Chapter 165 - To Love.
Time: 8:19 AM.
Location: Near the entrance of Kuoh Academy.
Today's weather is pleasant and warm with no clouds in sight. The signs of yesterday's light rainfall vanished without a trace under the warm sunlight.
Although rain was frequent here, the climate of May is still sunny and vibrant.
On the slightly crowded streets, students of different ages could be seen walking. Most, if not all, wore distinct uniforms while making their way to the big academy in front.
Right in front of the academy entrance, students were marching inside normally under the supervision of the student council, which is quite ridiculous considering this isn't their job at all.
{It's almost as if they are overworking for nothing…}
These were the thoughts of a certain angel on certain devils as he walked and chatted with another newly transformed devil.
However, as the two young men moved, one of them sighed helplessly at the scene around him. Most of the students at the entrance, especially males, were glaring at the person beside him, even the female students were talking among themselves.
But the person in mention didn't even spare them a glance. As if he lives in his own world, the smile didn't fade from his face and said "What with the grumpy face? I didn't see in a while and you still didn't even greet me"
"Does it even matter? Anyway, morning. But what do you mean, dude? We just met the day before yesterday" Saji raised his eyebrow in puzzlement.
From going to school, meeting in the cafeteria, and even bumping into each other in the street, Saji had met 'Leo' on several occasions. However, the weekend has just ended, so he didn't see him the past two days.
"Ah, right. That was actually my clone. I had an accident in some nonsense magic ceremony and was in a coma for a week or so" Pumping his right fist on his left palm, Leo nodded and explained naturally despite how absurd it sounded.
"Shut up, man. Why are you tossing nonsense at me in the morning?" Saji showed an uninterested expression "Are you returning to your chunni phase? Weren't you the one who swore to bury it?"
He already got used to expecting the unexpected with this guy, so a bunch of out of nowhere random stuff is nothing new. He just wondered what got into this guy's head this morning.
"… Nonsense, huh? I don't know if I should feel hurt for you not realizing the truth or being satisfied with my ability. Well, I'll just pin it on you for being an idiot"
Leo's eyebrow twitched at the word 'chunni' before he shook his head and said helplessly.
"Screw off! Are you looking for a fight?"
Saji wondered what had gotten into this guy. Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed?
"By the way, don't you have anything better to do in the morning? Maybe like opening your eyes, looking around, and having a bit of awareness about your surroundings?"
"Awareness?"
Tilting his head, Leo took a glance at the other students. He basically ignored their entire existence at this point, but with them being at the academy entrance, the students were everywhere.
Although not all joined the glaring gang, some of them did as it made Saji feel helpless. It started again. The same thing happened in their previous junior high school.
"Well, I could say the same thing about them, no? Don't they have better things to do in the morning? They aren't even good at it. I mean, look at these three…"
Leo didn't bother to whisper as everyone heard him. When he glanced at a trio of girls, they were obviously startled, but he still said "If you are trying to gossip, at least do it properly. I saw kids do it better than you. You really bad at this, shame on you"
The trio was actually a bit sorry and panicked because they were exposed by the same person they were talking about, but their feelings vanished as they glared at Leo and moved away.
It was as if they were avoiding a menace. But the person mentioned didn't even glance at them again.
"Wow, you must be the only person who is content with people avoiding you like a plague. I'm a bit jealous of your carefreeness" Saji shook his head as he and Leo passed by the student council's members.
He waved and greeted them. They naturally returned the greeting with a smile, after all, Saji is one of them now, which got a weird stare from Leo. However, they returned the favor with the stern and frowning faces.
It seems they are still angry from the last time.
But before they continued walking, Leo said to Saji "I don't particularly care. After all, most people here are only trying to use me to create a scene and distract this bunch (student council), so they can sneak stuff in."
"Well, they succeeded because these guys are staring like I'm the enemy. What a funny result to their unnecessary overwork"
Leo shrugged, but his words made everyone halt. Some students who passed turned pale and the student council's members widened their eyes.
Tsubaki, the vice-president of the student council, blinked her eyes. Leo's words hit the bullseye so hard, rendering her speechless. She couldn't help but look at some students and noticed they were trying to hide from her gaze.
"..."
Saji stared at the few unlucky students getting caught and he couldn't help but feel pity.
{Why, why do you have to provoke the devil?... wait a moment, I'm a devil!!}
As if he got struck by lightning, Saji flinched. He's supposed to be a devil, but why is this fella more demonic and devilish than the entire student council combined? No, they aren't even a bit close!!
