Seeing the pack of reporters charging toward them with cameras and mics at the ready, Ryuya silently took a step forward—placing himself protectively in front of Sakurajima Mai.
The reporters' eyes were blazing with hunger, like a swarm of starved men who'd suddenly caught sight of food. They shoved and stumbled over each other, desperate not to fall behind.
Watching them, Mai instinctively tightened her grip on Ryuya's hand.
Sensing it, Ryuya turned slightly and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. If anything, you should be the one more experienced at dealing with these vultures."
"…You're right. That's why I should be the one talking to them."
Mai's voice steadied. She was already calming down, ready to step forward to protect him this time.
She knew all too well what these reporters were like—
they could turn black into white without blinking. If this wasn't handled carefully, it could spiral completely out of control.
If she didn't stand up and say something now, these people would tear Ryuya apart.
But Ryuya shook his head, stopping her.
"It's no use saying anything now. No matter what we explain, they won't let either of us go."
He knew trying to reason with entertainment reporters and paparazzi was pointless.
These people would do anything for gossip—no line too low, no rumor too ridiculous.
Even if they clarified the truth, what then?
They'd twist it, exaggerate it, or chop up his words into clickbait headlines to farm attention and spread lies.
Mai couldn't help but frown.
He sounded calm—too calm.
Despite the situation, there was something confident, even composed, about him.
It was as if he already had a plan.
Seeing that, she forced herself to steady her own breathing.
She knew Ryuya wasn't reckless. If he was acting this way, he must have something up his sleeve.
By now, the reporters had finished their hundred-meter sprint and closed in around them.
A forest of microphones thrust forward like gun barrels, surrounding them completely.
"Miss Mai! Hello, I'm with New Joy Entertainment News—"
"Hi! We're with Evening Showbiz! Can we ask—"
Dozens of voices shouted over each other in a chaotic storm of questions.
Ryuya frowned slightly—then stepped forward.
A ripple of demonic power surged quietly from within him.
In an instant, his presence became overwhelming—his aura sharp, commanding, and fierce.
To the reporters, it was like the boy before them had suddenly turned into something dangerous.
There was a cold light in his eyes—predatory and unyielding.
Even a single glance from him was enough to make their bodies tense and tremble involuntarily.
No one understood why, but they all felt it—the oppressive weight of his presence.
Without realizing it, every one of them took a step back.
For a moment, silence fell over the crowd.
Ryuya's voice was calm, almost casual.
"Do you all need something?"
"...Y-Yes, um, h-hello," stammered one female reporter, nervously raising her hand. "We—we'd like to ask a few questions. Could you tell us… who you are to Miss Sakurajima Mai?"
She had no idea why she was so afraid—she'd interviewed government officials before, but this teenage boy somehow scared her more than any executive.
"I'm her boyfriend."
Ryuya said it plainly, without hesitation.
The reporters' eyes collectively lit up.
All at once, they turned their attention toward Mai, silently begging for confirmation.
Mai stood quietly behind Ryuya, not saying a word.
Her silence was all they needed—in their minds, that was as good as an admission.
One particularly bold reporter immediately seized the moment.
"There are rumors," he began sharply, "that your boyfriend, Miss Sakurajima, is two-timing—dating multiple girls at once. Are you aware of this?"
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
That question was a dagger to the heart—direct, ruthless, and guaranteed headlines.
Mai calmly stepped forward.
"That's just a rumor."
"The person in question—what do you have to say about it?" one of the reporters shot back, clearly unsatisfied with her answer, shoving a microphone right toward Ryuya.
Ryuya, however, only smiled—an oddly meaningful smile.
"What if it's true? So what? I don't see the problem."
Mai's eyes widened. What the—?
Was he serious?
Wasn't he just handing them an excuse to blow this up even more?!
Could he have… slipped up and said the wrong thing?
Her mind raced, trying to come up with a way to smooth things over for him before it spiraled out of control.
But the reporters weren't about to give him a break. They pounced immediately.
"So you're saying you think it's fine to date multiple girls at once?"
"Of course," Ryuya replied, his tone relaxed. "Why not? Isn't that normal? Yeah, I'm dating multiple girls. Got a problem with that?"
No one noticed it at first—
but his eyes had begun to glow faintly, shimmering with an otherworldly blue light.
The reporters froze for a second. Then, one by one, their expressions softened, their gazes turning hazy—as if their minds had suddenly been clouded.
"R-right… yeah," one of them murmured. "That's… not really such a big deal, is it?"
"Yeah… totally. Nothing wrong with something that minor…"
Mai: "...???"
Seeing the reporters' vacant, dazed expressions, Mai was utterly stunned.
What the heck just happened?!
Did they all… suddenly lose their minds?!
Ryuya's lips curved into a small, satisfied smile.
Looks like it worked perfectly.
The reporters stood there muttering to themselves, looking almost entranced—
so much so that Mai had no idea what was going on.
But she was quick-witted, and it didn't take her long to realize it must have been Ryuya's doing.
"What… did you do to them?"
"Just a little trick," he said lightly, grinning. "In simple terms, I altered their common sense."
"Altered… common sense?" she repeated, still baffled.
"Hmm, how should I put it…"
Ryuya paused, then patiently explained with an example.
"Let's say shame, for instance. Normally, people think streaking naked down the street is humiliating, right? But if I change their sense of common sense, then suddenly everyone thinks that's totally normal."
His eyes gleamed mischievously as he added, "Want me to make them demonstrate for you?"
"No!"
Mai practically jumped, immediately rejecting the idea.
What kind of monstrous ability was that?!
"Y-you can really do something like that? That's… way too demonic…" she murmured, half in awe, half in horror.
"I am a devil," Ryuya shrugged casually.
It was a technique he'd learned from Rias and the others.
Even though angels, fallen angels, and demons had all signed pacts to coexist with humans, clashes between them still happened from time to time. Those battles could be catastrophic—
and yet, the human world never heard a word about them.
The reason?
Because of this very spell.
With a technique like this, even if demons and angels started fighting naked in the streets—tearing the skies apart and splitting the ground open—any humans who saw them would simply… not care.
That was the terrifying power of Common Sense Alteration.
It was a simple spell, but one that every demon, fallen angel, and even angel relied on constantly.
And now that Ryuya had mastered it himself, he had every reason to be confident.
Dealing with a few nosy reporters?
For him, that was child's play.
---
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