Adrian learned during his conversation with Marina Akizuki that she also attended Kuoh Academy.
The moment she heard he would be transferring there soon, surprise flickered in her eyes—quickly followed by a soft glimmer of joy.
Their exchange had been brief, but she already found herself liking him.
Being neighbors and now future classmates felt like something straight out of a childhood romance. The kind where two kids grow up side by side, never noticing how deep their bond runs until it's far too late.
A soft crimson hue blossomed across Marina's pale cheeks at the thought.
Adrian caught the change in her expression but didn't linger. "My two sisters are still at home," he said casually. "I should get back."
With that polite excuse, he stood and walked out the door.
But as he turned to glance back one last time, his gaze locked on Airi Akizuki, who was spying on him from the upstairs window.
Her head instantly ducked out of view.
Busted.
Airi slapped her cheeks, trying to chase the flush from them. She regretted blurting out earlier—but pride had kept her from backing down. Now she was hiding in her room, mortified and confused. She only wanted one last peek... but she'd been caught red-handed.
"She's got feelings, but she's too stubborn to show them. Is that what being tsundere means?"
Adrian chuckled to himself, turned, and stepped back into his house.
This "Love Curse (Red)" he'd picked up? Utter nonsense. Total scam. He was starting to think the so-called "fated ones" were just every girl he ran into. Every single one.
He didn't even smoke, but the urge to light one up and take a long drag hit him hard.
As soon as he stepped inside, though, something felt off.
The living room had transformed into a shrine of anime culture—plush toys, character figures, posters, and wall scrolls covered nearly every visible surface.
"What the hell is going on in here…?"
He wandered forward cautiously and spotted Yuki Suo bustling about with a proud grin, hands on her hips.
"Big transformation! We're renovating the secret room!"
As a devout otaku, her previous home life had been… difficult. Raised in a strict noble household, she'd had to hide this side of herself completely. All her collectibles had been secretly stored at Ayano's place.
But now? Now that Adrian had a "secret room," it was time to transfer everything over.
Adrian just stood there, speechless.
Honestly, he didn't mind. He was half a nerd himself.
Mio Naruse, for one, didn't even seem surprised—if anything, she was fascinated.
And Maria, being a succubus from the otherworldly realm, was already something of a part-time anime character. She and Yuki had hit it off frighteningly fast.
With Yuki officially moved in, the house had become lively. Too lively.
Three whole days passed in that noise and chaos. School was about to start.
And still—not a single damn exorcism request.
Adrian slumped on the couch, groaning. "What happened to my flyers? What about the ads I ran online? Why is no one calling?"
His online followers were mostly just there for entertainment, not from around Kuoh Town. As for the flyers—he doubted anyone took them seriously.
Frustrated, he finally stood and decided to visit Miko Yotsuya. If anyone could attract spirits, it was her. Maybe her creepy magnetism could help him score a job or two before term started.
But just as he stepped outside—his phone rang.
He answered. A bright, slightly nervous girl's voice came through the line.
"Hello, is this the Kobayashi Exorcism Agency?"
"Oh-ho?" Adrian's lips curled. "Miko saves the day again. I was just heading out to see her."
"…Miko? Um, I'm not Miko. Did I call the wrong number?"
"No, no. That's just what I call my assistant. Explain what's going on, and I'll head over."
"I'm at 189, Taan Residential Area, Feiyu Street. Easier to talk in person."
The call ended.
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"Just an address? That's a little shady."
He looked toward Taan Complex and activated Thousand-Mile Hearing.
Sound surged into his mind—amplified, filtered, refined.
"…Momoko, do you think it's bad to call an exorcist like this? Are we tricking him?"
"He's probably just a fake, like my grandma's old exorcist. We'll pay him either way. It's close, and if something really happens, he can call the cops for us."
Two girls stood just outside the complex gates. One had long purple hair and a worried expression—clearly the more cautious of the two.
Her friend, called Momoko, sported short crimson hair and a bold, streetwise attitude.
The purple-haired one—Hitagi Senjougahara—had brought Momoko Ayase along for one specific reason: her family.
Senjougahara's mother had fallen into the clutches of a cult years ago, and recently, her obsession had deepened to disturbing levels.
When her father suddenly vanished three days ago, she began to suspect her mother was behind it.
But without clear evidence, she couldn't call the police. So she returned home, hoping to investigate herself.
Momoko had insisted on joining—and, just to be safe, they called Adrian's agency to bring in a third party.
"They just want cheap muscle. But that house… something's actually wrong."
Adrian's face darkened. While listening in, he'd caught the wet crunching sound of flesh being devoured from within house 189.
Even from a distance, he could sense the pulse of cursed energy—thick and oppressive.
"Way too strong for a regular haunting…"
From all around the district, low-level curses began to converge. Fourth-tier, third-tier, even a few second and nearly first-tier entities crept closer, drawn by whatever malevolence nested inside.
The air grew frigid.
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Raynare, Mittelt, Kalavarner—report to me. Now."
His voice echoed through the master-servant bond.
"Yes, Master!" x3
Back at the cathedral, the three fallen angels jolted to life, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Since Adrian's last "gift," Kalavarner and Mittelt had felt their strength soar.
Most fallen angels were stagnant in power, only able to grow through painstaking accumulation of combat experience or rare spiritual offerings.
But Adrian? One session with him gave better results than centuries of effort.
They hadn't seen him for a few days now. Each passing moment had only deepened their longing—for him, for his orders, and for his essence.
Now, sensing a chance to prove their loyalty, all three unfurled their dark wings and launched themselves into the sky, streaking toward his location with rapturous zeal.
(30 advanced chapters
patreon.com/Nathan435)