Is this the true devil's mentality? Should he start taking notes? Thoughts crossed Saji's mind before the image changed to him acting like Leo. No, it wouldn't work! It felt so out of place he wanted to curse! This is so cursed! His pure mind! His poor and innocent imagination!
However, he didn't notice Leo staring at him weirdly.
Leo could read several things from Saji's expression, but why is it changing so quickly? Is this fella possessed? A small exorcism wouldn't kill a devil, right?
"Ahh! Leo, can I punch your face once?" Saji scratched his head in distress before he said it suddenly.
"Hah? Hell no" Leo answered instantly.
"C'mon, just this one! My poor imagination was corrupted by you, at least let me have this!"
"Are you possessed or looking for a fight? Fine, I'll take care of both" Leo was prepared to use the punching-style exorcism. A very cheap and affordable exorcism style. It only cost a few teeth.
"You started it!! Just think of it as repaying the favor you owe me and clench your teeth!"
"You dare waste my rare favor on something like this?!"
"Punching your damn face is more than worth it!"
"Hmmm, that's true. I'd also choose to punch my face"
"….. Shut up"
Suddenly, they began quarreling while walking as the student watched in confusion. What happened? Everything was so peaceful, then these two flared up.
But when they saw who they were, they shook their heads. They thought Saji was different, but apparently, that isn't the case at all. No wonder they are friends. These two seem to be made of the same mold.
In the same fashion, they made their way through the school.
They didn't stop quarreling all the way from the student cabinets to the school corridors. Even when they had to separate because they belong to different classes, they glared at each other until they passed through the corner.
The students who were watching the show wondered if these two were kids, even those who hated Leo were baffled and didn't know what to do. We are the ones who should be angry at someone, not you!
Passing the corridor quickly, Leo reached the class and sat down at his desk. This was one of the very few things he recalled about this place as for what they are studying, who is sitting next to him, or who is the teacher… He doesn't recall seeing them.
It didn't take him long before his head landed on the desk and closed his eyes. He didn't need his eyes to know what was going on around him. The movements when the teacher entered and started the class were obvious for him.
The life force of every living being around shone like torches in the night, telling him each of their movements using a simple Ki/mana detection method.
Despite that, he didn't bother much about it, nor did anyone else bother him. His presence witnessed a massive decline since he stepped into the class. He deliberately reduced it to avoid any annoyance.
Of course, he could always release it and start something along the lines of, the teacher caught you asleep then tells you to solve a problem, or something else, but why do it?
Leo doesn't mind wasting a bit of effort to erase his presence, so the teacher can continue his class in peace without bothering him.
Although he's a troublemaker, he isn't that bored. As long as no bothers him, why create such uninteresting and lame problems? They aren't even worth it and entertaining. Who is so bored to do all of that?
Leo just thought about it and the World's Evil instantly showed him thousands and thousands of such people.
"..." Leo had nothing more to say.
He slightly opened his eyes and looked out of the window. Despite being in the morning, he counted the stars in boredom for a while.
However, on another thought, Leo glanced at everyone in the class before he closed his eyes again {Nothing new is happening. I'll check the other places later}
So, what is he doing here again? Nothing much in particular. What is the use of being in here when he's a few decades ahead in knowledge? Nothing is interesting in this school, nor important. Anyhow, not for him at least.
But some things interest a certain entity. An entity that's determined to stop all of Leo's shenanigans. The mischiefs are one of the few bright things left in Leo's life, which make this completely unacceptable.
This being is the infamous World's Will of DXD, also known as, boobs power.
So, Leo came here for three purposes. Boredom, checking if the World's Will has done something interesting, and boredom. He just had nothing better to do. As for his injuries, he already tossed them behind his back.
Leo recalled that this World's Will threatened them several times with fixing its world and plot. Fortunately, his teacher, senior, and manager, ToAru World's Will, enlightened him.
'His' words were filled with wisdom and knowledge as he showed Leo the correct path. A path filled with explosions, mayhem, and madness!! Reject self-preservation, embrace self-detonation!
ToAru World's Will suicidal maniac mindset impressed Leo deeply. It was so profound. As a Fool, he felt he found his lost kin. He realized that he still has a long way to go.
Anyhow, Leo dragged himself here to check what DXD had in store for him. Because his Clairvoyance isn't functioning, he needs to check them manually and at a close distance.
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But in this small morning stroll, he saw nothing interesting. Maybe he'll find something later. For now, he looked outside the window in silence as the lecture continued.
His thoughts circled about the situation of this world. He always felt something wasn't right.
