Chapter 258: Ah! My Eyes!
"Hmm, that silver-haired girl?"
Igarashi Ai halted mid-step, her sharp eyes gliding across Raphiel, Gabriel, and the others in the distance. The corners of her mouth curved downward, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Looks like they're tailing that boy."
She folded her arms, tilting her head slightly. "What is this? Some melodramatic soap opera scenario? The unfaithful boyfriend sneaks off on a date with his side chick, while the main girlfriend leads her best friends to bust him in public?"
"Tch. And here I thought last time I saw something supernatural. Turns out it was just a group of lovesick idiots reeking of teenage hormones. No way a bunch like them could radiate such powerful life energy."
The memory of that incident—the overwhelming fear she'd felt when Kouya and Raphiel had locked eyes with her—still made her chest tighten. That sense of helpless dread, that instant where her legs nearly gave out beneath her… she'd been humiliated, and the sting hadn't faded.
But now, as her gaze swept lazily across the group, it landed on two figures that made her eyes go wide.
Her voice cracked. "Wha—?! My eyes! My eyes!!"
She covered her face as if to shield herself from something obscene. "I just saw something that violates the laws of nature—my eyes are gonna rot!"
Those two enormous things on their chests—what even were they?!
Boobs? No, there was no way! Those things defied science!
Human anatomy couldn't possibly support that! Were they filled with helium? Did they have structural reinforcements under those maid outfits? They weren't human—that was the only explanation!
From a biological perspective, evolution never produces such useless burdens! Their spines should have snapped years ago! Sleeping must be torture, walking must feel like carrying boulders strapped to their ribs, and don't even start on balance—how are they still upright?!
"They must be mutants… or aliens! Yeah, aliens from the Planet of Gigantic Breasts!"
Her imagination spiraled out of control. She could already picture it—a world of busty invaders who weaponized gravity itself. Her lips twisted. "And they're out here playing dodgeball, letting those obscene things bounce everywhere? Unforgivable! Absolutely indecent!"
A furious spark flashed in her eyes. The jealousy and indignation of a proud flat-chested warrior boiled over inside her.
"Big boobs should explode! Explode, damn it!" she thought viciously.
"Flat chests are justice! The very symbol of refinement!"
"I'm flat and I'm prou—" crack!
The lollipop in her mouth shattered between her teeth. Her jaw tightened as she glared murderously toward the park.
But then, her gaze drifted toward Kouya, and her heart skipped a beat. That shadow she had glimpsed behind him before—the infinite void that seemed to stare back—flickered in her memory. Just one look had frozen her soul. Even recalling it made her break into a cold sweat.
"Forget it," she murmured, exhaling shakily. "Let's check the others first."
She steadied herself, pressing her palms together. Her fingers formed a familiar hand seal, and she tapped the tip of her finger to her forehead.
A faint shimmer rippled through the air. Her pupils contracted as her special ability activated.
When she opened her eyes again, the world was painted in faint hues of light. She could now see the life energy radiating from every living being around her.
The dragonfly hovering lazily nearby glowed faintly blue. The sparrows perched on the power lines above flickered like sparks of gold. Even the lazy cat stretching on a wall emitted a soft amber hue. The passing humans each glowed dimly, their auras no brighter than tiny flickering flames.
"Looks normal so far." She exhaled in relief. Everything appeared stable—no strange readings, no overwhelming distortions. Just the weak, calm pulses of ordinary life.
Then she looked at Raphiel.
"What?!" Ai nearly screamed aloud.
Raphiel glowed like a second sun, her entire body wrapped in radiant, shimmering light. That same divine brilliance as before—it was like staring directly into holiness itself. Her aura was pure, soft, and terrifyingly beautiful.
But even that wasn't the most shocking thing.
Two others nearby were glowing just as brightly!
One of them—a short, listless girl with her hands shoved in her pockets—emitted a faintly corrupted version of that same divine energy. Her aura was powerful yet dusted with shadow, as if her holiness had been dimmed by apathy.
