Taking a sheltered princess from a noble devil house out into the world for the first time and showing her the things ordinary people enjoyed was a rather strange and amusing experience.
'Going on two dates in a single day, this is the price I have to pay for having a harem. This is so freaking good... cough, I mean... It's so tiring!' Watching Ravel excitedly point at and comment on everything she found new and interesting, Yusuke held her hand tightly and thought silently to himself while looking at her cute face and sparkling blue eyes.
"Yusuke-sama, this thing called a vending machine is wonderful! It works without any magic at all!" Hugging the bunny plushie with one arm and holding Yusuke's hand with the other, Ravel stood before a vending machine and stared at it as though she were looking at some mythical artifact.
[This dumb bitch. Tsk, what else would you expect from a blonde?!] At that moment, B2's cynical voice rang out in his mind.
"You can try it yourself." Ignoring B2, Yusuke took the plushie from Ravel's hands and handed her a banknote.
"Yes, Yusuke-sama! I won't disappoint you!" Holding the 1000 yen banknote, Ravel replied in a serious tone as though she were about to carry out some important state security mission.
Without letting go of Yusuke's hand, the blonde, drill haired princess walked up to the vending machine. She inserted the bill and hesitantly pressed the buttons.
With a faint rumbling sound, two bottles of juice fell one after the other.
Ravel quickly picked them up and turned toward Yusuke, "Yusuke-sama, I did it!!"
Her bright blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she held up the drinks.
"This is so fun!"
"Yeah, it's fun." What Yusuke really wanted to say was that it was fun watching her react to everything like this, but of course, he didn't say it out loud.
Instead, he lightly squeezed her cheek and said, "Let's go somewhere else."
"Yes, Yusuke-sama!" Ravel happily hugged his arm even tighter, pressing her small chest firmly against it as she looked up at him with a bright, radiant smile.
....
The conversation between the two church sisters continued in the middle of the road. Thankfully, Xenovia had cast a spell beforehand, so none of the passersby paid any attention to them.
Otherwise, the drama between the two women would have attracted a crowd by now, and they probably would have gone viral.
"As expected," Xenovia said calmly. Then her tone became much more solemn, "The way you were acting so strangely last time... it wasn't just my imagination after all."
"Did it feel good kissing my man and sucking into his face like some horny, desperate woman?" Xenovia spoke while watching Griselda's face twitch.
However, she didn't continue provoking her. Instead, her tone softened slightly, "You know, if you had just told us sincerely, Irina and I would've helped you get together with Yu."
"I don't need your help!" Griselda answered stiffly. For some reason, her stomach twisted uncomfortably when she heard Xenovia's words. How could she talk about Yusuke as if he were some commodity that anyone could simply get?
The feeling was similar to that of a man deeply in love with a woman, only to discover that she was already dating someone, and then have her boyfriend casually tell him that he wouldn't mind sharing her with ten other men in a massive orgy.
Just imagining such a situation was enough to make anyone feel sick.
"Although what you did was ugly, I still want to tell you that I respect you, Sister Griselda. However, let me give you a warning." Xenovia took a step forward and grabbed Griselda by the collar, pulling her closer until their faces were only a short distance apart.
"I can more or less tell what you're thinking. Don't ever think about trying to harm Yu." Her gaze sharpened, "You will regret it."
"Yu has gone through so much pain and hardship because of crazy women like us, and he always came out on top." Xenovia released Griselda's collar and took a step back before continuing, "Do you really think he can't see through your facade and tricks? Dealing with women like you has become the norm for him."
"What are you talking about?!" Griselda frowned and spoke in a frosty tone.
"I am only warning you in good faith because you're someone I respect." Xenovia ignored the frosty aura Griselda was starting to emit and continued calmly, "Even I could see through your facade. Did you really think he didn't notice when you were following him around? What about that stupid trick where you fell from a building?"
"Did you think we were in some stupid ecchi anime where everyone has zero common sense?"
Xenovia couldn't suppress a chuckle. Shaking her head in disappointment, she continued, "Yu has dealt with kidnappings, threats, and even more sick and twisted things than that. Compared to what he's been through, your little acts are far too naive."
Xenovia put a finger against her lips and pondered for a moment. "Perhaps he's playing along with you because he thinks you're not a bad woman." She paused and stared speechlessly at Griselda's suddenly flushed cheeks.
Did she really just get excited after hearing that? What a hopeless woman!
"Anyways, what I'm trying to say is this. Don't play stupid games, or you'll win stupid prizes. Neither I nor the others will allow you to harm him." After saying that, Xenovia turned around and walked away.
"..." Griselda stood frozen in place for a long while, watching Xenovia's figure disappear into the crowd. What the latter had said was something she had never truly entertained before, or rather, something she had been deliberately avoiding thinking about.
She hadn't thought about kidnapping Yusuke or forcing him into anything. Although she was obsessively in love with him, her feelings had not yet twisted into those of a complete yandere, but they were not far from that point. And, of course, she didn't like the idea of sharing Yusuke with anyone else.
For some reason, women in this world, especially those involved with the supernatural or who were themselves mythological beings such as devils, fallen angels, and even gods, didn't seem to mind being part of a harem.
However, the women who had become obsessed with Yusuke were different.
Every one of them wanted him for themselves.
