49: An Unexpected Appearance
“Aira… why are you here?”
“Why do you think?”
“Was it all a lie?”
“Sorry. I tricked you.”
Ryugo grits his teeth at Aira’s carefree words.
A lie…
Somehow, it didn’t feel right. Something was wrong.
Makoto’s behavior, the fact that he inspired with so many people, the choice of the school as the battleground, it all felt like there was some other motivation.
Was it Aira?
Her sudden visit to his house was probably to make him think she didn’t have the app.
“But I wouldn’t have been able to destroy Ryu-kun’s smartphone if I hadn’t done all this. I had Makoto do everything.”
Makoto wouldn’t have followed her orders unless he was under some kind of hypnosis.
And Ryugo has confirmed that Aira didn’t set off the sensors. So she can’t be the possessor.
“But if you don’t have the app, how…”
“You have it?”
“Wha… what?”
Ryugo was dumbfounded, his assumptions shattered.
Aira beckoned with her finger, and Makoto handed her the smartphone he was holding with awkward movements.
Despite the dizziness he felt at the unbelievable sight, Ryugo’s mind was racing.
Could it be…
“Now, here’s a question for you. Why didn’t Aira get caught by Ryu-kun’s sensor?”
There was only one possibility.
No, rather, there was only one way.
To avoid the sensor and make contact with Ryugo.
What was the sensor reacting to in the first place?
“Let’s go with your smartphone?”
“Ding-ding-ding! I had Makoto hold onto it. He even helped me level up. It was super fast.”
The main body was not human. The app itself was the main body.
The sensor only reacted to the smartphone with the app installed. That’s why it didn’t show up.
“By the way, I put Makoto under a ‘slave’ hypnosis.”
“That’s impossible! You can only get a slave at level 31 or above. It’s impossible for you to raise him that much!”
She had no interest in helping others.
Aira was utterly selfish and unreasonable.
“That’s easy. Just leave it with someone you trust until you have enough levels. Ask that person to do good deeds too.”
“There’s no way you can level up that easily by being so lazy!”
“Even if you ask the person under hypnosis to do good deeds, your level will still go up, right? Maybe you didn’t know that?”
Of course, I know. I’ve tried almost everything I can think of.
However, that method should have been quite inefficient. After all, the level up would be slower than if I did it myself.
“What’s your goal…”
“Aren’t you just trying to stall for time by talking?”
“…!”
Ryugo’s shoulders jumped in surprise.
That was bad. It was a careless question.
From Noble mtl dot com
What’s my goal? It’s obvious. To make a wish come true. There was no need to think about it. Since I asked about her true intentions, it must be to buy time.
“Look, there are still some of your friends scattered around, right? Are you expecting them to come back?”
So, she had noticed.
“Obviously, even as civilians, they can’t beat those muscle-bound guys, even if there are only a few of them. It seems like they’re doing their best just to hold them back.”
In other words, they’re being held back.
If he could stall for more time, they would come to his aid, but it would be a dangerous move since she had already seen through his plan.
Fortunately, there were no Aira’s private soldiers nearby.
I don’t know why she didn’t have any guards nearby, but I had to take advantage of this obvious opening.
“I… I’m asking you sincerely. If you win, what will you wish for…?”
“A world where Aira and Ryu-kun can do whatever they want and get away with it.”
Aira’s cheeks flushed red, and she smiled a wicked smile that was a mixture of a love-struck maiden and a demonic ghoul.
“In a world where no one but Ryu-kun defies Aira.
Only Ryu-kun loves her, yet he wants to be scolded.
Because a world where everyone submits to Aira is just not interesting.
But I hate being looked down upon by others,
So only Ryu-kun is allowed to do so.”
Such foolish talk as if intelligence has reached its limit.
Has he finally gone mad?
“No way I’m letting that happen…”
“Why not? Don’t you want to live doing what you love with Aira?
I’ll let you do anything. You can even keep girls around,
And spend as much money as you want.”
Just as he tried to stand up, Aira hugged him gently.
The faint sweet scent made his rebellious spirit wane.
Her soft body and supplement limbs. Her pale, translucent skin.
It was a fragrance enough to sway one’s feelings.
“So, Ryu-kun doesn’t like Aira after all.”
“……..”
“That’s why I’ll do what you want, to make you like me.”
I’ll kiss you wherever you say. And I can endure even a little pain.
Look, you can touch if you want.”
Aira’s fingers entwined with Ryugo’s hand, leading it to her ample chest.
“But in return
“In other words, you’re just like a baby throwing a tantrum.”
