Chapter 7: A Heart Full of Misgivings

Shido Itsuka did not lie, especially about something as impossible to conceal as this.

Which meant… there really was another, violent consciousness inside her? Or perhaps…

Chihaya Sayo’s fingers unconsciously stroked the black ring on her hand. Mitestin seemed to feel her caress, squirming gently against her finger as if trying to please her.

No. It could not possibly be Mitestin. Something like that, which could not even understand human speech, how could it have done anything like that?

Then maybe…

“You all would not have a solution either, would you.”

Sayo gritted her teeth and spoke softly. If this serious hidden danger could be resolved, then even being sealed was not something she could not accept.

“I…”

Shido suddenly froze. He wanted to give the girl before him a definite answer, but…

He did not know.

It was just…

“We will figure something out together. I am sure we can solve it.”

“Just because of a hollow promise of the future, you want to take my power? Shido, I used to think your naivety was rather endearing. Now I find it a little too endearing.”

Sayo’s voice went cold. ‘Figure something out together’? He was just trying to trick her out of her power with empty words, was he not? Just because he said a few nice words, she was supposed to hand herself over? Good things did not come that easily in this world.

“Well, I will not make things difficult for you. If you find a way, then I will naturally do as you arrange. But if you do not…”

The girl smiled lightly, then shook her head, and a confident smile took its place.

“Of course, I believe I will find a complete solution before any of you do.”

As the black fluid receded into the center of her ink-dark ring like an ebbing tide, Shido could finally see the movie screen again.

He did not know why, but he could not help letting out a quiet sigh of relief. His entire body went limp against the theater seat.

Sayo did not sit back down. She merely leaned lightly against the chair. His actions and words from a moment ago had irritated her, but not enough to push her into doing anything extreme. After all, at her core, she was still an ordinary person who yearned for a peaceful life. Protagonists were the most troublesome sort of people, especially harem protagonists like this one.

Tch. What had gotten into her today anyway? The moment she heard the name Shido Itsuka, she should have turned around and walked away.

“The movie is over. I am leaving.”

The girl straightened up, patted off dust that was not really there on her clothes, and headed toward the exit of the screening room without looking back.

“Um… can we meet again sometime? If you do not mind, we could exchange…”

“Huh?”

He had already had that kind of conversation with her before, yet here he was, brazenly asking for another girl’s contact. Should she call him hopelessly dense, or simply too bold?

Sayo pressed a hand to her forehead.

Still… occasionally getting a free meal out of someone did not sound so bad.

“Give me your phone.”

“What?”

“I said, your phone. Hand it over. Did you not want my contact? What, changed your mind? Worried about your wallet?”

Sayo waved her hand impatiently, took the phone from the slightly dazed Shido, unlocked it with practiced ease, and added herself as a friend on Line.

“There. Done. If nothing important comes up, try not to bother me. Annoy me and I will block you.”

As if to prove her point, Sayo gave the phone a little shake in front of Shido, then tossed it back at him.

“Um, Sayo…”

“What else?”

Her tone was impatient, but when she saw how nervous he looked, like a frightened little animal, her expression finally softened.

After all, the one who had been irritating her was never really him. It was the strange rules of this twisted world. That was hardly his fault.

“Oh… no… nothing else.”

Why had he even called out to stop her? Shido did not know. He had no idea what could possibly make this spirit in front of him want to stay.

But somehow, he felt a hollow emptiness in his chest.

****

“Uuugh…”

Back in her cramped little home, Sayo locked the reinforced security door, let out a miserable wail, and flung herself onto the bed, kneading her poor pillow fiercely with both arms.

Her whole face was buried in the soft pillow, grinding against it under the force of her arms. Every now and then, her lovely cheeks peeked out from the gaps the pillow did not quite cover, like a forbidden apple.

She had known exactly what Shido Itsuka was going to do. She had known the plot. She had known… everything. She had prepared herself for all of it.

But when she actually faced him, she still could not stop her heart from racing and her cheeks from burning. She could not stop herself from wanting to tease him. She knew getting close to him would only drag her into trouble, yet in the end, she could not control herself.