They wanted to monopolize every part of him, his gaze, his voice, his scent, his body, and even his thoughts. They wanted him to look only at them, think only of them, and hold only them in his arms.
To them, sharing Yusuke was not a desire; it was a compromise forced upon them by fate.
Griselda stood at that threshold. She wanted Yusuke all for herself, but she still didn't know how to achieve that. Xenovia's warning had shown her a possible path, only to brutally cut it off at the same time.
Putting aside Yusuke's terrifying strength, the women around him alone were already enough to make such thoughts nearly impossible.
Grayfia, Venelana, Serafall, and the others. Any one of them would be a formidable opponent and cause her no small amount of trouble.
'I won't give up! Where there's a will, there's a way! I will find a way to have you, Yusuke-kun!' Griselda clenched her fists tightly, her eyes blazing with determination. With renewed resolve, she turned and started heading back toward the hotel.
However, after taking only two steps, she suddenly froze.
Holding her head, she exclaimed loudly, "I forgot to ask her for a copy of the video! Damn it!!"
...
Japan hosts roughly 100,000 to 300,000 festivals annually, ranging from hyper local neighborhood events to massive national celebrations.
The summer season has the highest concentration of them, with hundreds of major festivals and thousands of smaller community gatherings taking place across the country between June and September. This means that on any given day, numerous festivals are being held somewhere in Japan.
Even in Kuoh Town alone, festivals take place each week during the summer.
The cliché festival events seen in anime exist for a reason.
The sun had long disappeared beyond the horizon, surrendering the world to the embrace of night. Beneath the warm glow of countless lanterns, people of all ages flowed through the streets like a living river.
Some walked side by side with loved ones, some guided their children by the hand while carrying paper lanterns that swayed gently with each step, and others wandered alone through the festival crowd, like your lonely ass.
Standing outside a yukata rental shop, Yusuke watched the lively festival atmosphere. The warm lantern lights, the laughter of the crowd, the endless rows of stalls, and the cheerful voices drifting through the night air made him feel strangely lighthearted.
He had been in an exceptionally good mood lately.
Honestly, this was the first time he had ever attended a festival like this. In his previous life, he never had the chance to experience such events. Back then, festivals, fireworks, and summer nights filled with laughter were things that belonged to other people, things he could only see on Instagram posts.
"Yusuke-sama..." Ravel shyly walked out, her hands fidgeting beneath the wide sleeves of her yukata. She stopped in front of him, looked up at him with flushed cheeks, and asked, "Do I look good?"
She was wearing a white yukata decorated with sakura petals. The soft colors suited her delicate features perfectly, making her fair skin appear even brighter beneath the festival lights. A wide pink obi was tied neatly around her waist. Her long blonde drill hair had been carefully arranged, with several small sakura ornaments woven into it, adding a gentle charm to her appearance.
"Ravel." Yusuke didn't answer immediately. He stood there for a long moment before walking over and gently taking her hands into his.
"You look beautiful tonight."
"Really?!" Ravel's eyes widened in delight, and a bright smile spread across her face before she could stop it. The happiness in her expression was impossible to hide.
She immediately threw herself into his arms, giggling, "I am beautiful! Yusuke-sama said I am beautiful! Hehehe~"
As she repeated those words, her smile only grew wider, as though she had just received the greatest compliment in the world. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy, and the flushed color on her cheeks deepened even further.
...
"Yusuke-sama, what is that?"
"That's a goldfish scooping stall. Want to try it?"
"Yes! I want to try it with you, Yusuke-sama!"
A few minutes later, Ravel found herself completely absorbed in the game.
"Why is the paper so thin? Ah, this is difficult!"
"Ah! It escaped! I was so close!"
"You want to go somewhere else? Wait! I'll succeed this time! Just one more try!"
"Damn it! So frustrating!"
"Yaay! I did it! I did it, look! I ca... ah! No, it slipped away! Nooo!"
"What are you doing, Yusuke-sama? Stop dragging me away! I'll succeed this time! I swear!"
The nearby vendor watched the blonde girl being forcibly removed from the stall with a complicated expression.
"So this is called a shooting gallery game? Hmph! Yusuke-sama, I'll show you my shooting skills!"
"Ehh?! I hit it! Why didn't it fall? They're cheating!"
"Oh, so it's like that. Amazing, Yusuke-sama. Your knowledge is so profound. You know everything!"
"Woah! You got it on the first try! Can I really choose? I want that oni mask!"
"Let me try this time!"
A moment later, Ravel triumphantly raised her prize.
"I did it! I knew it! They were really cheating! Hohoho! Did they think they could fool me?"
She happily handed an oni mask to Yusuke.
"Here, Yusuke-sama. This mask is for you!"
"Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do anything wrong?"
"You'll treasure this gift forever? Don't say dangerous things like that, Yusuke-sama. You'll make me fall for you even more~!"
A little later, her attention was stolen by another stall.
"Hmm, that stall is selling candy apples. They look delicious!"
"Woah! Chocolate bananas are great! Do you want some?"
"You don't like bananas? Is it weird for a man to suck on a banana? Now that you mention it, it does sound a little weird."
"You want to see me eat this chocolate banana?"
Ravel leaned closer, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, "Yusuke-sama, you know... if you want, I can put my mouth on something else instead. Fufufu~!"
...
PS: I just started a new fanfic; you can check it out: Dead Girls Chat Group
...
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