The demonic beasts rushed towards Kawashima Toya like a flood, intent on annihilating him completely.
Toya charged into the horde of beasts, gripping Gáe Bolg Alternative.
----
The Next Morning.
Just as dawn broke.
Toya slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light, as tangible and sharp as a blade, flashing through them.
The killing intent accumulated from slaying countless demonic beasts spread wildly in all directions like a physical substance.
"Back, huh?" Toya glanced at the familiar room, slowly retracting his aura until he returned to his usual state of a societal loafer.
"Time to get up, Kawashima!" Just then, Kasumigaoka Utaha opened the door with a face full of smiles, having no intention of knocking.
"Eh? Kawashima, you're up this early again?" A trace of surprise flashed in Utaha's eyes.
Toya had woken up early two days in a row, showing no signs of his usual habit of sleeping in until he woke up naturally.
Toya frowned slightly. "Do you need something?"
For a beautiful girl in the prime of her youth to come to his room so early in the morning, there must be some unspeakable secret.
Perhaps Utaha wanted to embarrass him socially; after all, morning was the most shameful time for a guy.
Utaha seemed not to notice Toya's undisguised disgust and said cheerfully, "Kawashima, I'm here to call you for breakfast."
"Breakfast?" Toya nodded slightly and said calmly, "I'll be right there. You go out first; I need to change."
Utaha turned and left the room, a gentle smile on her exquisite face.
"Hm?" Now Toya was thoroughly confused.
Utaha had left so decisively; clearly, she wasn't trying to catch him in an embarrassing moment.
Then what was the reason for this?
He didn't believe Utaha would be kind enough to knock on his door just to tell him to eat breakfast.
When Toya finished changing and arrived in the living room, he found that Utaha had already set out the breakfast delivered by takeout.
"Kawashima, you're here!"
"Eat while it's hot."
Utaha wore the same gentle smile as before.
Toya sat down next to Utaha and said plainly, "Just say what you want. Don't act like this; I'm not used to it."
"Isn't Private Toyogasaki Academy on break for a week?" Utaha stated her purpose. "I want to go to the agency with you."
"I want to see how a detective agency operates."
Hearing this, Toya's wariness dissipated, and he laughed dumbly. "Just for a small matter like this, did you have to go to such lengths?"
"You scared me. I thought you were planning something bad to make me die of social embarrassment."
Utaha's flawless face flushed slightly. "I didn't want to do this, but I was afraid you'd refuse."
Toya's agency specialized in paranormal commissions. As an ordinary person, how could she easily get close to it?
So, she had come up with this method to ask for Toya's permission.
Who would have thought Toya would agree to her request so readily, without any hesitation?
Toya took a bite of bread and laughed. "If you want to experience the agency's work, then come see it for yourself."
"Even if I told you, you might not believe it."
Paranormal commissions weren't that easy to come by.
Leaving aside the high commission fees, although the world was chaotic, it hadn't affected the surface yet.
Undercurrents surged in the dark, but the surface remained calm.
The Inner World seemed to have reached a tacit peace agreement, with neither side interfering with the operation of reality.
After breakfast, Toya and Utaha walked on the bustling street.
From time to time, people would glance their way.
Most of the gazes were directed at Utaha; she was simply too eye-catching.
Toya appeared plain and unremarkable; almost no one noticed him.
Utaha noticed that no one was paying attention to Toya, the cool, handsome boy, and looked puzzled.
"Kawashima, why does it seem like no one can see you?"
They were walking together, yet almost all the attention was focused on her.
This was far too abnormal.
A smile appeared on Toya's handsome face. "Because I actively lowered my presence."
"In the eyes of passersby, there is only you, not me."
"Why would you do that?" Utaha asked in confusion.
Toya smiled faintly. "Because I'm being watched by the Metropolitan Police Department!"
"Probably because I didn't clean up properly after the incident at Private Toyogasaki Academy yesterday, and some surveillance cameras captured my figure."
"The Metropolitan Police Department?" Shock flashed through Utaha's wine-red eyes. "After all this time, I didn't even realize we were being followed?"
And here she thought her awareness was outstanding. Now it seemed like a complete joke.