The World's Will wanted to fix the world and plot, but why? What is exactly broken? Why does it sound urgent, but not that alarming? Akame Ga Kill, Type-Moon, there have been other worlds whose plot got wrecked, but you don't see their Wills so focused to fix it.
What is there to fix anyway? Glancing at the blue horizon in the sky, Leo rested his head on his palm as his thoughts drifted {Ddraig, as one of the beings with the potential power to destroy the world, what do you think about the chances for a being like you or higher to annihilate everything someday?}
{…..}
Inside the Longinus, a pair of emerald dragon eyes blinked. Ddraig has already woken up from his sleep a while ago and just dozed off when he found the coast was clear. However, he couldn't help but be speechless at the sudden question.
What is this dumb question?! Does he really expect him to know the answer?! Wait, he indeed knows. Ddraig wondered if he started to get affected by the thinking pattern of this fool partner of his.
Ddraig felt even more speechless before he said {Hmmmm, not that high. Although there are beings that can destroy the world, there are also others who will stop them. It's a part of the general balance of the world, or else, everything would have met its demise already.}
{Yet, there's still a chance for it to happen} Leo tapped his finger on the desk like it's some sort of habit.
{Indeed} Ddraig agreed without a fuss. As long as the beings who can destroy the world still exist, the chances for the world's demise will always be there. It's common sense.
However, in the complex and ambiguous world of probabilities and destiny, such common sense means a lot.
A probability for something exceptional to happen is always present. Even without external help, the chance to break the plot is already contained in the world.
{Things are just not adding up with this World's Will. Well, maybe it's also my ignorance and lack of knowledge} Tapping his finger on the desk several times, Leo glanced at the corner of his eyes.
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{Now, I wonder if we could still contact the World's Will without the chat room}
Feeling that things are becoming a bit complicated; Leo closed his eyes and decided the best course of action.
Stop thinking and forget about it. Such a good plan, indeed.
…
Time passes quickly when no one pays attention to it. The morning lectures ended in no time as Leo found himself walking in the corridor aimlessly.
Students passed by him quickly, heading towards the cafeteria or to eat somewhere else. However, Leo's attention to the outside world is currently much less than before.
Although he decided to stop worrying about it, the situation still felt strange for him. Especially with nothing new, spectacular, or any change of any sort happening yet.
{It couldn't be that the World's Will just decide to quit, right? No, it's impossible. It has the personality of a small kid; I wouldn't find it strange to get nuked if the Will could do it because I would do the same} Leo rubbed his chin and came to a logical conclusion that would probably give him a severe insult from the World's Will.
The World's Wills in general are severely limited entities. They seem to be bound by several things and conditions that God knows what. However, even if their influence is faint, it's too mystic and touches the core and fundamental aspect of the world.
Even if he was at his far peak, Leo could never sense an ounce from the World's Wills actions. He could barely guess based on logic or if the Wills told him themselves.
Glancing through the thin air, what appeared to be a normal wall for a regular person was largely different for Leo. Different life energies appeared in his eyes, shining like wisps in the darkness, and each one told a different story no matter how similar they are.
They shone deeply inside their hosts, near their souls, and showed how strong their vitality was.
Some unique ones, especially the dark eerie ones, had more to tell. Their numbers were much less than the regular white wisps, but they burned with much vigor. Even two of them flared much higher.
This is demonic energy. The energy that belongs to Devils in this world. Like the Ki in nature or the mana that is refined by magicians, it's also a form of vitality and life energy. It has some special properties and could only be produced by Devils.
However, it didn't matter much to Leo as his expression didn't change, and muttered "No change…"
He quickly scanned the Devils scattered around the school. After all, they should be plot-important figures, but he didn't receive any good news.
{Do I really have to perform Shonen-Plot-Female-Mc, Make DXD Great Again, Greatest Plan Ever to make this World's Will move?}
Ignoring Ddraig, who rolled his eyes at such a long name, Leo found his approach might work. Last time, DXD screamed in terror at such a proposal.
But when he was considering his devilish plan, a person ran by him as Leo's steps came to a halt.
He blinked his eyes a bit before glancing behind him. The brown-haired young man was speeding through the corridor, probably worried about arriving late to lunch.
However, when passed near Leo, his pure white life force was stained by a hint of crimson before returning to normal.
{What the…}
{What the…}
The Pure Angel and Red Dragon though at the same time. Their expression was a mix of confusion and surprise into a weird form of 'Are you kidding me' face.
