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"Now that's what I call a true bestie."
Seeing Miko Yotsuya's message pop up, Max raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. His fingers danced across the screen as he typed:
"There are three options."
Miko's eyes lit up instantly. "Three?!"
More messages appeared in quick succession:
"First, she stays by my side, and I'll protect her myself."
"Second, you become my follower — that way, you can protect her."
"Third, she becomes my follower, so she can protect herself."
"So, Miko, which one sounds best to you?"
"…"
Staring at the screen, Miko hesitated, her mind whirling with thoughts.
First option — Max personally protecting Hana Yurikawa.
She immediately skipped that one.
Second — she herself becomes Max's follower to protect Hana.
If there wasn't a third choice, that would probably be the best option. Even though Miko had some exorcising power, she couldn't stay glued to Hana's side 24/7. The most reliable solution would be for Hana to have the ability to protect herself.
Then there was the third option.
Leaving aside whether Hana would even agree to become Max's follower… if she did, that meant she'd be able to see all the terrifying things Miko saw.
And Hana Yurikawa was terrified of ghosts. That made the third option not so great either.
Miko frowned. Second or third?
"Forget it…"
After a long moment of thinking, Miko Yotsuya finally made up her mind.
She chose the second option.
It was only a temporary solution, of course.
For now, as long as she had the strength, she wanted to protect Hana — to keep her safe from spirits, or at least from getting scared out of her wits.
If things ever reached a point where there was no other choice, she'd try to convince Hana to become Max's follower.
Even though that meant Hana would, in a sense, "belong" to Max… it was still better than something happening to her.
Besides, Hana didn't seem to dislike Max.
And honestly, Max seemed like a decent guy so far.
So Miko decided to treat the third option as her backup plan.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and typed:
"I choose the second one."
For the sake of protecting the people she cared about —and for the sake of protecting herself —Miko Yotsuya had made up her mind to become Max's follower.
When Max saw her decision, his lips curved into a pleased smile.
A King could form a clan — the King's Clan.
Those who joined would receive a portion of the King's power.
Even an ordinary person could become a powerful psychic overnight.
The main purpose of the King's Clan was to amplify the King's strength.
In the world of K, a King was unlike any other ability user. They each possessed a sacred domain — their "territory."
Within that domain, the more followers the King had, the stronger their power would become — tenfold, a hundredfold, even more.
That was how a King truly displayed their might.
Of course, if the King used too much power, the Damocles Sword that symbolized their authority would appear above them as a warning.
If they held back, it stayed hidden.
Just then, a new message appeared.
"Um, Max… can I ask what I have to do to become your follower?"
After sending it, Miko's heart started racing.
A few seconds later, the reply came:
"What do you think?"
He didn't answer — just threw the question back at her.
So she had to think for herself.
"I think…"
Miko's brow furrowed as she remembered something Max had said before — that becoming his follower was kind of like serving a god, like being a shrine maiden.
And shrine maidens were sometimes called the "wives of the gods."
Wife… Wait, does that mean—
A flurry of images she definitely shouldn't be thinking about flashed through her mind. Miko's face turned bright red in an instant, her heart pounding wildly.
She'd never even been in a relationship before — and now this?!
That's way too fast!
But… if it's Max… maybe it's not that bad…?
"What am I even thinking?!"
Startled by her own thoughts, Miko shook her head hard, her pale cheeks glowing pink. Her big round eyes shimmered with embarrassment.
And yet, no matter how much she tried to stop, her imagination kept running wild — replaying scenes that would make any romance manga blush.
The more she thought about it, the redder she became.
Her body even started feeling hot.
Then, just in time, Maxi's new message snapped her out of it:
"Come out tonight."
"EHH?!"
Miko let out a yelp loud enough to startle the neighbors. Her eyes went wide like saucers, her mouth hanging open in shock.
"Miko, you okay in there?"
Her mom's voice came from outside the door.
"I'm fine, Mom!"
"You sure?"
"Yeah! I just… stubbed my toe, that's all!"
"…Alright, be careful next time."
Once her mom walked away, Miko turned back to her phone, face still red.
"This is happening way too fast."
Her heart was racing, her head spinning — and deep down, she felt a tiny flicker of… anticipation?
She pulled the blanket over her head, trying to calm down, but her heart just wouldn't stop pounding.
Meanwhile, over in Nerima…
Max chuckled softly when Miko didn't reply right away.
Guess she needs a little time.
He wondered idly what reward he'd get once Miko's "character entry" lit up — and what level it would be.
At least green to start with. Maybe even blue, considering how powerful her spiritual vision was in her original world.
And she was a main character, after all — special cases like hers were rare.
Stretching, Max walked to the kitchen. It was about time to make dinner anyway.
Ten minutes later, his phone chimed.
Wiping his hands, he glanced at the screen — and smiled.
Miko: "When and where?"
He typed back, still smiling:
"Two hours later. Just come to my place."
"His… house?!"
On the other end, Miko's barely recovered composure vanished. Her face flushed crimson again, blooming like a peach flower in spring.
And he even called her Miko.
After a few long minutes of hesitation, she finally typed a single word:
"Okay."
"See you then."
Max sent her his location.
"See you then."
Miko replied after another short pause.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and the cool evening breeze drifted through the streets.
At the Yotsuya household—
"Mom, I'm sleeping over at Hana's tonight."
Having finally gathered her courage, Miko packed her things and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Alright, be careful on the way."
Her mom didn't question her story.
"Got it!"
Miko stepped out, heading for the train station.
She caught the next train to Nerima — and, as usual, ran into a few evil spirits on the way.
Thankfully, her acting skills were on point, and she managed to fool them all.
After about fifteen minutes, she arrived in Nerima.
But just as she stepped out of the station… a familiar figure came into view, and Miko's eyes widened slowly in surprise.
"....."