Leaving aside the bizarre "accident" of a demon crashing straight into the bathroom, the actual encounter between Ryuya Kurobane and Mai Sakurajima was surprisingly… normal.
From Mai's perspective, Ryuya didn't resemble the kind of demon she had imagined at all.
He wasn't ferocious or monstrous, nor was he as cruel or heartless as she'd thought demons to be.
If you ignored those demonic wings and his supernatural powers, he could almost pass for an ordinary human being.
Of course, what Mai didn't know was that only a few days ago, Ryuya really had been an ordinary human.
"Why don't you start by telling me your story?"
Ryuya was the first to speak, his tone calm but probing.
"To solve a problem, you have to understand its cause first, don't you?"
Mai stayed silent for a couple of seconds. Her expression showed clear reluctance, yet she knew avoiding it wouldn't help.
So, treating Ryuya as a quiet listener, she began to speak about the thoughts that had always been buried deep in her heart.
"I entered show business when I was six. After playing the lead in a morning drama, I've been constantly in the spotlight—TV shows, movies, commercials… I've lived my entire life under people's gaze.
No matter where I went, people would always whisper, 'That's Mai Sakurajima.'
At some point, I developed a wish… I wanted to go somewhere—anywhere—where no one knew me."
Hearing this, Ryuya frowned slightly.
So this situation might have been born from her own wish?
"In other words, your wish actually came true," he summarized, arms crossed as he sat back on the sofa.
"Yes," Mai replied, her voice dull. "But the way it came true is… strange. It's not that people don't recognize me—it's that they can't see me at all."
Her tone dimmed as she said that. The frustration on her face was unmistakable.
Ryuya clicked his tongue softly. So her "superpower" had basically bugged out.
"As expected," he muttered with a wry smile, "the things we long for are the very ones life never lets us have."
His tone carried a faint melancholy, and somehow, Mai found herself resonating with his words—yet at the same time, something about it felt odd.
"You're a demon," she said flatly, "and yet you're talking about life like a philosopher."
Ryuya let out a quiet laugh. "I'm just glad I don't have to think about life. Otherwise, with how long I'll live now, I'd run out of patience dealing with all that trouble."
"Sounds like you're enjoying my misery," Mai said calmly, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Not at all," Ryuya replied, smiling faintly. Then, in a confident tone, he continued,
"From what you've described, I think I get it now. This is what people call 'the atmosphere.' It seems your power is being affected by it."
He recalled something Rias Gremory had once told him about how human abilities worked.
Generally, a human's supernatural power was born from their own desires—a manifestation of something they longed for deep within their heart.
There were even humans whose desires were so intense that they gained the recognition of divine artifacts—sacred weapons capable of slaying gods.
Those were known as Sacred Gears of God Destruction, or God-Slaying Tools.
Among them, the strongest ten were ranked as the Top Ten Sacred Gears, but beyond those, there were still others—thirteen in total that existed in legend.
Mai Sakurajima might not be anywhere near that level, but the nature of her ability was rooted in the same principle.
Mai blinked in confusion. "...'Atmosphere'? What do you mean by that?"
"It's simple," Ryuya explained evenly. "As long as people live, they exist within circles—whether it's in school or society, they're surrounded by others."
His calm voice carried a strange weight, as if he'd learned this through experience himself.
"When someone stands out too much, they'll always draw gossip behind their back—called arrogant, conceited, or envied by others."
Ryuya had long understood that truth. That's why he'd trained himself to wear masks—to hide his true self behind a polite smile.
He made sure not to appear too special in others' eyes, nor to shine too brightly among ordinary people.
Mai Sakurajima, however, was different.
She'd been a child star since she was little, and by now she'd grown into a full-fledged celebrity. Her brilliance was something that could no longer be concealed.
In Ryuya's eyes, it was only natural that people around her would start to distance themselves.
To ordinary people, she was dazzling—someone high above, far beyond their reach.
After hearing Ryuya's explanation, Mai more or less understood.
Indeed, she had always been forced to live under that "high and mighty" image others projected onto her.
It wasn't something she chose herself; it was something that society's hierarchy decided for her.
"I guess… there's nothing that can be done about that," Mai murmured softly.
"Yeah. Just thinking about fighting against that kind of 'atmosphere' already sounds exhausting," Ryuya replied with a sigh that carried a hint of empathy.
"It's a pity. Most people simply can't ignore the mood of the crowd. And the rare few who can—those who truly don't care about how others see them, the ones with strong hearts—they usually just end up being labeled as weirdos."
He shook his head slightly. "Anyway, based on all this, I've come up with two possible methods to deal with your situation."
"…Seriously?" Mai looked doubtful.
She was still completely lost about what was happening, yet this demon was already proposing two solutions?
Ryuya raised one finger. "First method—find the place where your condition began, then create a sensational rumor about yourself. The bigger the explosion, the better. It's the most effective way to fight back against that 'atmosphere.'"
"For example?"
"Well… for instance, something like—'Famous actress Mai Sakurajima's secret romance exposed! Betrayed and abandoned by her playboy boyfriend!'"
"I'll take the second option," Mai said flatly, without a moment's hesitation.
Ryuya pursed his lips. "You rejected that fast, huh…? I was even going to offer to play the fake playboy boyfriend myself."
"You underestimate the media," Mai warned, her tone calm but sharp. "Even if it's all fabricated, those people would still swarm over you like ants, digging up every corner of your life."
As someone from the entertainment industry, she understood all too well how vicious the media could be.
If they actually carried out Ryuya's idea, it would only end up setting herself on fire.
But Ryuya remained utterly composed. "Of course I know. In fact, that's exactly what I'm counting on."
He looked at her, his voice calm yet strangely heavy.
"I don't bet on the good in humanity—I bet on the evil. I don't bet that they'll want you to live; I bet that they'll want me to die."
"..."
Mai froze.
Those words, spoken so plainly and quietly, somehow made her heartbeat falter.
There was something chillingly resolute about them—something that pierced straight into her chest.
After a long silence, she finally spoke again, her voice subdued.
"…I don't need you to go that far. Just tell me the second method."
Ryuya fell silent for a moment before replying softly,
"The second method still involves finding the place where your condition started. Then, slowly work on changing people's perception—help them recall your existence again. But… the success rate of that approach is very low."
Between the two, Ryuya clearly preferred the first plan.
Even without the "playboy boyfriend" twist, as long as they found the right kind of shocking story, it would spread like wildfire.
Of course, that would mean Mai Sakurajima had to play the victim—and someone else would have to play the villain who drew everyone's hatred…
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