What was wrong with her?

It had to be the spirit crystal! Yes, it had to be the spirit crystal’s fault!

It was all that Phantom’s doing! The spirit crystal she had given her must have been defective! Any girl who accepted that crystal would fall hopelessly in love with Shido Itsuka!

Tch. That wicked little spirit. One of these days, I will personally…

She pulled her head out of the warm, suffocating pillow. Her cheeks still felt like they were burning, so she slapped them a few times, hard, to force herself to calm down.

Regardless, she should fill her stomach first, right? To be honest, she had barely eaten at noon, out of maidenly restraint. Or… perhaps becoming a spirit had also boosted her appetite?

She scampered over to the fridge, pulled out a can of cola, and gulped it all down. She drank too eagerly, and a few drops of the black liquid spilled out, running down her slender chin and dripping onto her chest, like dark, forbidden stains marring a pristine snowfield.

As the cold liquid slid down her throat, the restless feeling in her heart finally settled. Sayo licked her lips and casually tossed the can aside. The crumpled can traced a perfect arc and landed squarely in the trash bin.

“Nice! Ten out of ten!”

She delivered the rather hollow compliment in a dry voice, but her mood had finally recovered completely.

She lay back down on her bed, which was barely wide enough for one person, and fished out her phone, a model that should have been retired long ago, to scroll through it aimlessly.

Come to think of it, she must be the only spirit in the world living this miserably. She could easily use her powers to take whatever money she needed, and yet…

[Sayo, are you okay?] Unread.

[Sayo? Where did you go?] Unread.

[A spacequake just happened. Did you make it to a shelter safely? Make sure you do not run around, okay?] Unread.

[Sayo, if you see this, reply quickly!] Unread.

Tch. It was Kanon Miho. Was she worried about her? That was…

After a brief pause, Sayo opened Miho’s messages and began typing a reply.

[I am fine. Just a little tired… It has passed now.]

[Oh good! I did not see you at the spacequake shelter yesterday, and I was afraid you might have…]

Miho replied quickly. Barely a few seconds after Sayo sent her message, the reply appeared on her screen.

Was she checking her phone constantly, just waiting for messages? That was…

A smile tugged at the corner of Sayo’s mouth before she could stop it. After a few seconds of thought, mindful of the gap in status between her and Kanon Miho, she deleted the insulting retort she had drafted.

[No, I just happened to go to a different shelter. Do not worry, I will be at work on time tomorrow.]

Having sent the message to her superior, Sayo tossed the phone aside and pulled the pillow over her head again.

By the way…

“Mitestin.”

Sayo called out softly to her angel. The black ring seemed to respond to her voice, flickering with an inky gleam.

Since her angel had a will of its own, asking it about her own condition should be the most reliable option, right? After all, only an angel would never betray her… right?

A thought suddenly struck her, remembering how Mitestin seemed utterly fixated on finding her a partner.

Could she really trust what this angel said?

“Hey. You can turn into all kinds of shapes, can you not? So you should be able to take a human form and talk to me too, right?”

The black ring fell silent. Either it had not heard her at all, or it was pondering the meaning of her words.

“No?”

Sayo sighed. Fair enough. An angel that had its own consciousness and could converse with her would be far too miraculous. How could such a thing exist?

Or… perhaps she should lower her expectations…

“Then can you turn into an animal shape? Like… a small black cat?”

The girl, who had been deflated moments ago, suddenly perked up. She described the cat with words and used her hands to mimic its shape.

When Mitestin seemed to remain silent, Sayo picked up her phone again and pulled up a picture of a sleek, lively Bombay black cat. She held it in front of her right hand, her crimson eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“See, like this… a black cat.”

The ring no longer gleamed. It stared at the little black cat in the photo in silence, then, almost as if in protest, took the form of a small black cat.

But this cat was lifeless. It was like a soft, malleable lump of clay that could be kneaded into any shape, not a living creature at all. Calling it a ‘cat’ would be generous; it looked more like some grotesque, sinister organism.

So taking on a living form really was out of the question?

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