Chapter 80: Grab!
At the very instant the towel began to slip, Kouya's muscles tensed. The air in the room seemed to slow, each droplet of water from his hair hanging midair. He took a sharp breath, ready to trigger his ability and catch the towel before gravity could betray him.
He wasn't some clueless protagonist from a cheap harem anime. There was no way he'd let himself end up in a humiliating scene like that—especially not in front of a girl.
But fate clearly had other plans.
Because the golden-haired, lazy angel in front of him—Gabriel—moved even faster than he expected.
Her wide blue eyes reflected pure shock, her expression contorting between disbelief and horror, as if she were staring straight at an eldritch horror from another dimension. For a second, Kouya could almost see the "error" flashing across her brain.
Then, with a shriek of panic—"Hyaa!"—Gabriel lunged forward. Her delicate hand sliced through the air like lightning, reaching desperately toward the falling towel—
Grab!!!
For a heartbeat, the world stopped moving.
The two stood frozen in place, gazes locked. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on. A single drop of water slid from Kouya's hair, landing between them with an almost deafening sound.
"Let go," Kouya said through clenched teeth. His voice was low, calm, but laced with a sharp edge of pain.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
Gabriel's scream could've shattered windows. Realizing exactly what she was holding, she recoiled as though electrocuted, flinging her arm back like it was on fire. and she bolted for the exit at lightning speed.
She slammed the door behind her with a resounding BANG!
The only thing left behind was silence—and Kouya's towel on the floor.
Kouya's expression darkened. He exhaled slowly, picked up the towel, and wrapped it tightly around himself again. His temples throbbed. He'd barely finished pulling on a shirt when his phone buzzed violently.
"Hentai! Hentai! Big Hentai!!!"
The message repeated itself three times in bright, angry text. The rage practically radiated through the screen.
Seriously?!
Now it's my fault?
You're the one who punched first! If you hadn't started that nonsense, none of this would've happened!
And for the record, you hit hard! My ribs are still aching!
"I'm furious! Put snacks at my door right now! I need to eat or I'll destroy the world!!"
Kouya stared blankly at the message.
You think you're a pufferfish or something—poke you once and you explode?
And stop threatening to destroy the world every five minutes! You're supposed to be an angel, not a natural disaster! What happened to your noble mission of saving the Arad Continent? Already dropped that, huh?
Still, Kouya sighed, grabbed a handful of snacks from the cupboard, and left them neatly outside her door. It wasn't worth risking the apocalypse over an angel's tantrum.
He returned to his room, the corner of his mouth twitching. His life in this strange world was finally peaceful and steady—he wasn't about to let it end because of one clumsy angel.
...
The night passed quietly. By morning, the rain had stopped, sunlight dripping through the clouds like liquid gold.
Kouya left for school. The streets were fresh and glistening, the smell of wet pavement filling the air.
As he reached the neighborhood gate, a small figure caught his eye.
"Good morning, hero!" Takanashi Rikka's voice was bright as ever. Her eyepatch glimmered under the morning sun, and her ahoge wobbled proudly like a tiny flag.
"Call me by my name," Kouya said flatly, walking past her.
"Hero…"
"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow without slowing down.
"You're bullying me, Kouya-san!" she said, puffing her cheeks, but her pout melted almost instantly. She hurried to keep up beside him, her boots splashing small puddles. "After I went home last night, my sister forced me to eat all sorts of horrible things! You almost never would've seen me again!"
"What did you eat?" Kouya asked, already feeling a headache coming.
"Green peppers!" she said with dramatic disgust, holding up her fingers. "Next to tomatoes, they're the second worst thing ever!"
Kouya couldn't even argue. He silently agreed. Boiled green peppers—the bitterness, the soggy texture—were culinary crimes. Best not to relive that trauma.
Rikka continued with unwavering seriousness. "And when I couldn't eat anymore, my sister forced me to drink this strange white liquid! She said I had to swallow all of it—every last drop!"
Kouya froze mid-step.
"Pfffft—"
Blood almost came out of his nose.
Are you trying to kill me with your phrasing?!
What the hell kind of 'white liquid' are you talking about?! My brain just went to the absolute worst place possible!
If I didn't confirm last night that your sister's a woman, I'd be filing a police report by now!
"What exactly are you saying?!" he snapped.
"Milk, of course!" Rikka replied innocently, eyes wide. "That terrifying white liquid produced only by demons!"
Produced by… demons?
Kouya blinked. And suddenly—unfortunately—his brain conjured up an image of Vigne and Satania. The two girls leaning close, squeezing out white liquid—
Stop. Stop right there.
He shook his head hard enough to rattle his skull. "Apologize! Apologize to every cow on the planet! They work their asses off eating grass all day just to make that milk, and you have the nerve to insult them?!"
"Eh? Kouya-san just said a really long sentence!" Rikka blinked, visibly impressed.
"You misheard," Kouya deadpanned, pushing her face aside.
"Really?" she said, tilting her head. "This morning, that evil blanket cast a sealing spell on me again! But thanks to Kouya-san's mana recharge, I broke free!"
"Mana recharge?" Kouya repeated, baffled.
When the hell did I ever recharge your mana?
"Because I thought about going to school with the hero, and then my body filled with magic again!" she said proudly.
Ah, great. I accidentally inspired a delusional girl. Truly wonderful.
Wonderful, my ass!
If I ever believe a single word you say again, I'll exile myself!
...
They turned down their usual shortcut alley, and Kouya's ears caught a familiar argument.
Turning the corner, he saw Satania in full battle stance, glaring at a white stray dog. Beside her stood Raphiel, smiling sweetly as always.
"Stupid dog! You won't win today!" Satania shouted, clutching her precious melon bread to her chest. Her red hair frizzed with indignation, her tiny fangs showing.
If Gabriel was her eternal rival, then this mutt was her local mini-boss.
It camped out here every morning just to steal her breakfast.
"Go, Satania-sama! Show that beast the power of a true demon!" Raphiel cheered, voice dripping with mischief.
Kouya and Rikka's arrival caught Raphiel's eye. She waved innocently. "Over here, Kouya-san!"
Satania turned her head at the sound—fatal mistake.
The white dog pounced, snatched the melon bread clean from her hands, and bolted down the alley with its tail wagging triumphantly.
"Ahhhh! My melon bread!!!" Satania's cry echoed through the street. She stared down at her empty hands, trembling. "Why does it always have to be me?!"
Kouya walked closer, expression unreadable. In his head, a savage thought surfaced:
You're pathetic. Go ahead, take off your skirt and surrender.
"Damn mutt! One day I'll make you my familiar! You'll scrub floors, wash dishes, do laundry—everything!" Satania declared through tears.
You mean servant, not familiar.
And please, don't make dogs do household chores. The animal rights people will have your head.
"Familiar?" Rikka's tone suddenly dropped, her eyes glowing with faux intensity. "So you, too, know the existence of familiars?"
"Eh? Who are you supposed to be?" Satania blinked, taken aback.
Rikka lifted her right hand dramatically and touched her eyepatch. "I am the emissary of the Wicked Eye," she said gravely.
"The… Wicked Eye?" Satania repeated, shivering slightly. She didn't understand, but it sounded terrifying.
Rikka nodded solemnly. "Yes. This eye sees through all illusions and pierces the very fabric of reality."
Satania gasped audibly. "S-so powerful…"
Oh, for god's sake. What's with that gullible expression?!
Do you just believe everything you hear? You're a demon, not a lost puppy!
Then again, after losing your bread to that dog, your dignity was long gone.