Chapter 16: So Warm~ (Patreon)

"Eek?! You are..."

Erika hadn't expected a mere Divine Beast to be this terrifying!

After just a few exchanges, she had been soundly defeated.

As her strength momentarily failed her and the Divine Beast's power sent her crashing through a building, sending her tumbling backward amidst the collapsing structure, she had already braced herself for a harsh impact with the ground, or worse, the sea of fire below.

"So warm~"

But the expected impact never came. Erika realized her fall had been halted mid-air.

Furthermore, she seemed to have landed in a warm embrace.

Involuntarily, the girl opened her eyes in confusion.

What met her gaze was a handsome face—it was one of the two youths she had stopped earlier, the elegant young man who had seemed faintly familiar.

His appearance wasn't marred by the soot and dust in the air; he looked exactly as he had when she first saw him.

And she was currently cradled in his arms.

However, after catching her, the young man was frowning slightly as he looked off in a certain direction. It wasn't toward the still-rampaging Divine Beast, but further away, seemingly toward the center of the island.

'Not quite on the level of the Cult Leader sister...'

With a beauty in his arms, Haru's attention should have been on the girl. But just as he saved Erika and held her, he suddenly sensed a peculiar feeling of being watched.

It wasn't the feeling of being directly observed by eyes.

It came from an intangible source, as if something was trying to peer into his very essence and origins.

"This feeling... must be a ability like Revelation or Spirit Vision? But trying to see through me requires a certain price!"

The short distance was no obstacle for Haru's gaze and perception. The source was clearly from the center of Sardinia.

Likely, it was the attention of a certain witch.

"You are... Huh?! You rude brute!"

Just as Haru was lost in thought, Erika, who had been about to speak—either to question or thank him—suddenly felt an unusual sensation from the cherished the 'assets' on her chest, which she usually protected with great care. It came from the other's movement; she couldn't tell if it was intentional or accidental.

She had always been careful and meticulous in their care.

She had never let anyone else touch them, let alone have them reshaped by someone else's grasp like this.

And although she had changed into long pants for the fight, his other hand was currently resting against her absolute territory.

Instantly, whether from shame, anger, or some other inexplicable emotion,

the reacting Erika wasted no time. She raised her hand and swung it directly toward the young man's face in a sharp slap.

Slap!

When had she ever been treated like this before?

But as she looked at Haru's handsome face and remembered his heroic rescue, the force behind Erika's slap unconsciously weakened.

Hmph! Considering he saved me, and he might not have done it on purpose... I'll forgive him for now!

As this thought crossed her mind, the embarrassment and awkwardness in Erika's heart lessened considerably. Her fair hand drifted down almost gently, as if to pat his hand away, while a subtle, inexplicable feeling stirred deep within her.

She didn't quite understand why herself, but being held in Haru's arms didn't make her as angry as she'd expected.

Instead, his handsome face so close to hers, combined with their slow descent through the air and the terrifying giant beast in the background, added a strange touch of romance to the situation.

As for Haru, he snapped out of his preoccupation with being watched.

Setting that aside for the moment, he focused on the golden-haired girl in his arms, wondering why she had suddenly patted his cheeks.

That's right—whether due to distraction or something else, Erika's "slap" had ultimately landed too lightly on Haru's cheek.

So lightly, in fact, it felt more like a playful tap between lovers.

"What's... Huh? Sorry, I didn't mean to. I was busy saving you, so I didn't really notice."

Having pulled back his gaze and thoughts, Haru turned his head and finally saw the flustered, embarrassed girl in his arms.

She was glaring at him, her cheeks flushed a bright red, one hand pushing against the back of his hand—the one that was still firmly in place.

Her other hand, after patting him, was now pressed against his face as if trying to push him away.

But finding it futile, Erika could only let her small hand rest on Haru's shoulder to steady herself.

It wasn't that she didn't want to push him away anymore, but the earlier fight had drained her completely, leaving her utterly exhausted.

She had expended a great deal of her cursed power battling the Divine Beast, and facing the terrifying creature had left her feeling powerless.

"You... you rude brute... Let me go this instant!"

Though the girl's words were meant to sound indignant, they came out almost like a coquettish complaint. Her usual haughtiness was gone. Though a trace of coolness remained between her brows, she now seemed vulnerable, and her gaze toward Haru was slightly evasive.

"Alright."

If it were anyone else, they might have tried to gloss over the situation or continued apologizing.

But upon hearing her words, Haru simply nodded as if nothing had happened. Though inwardly reluctant to let go, he didn't hesitate.

He truly hadn't meant it; he just hadn't expected it to play out like this.

He really hadn't been paying attention earlier, only catching the girl in a moment of crisis. Perhaps by disrupting Kusanagi Godou's destiny, he was now reaping the "benefits" meant for the male lead?

"Hmph~"

But looking at the proud, peacock-like golden-haired girl, a mischievous impulse stirred within Haru.

After nodding with a faint smile, he simply opened his hands and let her go.

"Eeeek—!"