It was as if the entire space-time had been frozen. The sky and the earth had lost their color. On a tall iron tower, a petite figure was standing.
Wearing a thin sweater and a mini skirt, black over-the-knee socks, and a blue knitted hat on her silver hair. This was a very beautiful girl, who looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. Her face was childish and as cute as an angel, with silver hair that reached her shoulders, infused with the radiance of the moon. Her clear and deep eyes were as dark as the night.
"Very close… Indeed, the [Snake] is here…"
"What I seek is the Gorgoneion. Ancient Serpent, listen to my wish, guide me in the direction of the Disobedient Queen, and once again bestow upon me the wisdom of darkness, earth, and sky!"
Unlike her petite appearance, the girl's voice carried an ancient, mature, and wise tone. She raised a delicate arm towards the sky, and immediately a dark light wave continuously spread outwards.
As if she had found something, a light flashed in her deep black eyes, and the girl's figure instantly disappeared. The sky and the earth also regained their color and began to move again…
…
Jounan Academy, after class, rooftop—
"Um, Mariya-san, is there something you called us here for?"
Patting Erica's two restless thieving hands, Sora said to the Miko-san, Mariya Yuri, who was standing by the railing.
Recalling the awkwardness of being caught red-handed by the Miko-san while he and Erica were doing those improper things in the classroom, Sora still felt quite embarrassed and inexplicably had a feeling of guilt.
"Yes, yes, Mariya-san, if you have something to say, just say it quickly. After you're done, I still want to go back and have our two-person world with the King."
Clearly intentional, Erica affectionately hooked Sora's arm and said with a smile to the Miko-san.
"To think I actually believed in Sora-kun before. Indeed, are the rumors all true…"
With a gloomy expression, looking at the two who were still showing affection at this time, the Miko-san said with a self-mocking and cold smile.
"Hey, hey, Mariya-san, don't make such a terrifying expression. It makes me feel like I've committed some terrible sin!"
"Um, I don't think I've done anything bad, have I?"
A large drop of sweat on his forehead, not knowing what was suddenly wrong with this Miko-san, Sora defended himself with a speechless expression.
Looking at Mariya Yuri's appearance, Erica on the side seemed to understand something, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she had an even wider smile and was looking at the girl opposite with interest.
"Hehe, Sora-kun still wants to argue at this point?!"
"Hoo…"
Taking a deep breath, as if she had made some kind of decision—
"Sora-kun!!!"
Clutching her hands, the Miko-san suddenly shouted loudly.
"Your venerable self says…"
Feeling that things were getting increasingly wrong, Sora replied somewhat weakly.
"Recently, there have been rumors about Sora-kun and Erica-kun throughout the school. I didn't believe it before, but now I've confirmed it. Even if Sora-kun wants to punish me as the Demon King, I have to say it. Sora-kun and Erica-kun are simply too much!"
"The classroom is a sacred place, but you completely treat it as a place of entertainment. Don't you know how much trouble you've caused the surrounding classmates?"
"One of you is the great Demon King, and the other is a knight from the prestigious Blandelli family. Don't you know that your every word and action are influencing others around you? Although you two are in a relationship, to actually do such im… improper things in front of everyone, don't you know shame?!"
Her large, watery eyes were filled with anger. The Miko-san tightly clenched her small fists and said angrily to the two of them.
"Um, it doesn't seem like much, does it? But the teachers encouraged us to do it."
Finally understanding why this person was so angry, it turned out that her overly conscientious and serious personality had erupted again. Rubbing his nose, Sora replied with a carefree expression.
"Oh dear, oh dear… So Mariya-san is jealous. I'm truly sorry, but even if Mariya-san cares so much about my King, I, Erica, am not going to share the King with anyone!"
As a girl who was even more cunning than a fox, Erica naturally had long seen through the nature of this simple Miko-san. She didn't seem to care at all, but instead answered irrelevantly with a smiling expression.
"Jealous… I, I'm not! I'm just reminding you from the perspective of a good friend. You… you two shouldn't misunderstand!"
After being stunned for a long time, the slow-witted Miko-san finally reacted. Her face immediately turned crimson, and she defended herself awkwardly.
"Hehehe, you are jealous!"
Looking at the girl's flustered appearance, Erica stroked her beautiful hair and smiled charmingly, her tone certain.
"No… I'm not!"
Gathering her courage, the Miko-san also firmly denied it.