"Ddraig, do you perhaps have a brother or a sister?" Keeping his eyes on the figure, Leo asked the surprised Red Dragon.
{Yes, maybe. Wait, no! Stop influencing my thinking! That thing isn't a dragon or any subspecies of ours. But its aura… Isn't that my previous host?} Ddraig suddenly recalled something important.
"*Gasp*! Boobs Ki?!"
{…..}
Ddraig didn't know what to say with such a nickname. But why do you look terrified?! Is that Ki really scary?!
Shaking his head, Ddraig said {But why can't I sense any life from it?}
{Well, even if it's called life energy, it isn't really alive. That aura seems to be mixed deep into his vitality} Rubbing his chin, Leo raises his hand as mana flickered on it.
A translucent azure glow flashed on his finger. With a light push, a very thin thread of mana shot at high speed ahead. No one could see or notice it, even a certain prince charming devil didn't react when it passed near his face.
The thread caught up to the brown-haired young man before he passed the corner. Coming in contact, the small amount of mana sank deeply inside his body for a moment as his inner shone with a faint azure glow.
This condition lasted for a moment before the thread flew back again towards Leo, who caught it.
Leo closed his eyes as his brain processes the information from the mana scan before he thought {Oh, you could see use that in this manner? Interesting}
{Did you figure it out?} Ddraig questioned quickly.
Although he didn't mind, it still surprised him to see that much of his dragonish aura on something else, especially if he couldn't see through it.
{It's a cheap trick, alas, a bit cruel too} Leo answered casually as if his initial surprise completely diminished.
{What is it?}
{It still hasn't ripened, so I'll tell you shortly later. But for now…} Leo's expression changed before he glared at his front and said "You…"
"You…" Saji returned the same greeting and glare.
"Do you still want to go?"
"Don't steal my lines. But why are you standing here? Are you looking for someone?" Saji retorted before he found this scene strange.
"Would you believe me if I said I'm scanning this area magically?" Leo took off his glasses and cleaned them a bit.
"What? Do you think I'm five years old?" Saji's eyebrows twitched as he forced a smile.
Sighing, Leo put on his glasses and said "Fine, then I'm looking for a good place to punch your dumb face."
"You! You dare to steal my lines again!" A vein popped on Saji's forehead from anger as he rushed forward, but the only thing he did was to put his arm around Leo's shoulders.
His expression of anger vanished completely like everything was just a joke before he said with a deep voice and serious face "By the way, I forgot to ask because I was focused on beating your damn face, but hey… Do you still have the stuff?"
"What kind of stuff do you speak of?"
Leo glanced at the arm around his shoulders and Saji's serious face, but he still used the same suspicious deep voice.
"Ah, you know. The bizarre stuff. Name your price" Saji looked right and left before rubbing his right index finger and thumb together.
"Oh. Of course, I always have the bizarre stuff and it's free, but it depends" Realizing what Saji was talking about, Leo wore the same serious expression.
Super suspicious. Their current actions and words were very shady and easy to cause misunderstanding as if they are talking about something very illegal.
Although the corridors are mostly empty by now, there's still one or two students walking. A student happened to be close to these two and heard what they were saying slightly as his whole body stiffened.
What did he just hear? The stuff? The bizarre stuff?! This sounds too fishy!
The student panicked slightly and didn't know what to do. Should he go and tell someone?
"Depends on what?" Saji frowned.
"Could you handle it? The rest of part four is strong for you to take" Leo raised four fingers.
"Hmph. You're looking down on me. The last three parts and some of part four were great, but you know, with these things, you always need more simulation"
"Oh? You sound confident" The usual grin flashed on Leo's lips.
At this point, the student is already pale. This is too serious! He was just going for lunch! Why did he suddenly pump into these shady drug deals?! They are even happening in the school!
No! He needs to go and tell somebody! But when he wanted to go and look for a teacher, he felt two piercing gazes.
He turned to see Leo and Saji staring at him without blinking as the situation fell into silence.
"Hey, were you eavesdropping?" Leo said with a cold tone that made the student tremble.
However, before he could come up with an excuse, Saji add "Hmmm, maybe he also wants to check the bizarre stuff"
"Really? Then he's welcome. Hey you, come here…"
Leo and Saji advanced as the poor student retreated in fear.
"Don't worry, it's completely free. You'll definitely like it"
"How about you give it a read? Once you start, you'll not able to stop"
At this point, both of them turned into demons in the eyes of the pitiful student. His feet turned cold, but he still mustered his courage.
