join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Every 500 powerstones = free membership | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr
Upon sensing that the snake he had sent to protect Gokou Ruri had been eliminated, Asakura immediately went to the place where it had disappeared.
And then, at the last moment, he found the girl surrounded by Slender Men.
"Takuma…"
The girl forced herself to be strong, calling out weakly.
"Don't force yourself, it's okay to rest. Just leave the rest to me."
Asakura said.
Then his gaze turned to the shadowy figures, the temperature in his eyes dropping sharply.
Perhaps fearing the Cursed Flame Scale Armor on Asakura, which could burn away abnormalities, the Slender Men kept circling and hesitating, not daring to approach. But even so, they didn't seem to have any intention of giving up on abducting Gokou Ruri.
However, they didn't realize that the moment they entered the Curse's range, their fate was already sealed.
For the abnormal beings who couldn't speak and thus couldn't be interrogated for information, Asakura acted without any hesitation.
[Candle]!"
The next moment.
White flames rose from thin air, climbing onto the bodies of the Slender Men.
The Slender Men's movements stopped abruptly, their bodies began to tremble violently, and although their pale faces had no features, one could almost feel an extreme pain and fear.
The flames spread rapidly, climbing up its limbs. Wherever they touched, its already ethereal body began to disintegrate, like a wax figure scorched by high temperatures, gradually melting into a puddle of pitch-black liquid.
The liquid struggled on the ground, trying to re-form, but the white flames mercilessly consumed it completely.
A pungent burnt smell permeated the air, mixed with a sickening scent of decay.
The Slender Man's figure became increasingly faint, finally disappearing completely in the flames, leaving only wisps of black smoke slowly dissipating into the air.
The white flames also extinguished, and the overgrown courtyard plunged back into dimness—the flames had burned away the arrogant Slender Men, yet didn't harm a single weed in the courtyard—and the suffocating malice from before had completely vanished.
The girl, who had witnessed all of this, finally could no longer hold on.
All the strength seemed to drain from her legs, her body swayed slightly, and then the world before her eyes suddenly plunged into complete darkness.
Her consciousness was submerged as if by an invisible tide, and she collapsed forward weakly, like a light, drifting leaf falling with the wind.
Just as she was about to fall to the ground, Asakura swiftly turned, his movements light and decisive, gently catching the girl's falling body.
Gokou Ruri's head was buried in his arm, her long hair disheveled, her already pale face a heartbreaking white, and her breathing faint but steady.
The flame of the Blazing Scale licked at the girl's face, but there was no sign of burning her; instead, it brought her a little warmth.
Asakura looked down at the girl, his brows slightly furrowed, revealing a worried expression.
He gently pushed up his glasses, enduring the discomfort, and carefully examined Gokou Ruri's condition with Truth Vision.
Then, his finger lightly traced the girl's face, pausing briefly at the tear mole, as if the sizzling sound of something burning away vanished in an instant.
The air around them seemed to freeze at this moment, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the grass.
Asakura readjusted his glasses, not lingering in the abandoned courtyard, but carefully picked up the girl, who appeared unchanged, and then activated the power of Great Blessing, teleporting directly back to the Round Table Hall.
When he brought Gokou Ruri into the Clubroom, he intended to first settle the girl on the sofa in the Clubroom to let her rest.
However, as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Chihaya Anon shouting at an empty plate, "Make food!"
But nothing happened.
Asakura hesitated for a moment, pretending he hadn't seen anything, and slowly closed the door.
"Wait, wait, wait! I was just playing, imitating Asakura-kun!"
The pink-haired girl clearly saw Asakura and quickly displayed the speed of someone who was always the last leg in a middle school relay race, catching the doorknob at the last moment to stop Asakura from closing the door while loudly explaining.
"I never made such a foolish expression."
Asakura made a disapproving sound.
She's still alone in the Clubroom on the weekend; does this person have no friends?
"Although I don't know what 'foolish' means, Asakura must be speaking ill of me!"
The girl, suspected of having no friends, exclaimed loudly.
"No, I'm saying Anon is very cute."
Asakura said earnestly.
"Really? Thank you... Just kidding, don't think I'm as easily fooled as Yanami-senpai!"
"Tsk."
"Huh... Isn't that Ruri-chan? What happened to her?"
Chihaya Anon, who was about to argue with Asakura, suddenly saw the girl in Asakura's arms, who had been blocked by the door, after pulling it open.
"Attacked by a strangeness."
Asakura answered succinctly.
Chihaya Anon, who had also been attacked by a strangeness, immediately became serious: "Is she alright?"
"That 'thing' I told you about before..." Asakura said seriously, "might have to be used ahead of schedule."
"Woah, is it that serious? I understand, I'll go contact them now!"
The pink-haired girl saluted awkwardly: "Sergeant Chihaya, departing now!"
After speaking, she left the Clubroom in a flurry.
Asakura watched her somewhat reckless back, swallowing the words 'actually, a phone call would suffice,' and gently placed Gokou Ruri from his arms onto the sofa.
Before he activated Truth Vision just now, he had originally thought that the girl fainted simply because her spirit was overwhelmed by the immense malice that appeared alongside Slender Man.
However, Truth Vision quickly discovered the true reason—the girl was infected with Human-Faced Sore, and it had rapidly grown under the immense malice of Slender Man's catalysis.
Even though Asakura quickly dealt with the Human-Faced Sore, the damage caused was already evident.
It was not as simple as physical or mental harm; rather, just as Asakura had diagnosed for Yukinoshita Haruno before, Human-Faced Sore are used to 'peel away' certain existences.
"Speaking of which, is chuunibyou also considered a type where 'the inner self and outer manifestation have a huge contradiction'...?"
Asakura looked at the girl's peaceful sleeping face and mumbled softly.
Ordinary people like Yukinoshita Haruno would at most have their vitality stripped away to be used as nourishment or fuel by the true culprit behind the scenes, but Gokou Ruri's situation was much more complex.
At first glance, she seemed to have her vitality completely intact, but in reality, a part of her 'mystery' was stolen by the other party.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Every 500 powerstones = free membership | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr