely, Ren felt that this was what ordinary life was like.
So tired! So tired! So tired! So tired!
I want to die! I want to die! I want to die!
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
I deserve to die! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!
Someone's mind was constantly replaying with overwhelming negative emotions.
"Ugh!"
Walking on the sidewalk, Ren was bumped.
"Sorry!"
The blonde girl who bumped into Ren apologized with her head down.
When she looked up, she saw a pair of golden eyes and a face that shocked her.
Ren-kun!
The person she had been thinking about and paying attention to these past few days.
Ren frowned and glanced behind her.
A phantom, an Ayakashi, was clinging to her back, its shadowy tentacles wrapped around her neck and amplifying the girl's negative emotions.
[Inorin's Note: Ayakashi (also called Phantoms) are creatures from the series Noragami. They are the manifestation of human negative emotions and are invisible to most humans.]
Ren looked down at the girl.
Her eyes were full of fatigue.
She was deeply affected by the Ayakashi.
Negative emotions were constantly expanding.
She was clearly on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Ren, always eager to help, raised his hand and gently pinched her ear, sending a tiny pulse of Primal Energy through her. The Ayakashi on her back shrieked silently and disintegrated.
Ren casually asked, "Are you alright?"
"!!!"
For some reason, Hayasaka Ai suddenly felt light all over.
All the crushing, suicidal suppression she had felt moments ago was gone.
How strange.
How did I end up here by myself?
Shouldn't I be looking after Kaguya-sama?
Was I just... thinking about committing suicide?
As the Ayakashi was eradicated, the negative emotions that had been amplified in Hayasaka Ai's heart gradually faded, slowly returning to normal levels.
Ren saw that she didn't speak, so he ignored her and walked past her.
A moment later, Hayasaka Ai, who had come back to her senses, suddenly remembered Ren.
"Now is a good opportunity to get close to him!"
Turning around, she saw Ren's figure in the distance, not deliberately hidden, and quickly chased after him.
But what surprised her was that Ren actually walked into a deserted, dark street at night.
Recalling the various bizarre things about the Supernatural Research Club members, Hayasaka Ai considered turning back.
However, just as she was about to turn, Ren suddenly spoke into the empty air.
"I can indeed see you. Hello, my name is Ren."
"A god who specializes in killing phantoms, hehe, that's very interesting."
"You look like you need help?"
"..."
Hayasaka Ai felt like Ren had gone mad.
He was talking to himself; he was talking to thin air.
Could there be something in the air...?
"Hiss!"
Her eyes suddenly stung, as if pricked by needles.
She rubbed her eyes, then opened them again to look forward, her vision shifting from blurry to clear.
There really was something in the air!
"What is that?!"
Hayasaka Ai wondered if she was experiencing hallucinations.
The street, which had been empty moments ago, now had a monster with a black-green bird's beak, human hands, and a tumor-like body!
And a figure wearing a white scarf and a simple tracksuit, holding a short blade, was agilely jumping and dodging the monster's bites and pounces.
It seemed that due to the short range of the blade, he couldn't effectively get close enough to attack.
"Yato, that's my name."
The man in the tracksuit grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, while dodging an attack.
[Inorin's Note: Yato is the main protagonist of the series Noragami. He is a minor god of calamity/delivery who dreams of having many worshippers.]
Ren understood; it was indeed Yato.
"Yato, I've noted it down."
"..."
Yato took another look at Ren.
But his heart was very bitter.
He... He won't remember me...
[Inorin Note:
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