"I'm sorry!!! Please, forgive me!" With those words, he ran as fast his feet could take him, dashing through the corridor and disappearing behind the corner. Yet, Saji and Leo saw him still running in the other passage from the window.
"Pfff…" Leo turned his head away while suppressing his laughter.
"Pfff… Ahahahahahaha!" Saji laughed directly as he held his stomach, tears almost fell from his eyes.
Looking at their state, the students, who were having lunch inside classes and came to see what happened, knew they somehow tricked a fellow student until he escaped.
However, they felt the student was too pitiful. They couldn't help but glance at Leo and Saji with dissatisfaction and displeasure. These two are real trouble makers!
"Wow, you still have this bad habit? You're really evil" Saji wiped the faint tears from his eyes and said with a displeased face at Leo. It was as if he's accusing him.
"Look who's talking. As if it wasn't you who started it. You even scared him" Leo rolled his eyes.
"Hmph. That's because you're a bad influence! And what do you mean I scared him? It was your damn grin!"
"How dare you. This is a smile that I practiced for years after someone. It comes from the goodness of my heart" Leo stated as if he's very offended.
"Bullshit!"
{Bullshit!}
Saji said and Ddraig spoke inside Leo's mind at the same time as if they reached an understanding.
"Forget it. We should hurry before the lunch period is over. I'll grab the food and you go grab the manga. What do you want me to get?" Looking at the almost empty corridor, Saji quickly said.
"An ice tea"
"And?"
"Nothing, just tea" Leo repeated, which earned him a weird gaze from Saji, who said "Aren't you hungry?"
"I haven't been hungry in months" Leo shook his head.
His body basically works on energy like mana or Ki. It doesn't need external nutrients to function properly.
But for Saji, he took this as another nonsense and said "I'll just grab something random then. Wait, where are we supposed to meet?"
Leo rubbed his chin before an idea flashed in his head "How about the back of the school?"
"What? Why would we go there? Don't tell you don't know that place is used for, you know, confessions" Saji, who wanted to dash, stopped because of ridiculous suggestions.
Why should they go to that place to eat? What if someone tried to confess there?
"Exactly! If someone went there, we'll have a 4K view of the show" Leo said with a smile that sent chills into Saji.
His mind couldn't help but imagine two other students trying to confess, but they are eating on the sidelines. Then, Leo would definitely say something like 'Boooo~' at the two students and clap when they get rejected.
"A nice place, an enjoyable show, and good food. It's like when the sun hits that ridge just right" Leo's hand formed a circle as he had a weird expression on his face.
This is evil!! This is pure evil!! Saji couldn't help but freeze in his place {I'm supposed to be a devil! Why do I feel so inferior!? No, I'm inferior and scared too!}
"Don't you recall what happened in junior high school because of this?!" Saji rubbed his head in pain.
"Good memories. Let's do it again" Leo's expression brightened and suggested.
"Shut up, dude. Let's meet in the… rooftop is usually empty, right? I'm going" Saji didn't waste another moment and sprinted past Leo.
Looking at Saji vanishing in his normal vision, Leo shook his head and walked in the other direction.
People just can't understand his refined taste. What a shame.
…
Saji was rather quick as Leo didn't have to wait for long before he appeared on the rooftop and sat down on the bench.
However, Leo realized that his lunch buddy wasn't there. Those devils happen to be very busy these days, so it wasn't strange.
Unaware that he was the cause of all the recent chaos, Leo took his ice tea and drank it slowly. To Saji's surprise, he really didn't eat much, probably a bite or two before he focused on his tea.
"Hey, I'm wondering. But isn't it too strange that no one picked a fight with me? Don't they want to avenge their school flower or something?" Shaking the can in boredom, Leo asked Saji.
Strangely, no one stepped to provoke him, especially after they kept glaring at him. According to the clone, this scene has continued for a week, but it didn't care about it.
However, a week has passed and momentum is still high. Leo couldn't help but be a bit curious about it.
"You don't know? Seriously? Man, are we studying in the same school? Fine, I'll say it again" Saji shook his head as he proceeded to tell the story.
Apparently, after the legendary achievement of Leo, the waves of male students who wanted to beat him were caught by the teachers.
The teachers quickly understood the story and wanted to call the main participants in this scene to hear it from them, but one of them was already present there. It was Himejima Akeno.
But when the teachers asked her, she denied everything that happened. No matter how much they question, she only said the following students must have misheard things and it isn't good for them to go around trying to hurt people. All of that was told with a bright smile.
