Orbit of Earth - Devilukean Royal Cruiser
The space outside Earth was quiet, save for the rhythmic beeping of the sensor array on the bridge of Zastin's ship. The captain himself was currently enjoying a rare moment of peace, sipping a cup of space-tea while reviewing the latest reports on the "Harem King's" progress.
"Sir!" Maul, his subordinate, shouted, shattering the calm. "Unidentified vessel entering the atmosphere! High velocity!"
Zastin spat out his tea. "Another one?! Is it the princesses coming back already?"
"Negative, sir! The signature is... slimy. It originates from the swamp planet Balkea."
Zastin groaned, rubbing his temples. "Balkea... That means it's one of those shapeshifters. Is it an assassin?"
"It appears to be a civilian transport, sir. But it's heading straight for Sainan High School."
Zastin sighed, looking at the screen where a green dot was plummeting toward Japan. "Leave it to Rito-dono. If I intervene every time a tourist drops by, I'll never finish this paperwork. Besides, after seeing him handle the princesses... I doubt a Balkean can pose much of a threat."
…
Sainan High School - Rooftop
CRASH.
A green, spherical pod slammed into the concrete roof of the school in an abandoned part, kicking up a cloud of dust. The hatch hissed open.
A massive, hulking green alien squeezed his way out. He had slimy skin, bulbous eyes, and a purple cape that looked ridiculous on his frame.
"Earth..." Ghi Bree wheezed, clutching his stomach. His face was a mask of pure desperation. "I made it... but... the pressure..."
He looked around frantically.
"TOILET! I NEED A TOILET IMMEDIATELY!"
He sniffed the air. He smelled chalk, sweat, and... Devilukean royal scent.
"Princess Lala..." he grunted, waddling toward the stairwell door. "I must find her... and propose... but first... EXCRETION!"
…
It was the second period, the biology class. The class was being conducted at the lab which smelled of formaldehyde and teenage boredom.
On the lab tables, preserved frogs sat in trays, waiting for dissection. Most of the students looked comically green, holding their noses. Lala, however, looked delighted.
"Wow! Earth frogs are so cute!" Lala chirped, poking her specimen with a gloved finger. "On Deviluke, there are frogs the size of cars and they spit acid! This one is just... squishy!"
Hearing Lala's enthusiasm, Rito sighed, adjusting his microscope. "Yeah, well, try not to explode this one, okay? Sensei is watching."
He glanced around the room. Despite the twins arriving on Earth, they have surprisingly out of touch other than the first day of their landing.
"Hey, Lala," Rito asked, keeping his voice low as he pinned the frog's leg. "Where are Nana and Momo? I haven't seen them around since the last time at the riverbank."
"Oh!" Lala looked up, scalpel in hand, a cheerful smile on her face. "They went back to Deviluke!"
"Back?!" Rito blinked, nearly dropping his tweezers. "Did they... run away again? Was it Zastin?"
"Nope! They went to pack!" Lala explained, waving the scalpel dangerously close to Rito's nose. "They ran away in such a hurry from home last time that they forgot all their clothes and gadgets I gave them! They said they couldn't live on Earth without their 'essentials'. Zastin dropped them off in his cruiser. They said they'll be back as soon as possible with everything."
Rito eyebrows twitched strongly hearing Lala's words. Nana and Momo returning with all their belongings sounded like a recipe for future disasters. But for now, it meant a brief respite from the twin tornadoes.
"I see." Rito muttered. "Well, that explains the peace and quiet after the stunt they pulled off."
"Quiet is boring!" Lala declared. She looked at the frog, then at Rito. A mischievous glint entered her green eyes.
"Ne, Rito... frogs are boring too. I want to see your insides!"
She raised the scalpel, her tail twitching excitedly.
"W-What?!" Rito scrambled back, nearly knocking over his stool. "Lala! Put the scalpel down! That's not funny!"
"Just a peek!" Lala giggled, lunging for him. "I bet your heart is super strong now!"
"No peeking at my organs!" Rito shouted, dodging her swipe with his enhanced reflexes. He ducked under a table, sliding across the floor with a fluid motion that surprised even him. "Sensei! Help!"
The class erupted in laughter.
Two tables away, Haruna was struggling. She was pale, staring at her frog with a mixture of determination and nausea. Her hand trembled as she held the scissors.
Rito, having escaped Lala, noticed. He walked over to her table.
"Haruna?" he asked softly. "You, okay?"
Haruna jumped, looking up at him. "O-Oh, Rito-kun. I... I'm not very good with... slimy things."
Rito smiled gently. He reached out, his hand covering hers on the scissors. His warmth seemed to steady her instantly.
"Here," Rito said. "I'll do the cut. You just pin the tray, okay?"
Haruna flushed pink, nodding. "Thank you... Rito-kun."
High above, clinging to the ceiling tiles with suction-cup fingers, Ghi Bree watched the scene. He had found the classroom, but the urge to use the restroom had passed, replaced by calculation.
'So that is the fiancé.' Ghi Bree thought, his tongue flicking out to taste the air. 'He is fast. He dodged the Princess easily. And the Princess seems attached to him.'
