"Whoa… this is crazy. It's like I'm playing a game and all this knowledge… Takumi-san, this is way too valuable."
After browsing through the information Takumi had given her, Tsumiki looked completely overwhelmed—in the best way. She'd been an ordinary person before, and now she'd jumped straight into being a powerful sorcerer.
"This is what you deserve, Tsumiki~" Takumi leaned in again and kissed her soft lips.
Tsumiki instantly shut up, her cheeks flushing a pretty, tempting pink. Faced with Takumi's bold, almost pushy attitude, she didn't feel angry at all—instead, her heart felt weirdly sweet.
Then Takumi stood, unlocked the door, and walked out.
Megumi Fushiguro didn't dare barge in. He hovered outside, frantic. "Senpai, my sister—"
"She's fine." Takumi stepped aside so he could see.
Half-sitting up in bed, Tsumiki wore a calm, gentle smile. "Megumi… I'm awake."
"Sis!!"
Tears slid down Megumi's face instantly. He rushed over, but he was terrified of hurting her, so he could only stand by the bed and stare like he didn't quite believe it.
He clearly had a thousand things he wanted to say, but in the end all he managed was a shaky smile.
"Sis… I'm so glad you're okay."
"Tsumiki's situation—she should rest for a while," Takumi added from behind, offering a quiet reminder.
Megumi nodded so hard it was like his head was going to fall off. "Y-Yeah! I get it, Senpai. I'll do exactly that!"
He immediately went to find the female caregiver to keep looking after Tsumiki. He was clumsy as hell, and—more importantly—there were boundaries.
"Tsumiki, here's my number." Takumi left a business card on the little bedside table, then raised his brows at her.
"Once you've recovered and you're out of the hospital, don't forget to call me, okay~?"
Tsumiki picked up the card, glanced at it, and smiled sweetly.
"Exorcist… Takumi-san, if you're this skilled, you must be busy all the time. I hope you'll still pick up when I call."
Takumi laughed and nodded. "Of course. I won't bother you any longer."
He stepped out of the room.
The hallway was quiet and empty as he headed out—but near the nurses' station, at a corner, he caught sight of a figure slipping past.
A tall, slender woman.
Silky black hair. A fox-like, dangerously alluring face that stood out even in a crowd. And that airy, noble aura—one glance was enough to burn her into your memory.
"Rikka..."
Takumi murmured her name.
After he'd been kicked out of the Hero Village, he'd run into her by accident. Later she'd taken him in, then put him through a whole raising the younger guy routine.
And honestly? Raising him was one thing—but the problem was that his little pony hadn't even finished growing and she was already trying to ride him like she owned him.
Even after he awakened demon blood, he'd still been a kid back then.
Exhausted in both body and mind, he'd eventually found a chance to slip away from that yandere older-sister type and run for his life.
And now—years later—here she was again.
"What a coincidence… This time I'm getting my payback."
Takumi immediately chased after her—only to turn the corner and smack straight into a petite girl.
Her features were neat and cute, with short, lightly curled blond hair and bright violet eyes. She wore a red dress, her legs pale and slim—though her left leg looked… off. She leaned on a cane, giving her a sharp little detective vibe.
Up close, she looked like a delicate doll—adorable and eye-catching.
The collision caught her off guard. She tipped backward, about to hit the floor.
Takumi reacted instantly, wrapping an arm around her narrow waist and pulling her into his chest.
"Sorry~ I didn't see you. I bumped you pretty hard. Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine, but why are you built like a brick wall, I—"
The girl's clear voice started to complain… then her violet eyes locked onto Takumi's.
Her left pupil visibly shrank. A jolt ran through her like an electric shock, goosebumps rising across her skin.
Without thinking, she blurted out, "You're so handsome…"
"If you say it like that, I'm gonna get embarrassed."
Takumi smiled and loosened his hold so she could stand properly again, but the moment she steadied herself with her cane, she stepped right back in.
She stared at his face, then reached up and started poking and squeezing his arm and chest like she was doing an inspection.
"Not plastic surgery. And those muscle lines are perfect too…" She mumbled to herself, eyes shining.
"Like a lion—pure, overwhelming masculine presence, but also like the sun—bright, overflowing with life."
"Haaah… how does a man this perfect even exist?"
Then she suddenly realized what that roaring, fluttering feeling in her chest meant.
This wasn't curiosity.
This was—love at first sight!
"Yeah… it really is that feeling. That jolt just now—like getting shocked."
She pressed her lips together, a blush blooming on her cheeks.
Unlike other girls who'd be confused and flailing, she recognized the shift in her emotions immediately.
Takumi watched her freeze in place and asked quietly, "What's wrong? Is something off about me?"
She'd just grabbed his face and muscles, then blanked out like her brain crashed. Takumi genuinely couldn't tell what was going through her head, but after that brief contact, he also recognized who she was.
And under the gaze of his Jade Eye, her information appeared.
[Name: Kotoko Iwanaga]
[Level: None]
[Traits: God of Wisdom (Purple), Power of Faith (Purple), Wealthy Family (Blue), Protagonist Halo (Blue), Meticulous Mind (Green)…]
[God of Wisdom (Purple): Traded her right eye and left leg to become the "God of Wisdom" of the local yokai, but has not yet condensed a divinity or gained divine power.]
"Interesting…"
Takumi murmured, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Fear and faith from yokai… You can actually use that to create a half-finished god."
Right now, Kotoko hovered at the boundary between human and god. The faith of the yokai in this region was gathered on her like a tide.
If it piled up enough, she could ascend—becoming a lesser faith deity, but until that happened, she was still basically human… just with the ability to command yokai.
Kotoko hadn't even heard his mutter. She simply continued the conversation, shaking her head with an upbeat tone.
"You don't have any problem at all." Then she smiled—bright, shameless, and direct. "I just really like you. More accurately… I think I fell for you at first sight."
"…" Takumi blinked. "…You're that straightforward?"