The thought of Era’s initial change of heart had completely vanished from his mind.
He would have been able to spare her if he had the freedom to do so, but unfortunately, the double suit made it impossible for him to move his arms.
However, now that she was using the app, she was like a bear that had wandered into a populated area. It was best to dispose of her quickly to minimize the damage.
“If you have any shred of humanity left, stop this right now. I’ll forget all about it too.”
“Ryu-kun is so nice after all…”
“What?”
Despite everything he had said, what was she talking about?
Era’s face was flushed and dazed, her eyes moist as she looked at him. Her pupils were filled with adoration, and her lips were parted in a natural smile.
Her expression of ecstasy made it seem like she hadn’t heard a single word of Ryugo’s insults just moments before.
“Ryu-kun understands Era the best in the whole world. Even though he understands everything, he’s still so gentle.”
“What the hell? Is this girl invincible or something?”
Was it possible that every woman who liked him was like this?
Ryugo sighed but switched his consciousness to combat mode.
“Please, stop causing trouble. Get rid of the app. If you like me, do whatever you want with me. But don’t involve other people.”
“I can’t trust Ryu-kun’s words.”
“Huh?”
“Because it’s happened twice, right?”
“…What has?”
“The number of times Ryu-kun ran away from Era with Misato.”
“Tch…!”
…So she had been holding a grudge after all.
Still, it was amazing how often Misato was the target of misplaced resentment.
Era’s expression was devoid of emotion, as if only the evil within her remained. Just looking at her sent shivers down his spine.
Her numerous misdeeds flashed through his mind, and despite himself, he felt overwhelmed.
“Even if Ryu-kun is okay with it, Misato and that bespectacled guy won’t be. I want to spend lots of time with Ryu-kun, but they’re in the way. That’s why Era has no choice but to make her wish come true.”
“I see. That’s some messed-up logic.”
He tried to laugh it off, but the situation was dire.
The hypnosis app was useless if there were people around.
As long as Makoto was nearby, there was nothing Ryugo could do.
He definitely couldn’t win in a head-on fight with him, let alone a surprise attack.
“So, are you going to give up?”
“Shut up. All I have to do is knock Makoto out right here. It’ll be easy.”
“I think Ryu-kun knows better than anyone that you can’t do that.”
“No, I can.”
Ryugo took out his smartphone and said,
“Here.”
He threw it to Makoto.
Era’s eyes widened in surprise.
Makoto, who had been suddenly targeted, hurriedly reached out with both hands to catch it,
“Oraa!!”
Takashi go landed a roundhouse kick to his head.
Makoto, whose hands were full, took the attack head-on and collapsed on the freshly waxed floor.
“Ughhh!!”
“See ya!!”
He retrieved his phone and dashed out of the gym.
“Gohhh!!”
He was pushed back into the gym with a dull thud.
He hit his back hard and clutched his burning abdomen. Even as he writhed in pain, his mind calmly analyzed that he must have been kicked in the toes.
He looked up to see a group of menacing-looking boys standing there.
“They must be Aira’s minions too.”
“How dare…!”
He had underestimated them.
Makoto and Aira were alone in the gym to talk, right?
Anyone who knew the old Ryuugo would have figured it out. If they pressured him too much, he would definitely fight back. So, they made it look like they were on equal footing as much as possible.
All the while having their henchmen waiting outside…
“That’s enough. Break his phone.”
Aira gave the order, and her minions’ arms shot out.
It was too late to get up.
Even though he knew it was a bad move, all he could do was curl up and hug his phone.
“Stop it! Sto…gah!!”
As expected, they kicked him in the ribs and knocked him on his back.
The phone he had dropped slid away with a swoosh.
“Wait…gah!!”
The minions who had pounced on him from above restrained him, sealing his movements.
This is bad. This is really bad.
One of the remaining minions picked up the phone with unsteady movements.
“W, wait a minute!”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Aira! I get it. I’ll do whatever you want! I’ll wish for you! I’ll fall for you as much as you want! So please…”
“Reallyyy!?”
Aira’s eyes lit up, but then,
“But I saw you tricking Enka. So, no can do. Break it.”
She rejected him instantly.
The minion raised his hand holding the phone.
“Stop…!”
No, I can’t. If I let him win, it’s the end of the world.
Someone…!!
“――Hold it right there!!”
Suddenly, the minion holding the phone was thrown away.
By the hands of an intruder.
“Wha…!?”
“Tanuki-kun, I kept you waiting.”
“…Enka?”