Both teachers and students were confused at that point, but under the confirmation of Himejima Akeno, they settled the scene swiftly by giving punishment to all the students who participated in the tide.
They were especially stern on those who said they'll beat a fellow student. They even stated they'll contact all of their parents if something like this happened again!
Listening to the story, Leo had a strange expression before he said "What does that harlot- I mean, the fellow student wants?"
"Huh? Why are you assuming that she wants something? Maybe Himejima senpai is just kind-hearted and simply didn't want to increase the problems! Not everyone seeks problems like a moth rushing to a dumpster fire in the same way as you do!"
"Nah, it's just you're too optimistic. She clearly has ulterior motives and she's not kind-hearted, but in the slim chance she is, I need to thank her. I guess she loved getting yelled at. I'll just do that again"
Leo shrugged and drank his tea as Saji's eyebrow twitched. However, he calmed himself and said "Anyhow, give the fourth part"
"Oh, here you go, but didn't you join the enemy lines? Isn't manga forbidden here? Aren't you supposed to keep rules or something with those fellas? Those ones in the school entrance"
Leo handed Jojo's Part 4 to Saji before he asked. With his eyes, he long saw that Saji transformed into a devil, but he didn't care.
"What? No… maybe, I don't know, okay? Anyway, I joined shortly and still didn't integrate into the student council activities. The president has been too busy these days with something" Saji swiftly denied before he frowned and said with displeasure "And who told you I'm on your side? Let me hit you first!"
"Rejected. But it's good. If you are on my side, then as the self-proclaimed hidden behind-the-scenes final boss, I would have no other choice but to backstab you" Leo nodded seriously as his words made another vein pop on Saji's forehead.
He took a deep breath and decided to ignore this guy, who suddenly became chunni today. But as he swept the pages, he couldn't help but recall his situation in the past two weeks.
Although Saji joined the student council last week, he still didn't participate in these activities simply because stuff kept happening. He doesn't know exactly what happened, but in general, he understood that the whole world is shaking.
Only after he officially joined Sona's peerage, he finally learn some ins and outs of the situation.
Saji heard something happened to some gods a month ago. His president, Souna Shitori, or rather say, Sona Sitri, said it's so big it involved the entire world. Even she and the rest of the student council had to go to hell until they understood the situation clearly.
When they got back, Sona was so tired and almost collapsed. Saji learned from one of the student council members that Sona's big sister didn't want her to come back to the human realm. It was a very difficult challenge to shake her off and leave.
But when they thought everything had calmed down, another disaster struck in the past week. The entire world's mana, vitality, or some sort of energy went haywire. Although it only lasted briefly, the scene of the entire world trembling was so vivid.
Then it appeared. With sounds of glass shattering as if it couldn't contain something, a massive magic circle decorated the entire sky, engulfing the sky and switching the day into the night before it exploded!
Everything calmed down after that. Even after a further inspection, the related figures only found a huge crater as if a meteor hit the ground.
This is all that the student council told Saji and the main reason for Sona's headache these days. Of course, this is not all that they knew, especially Sona, but this matter is out of Saji's reach currently. After all, he has just transformed into a devil.
But on the other hand, he also accepted everything as facts and didn't question if they were hiding something. In this case, he's indeed stupid.
{I never knew the world is this dangerous…} Saji could only sigh secretly at the hidden side of the world.
It looked so calm and peaceful, but all earth-shattering events were happening in the background. Looking at the blue sky and students walking on the ground, he felt everything was unreal.
If he rejected Sona's offer that day, he would like them. Living peacefully unaware of all that is happening.
After all, if you went to most people and asked them if they believe in ghosts, they would probably laugh, joke, or mock you. This is also Saji's previous reaction, but no, everything is real.
It's such a weird feeling.
He asked himself if he doesn't regret accepting that offer. To be honest, he doesn't really know and it has just been a week, but… knowing is a bit better than living in ignorance, right?
{Did this guy get possessed again?} Leo raised his eyebrow and prepared to give Saji a punching treatment.
However, Saji glanced at Leo with a complicated gaze before he sighed and became serious.
"Bro, if you ever faced a problem, especially something you don't understand, remember that I'm always here to help"
Saji said those words while patting his chest. There was no hesitation in them as they came from the heart.
Witnessing this declaration, Leo halted a bit before his expression became strange and said "At first, I was moved a little, but looking at your face now, those feelings quickly turned into an urge to punch you"
"You!! Can't you at least be a bit rational?!"
Saji felt this was the day. This is the day he'll fight to the death with this guy!
