"You... killed him."
Himegami Aisa, a girl whose reactions were perpetually delayed and who possessed virtually no experience interacting with the opposite sex, looked at the boy holding her waist with a calm, unreadable expression. Strangely enough, she didn't feel uncomfortable in his embrace.
She wasn't traumatized by the bloody scene; after all, she had personally witnessed hundreds of vampires dissolve into dust before her eyes. However, her feelings were complex and tinged with a quiet guilt, knowing that the Alchemist who had helped her had just been wiped out simply because the "vampire" she brought along was far too powerful.
"Don't beat yourself up over it, Aisa," Yuuya said, releasing his hand from her waist.
'Her waist is surprisingly soft, and her figure is top-tier,' he noted mentally.
"Aureolus was a fallen Alchemist. Those guys lack moral constraints and act with pure selfishness. They use anyone and everyone as disposable tools to reach their immediate goals. To him, you were just a convenient catalyst."
"..." Aisa let out a soft sigh. Her relationship with the Alchemist had been purely transactional anyway: she provided a path to a vampire, and he provided a way to mask her ability.
"So, what are your plans now, Miss Miko?" Yuuya asked smoothly.
"I don't know," Aisa replied in her usual deadpan, monochrome tone. Now that she possessed the Hakurei talisman to suppress her Deep Blood, the singular drive that had dictated her life was gone. She had no idea what to do next.
"Well, why don't you transfer to my school?" Yuuya suggested, a hint of playful calculation in his eyes.
'Thanks to the passive pull of my right hand, any girl who comes into contact with me usually ends up sticking around anyway,' he thought.
"Maybe a fresh start will give you a normal life."
"Transfer schools...?" A faint glimmer of life finally sparkled in Aisa's dark eyes. "A new environment might actually improve things."
"A Certain High School in District 7. How about we take a stroll over there right now? I can play the part of a proper gentleman for a bit," Yuuya offered, holding out his hand with a bright smile.
Aisa froze for a moment, visibly bewildered by his casual kindness. Having been hunted and surrounded by death since childhood, she had never considered herself special; if anything, her existence was a living curse. Compared to a high-tier Alchemist or the terrifying entity standing before her, she was just an insignificant girl. Why would he go out of his way for her?
"Mr. Vampire..." Aisa looked up at Yuuya, her expression filled with quiet confusion. "Why are you being so kind to me?"
"What kind of question is that?" Yuuya chuckled. "Is it really that strange for a guy to be nice to a pretty girl?"
"No... it's just that I am the Vampire Killer," Aisa explained softly. "It feels strange for a vampire to be kind to me, let alone save my life."
"Oh, that." Yuuya grinned broadly. "Who told you I was actually a vampire? I just temporarily assumed a vampiric physiology using my Esper power."
Yuuya snapped his fingers.
'Skill Activation: Imperial Privilege — Revoke Vampire Physiology.'
Vvvvmm—!
In an instant, the simulated vampiric traits vanished from his circulatory system. His crimson pupils shifted back to a deep, natural black, and his sharp, elongated fangs retracted beneath his upper lip.
Aisa blinked in surprise. The unnatural, boiling sensation that had been pulsing through her blood instantly calmed down, and her skin returned to its normal temperature.
"There's nothing to be surprised about," Index chimed in, stepping forward with her hands on her hips like a learned scholar explaining a textbook. "Yuuya is a total monster! Not only is he a Gemstone, but he also wields the authority of the Holy Right, which is why he can execute all sorts of localized miracles. He can essentially acquire any ability he can imagine, plus he's a Level 5 in Academy City. Isn't he ridiculously absurd?"
"You can acquire any ability you imagine...?" Aisa tilted her head. Though her face remained largely deadpan, a distinct flicker of amazement crossed her features. "That's incredible."
'He isn't a vampire at all,' she realized. 'He's an Esper who can manifest any power he wants. Academy City's high-level Espers really are amazing.'
"That's right. My ability allows me to reproduce practically any capability or phenomenon," Yuuya boasted smoothly. "As long as I can conceptualize it—even bringing the dead back to life is entirely within my reach."
Naturally, he couldn't resurrect people with raw Esper output alone, but he possessed plenty of Resurrection Coins stored in his System Space.
"You can... even resurrect the dead?" Aisa's calm facade completely shattered. She stepped forward, staring at Yuuya in sheer disbelief. "Is that really true? You can bring back someone who has already passed away?"
"No problem at all," Yuuya replied, stroking his chin with an amused smile.
"Then... could I please ask you to help me resurrect my parents?" Aisa asked, her voice trembling with a rare, desperate hope.
"As long as you have something physical that belonged to them—clothes, a lock of hair, or a representative medium—it's completely doable," Yuuya explained.
"Can it be their ashes?" Aisa asked, her eyes wide. Ever since that tragic day when her infected parents had bitten her and dissolved into dust, she had carefully preserved their white ashes in small urns.
"Ashes work perfectly," Yuuya smiled. "However... I never work for free, Aisa. That's my cardinal rule. So, what kind of reward are you willing to offer me in return?"
Yuuya wasn't a saint; he always exacted a price, no matter how small the favor.
"This..." Aisa lowered her head, taking a deep, steadying breath. A second later, she looked up with absolute conviction. "Any reward is acceptable."
"Does that include offering your own body?" Yuuya teased playfully, not particularly surprised by her response. She had lost everything except herself; if there was even a microscopic chance to bring her parents back, she would willingly pay any price.
"Mm." Aisa nodded firmly, a distinct, burning blush spreading across her pale cheeks.
"You're making me sound like a villain taking advantage of a desperate miko," Yuuya chuckled, neither confirming nor denying her assumption. He casually flicked his wrist, and two golden Resurrection Coins materialized between his fingers.
"These are Resurrection Coins," Yuuya explained, placing the heavy gold coins into her hands. "Just touch one coin to the ashes or physical remains of the deceased, and they will be fully restored to life with a complete physical body."
Aisa didn't harbor a single sliver of doubt. Who would go through all this trouble just to play a cruel trick on her? She clutched the two coins tightly against her chest, her eyes brimming with profound gratitude. "Thank you... thank you so much, Yuuya."
"Hehe, see you around, Aisa," Yuuya grinned playfully.
Grind... grind...
Suddenly, a sharp, icy chill ran down Yuuya's spine as the distinct sound of teeth grinding echoed right behind him. He turned his head slightly to see Index glaring at him with razor-sharp teeth exposed, radiating pure dissatisfaction.
"I was just joking with her," Yuuya shrugged, trying to defuse the situation. "Do you really think I'm the type of guy to take advantage of a miko like that?"
"Hmph! Yuuya loves teasing people the most!" Index pouted, crossing her arms before huffing loudly. "Actually, you don't just love teasing people—you really are that kind of pervert!"
Yuuya laughed aloud, entirely unbothered. "Well, that's just how I operate—doing whatever I want, whenever I want."
Aisa blinked her dark eyes, watching Yuuya's retreating back in mild confusion. Was he merely teasing her, or was he entirely serious? She couldn't tell.
She didn't yet realize that an obvious, explicit motive could often be easily dismissed, but a motive wrapped in layers of playful ambiguity would continuously occupy a girl's thoughts, sinking deeper and deeper into her heart over time.
Yuuya stretched his arms lazily as he stepped out of the prep school building into the bright summer sun.
"Ah~ Now that this Alchemist drama is wrapped up, it's about time we head over to intercept Kiyama Harumi," Yuuya murmured, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes. "I didn't expect Uiharu to track down her server hub so quickly. The Level Upper climax is starting even earlier than I thought."
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Give me powerstones.
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