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Outside a small park.
The place was quiet—no one around. Inside the park, a single evil spirit stood motionless.
Max glanced at Miko Yotsuya beside him and smiled faintly.
"Go on, Miko."
As soon as he spoke, a faint shimmer spread out from his hands, forming a barrier that covered the small park—just over a hundred square meters.
"Mm."
Miko responded softly, eyes sharpening as she stepped forward. Her right hand clenched around the tree branch she used as a weapon.
"Huh?"
Sensing the barrier, the evil spirit slowly turned toward them. Its blood-red single eye rolled, locking onto the pair.
Then it saw Miko walking straight toward it—her gaze fixed directly on its face.
She can see me!
That realization hit, and the monster's eye went wide. Its face twisted into a grotesque snarl as it lunged at her like a starving beast.
The pressure it exuded was overwhelming.
"—!"
Miko's heart clenched as the spirit charged her. Her legs trembled.
So this is what Max meant by "real."
It was nothing like facing those frozen, unresponsive ghosts she used to see.
Even though her body reacted with pure fear, Miko forced herself to move. She poured spiritual energy into the branch and slashed twice.
Two crescent-shaped waves of light tore through the air.
In the next instant, they collided with the charging spirit.
Boom! Boom!
The arcs shattered, sending the spirit flying backward before it crumbled into wisps of black smoke.
Her second kill—success.
"Huff… huff…"
Seeing the spirit vanish, Miko exhaled shakily.
The branch in her hand crumbled into powder.
She bent forward, hands on her knees, breathing hard. Her heart was still racing wildly.
That adrenaline rush from the spirit's charge hadn't faded yet.
Footsteps approached. Max stopped beside her.
Miko took a deep breath and straightened, looking up at him.
"How does it feel?" Max asked with a smile. "Real enough now?"
"What do you think?"
Miko rolled her eyes.
Yeah. Very real. Her heart still felt like it was trying to escape her chest.
Max chuckled, one brow lifting slightly. "Don't relax just yet. The night's not over."
Miko blinked. "???"
And so, Max led his first follower—Miko Yotsuya—through the nighttime streets.
They deliberately avoided crowded areas.
Max kept picking out spirits for her to fight—low-level ones that could threaten her, but not kill her.
With each battle, Miko's control over her spiritual power grew sharper and steadier.
By the time the clock hit eleven p.m., she was panting, wiping sweat from her forehead with her left hand. The faint blue glow around her branch faded away.
Max grinned. "Alright. That's enough for your first round of beginner training."
He glanced at her now intact branch.
"So, what now?" Miko asked, tilting her head, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Honestly, she was kind of hooked.
That thrill of taking down an evil spirit—it was addictive.
Why? Probably because every victory let her vent a little more of all the fear she'd bottled up for so long.
"We go home. Then sleep." Max's lips curved faintly.
"Sleep…"
Miko froze for a moment, her face turning a shade pinker as an odd thought crossed her mind.
She looked at Max nervously. "Um… can I ask… how exactly are we sleeping tonight?"
"What do you think?" Max replied, smiling meaningfully.
"???"
Miko's eyes widened slightly. That answer again?
Was he teasing her on purpose?
Hmph. Not this time.
"I'm not falling for that again," she muttered under her breath.
"Come on. Let's go home."
Max extended his right hand toward her.
After a brief, bashful pause, Miko hesitantly reached out with her left.
"Ah!"
A startled cry escaped her lips as Max suddenly pulled her into his arms.
He wrapped one arm around her waist, letting her rest against his chest, and lowered his head slightly.
"Hold on tight," he murmured by her ear.
His warm breath brushed against her skin, sending a shiver through her body.
Instinctively, Miko's arms wrapped around him.
Max activated his Sanctuary of Silver Light. A faint silver glow enveloped them both, lifting them slowly into the air.
Then, he added a concealment barrier—blocking them from the sight of ordinary people and electronic devices.
He didn't zoom off through the sky.
Instead, he floated leisurely, carrying Miko in his arms like they were on a nighttime stroll.
Miko rested her right cheek against his chest, hearing the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
He smelled nice, too.
Without realizing it, she closed her eyes, a small smile curving her lips.
She stayed quiet in his embrace.
Max didn't speak either—just flew silently toward home.
About ten minutes later, they drifted down into the courtyard.
Max looked down at her and chuckled. "So, Miss Miko… need me to carry you to bed?"
"N-no thanks!"
Like a startled rabbit, Miko's eyes snapped open. Her face flushed red as she quickly slipped from his arms and hurried toward the living room.
The glass door leading to the courtyard was still open.
Max followed behind, amused.
A moment later, he showed her the first-floor bathroom before heading upstairs to the master bedroom to grab clothes for his own shower.
The house had three floors, each with its own separate bath.
First floor: living room, storage, bath, kitchen, and a small fifteen-square-meter bedroom.
Second floor: master bedroom with a large balcony, a guest room, another living area, a study, and a bath.
Third floor: four bedrooms and one more bath.
Seven bedrooms total, three baths, two living rooms, one kitchen, and a storage room.
Except for the master bedroom, the rest were empty—just bed frames and nothing else.
Twenty minutes later—
Max came downstairs, freshly showered, wearing a loose light-blue pajama set. He sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone.
Miko was still in the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, the door opened.
She stepped out, skin slightly pink and glowing, hair damp and shoulders shining faintly under the light. She wore pale green pajamas—a darker collar and light-colored pants.
"Um…"
Stopping beside Max, Miko fidgeted, cheeks red, lips parting like she wanted to say something—but didn't.
"What is it?" Max asked with a smile.
"N-nothing."
Their eyes met, and her face turned even redder. She quickly looked away and swallowed her words.
"Really?" Max squinted at her playfully.
"Yeah…"
Miko avoided his gaze, her voice small and uncertain.
Because just now, in the shower, she'd noticed something new.
On her lower abdomen—a faint purple mark edged with gold, shaped like a sword.
She could feel the power and will pulsing inside it.
The source of her supernatural ability.
A mark connected to Max.
Whenever she used her power, it would grow warm, her spiritual energy surging stronger and faster—enhanced by that mysterious link between them.
"....."