"Is that so? Teacher Hiratsuka agreed?"
Sen Getsusa, who was working on her test papers, replied casually without looking up. This oversized humanoid 'Glasses-kun' had been hovering around her incessantly since the last break.
Aki Tomoya fanatically pulled out his phone and forcibly placed it over the girl's test, covering the math problem: "Look! Look! This is about to be presented to the entire school!!"
"Perfect Love... Just as I expected! It's an explosive hit!!"
Eriri shot her a look that said, 'He's reached a new level of idiocy today.'
Sen Getsusa put down her pen and swiped the progress bar on the screen a few times: "This... is a bit suggestive, isn't it? Did Teacher Hiratsuka really agree to this?"
Looking at Aki Tomoya with suspicion, the latter took off his glasses in what he thought was a cool manner and wiped them with a cloth: "You don't understand, this is—"
"So she just dumped the responsibility onto the principal?"
Sen Getsusa rested her face on one hand and hit the nail on the head.
Aki Tomoya choked: "...Yes."
The dejected Boy put his glasses back on, his face full of gloom: "Teacher Hiratsuka said that as long as the high-level leadership agrees, she'll agree to let me play it at the festival..."
Aki Tomoya slammed his hands on the table in anger: "Isn't that the same as saying no!!"
Sen Getsusa snickered and handed the phone back to him: "The road ahead is long, Mr. Evangelist. The festival is only a few days away, you better hurry up."
"Speaking of which, where is Getsusa's little tail lately?"
Aki Tomoya looked curiously at the seat; behind Sen Getsusa, Hayami Mari was nowhere to be seen.
"Lately, that girl has been very close to Teacher Minagawa."
Sen Getsusa covered her mouth and pulled a potato chip from her seat to stuff it in. "I went to observe a few times; Teacher Minagawa is very good at taking care of people."
The girl paused: "Mari is also very close to her. Lately, she's always running off to the music classroom for no apparent reason."
I see... Aki Tomoya nodded: "I'm also very close—"
"Forget it."
Sen Getsusa's small palm shot up, blocking Aki Tomoya's view: "Don't even start. I'm not going to pester those high-level officials for your sake."
Sen Getsusa knew Aki Tomoya all too well.
"What? You entered this school as the top student. If Getsusa goes to speak, the probability of success would be much higher..."
Sen Getsusa hummed twice and turned her head away from him.
The Boy pouted, twisting his fingers together, his body swaying slightly as he let out a whiny, feminine-sounding male voice... Have you gone mad, Aki Tomoya?
"Eh? When I was working part-time at the maid cafe, I found that as long as girls do this, the customers are happy to fulfill their wishes?"
Eriri covered her face.
Just what have you been learning?
"Anyway, Tomoya, I won't do such a thing. Right, maybe Eriri—"
"She's useless," Aki Tomoya pushed his glasses up and interrupted with righteous indignation: "Evil ways are evil ways. What I love is a supreme masterpiece, not something that can be achieved just by showing a little skin..."
Slap.
Eriri nonchalantly opened her workbook and slammed her Japanese textbook onto the table with force.
Aki Tomoya took a quick glance and continued in a lower voice: "Not those things that just..."
Slap.
The sound grew louder.
"Those..."
Slap!
Aki Tomoya:...Sen Getsusa helplessly folded her test paper.
You really don't know how to talk, Tomoya-kun.
"By the way, how have things been since that day?" Aki Tomoya changed the subject, the back of his hand pressed to his mouth, his eyes glancing toward the other side of the classroom.
Nakajima Saki.
Since that day, Nakajima Saki had become a different person, no longer provoking Sen Getsusa. Even if they occasionally met in the restroom, she would stay far away from Hayami Mari and Sen Getsusa.
Aside from nodding in greeting, the two hadn't spoken another word.
It seemed that after being taught a lesson, she had become quite well-behaved... The sound of a piano drifted from the music classroom.
Minagawa Akane sat at the desk, looking approvingly at Nakajima Saki. The girl's fingers nimbly struck the black and white keys, the jumping notes ringing out like falling crystals.
"She isn't quite suitable."
Leaning against the window, the man idly watched the playground below and moved his lips.
"Of course, but she can help us solve some trouble."
Minagawa Akane held a palm-sized vanity mirror and was applying lipstick.
The one Hannya referred to as unsuitable was Nakajima Saki.
This girl had not gained the favor of the mist.
One could say she was fundamentally unsuitable to contain the 'mystery'.
A Mortal who cannot ascend to become a Ritualist can only ever be a quiet Contactee. Although they would be much stronger than ordinary people, in the man's eyes, this was meaningless and of little use to the plan.
But in Minagawa Akane's eyes, the girl's extraordinary resentment toward Sen Getsusa was very interesting.
Sen Getsusa visited the music classroom from time to time to see Hayami Mari, and a few times she had almost discovered the anomaly.
This made Hannya very dissatisfied with Minagawa Akane.
"Perhaps she can help us solve some... small troubles."
"That Sen Getsusa is always following Hayami Mari. I've tried a few times; she seems completely immune to infection."
Minagawa Akane smilingly flipped open the student register, her pink fingernails sliding down the page until they stopped slowly at a column in the middle.
On it was Sen Getsusa's photo and information.
"Once the ritual begins, let Nakajima Saki take care of that girl."
Hannya was noncommittal.
After all, with the power of a Contactee, killing an ignorant Mortal was an easy task.
As easy as drinking water... probably.
"The Host is very concerned about recent developments. We paid a huge price for the ritual to find the mist; this time, we cannot fail."
"One can choose not to accept a mission, but since it has been accepted..."
Hannya turned his head and looked gloomily at Minagawa Akane.
The other party returned his gaze with a giggle.
"Rest assured~" She clapped her hands, stopping the piano music. "Everything is ready. Let's choose the newly built teaching building as the location; it's not fully in use yet."
"Also, Nakajima-san..."
At the mention of Sen Getsusa, Nakajima Saki's face turned hideous.
"No problem, right?"
The girl smiled sinisterly: "I'll have a good talk with Sen Getsusa..."
She brushed off her school skirt, walked in her leather shoes to Minagawa Akane, and slowly knelt down.
The brand-new music classroom was now mottled and aged beyond recognition. Black fluid flowed through the cracks in the ceiling, pooling into black puddles on the floor.
Minagawa Akane took off her high heels and, barefoot, lightly dipped her thumb to pick up a few drops of the liquid, holding it to Nakajima Saki's mouth.
The girl closed her eyes and solemnly held it before her as if it were a precious treasure.
"Good Child..."
Hannya watched all this coldly.
To be honest, in the Masquerade Ball, he had seen many scenes that ordinary people could not accept—
After all, to become a Chaos Ritualist meant one was already different from humans in certain aspects.
But more or less, those guys still had a human side... yet Minagawa Akane made Hannya a little worried.
This woman was too insane.
Her desire for control and dominance was exceptionally strong; not only did she intensely crave plunder and desecration, but within her vigorous desire hid an incredibly vast ambition.
Coupled with the influence of 'the mist'... Hannya was surprised that a woman who had only been a 'Contactee' for a dozen days could cause such a large range of infection.
What would happen after she ascended to 'Origin Point'?
The man subconsciously frowned, his gaze sweeping over the corner of the classroom.
Their ritual vessel, Hayami Mari, was lying on the ground with a silly grin, playing with marbles.
Her entire body was covered in black beetles.
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