"Hmmm, well, your offer sounds tempting. How about you help me with the math homework" Leo thought about it and said with a smile.
The anger in Saji deflated like a balloon. He could only cough and say "Anything except that…"
"Tsk" Leo clicked his tongue, which inflamed the anger inside Saji again.
They continued quarreling for a bit before Leo said "So, don't you have to go back to class?"
"Yeah, yeah, let me finish this chapter. Is this Kira guy important?" Saji continued flipping pages as they focused on Kira Yoshikage.
"Hm? He's a good person" Leo stared at Saji weirdly before giving a half-hearted answer and drinking his tea in peace.
"Hmmm… But seriously, where did you get this manga? I kept searching for it everywhere and did not find a single trace of it" Saji asked casually.
"The author doesn't have the means to spread his work at the moment, so he sends samples first"
"Do you think I'm dumb?! Don't answer that. Nevertheless, for a manga of this size and all these events to not be published, is simply impossible. Who is the author anyway?"
"A donut-loving, unageing man" Leo thought for a moment before saying seriously.
"The what?" Saji's lips twitched at this introduction, but his attention was quickly attracted by the chapter.
In it, the small bald guy, Shigechi, argued with Kira and ended up ripping the bag open, exposing the severed hand inside. From that point, Kira started his long monologue before his Stand, Killer Queen, appeared.
However, Saji felt more weird than excited. This feeling bothered him greatly and he couldn't put his finger on it. He continues turning the manga pages, trying to recall something.
{Wait, I have seen this somewhere else before… Ah, right! At the president's desk!} Saji quickly recalled what happened in the past week.
Even if Sona was tried, she still performed her duties and worked in the student council office. Saji happened to be present on that day and saw several pictures on her desk.
The images were about a humanoid pink cat creature. There were various pictures, even some of them had a certain phrase written under them, which was 'Killer Queen Has Already Touched Everything'
He asked Sona about it and she briefly explained that it's a creature that caused massive pain to the Valkyries in Asgard. From their information, they speculate it owns the ability to turn anything it touched into a bomb.
Sona told Saji that she informed him about these things so he takes care of himself. If anything happens, he also needs to inform her. He was now a part of her peerage, so his safety is also her responsibility!
This is also a sign that she trusts him on these matters.
She stated that he needs to run immediately without turning back if he faced this Killer Queen and it's very dangerous several times. Sona couldn't allow him to waste his life just because he didn't know what he's dealing with.
Saji couldn't help but stay silent before assuring her. Only then, Sona nod and continue her work.
Little did he know; Sona was actually doing this to increase his trust and integrate into her peerage better.
Trust is usually a mutual thing. Show trust and you'll receive it back. By informing her peerage about things that sounded secret and very important, she showed them they are important for her, further increasing their belonging and incorporation into the peerage. Even the trust between members will increase.
A good leader doesn't just know how to fight, but also to keep his team together.
As for Killer Queen and the terrifying figure behind it? How could a figure like that come into Kuoh? After all, what does it need from a newly reincarnated devil? Sona felt everything was under control.
But not in her wildest dreams, the situation that she denied, would happen to her newly reincarnated devil.
Saji kept flapping the manga pictures before he stopped at the scene where Shigechi dragged his injured body towards the door, then Kira said 'Killer Queen has touched that door knob'.
At this point, Saji didn't know when the manga dropped from his hands. He felt his throat a bit dry.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Hearing the voice next to him, Saji subconsciously jumped from the bench as if an electric current hit him. His face was already pale before he looked quickly.
He didn't know when Leo put down his tea and stared at him without blinking.
"You don't look too good. Do you need to go to the infirmary?" Leo said calmly, but his words didn't make Saji relax.
He could only force a smile before saying "N-no, I'm fine. J-just my stomach is a bit unwell"
"Your stomach is unwell, but you don't want to go to the infirmary, huh?"
Looking at Leo's unchanging gaze, Saji almost fell down. He messed up greatly!
"You're sweating and your heartbeats are accelerating" Without a change in his tone, Leo spoke slowly.
"Are you feeling uncomfortable? No, perhaps, anxious, right? Your fist is tightly gripped, but you didn't notice. You want to leave, but your legs… feel weak. Hmmm, maybe you also don't know how to react"
Although Leo didn't show any change or something extraordinary, his calm words were striking Saji bit by bit. Everything hit the bullseye without stopping. As usual, he'd shrug these words with a joke, but now they felt… menacing.
