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"Huff… huff…"
The girl had long crimson hair, a small nose, and soft pink lips that parted gently with each breath. Even under the Kuoh Academy uniform, her petite figure still revealed delicate, enticing curves. She was small and slender—but clearly big-hearted in another sense.
Sitting by the wall in a duck-like posture, one of her shoes had fallen off. Her black-stockinged foot curled slightly, toes small, round, and neatly pressed together.
What should have been an innocent sight somehow stirred something deep and primal in Takumi's chest. Suppressing that sudden heat, he crouched down for a closer look—and immediately recognized her.
"Shamiko? No… Yuko Yoshida."
The memory clicked. "I actually met her when we were kids…"
It had been back in elementary school. He'd wandered off near a hospital, daydreaming about maybe "finding a stat buff or skill tag" somewhere. He hadn't found a tag—but he had met plenty of girls and women back then.
One of them had been Yuko Yoshida, on the verge of death at the time. If he remembered right… he had even confessed to her. Only to take it back immediately, promising he'd do it again "for real" once she grew up.
Now, recalling it made his face burn. God, what was wrong with me?
Sure, his mind had matured early back then, but he'd still been a kid. Everything had seemed innocent—until hindsight made it all sound ridiculous.
Shaking off the memory, Takumi leaned forward. "Hey, Yuko~ still with me?"
"Mmnh… h-hi…"
Her sleepy voice came out in a daze. She was half-conscious, clearly dizzy. Takumi sighed and gently lifted her, carrying her to a shaded spot by the wall.
Her body felt feather-light—almost too light—yet soft to the touch, like every ounce of nutrition had gathered in two very specific places.
Once seated in the shade, her eyes fluttered open, showing a faint blush on her round, baby-faced cheeks.
"Th-thank you…"
Her polite gratitude made him smile; she really was a sweet, well-mannered girl. "This isn't the time for thanks. What happened to you?"
"I got lost… and then I couldn't breathe properly…"
She spoke with such clueless innocence that it made his heart ache a little. Taking her small hand in his, he instantly sensed it—an intense curse coiled deep within her body.
It was a miracle she was alive at all. That miracle came from the magical girl sealed within her, sustaining her life.
Takumi's Jade Eyes gleamed as he scanned her from head to toe.
[Name: Yuko Yoshida]
[Level: None]
[Tags: Dream Demon Bloodline (Purple), Protagonist's Aura (Blue), Magic Genius (Blue) …]
[Dream Demon Bloodline (Purple): Possesses an exceptionally pure succubus lineage with immense potential. Currently dormant.]
"Huh. The same Dream Demon Bloodline as Maria's… could they be related?"
He'd learned a lot about demon history lately—the internal wars within demonkind, the Great War against the forces of light… Many demon clans had been wiped out or cursed into extinction.
Yet some survived by fleeing into the human world. Yuko seemed to be one of those survivors—cursed, but still alive.
"[Healing]!"
A gentle light spread from his palm as he cast Healing Magic, stabilizing her condition. He deliberately avoided using Purification, though.
Purification itself wasn't hard—but her situation was complicated. The massive curse inside her was intertwined with the magic sustaining her life. Both were external forces that had coexisted for years, tightly linked.
If he wasn't careful, purging the curse might erase the magical girl along with it—
and that magical girl was none other than Sakura Chiyoda, foster sister to Momo Chiyoda.
If he "purified" her without realizing it, that would cause a very big problem.
Unaware of his thoughts, Yuko simply felt the cool sensation spreading through her body. Energy slowly returned to her limbs.
"W-wow, that feels so nice… you used magic?"
"Yup. But keep it a secret, okay?"
He pressed a finger to his lips and grinned.
Yuko nodded solemnly, puffing her chest like she'd just been given a top-secret mission. "O-okay! I won't tell anyone!"
"Won't tell~? What are you two whispering about?" A cheerful female voice suddenly came from behind them, making Yuko jump.
They turned to see another girl rounding the corner of the school building. Short black hair tied into a small braid, bright smile, and the fresh energy of a new student.
"I'm a first-year too! You guys are freshmen, right?" she said with a wave.
"Wait—are you the only boy in Kuoh Academy!? Whoa, you're really handsome! What are you doing hiding here?"
As her eyes met Takumi's, Anri Sata felt a strange jolt in her chest. He suddenly looked more and more appealing the longer she stared.
Bombarded by her rapid-fire curiosity, Takumi scratched his head with a small smile.
"Sorry for being so famous already. And I'm not hiding—the teacher told me to explore the campus, just to make sure I don't 'accidentally wander' into the girls' dorm or something."
Anri burst out laughing. "Pfft—haha! Sounds like your teacher knows you well! Still, you're already cozying up to a cute girl, huh?"
She raised her eyebrows playfully, shooting a teasing glance at Takumi and Yuko.
The red-haired girl froze for a full second before realizing what she meant. Her cheeks turned crimson, and she waved her hands frantically.
"N-no, no! I got lost and he just helped me! He's not— I mean—he…"
"Takumi," he supplied softly.
"Right! Takumi-kun helped me! That's all!"
Yuko's frantic honesty and pure panic made Anri giggle. "Well, that clears it up," she said, still smiling as she walked closer—though her curious gaze lingered on Takumi a bit longer than necessary.
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