His gaze shifted and looked at Rito helping Haruna. He noticed the way Rito's eyes softened when he looked at the human girl as well as the way she leaned into Rito's space, comfortable and intimate.
Ghi Bree grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
'I see. This Earthling has quite an obvious weakness. A second weak female. He seems to care for her.'
Ghi Bree chuckled silently. 'If I take her... perhaps I can force him to break the engagement by himself. With that, the Princess will be mine.'
With that thought, Ghi Bree moved away from there. Meanwhile, Rito suddenly looked up at the exact spot where Ghi Bree was moments ago.
'Strange, I suddenly had the weird feeling that something was up there…'
…
In the empty hallway, the Principal of Sainan High walked with his hands clasped behind his back, humming an idol song.
"A peaceful day." he murmured, adjusting his toupee. "No explosions, or animals in the corridors. Excellent, perhaps I can finally finish reading my magazine in peace."
He turned the corner toward his office only to see that standing in front of him was a seven-foot-tall green alien wearing a purple cape.
The principal blinked and then adjusted his glasses and then blinked again.
"Oh! Is the Drama Club practicing already?" the principal asked, impressed. "That is a very realistic costume! The slime texture is superb! And the smell... very authentic swamp water!"
Ghi Bree looked down at the small, balding man. "Costume?"
"Yes! It's very well-made!" The principal reached out to touch the alien's arm. "Is it latex? Or perhaps silicone?"
WHAM.
Ghi Bree hand-chopped the principal on the neck. The man folded like a lawn chair, unconscious before he even hit the floor.
"Annoying Earthling." Ghi Bree grunted. He dragged the principal to a nearby supply closet, bind him with a rope and stuffed him inside among the mops and buckets.
"Now," Ghi Bree muttered. "Transformation."
His body began to shift. His green skin bubbled and turned human. His height shrank, his bones cracking and reforming. His clothes morphed from a cape into a grey suit.
In seconds, the principal stood in the hallway again. He adjusted his tie and smiled a greasy, unpleasant smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Time to call the girl."
…
Lunchtime.
Rito sat on the roof, eating his bento. He was leaning against the fence, enjoying the breeze. It was a rare moment of solitude from his otherwise packed lifestyle.
"Rito!"
The door to the roof slammed open. Saruyama burst out, panting heavily, his glasses askew.
"Rito! Big trouble!"
Rito stood up, alert. "What is it? Did Lala blow up the cafeteria or something? Or did Run again started an impromptu concert?"
"No!" Saruyama gasped, doubling over to catch his breath. "It's Sairenji-san! The principal called her out of class! He took her to the Sports Shed!"
"The principal?" Rito frowned. "Why?"
"He said it was 'Committee Business', but..." Saruyama shivered. "He looked weird, man. I can swear that his eyes were... slimy. And he told me to come tell you specifically. He said, 'Tell Yuuki Rito to come if he wants her back'."
Rito's instinct flared like a siren.
'Though the principal is an open pervert, he is more of a masochist. He will never call students to the Sports Shed or anything like that. And he would never send menacing messages through Saruyama.'
"It's likely a trap." Rito said, his voice hardening. His eyes flashed with a hint of gold. "Someone is targeting Haruna or rather… me."
"A trap?" Saruyama blinked. "Like... a prank?"
"I think it might be worse, an alien."
Just then, the roof door opened again. Lala skipped out, holding a massive bento box.
"Rito! Oh, Saruyama-kun, you're also here! Anyway, Rito, I was looking for you! Let's eat lunch! I made space-dumplings!"
Rito looked at Lala. If he told her what was going on, she'd come. She'd bring her inventions and might blow up the entire shed or more just to save Haruna. Even worse, if this enemy was targeting his close ones to get him, Lala might be a target too.
He needed to handle this carefully.
"Lala," Rito said quickly, grabbing Saruyama's shoulder. "I... I forgot something in the classroom. Can you wait here? Saruyama will keep you company!"
"Eh?" Lala pouted. "But I want to eat with you!"
"Saruyama loves space-dumplings!" Rito lied, shoving his friend toward the princess. "And he... he really wants to show you his new trick! It's called 'The Anatomy of a Monkey'!"
"My what?!" Saruyama yelped.
"Thanks, buddy! I owe you!"
Rito whispered in Saruyama's ear and bolted past them, sprinting for the stairs.
"Wait, Rito!" Lala called out. She turned to Saruyama. "What trick do you want to show me?"
Saruyama looked at the alien princess in front of him and then at the door where his best friend had vanished. He sighed, accepting his fate as the eternal wingman. If Rito was running like that, it was serious.
"Okay," Saruyama said, his voice trembling with martyrdom. He reached for his belt. "You wanted to see human insides earlier, right, Lala-san?"
Lala's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Can I dissect you?"
"No dissection!" Saruyama cried, unbuttoning his shirt. "Just... observation! Look at my belly button!"
He stripped off his shirt and showed his belly-button.
"It's an 'outie'!" Lala poked it.
"YEOUCH!" Saruyama screamed.
While his friend was being poked by devilukean strength, Rito was flying down the stairs, taking them three at a time.
'Hold on, Haruna,' Rito thought, his face grim. 'I'm coming.'
*****
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