Kenshin wakes up in the morning, signalling a brand new day and the continuation of his purpose.
While stretching, Kenshin muttered under his breath, "Right, I'm supposed to meet up with Sawako and ride the train to Kyoto and visit Alya. I did remember I'd help her make friends, starting with Alya is a great start."
After doing his morning routine which consisted of doing exercises, bathing, brushing his teeth, and eating his breakfast downstairs, Kenshin then bid farewell to his mother who was busy tending to the rear garden, and left.
She didn't insist on bringing Tomoko this time as the little girl doesn't wake up this early.
Kenshin's first stop was Sawako's house.
By the time he got there, Sawako coincidentally just got outside, wearing a familiar modest yellow dress that she had worn during their previous date.
She probably doesn't have many dresses to wear when going outside, perhaps because of her lack of friends. Maybe our next date would be shopping for her with all kinds of clothes she fancies, it's not like I'm lacking money, mumbled Kenshin as he slowly approached the heavenly-looking woman.
"You look great." Always remember, when seeing a woman, always compliment her looks. According to the internet.
"Ah! Kenshin! T-Thanks." Sawako was surprised at first before getting flustered from his praise.
"Are you ready? Have you told your parents where we're headed?" Yesterday, Kenshin told her to get her parents' approval first before they could leave, as Kenshin liked them to know that whatever happens to Sawako, it will be his responsibility.
One of the great things that a man must have to become a great man is to take responsibility for one's actions.
Sawako continued with a small giggle, "Yeah, although mom was slightly against it at first but when I told her about you being there with me, she instantly gave me the approval."
"Seems like your mother trusts me more than you. Are you that untrustworthy?" Kenshin covered his mouth and chuckled as he teased her.
"I-It's not like that!" Sawako pouted with a small blush.
"Just kidding. Just kidding." Kenshin chuckled as he waved his hand in dismissal.
He then continued, "Anyways, let's go?"
With a nod of her head, they headed towards the nearest bus station.
On the way, Kenshin asked her about her progress in magic, to which she answered of learning Transfiguration, the magic spell to change the appearance of objects.
However, as it's just a low-level Transfiguration, it just changes the appearance but not the property. For example, using it to change wood into metal, it will look like metal but it is just as durable as wood.
Aside from Transfiguration, Sawako is also trying to learn Ice spells, it seems like she favors them as her offensive ability.
And the Ice spells he gave her. He has quite a few spell books on Ice spells and most of them are even written by him during his time as Alistair Abara.
He also gave her a Spatial Ring, capable of storing items with a limited amount of space to store the spell books he just gave her.
Note to self, also give Alya a spatial ring, mumbled Kenshin. Knowing the girl, she would definitely throw a tantrum when discovered. Even if not, she would harbor a grudge against him.
By the time they reached the bus stop, a bus was already there and they boarded it onwards the Shinjuku station.
They continued their chat which mostly consisted of Sawako's curiosity about the magical world.
Not wanting to be caught lying even if he's telling the truth about the world of Fantazio, Kenshin just told her what he knows about the Supernatural side of this world.
"Does that mean Gods are real?" Sawako tilted her head cutely while asking, her mind recalling the times when she would pray to the Shinto Gods for better health and to introduce her to some friends.
"Yes, but I don't think they're as kind as you think." Remembering the suffering the Yokai faction is currently going through due to the Five Principal Clans that are under the Shinto faction, Kenshin kept his impression of them below average.
Unfortunately, Sawako was unable to hold her curiosity back, "Why though?"
"…Well, this would sound a bit crazy but can you promise me you won't tell anyone?" Kenshin stared directly into her eyes seriously, after all, Kenshin doesn't want to expose Yasaka without her consent but he trusts Sawako and besides, he'll hold back some information.
Sawako bobbed her head and raised her pinky, "Pinky promise!"
Kenshin's eyes slowly darted from the raised pinky and then back to Sawako before interlocking his pinky with hers.
"Pinky promise."
"Alright. I heard this from a friend of mine, she's a Yokai. According to her…."
He then proceeded to spend the rest of their bus ride telling her about the current situation of the Kyoto Yokai faction, referring to Yasaka as his mysterious Yokai friend instead of the Yokai princess or the new Queen of the Kyoto Yokai faction.
"I think I've heard of these Principal Clans." Sawako placed a finger under her chin, seemingly falling into contemplation. After Kenshin's explanation, she entered the state of sharing her opinion.
"Seriously?" Even Kenshin was surprised. He had never heard of the Five Principal Clans aside from Inari's explanation yesterday.
Not even within the original Kenshin's memories did he find any hint of the Japanese principal clans.
"Umu! I remember mother mentioning them for some kind of exercising bad spirits in our house when we first moved in but it was canceled by mom because their services are too expensive."
Kenshin excitedly pushed through, asking a question that might give him a lead, as Yasaka's friend and Yokai faction's new ally, it's only proper for him to extend a little bit of help, "Can you tell me any names? Like the names of the clans?"
"…I can only remember the name of the clan member that we visited at a shrine."
"I think her name was Shuri Himejima or something like that. I'm not sure anymore." Sawako scratched her cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed that she was not as helpful as Kenshin might expect her to be.
"You're a lifesaver, Sawako." Of course, Kenshin's sharp eyes were quick to notice this and reached for her head to give it a short pat.
"…Stop treating me like a child." Sawako looked anywhere but Kenshin while muttering under her breath with a cute pout.