"Yes, you are!"
"No, I'm not!"
"Still lying, you clearly are!"
"Waaah… I'm not…"
…
With a face full of black lines, looking at the aggressive Erica, and then at the teary-eyed Miko-san, Yuri-chan, who was almost being forced to cry, Sora covered his forehead and took a deep breath.
Poor Mariya-san, why are you so simple and honest? Both Miss Kaoru and Erica, these cunning women who are like vixen spirits, enjoy bullying you for fun.
Well, although that's what I say, looking at Miko-san's teary-eyed, pitiful, and cute appearance, being entertained by Erica without realizing it, Sora suddenly found that he also had the urge to bully her a little. Sweat…
"You brat, stop teasing her!"
He really couldn't stand it anymore. Sora fiercely knocked Erica's little head, finally stopping the two of them. With a speechless expression, he said to Mariya Yuri, who was almost crying on the side:
"Ahem… Mariya-san, don't listen to Erica's nonsense. Tell us what you came to find us for."
Based on Sora's understanding of Mariya Yuri, although she might really be a little angry about his and Erica's trivial matters, with her thin-skinned personality, she would definitely not specifically seek them out for such a small thing. At most, she would lecture them when they met sometime. Since she came to find the two of them, there must be other important matters.
"Oh no! I almost forgot…"
Reminded by Sora, Miko-san suddenly came back to her senses. Looking at Erica's mischievous smile on the opposite side, she immediately felt anxious and angry.
Mariya Yuri didn't know what was wrong with her just now. She had come to find Sora for a very important matter, but when she saw Sora and Erica's intimate appearance, she couldn't help but feel an inexplicable irritation. Thinking about the rumors about the two of them in school recently, she couldn't help but speak up. Afterwards, because of Erica's intentional teasing and unreasonable behavior, her little head became confused, and she almost forgot the important matter!
"Sora-kun, is the Grimoire, the Gorgoneion, with you?"
Ignoring the need to continue arguing with Erica, Mariya Yuri asked Sora with an extremely serious expression.
"Yes, it's with me. Do you want to see it? Here."
Nodding, Sora admitted frankly. At the same time, he took out the Gorgoneion, which looked like a medal, from his pocket and handed it to Mariya Yuri.
"What?!! It's actually…"
When she saw the Gorgoneion that Sora handed to her, the girl's hands trembled involuntarily, and she immediately had a look of horror, falling into endless shock.
"Heh… Who told you that the Gorgoneion is in my King's hands, Mariya-san?"
A strange light flashed in her eyes. Looking at Miko-san, who hadn't recovered yet, Erica had a wicked smile on her face and asked abruptly.
"It was Kaoru… It doesn't matter who told me!"
"Erica-san, you brought this Grimoire back from Italy for Sora-kun, right? You clearly know that this is something that will attract Heretic Gods and bring disaster. Can you bring disaster to this country just for your own country? You are too selfish!"
Coming back to her senses, knowing that she almost let it slip, Miko-san quickly stopped and said to Erica with a look of indignation.
However, how could the simple Yuri-chan's acting skills hide anything from Sora and Erica? The two of them had pretty much guessed that it must have been that scheming Miss Kaoru's doing.
"Oh my, is this also called selfish? Mariya-san is really going too far."
"Since you also know that Grimoires will attract the descent of Heretic Gods, but the current Demon King in Italy is not there, if I don't hand it over to my King, do I have to watch thousands of people fall into disaster?"
Not getting angry, Erica replied with a calm smile. Although the reasons sounded righteous and awe-inspiring, they were all nonsense!
"Yes, yes, Mariya-san, speaking of which, if I don't go to hell, who will? Although I am a Demon King, I am a good Demon King who is determined to protect world peace! In order to save those innocent people, I have no choice but to put myself in danger!"
"Don't worry, Mariya-san, we will definitely not bring disaster to this country. As long as I have a breath left, I will never let that evil Heretic God harm a single person!"
Knowing that if he told the truth, he would definitely be lectured by this serious and responsible Miko-san again, so Sora simply cooperated with Erica, stepped forward, and spoke words that were righteous and full of integrity, shamelessly praising himself.
If it were anyone else, they would have immediately picked up a brick and thrown it at this scoundrel who was full of nonsense. However, the simple Miko-san did not have such deep scheming. Looking at Sora, her beautiful eyes widened, looking incredibly moved, relieved, and a little ashamed…