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Megumi Kato stared speechlessly at Rosen.
Sure, she knew he had supernatural powers… but did he really have to scam people with such a childish trick?
If he'd just told the truth, she wouldn't have refused anyway.
"Huh? What's going on? You don't see any spirits around here?"
Yuki Suou tilted her head, confused.
On her way to school this morning, she had seen plenty of ghosts wandering the streets. She even went out of her way to take down a few. So why was it so empty around here?
It hadn't struck her as strange before, but Kato's question made her realize it.
"Oh, I get it! It must be because Miko and Mai are so diligent. Of course the school grounds would be cleared of spirits first thing!"
"And besides, with Lord Rosen here, no other spirits would dare get close anyway."
Hana Yurikawa chimed in, sounding completely certain.
"I see. That makes sense."
Suou nodded.
Kato glanced at the two of them putting on a little comedy routine. She was just about to say something when the scene around her abruptly shifted.
The cozy clubroom vanished, replaced by a forest with lush grass underfoot.
And as soon as living presences appeared, the spirits that had been hiding from the mountain monsters began to crawl out of the shadows.
Twisted limbs, hollow faces, their raspy noises sent chills up the spine.
From gaping wounds oozed thick, pus-like fluid, enough to make anyone's stomach turn.
But something odd happened.
One of the wraiths locked eyes with Kato.
It froze for several seconds before reacting.
"She can see me? She… can actually see me?"
Its voice wheezed like a broken bellows, thick with doubt.
It wasn't even sure whether this bob-haired girl could really perceive it.
That, Rosen found amusing.
"Didn't expect that, Megumi. Even before making a contract with me, your aura's strong enough that spirits can't tell whether you see them or not."
Kato knew what he meant—ghosts always had to confirm a human could perceive them before attacking.
But… was that really supposed to be something worth celebrating?
"Somehow, I don't feel happy about this at all."
Unable to hold back, she muttered her complaint.
Then she slipped behind Rosen, her voice trembling:
"So, um… Rosen, could we maybe leave here first?"
She tried to act calm, but her shaking tone gave her away. After all, how many girls wouldn't be terrified the first time they came face to face with the dead?
"Don't be afraid of them."
Rosen didn't lift a hand. Just a sweep of his gaze reduced the dozens of spirits around them to nothing but ash.
"When you make the contract, you'll be able to do the same."
"Well, looks like I don't have much of a choice, then."
Holding back her shock at the ease with which he'd erased the spirits, Kato forced a small smile.
"Let's do it here."
Rosen didn't hesitate. He walked her through the contract ritual.
When he told her she'd need to lift her shirt, she faltered for less than a second before nodding.
A dazzling holy spear pierced into her abdomen—yet no blood flowed.
There was no pain either. Only a strange, foreign sensation.
Glowing sigils bloomed across her skin as an overwhelming force burst forth from her once-fragile body.
It felt like sinking into a hot bath—warm, weightless.
But the comfort quickly faded, replaced by a sticky, foul-smelling residue clinging to her.
Before she could even protest, Rosen warped space again and brought her back to the clubroom.
"The showers are over there. Take a fresh uniform."
He handed her a conjured set of school clothes. She didn't waste a second, bolting toward the bathroom.
The sound of rushing water echoed soon after.
The other three girls exchanged a glance. They understood: Megumi Kato was now one of them.
When Rosen pulled out the contract record, curiosity drew them all closer.
[Contractor: Megumi Kato]
[Rank: Novice Divine Envoy]
[Stats: Power – i0, Endurance – i0, Dexterity – i0, Agility – i0, Divinity – i0]
[Skills]
Presence Adjustment Drastically lowers personal presence, allowing seamless blending into the background. Harder to notice.Moderately boosts Dexterity and Agility; footsteps and breathing become faint.When activated, can amplify presence to the extreme, becoming the center of attention within range—impossible to ignore.
Atmosphere Shift Accelerates recovery of allies' mental strain within range, easing anxiety and irritation.Slightly bolsters allies' mental resistance.Can reduce hostility from targets.
Rosen frowned a little after reading. Kato's skills were… unusual.
He knew every girl's awakened abilities reflected her personal traits. He'd assumed Kato's powers would be similar to Mai Sakurajima's.
But he hadn't expected her presence itself to toggle between hidden and overwhelming.
Normally she could vanish into the background, and when needed, stand out like a beacon.
If used well, that skill wasn't just for stealth—it could even break an enemy's concentration mid-spell.
And the second one, "Atmosphere Shift," might look minor at first glance… but in practice, it was nothing short of miraculous.
Positive aura-type abilities were rare treasures.
Especially one that directly calmed allies' mental strain.
If the team ever faced a crisis, Kato's skill could keep morale from shattering.
"This 'Presence Adjustment'… kind of reminds me of Mai-senpai's power."
Miko Yotsuya commented after reading.
"It's not the same," Rosen shook his head. "Mai's ability makes her disappear completely. Megumi just lowers her presence, makes herself unremarkable—like a stranger in a crowd, or a pebble by the roadside."
"If Mai is a ghost who kills unseen, then Megumi is an assassin—someone who can strike without notice and melt back into the crowd."
"I heard that!"
Kato's voice called from the showers.
"Assassin, huh? But real assassination means charging straight in, killing everyone head-on, and leaving no one alive to know it was me, right?"
Yuki Suou declared with a perfectly serious face.
Serious nonsense.
"..."
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