Kenshin chuckled, finding himself amused by her reaction, if this is how she reacts to his pats, he might as well continue for the rest of his life, "Gomen Gomen. I can't help it."
Once the bus arrived at the train station, they didn't have to waste their time buying tickets like normal as they had the Suica cards, which are similar to Metro cards for Subway in New York
The journey took 2 hours before arriving at Kyoto Station.
From there, they boarded another bus before finally arriving at Alya's house.
"Now, just stay calm and let me do the talking with her sister. Don't worry, they're good people, they don't judge others based on their appearance." Sensing Sawako's anxiety spiking, Kenshin held her hand and squeezed it to assure her.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, it was suddenly opened by an unexpected face.
Kenshin uttered in surprise, "Alya?"
So she's Alya, Sawako murmured to herself, her eyes scanning Alya from head to toe, registering her out-of-this-world appearance.
"My sister wanted me to buy groceries with her…would you like to come with us?" Alya shyly looked away as she muttered, as if she didn't want him to hear her.
Kenshin chuckled, "I don't mind. Oh right, this is Sawako, my other student if you know what I mean." he then pushed Sawako forward to properly introduce her.
Sawako was frozen at first, then a stammering mess before meekly introducing herself, "H-Hi. I'm—I'm Kuronuma Sawako. It's nice to meet you…." Her last sentence was so quiet that even Kenshin barely heard it.
"Nice to meet you, Kuronuma-san. I'm Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou." Alya stretched her hand and introduced herself too.
"Eh?" Sawako was stunted, not knowing how to pronounce her full name, more specifically, her middle name.
"…Just call me Alya like others." Alya resisted the urge to sigh and simply refer to her as she's always been referred to.
Sawako beamed up, "Right! A-And just call me Sawako also."
"Alright, Sawako." Alya nodded her head.
Before the atmosphere between the two could turn awkward, Alya's sister, Maria—wearing a yellow sunflower dress that barely hides her huge bosom, walked out of the door with the house keys dangling from her finger.
"Ah! It's you Kenshin-san! I see you also brought someone else." Maria then shifted her attention from him to Sawako, a soft smile on her face.
Who is she? Could it be? Seeing how close Kenshin and Sawako are, with almost no gaps between the two, Maria mentally gasped.
Could she be the infamous love rival!? Oh no, Alya might have a hard time fighting this one! She screamed in her mind but managed to keep a poker face.
She continued, Don't worry, Alya-chan! Big sister is here to save you from this succubus!
"Hello there! I'm Alya-chan's big and cute sister! It's so nice to meet you!"
"H-Hello. I'm Kuronuma Sawako." Unable to contend with Maria's positive and bubbly energy which is a huge contrast to her introvert nature, Sawako could barely form a word.
Just when she thought she had finally improved her communication skills, it turns out, it's ineffective for the kind of people like Maria who are extroverted.
"Are you two here to visit Alya-chan? We were just about to leave for groceries. Want to come with us?" Maria grinned as she offered, not missing the chance to give her little sister an opportunity to get closer to Kenshin.
Here's what your sister is going to do, Alya-chan. Big sister will distract Sawako and you'll have Kenshin all to yourself! I'm so smart, of course, Maria wouldn't miss praising herself.
"Sure." Kenshin nodded his head.
He then turned to Sawako who followed suit and nodded her head.
"Let's go then! We don't want to miss the bus!" Maria suddenly held Sawako's hand and dragged her along with her pace, which was faster than Alya and Kenshin's.
Sawako, not expecting such a thing, just froze and let herself be dragged without any complaints.
Kenshin and Alya both turned to each other's eyes before shrugging their shoulders in confusion.
———
"Onee-chan. Why do humans look like us but ugly?" Somewhere in the distance, two girls with an age difference were walking side by side.
On the left was a cute little girl around the age of 6 with black hair and purple eyes, wearing simple attire suitable for girls of her age and glasses of the same color as her eyes.
Holding her hands to her right looks like a bigger version of her, same hair and eye color but with no glasses and older than her.
"Sona-tan. Don't be like that! Humans are our great source of entertainment and population! Didn't you read about Reincarnated Devils a few days ago?
"…They're so boring that I fell asleep midway. There's nothing notable about reincarnated humans. They could barely reach mid-class in strength much less High-class. In terms of strength, intelligence, and magic, aren't we Devils more superior than them?"
As a child who grew up in one of the houses that is under one of the Four Satans, Sona, who just got to the human world for the first time, her view is favor towards her own kind.
"Don't be like that, Sona-tan! Humans have their advantages compared to us devils." Her big sister, Serafall, one of the four Satans, pouted and reprimanded her.
"Like what?" Sona's soft yet slightly calculating eyes that is weird for someone of her age, stared at her sister's purple bead eyes and asked.
"Like-Like they can reproduce faster than us. That's one of the reasons why we sought them to bridge our regressing population."
"Right…." Sona didn't argue anymore, this was her first time getting to see humans before reincarnating into devils, so her opinion remained the same.
Seeing her like this, Serafall mentally sighed. Good thing she volunteered to be Sona's guide to the human world or else she might accidentally cause some trouble.
I'll make sure she doesn't see humans as inferior! I won't let her desecrate humanity and their amazing magical girls! With determination flaring in her eyes, Serafall swore to herself that by the time they got back to the underworld, Sona's view would be softer towards humans.
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[New week new rankings! Let's hit at least the top 200 guys!]
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[Next Chapter: Ch. 53 - Every time he goes out with a girl!]