A high school club exploring deep in the mountains at night to verify an urban legend is unexpectedly attacked by a wild boar. In the ensuing chaos, the group is scattered, the two accompanying Shinto priests tragically fall to their deaths, and the rescue helicopter encounters turbulent air, loses control, and crashes.
And that, more or less, was how the incident ended.
The police didn't arrive until noon the next day. By then, someone had already cleaned the scene, removing things that shouldn't be seen by the public, under strict orders that not a single detail was to be leaked.
The residue from explosives and the signs of a firefight were difficult to erase and were attributed to Ryu's security team. Some of them were professional hunters with licenses to carry certain firearms.
Although it was hard to explain the presence of high-explosive grenades and large-caliber automatic rifles—items strictly regulated even in the United States—that was a problem for the lawyers and the police.
The legitimate heir of the Kuse Group and the young lady of the Fujiwara family could not possibly have been wielding weapons. At most, the terrified high school students would just have to give a statement.
On an official level, the matter was handled. But privately, there were many loose ends to tie up: compensation for the helicopter crew and the families of the deceased priests, consoling the other students and having them sign non-disclosure agreements, and sealing off Nishikida Shrine.
Ryu even considered buying the entire mountain to specially modify it for his future plans.
But all these myriad details had nothing to do with Ryu. Someone was responsible for everything; he only needed to issue orders and inspect the results.
And this made him, riding in the second helicopter, feel an inexplicable emptiness.
"At the very least... remember this. After everything is taken care of, I want to personally attend the funerals of the deceased. No matter when they are, all other arrangements are to be pushed aside. Leave enough time for the ceremonies, understand?"
"I'll remember." Ruri nodded in acknowledgment, glancing at Ryu with hidden concern.
Of the entire group, perhaps only Mieruko truly knew what had happened at the end of last night. The others were seeing flowers in a fog; the two from the board game club, for example, had only heard that they'd encountered a supernatural event but hadn't seen it themselves. Instead, they were thoroughly frightened by the helicopter crash.
As for the truth, since Ryu didn't speak of it, no one dared to press for details. Everyone tacitly agreed on the same story, concluding that it was simply a tragic accident, their only wish being to completely forget the terrifying memory.
But Ruri noticed that Ryu's state was clearly off:
He was quieter than usual, his expression a few shades colder, his gaze always unfocused, as if looking at something in the far distance.
These changes were subtle. Besides the maid who spent every day with him, not even his childhood friend Chika had noticed.
Of course, it was also possible that the young lady of the Fujiwara family had been too shaken. After all, people had actually died in the incident, even if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes... Her ability to withstand such things was vastly different from Ruri's.
The maid was now very worried that Ryu might be injured. Although she'd had the team doctor examine him, no one could guarantee that modern technology could defend against the methods of ghosts and monsters.
Or perhaps, had it left some hidden trauma on a psychological level?
After all, even he wasn't a superman with a body and mind of steel. As a high school student, no matter how mature he usually acted, it would be normal to feel lingering fear and terror after encountering such an absurd event.
Compared to soldiers whose personalities changed drastically after going to war, or survivors of major disasters, his performance could even be described as excellent~
Ryu was unaware of what was going through Ruri's mind. He was sitting in the helicopter, looking down at the world below through the cabin window.
As the altitude gradually increased, everything on the ground began to shrink. Individual trees merged into a lake of green, clearly visible human figures eventually became sesame-seed-sized dots, and passing vehicles shrank to the size of melon seeds.
Chika and the others were perhaps traumatized, firmly refusing to leave by helicopter. Ryu had specially arranged a convoy of cars and bodyguards for them, and had also thoughtfully arranged for their families to be contacted in advance to set their minds at ease.
Watching everything gradually blur and the mountain range's silhouette slowly emerge, a dazed look appeared in his eyes again. Memories of last night flickered in his mind, and his more solid muscles proved it was all real, yet he still felt a sense of nihilistic disillusionment.
How strange~
He himself couldn't quite explain his current state, but something had definitely changed forever.
"Why do you keep stealing glances at me?"
Ryu suddenly spoke, pulling his gaze back from the window and looking up at the maid opposite him.
"Is there something on my face?"
"No!"
Ruri was startled and lowered her head guiltily. "I'm just a little worried... After we get home, please have another full check-up, Lord Ryu."
"I don't think there's anything wrong with my health, but if it will put your minds at ease, then I don't mind."
Ryu looked at Ruri sitting primly, his eyes narrowing slightly and his lips tightening. An inexplicable irritation welled up inside him.
"..."
The young man reached out and lifted the maid's lowered head. Surprise showed on Ruri's face, and a faint blush flashed across it, which she concealed well.
"What is this?"
Ryu said nothing, his thumb gently caressing the maid's small chin, as if trying to smooth out its curve.
Even after a night of fear and anxiety, her skin was still fair and smooth. Without makeup, she looked better than most who meticulously maintained their appearance, proving that "natural beauty" was no empty phrase.
The prolonged silence made Ruri's heart race. Her body was so stiff she didn't dare move, but her eyes darted about. Ryu, looking down at her, held the girl's chin and adjusted its angle, forcing her to meet his gaze with a slight roughness. His dominant stare left Ruri in a daze, forgetting to look away.
"Lord Ry—"
"What are you worried about? What are you afraid of?"
"Huh?"
"If you serve me with all your heart and soul, why do you hesitate when carrying out my orders?"
"That's because I was worried for your safety, Lord Ryu—"
The next moment, Ryu lowered his head. The sudden warmth and sensation on her lips made Ruri's eyes fly open, her body freezing as if hit by a petrification spell.
This was no romantic gesture. It was a brutish, crude invasion, chasing and cornering the frozen yet pliant defenses, relentlessly entangling as if to annihilate completely.
Their shadows intertwined for several seconds. Ruri remained motionless in that position for several seconds, and even after Ryu calmly pulled away, she hadn't recovered from the shock... she had been passively receiving it the entire time.
For some reason, he felt like he had done the right thing—a crack had opened in something that had been festering in his heart.
It was as if he had broken free from some restraint, liberating him from soul to body~
"Ruri."
"..."
The maid blinked, coming back to her senses and subconsciously nodding in response. "I'm here."
"A maid is not to talk back to her master. Remember that."
"...Yes."
Her fingertips were tingling... Ruri's throat bobbed. She felt an uncontrollable heat rising in her face, her heart suddenly accelerating. Her mind was a jumble, unable to calm down, like a boiling cauldron.
"Yes, Lord Ryu..."
Why? It wasn't their first kiss... but that one was completely different...
And Lord Ryu's tone of voice, why did it make her feel so dizzy and flushed?
This subtle feeling of pleasure...
Meeting Ryu's gaze again, Ruri felt as if her very soul was about to be drawn into those stern and cold, ink-black pupils.
"It seems I'll have to make you understand the rules. Next time, be prepared to accept a more severe punishment."
"Yes!!"
Ruri's lips trembled slightly. She felt a faint electric current run through her entire body. She suddenly clenched her jaw, pressed her hands down on her skirt, and squeezed her thighs tightly together where no one could see, as if she were having a cramp.
"Yes! Lord Ryu... Lord Ryu~ Mmm..."
Perhaps because her mind was exceptionally clear at this moment, looking at Ryu's expression and gaze, she suddenly understood:
It wasn't a psychological scar like post-traumatic stress. Ryu felt neither fear nor remorse. After a night of chaos, what surfaced in his eyes was...
Aggressiveness!
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