— — — — — —
Would Natsuki really turn down the chance to alter her demon contract—if it came with zero risk?
Honestly? Even she knew the answer was NOPE.
Sure, she could use projections to interact with the outside world, but that was just… a dreamlike illusion at best.
Did people seriously think she could walk around Itogami Island in a thick Gothic dress, under a scorching 50°C summer sun, without breaking a sweat?
Of course not. It was because her real body wasn't even here—this was just a projection.
She could wear whatever she wanted. No heat, no sweat. Total cosplay freedom.
But if she ever got the chance to actually experience what it feels like to wear a full Gothic outfit in the blazing heat…
Well, she was tempted. Really tempted. Still, she had her doubts. What if this was just another one of Ryo Yagami's tricks?
That man was a world-class smooth-talker. Who knew how many girls he'd already fooled? If she let her guard down, it wouldn't just be her getting played—she might end up releasing every single inmate in the Prison Barrier.
Though… on the flip side, wasn't Ryo himself even more dangerous than the criminals locked in there? Whether they got out or not might not even matter anymore.
Natsuki didn't believe for a second that Ryo was the type to fail once he set his mind on something.
He had True primogenitor-level power—in this world, that easily put him in the top five, maybe even top three. Hell, first wasn't out of the question.
There weren't many things someone like him couldn't do.
And he did say this was a "employee benefit."
If he had just made the offer coldly, she might've suspected a trap. But the way he phrased it—like it was a bonus for staff? She found herself kind of believing it.
She knew this guy well enough now. No matter how calm and polished he looked on the surface, he was absolutely, 100% checking her out.
That teasing comment he'd made earlier about Koyomi? Yeah, that was clearly aimed at her.
He pretended to be serious—but if you peeled back the layers, all you'd find was a walking mess of desire and sarcasm.
What a pain... Natsuki's cheeks flushed slightly, and she let out a soft "hmph."
"I'll think about it."
Think about how to temporarily delegate her duties as warden of the Prison Barrier… and maybe give Ryo's offer a try. But it would take time.
At least until after the Blazing Banquet—she couldn't risk trying anything dangerous until then.
Still, if what Ryo said did turn out to be real...
So what if she got tied to his war chariot for the rest of her life? Could it really be worse than what she had now?
"Suit yourself," Ryo said casually, putting the Zanpakutō away.
He didn't really want to use it unless he had to—it would mean connecting to Algol's consciousness, and that always came with complications.
Mainly: he didn't want to get dragged into a magical spa day by a goddess of "beauty" with a thing for makeovers.
Being a guy came with its own struggles.
Nearby, Asagi had finished eavesdropping on the entire conversation and was now trying to sneak off with Avrora toward the store ahead.
Natsuki's voice immediately cut through the air: "Asagi."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Asagi snapped to attention like a student caught goofing off in gym class.
Natsuki twirled her parasol and gave her a chilly glare. "You didn't hear a thing just now."
"…Roger." Asagi sighed. 'So much for ever talking about that whole Prison Barrier thing again.'
Ryo smiled and turned to her. "So, where's the phone shop?"
"Just around that corner," Asagi said, then paused and added, "Actually, I'll lead the way."
Natsuki didn't object. She just gave Avrora—who was practically bouncing with excitement—a brief glance and followed behind.
About twenty minutes later, they came out of the phone store. Ryo and Avrora both held brand-new smartphones in their hands.
As Ryo fiddled with his sleek black phone, Asagi laughed.
"Need me to teach you how to use it, oh mighty vampire?"
"No need," Ryo said, already navigating it with ease.
Phones on Itogami Island were surprisingly advanced—facial recognition, fingerprint ID, even magic-based unlocking. The camera could project movies directly onto walls.
'Honestly, this thing's more high-tech than any phone from my last life.'
"Ryo, Ryo! This thing's so hard to use!"
Avrora, despite the clerk's enthusiastic explanations, still stared at the device like it was an alien artifact.
If Natsuki hadn't stopped her earlier, she probably would've tried biting it—just to see if it was edible.
"Give it to me. I'll show you how," Natsuki sighed, reaching for the phone.
Being around Avrora always made her feel like she was babysitting. And she was only 23!
Meanwhile, Asagi glanced at Avrora, saw that Natsuki had taken over tutoring duty, and turned to Ryo.
But the way he casually handled the phone made her pout a bit.
"So you really don't need help, huh?" she muttered.
Then her eyes sparkled with an idea. She reached out her hand. "Let me see your phone for a sec."
Ryo didn't hesitate and passed it over.
Asagi's fingers danced across the screen, flying through apps and menus. In no time, she'd hacked her way into the backend and was fiddling with code that made Ryo's head spin.
A moment later, she handed it back. It looked exactly the same.
"I disabled the island's surveillance programs," she said coolly. "Upgraded your fingerprint and retina security. Rerouted the IP address through my private server. Oh, and I saved my number as the first contact."
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "Heading home already?"
Asagi paused, then sighed and shrugged. "Yeah. I only came out 'cause I had a fight with my family. If I don't go back soon, they'll flip."
She tucked a strand of her newly dyed blonde hair behind her ear, then added with a smirk, "Though I am probably gonna get yelled at for this color."
Ryo offered, "You could say you were with Natsuki."
"?"
Natsuki stared at him, a giant question mark practically floating above her head.
'Bro, are you seriously trying to throw me under the bus right now? I'm the Witch of the Void, not the Witch of Excuses.'
"Ohhh, I didn't think of that!" Asagi's eyes lit up. She turned to Natsuki, hands clasped in a pleading gesture.
"Pretty please, Natsuki-sensei? Help me out?"
Natsuki sighed deeply. "Ugh… I'll admit we ate at the same restaurant and went to the same salon. That's all."
"Thank you!!"
Asagi hugged Natsuki—then turned and hugged Avrora, too.
"Oh, and Avrora! You know I won't let you bite me, so a hug from big sis is still okay!"
Avrora blinked. "The Original told me, 'You are but a servant. If you dare touch me again, I should kill you.'"
"…Wow. Avrora is so scary."
Asagi laughed, then turned and waved at Ryo. "Well, I'm heading back. Gotta catch the last train. You two?"
"I'll walk around with her a bit more," Ryo said, patting Avrora on the head.
"Gotcha. Then see ya~ Call me sometime, okay?"
Just as Asagi turned to leave, Ryo called out, "Hey."
She stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"If you're ever upset, you can tell me about it."
"So you can laugh at my problems?" she teased.
"No," he said, shaking his head. His tone turned quiet and serious.
"Just because humans can't fix something... doesn't mean I can't."
Asagi froze. Her mind went to her mother, still bedridden at home.
Could a vampire… actually cure something humans couldn't?
She didn't know. But she did know she wanted to go home and dig into it on her modded PC.
"…Got it," she said softly.
As she walked away, Natsuki frowned slightly and muttered, "So you do know."
She was referring to Asagi's situation, of course. If he could figure out her own secrets, it made sense he'd know Asagi's too.
Ryo rolled his eyes. "Don't act like I'm some all-knowing god. I just… happen to know a few things."
He reached for Avrora's hand and smiled.
"Now, how about a sundae?"
"Yes, please!" Avrora's eyes sparkled as she nodded excitedly.
Natsuki watched their backs as they walked off, and sighed.
"…This guy, seriously."
— — —
Meanwhile, on the western side of Itogami Island—
On a street lined with love hotels and cheap inns, a girl in a school uniform strode confidently down the sidewalk, ignoring the weird looks from passersby.
She stopped in front of a mysterious little antique shop—and without hesitation, stepped inside.
.
.
.