"Did my ability glitch again?" Ai rubbed her eyes furiously. "What is this? Why are there three of them now?! Are they some kind of angelic trio? Or celestial choir formation?!"
She muttered under her breath, half in disbelief, half in panic. "One silver-haired angel was bad enough. Now there's a whole squad?"
Her pulse quickened. She hesitated only a second before shifting her gaze toward Kouya—and instantly regretted every life choice that led to this moment.
"My eyes! My eyes!!" she wailed again, staggering backward.
The moment her sight fell on him, her vision flooded with blinding light. Around Kouya stood Tohru the maid dragon, Fafnir the cursed dragon, Kanna the innocent blue-eyed dragon, and Lucoa, each one a walking inferno of life energy.
Their auras were overwhelming—brighter than angels, stronger than demons. Even though they tried to suppress their presence, their draconic power still rippled through the air, radiating an unbearable heat. In Ai's vision, they looked like four blazing suns devouring the sky.
"Too bright! Too bright!!" She covered her eyes, tears welling from the strain. "I can't even see anymore!"
She stumbled, dizzy. She had only meant to check if her ability was malfunctioning—but instead she had opened a door to madness. Her knees buckled under the sheer sensory overload.
The dragons noticed.
Every head turned in her direction at once.
For a heartbeat, the air froze. Then their eyes met.
A suffocating silence filled the space between them.
Tohru tilted her head curiously, while Kanna's gaze was innocent but unnervingly sharp. But Fafnir—Fafnir's eyes narrowed with cold, ancient disdain. His presence hit like a collapsing mountain.
"Foolish human…"
The low growl rumbled through her mind rather than her ears. It was the voice of something ancient and monstrous. The pressure alone made Ai's breath stop. Her limbs refused to move.
Her consciousness swayed on the edge of blacking out.
"Tohru, do you know her?" Fafnir muttered, his voice dark.
Tohru blinked, turning toward Kouya. "Kouya-sama, do you know that girl?"
"No," Kouya replied flatly. He remembered her as the peeping girl from the park but had no idea who she was or what she wanted.
"Oh." Tohru shrugged, her tail flicking lazily. "Then never mind. Kanna's all yours."
Her expression shifted in an instant, lighting up with a bright, eager grin. "Wait! Are you two going out for dinner before heading home?"
"Um… maybe?" Vigne answered, confused by the sudden change of topic.
"That's perfect!" Tohru beamed, clasping her hands together. "Go, go! Because tonight, I'm having a candlelight dinner with Kobayashi-san~ hehehe~"
Her eyes sparkled with cartoonish hearts as she spun happily in place.
Ai stood frozen in the background, forgotten and paralyzed. When the dragons finally turned away, she collapsed against a lamppost, gasping for air. Her body trembled violently as sweat dripped down her temples.
The summer sunlight felt icy on her skin.
Her lips trembled. "The world's gone completely insane. Why are there eldritch beings playing dodgeball in a public park?!"
That primal fear still coiled around her spine. She could feel it—the certainty that those creatures could annihilate her existence without even trying. Her ability wasn't broken. Her understanding of reality was.
A warm gust of wind suddenly swept through. Her parasol slipped from her shaking hands, tumbling across the pavement. It rolled to a stop at the feet of the girls hiding in the shadows.
"Huh? A parasol?" Satania blinked, picking it up. "Looks like that girl dropped it."
Raphiel's eyes gleamed. She reached out delicately to take the parasol. "You all keep following them," she whispered. "Don't let Kouya or Vigne notice. I'll go return this to her."
As the silver-haired angel approached, her steps soft and graceful, Ai stiffened. The closer Raphiel came, the stronger that invisible pressure grew.
Her heart thudded painfully. 'Beautiful… but terrifying.'
Raphiel's smile was gentle, luminous, pure—but Ai's instincts screamed louder than ever.
This was no angel.
This was a predator wearing heaven's smile.
Wanna read ahead? Join my Patreon and support the story — up to 6 new chapters are published for you every day!: patreon.com/ArealMaster