Leo's eyes gave Saji the feeling that he's being stared at by something very dangerous. However, Leo only picked up the manga from the ground before he said "So, you should go to the infirmary now. I'll not be responsible for carrying you. Forget about it completely. Hmmm, maybe I'll drag you on the stairs instead"
The menacing atmosphere was broken instantly as Saji looked at the familiar and irritating expression on Leo's face. No, it was all the same, but in the past moment, it felt completely different.
Touching his forehead, he wiped the fine sweat, took a few deep breaths, and sat on the bench again. Was he overthinking? Maybe he really needs to go to the infirmary.
{Wait, no!} Saji suddenly woke up from the previous feeling and looked at the manga in Leo's hand.
"U-um, Leo?"
"Yes?"
"Erm… Where did you exactly bring that manga from?" Saji swallowed and said slowly.
"In my locker, duh" Leo looked at Saji weirdly before he said "What's wrong with you today? Did you eat something wrong? Wait, don't tell me a few manga panels scare you? Pfff…"
"No! Wait, it's not like that! Don't make stuff up you bastard!"
Looking at Leo suppressing his laughter, Saji felt so embarrassed! Everything that happened could mean that he was scared of a manga! This is humiliating!
{*Sigh* Was I just overreacting? Maybe turning into a devil has some side effects I didn't know…} Saji held his forehead and calmed himself.
"Seriously, what's wrong with you? Did Sona Sitri do anything to you? I knew you're desperate for a girlfriend and joined the student council because it's completely made of girls, but c'mon, man. This is too much."
Leo shook his head like he's disappointed.
"Shut up! Out of all people, I don't want to hear the word girlfriend from someone like you!"
As if Leo hit a nerve, Saji felt his anger erupting like a volcano! How dare this unmoving mountain that didn't even glance at hints from several girls to say that to him! He's both jealous and mad!
"Wait…"
Suddenly, Saji froze. His mind that didn't usually work fast, was exceptionally sharp in this situation. His gaze moved slowly before it landed on Leo and said "S-S-Sona… S-S-S-Sitri?"
Stuttering all the way to spit those two words, Saji's whole body was shocked.
Sona Sitri is the true name of the student council president, but in the human world, she took an alias named, Souna Shitori! Everyone in the school, no, in the entire town, knows her by that name. So, how did…
*Thud*
The sound made Saji jump from the bench again as he saw Leo close the manga and sighed.
"Oh my, you have seen it"
Leo stood up from the bench slowly before his eyes landed on Saji.
The same dangerous and menacing feeling appeared again. Saji's face became pale as paper and couldn't speak.
They stood like that for a few moments as the awkward atmosphere intensified before Leo spoke unhurriedly.
"My name is Leo Arisaltek. I'm 17 years old in this life. My house is in the southeast section of Kuoh, where all the houses are, and I'm single. I'm a freshman at Kuoh Academy, and I get home every day by 4 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, nor do I drink. I have quit sleeping these days, but I still lay in bed by 12 PM, even if my body didn't need it. After having a glass of water and checking on my beasts before going to bed, I usually repeat equations and magical knowledge until morning. Just like always, I stand up and start my morning."
"I was told that my body and mind are a mess in my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who doesn't wish to live a quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning or losing, I just nuke everything in my way. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what maybe brings a bit of joy in my life. Although, if I were to fight, I wouldn't lose to anyone"
Finishing the long speech with the same tone, Leo's eyes were still locked on Saji, who was already sweating.
"W-w-what do you mean?" Unable to comprehend the situation and frozen by fear, Saji stuttered and retreated, but his body seemed to have hit something solid.
"What I mean is, Killer Queen has already touched…" Before Leo finished his words, Saji turned his head to meet the upside-down face of Killer Queen head-on.
He felt the blood leaving his body as it turned ice cold under Killer Queen's stare.
"Your dumb face"
With Leo's words, Killer Queen raised his hand and thumb, like holding a detonator, and showed it to Saji before it… clicked!
"…."
At this point, Saji's eyes rolled before he fell down. He fainted on the spot without any resistance.
Leo and Killer Queen stared at each other for a moment before they looked at Saji on the ground.
"Oh my, did we overdo it?" Leo rubbed his chin as Killer Queen raised its arms and shrugged.
Both the Stand user and the Stand were clueless about what they should do now.
However, Killer Queen thought about it and raised their fist and pointed at Saji.
"Good idea" Leo's eyes brightened and nodded as Killer Queen tightened its fist and looked down.
At this moment, under the stare of Killer Queen, it marked the start of a new unlucky morning. But at least, Leo has a new person to share it with.. How touching.