Hiro let the pieces of the puzzle fall into place in his head as they walked down the busy food street lined with vendors and chatting students.
Thea clearly had those guys whipped into shape without even trying hard. She could head back to that fortress of the demon lord anytime she wanted, judging from the way her own crew had been griping about her attitude.
And on top of that, she packed some seriously overpowered strength that didn't line up with the level the system had shown him at all.
Oof course, this whole world ran on those predictable patterns, so the classic trope had snuck right past him without a warning.
Nevertheless, for the actual daughter of the demon lord to offer him a favor with zero strings attached? Hiro figured he was either insanely lucky or stepping straight into something dangerous.
Knowing this world's logic, it was probably the latter. Even so, she didn't strike him as outright cruel or anything.
When they finally reached the packed open-air stall called Blazing Phoenix Grill Cart, tucked into a lively corner of the night market alley, a cheerful vendor with curly auburn hair and a bright apron sat them at a small wooden table under hanging lanterns.
She brought over two steaming cups of chilled citrus tea and took their orders with a friendly smile.
Hiro shot Thea an amused glance when she loaded up on damn near every sweet dessert option on the menu. Figures. She really had a thing for sweets. Like a kid in candy store.
The demoness just shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"You're the demon lord's daughter, right?" Hiro asked once the vendor stepped away.
Thea stayed quiet for a long moment, her expression completely blank. It made his stomach twist a little, but he held her gaze steady.
"I am the heir to a certain throne back in my original realm," she finally said, her voice soft and thoughtful, like she was remembering old stories.
"My father can be… difficult, and he has no love for humans at all. But me? I grew up here my whole life, so I don't share that same hatred. My mother was different from the rest of our kind, a kind soul who never fit in with the others. She spent her days helping people, especially the ones who had nowhere else to turn, like the folks living rough on these streets. —
—Some even saw her as a respected figure in the human world, almost like a quiet politician who made things better without anyone noticing. Then, one day, she just disappeared without a trace. I've tried to live like she did. It's not as hard as it sounds. I just have to be myself and keep that other side hidden."
Hiro nodded, a quiet wave of respect settling in his chest for her.
"I like who you are," he said honestly. "No need to force yourself into some mold just because of where you came from. And hey, thanks for stepping in back there. Those guys would have turned me into paste if you hadn't."
Thea looked genuinely surprised, like being thanked was the strangest thing she'd heard in a long time.
"Why would you thank me?" she asked. "I nearly hurt your friends pretty badly. Doesn't that bother you at all?"
"First off, they jumped in like idiots and started the whole thing," Hiro replied. "It was a total disaster of pride and bad timing. Second, it's just basic decency to say thanks when someone pulls your ass out of the fire. In this case, you kept me from getting seriously messed up."
[Your bond with Thea has deepened from casual friendship laced with teasing heat to Close Companion Level 1, with intense mutual pull. Her natural demoness aura will keep stirring that strong attraction around you because of how well your energies match up.]
[You have earned 1 additional summon. Number of summons left: 2.]
"I think I could get used to this human way of looking at things," Thea said, nodding slowly to herself with a small smile.
The vendor returned with their steaming plates of flame-grilled skewers piled high with tender meat and vegetables, alongside massive bowls of loaded rice mixed with fresh herbs and spices.
They dug in without wasting another second. Hiro covered the bill when they finished, but Thea surprised him by saying, "Next time everything's on me. I'll quietly borrow some coins from my father's private stash."
"No need for that kind of trouble," Hiro chuckled. "But, I do have one real question for you."
She looked up at him with those glistening red eyes full of open innocence. "Do you think there's any chance you could talk your father out of sending his forces into this city?"
"Nope," Thea answered simply. "In our realm, when someone disagrees with you, you challenge them directly. You and whoever's with you will have to strip away his pride completely. Or end him. Those are the only options."
"You're really fine with us going after your own father?" Hiro asked, still a bit skeptical.
"Yep. Don't confuse my softer side with being fully human. We don't form those tight family bonds the way you do. That said, demons do respect an honorable death against someone truly worthy. If you somehow manage to beat him, I'll see real strength for the first time. I might even start falling for you properly." She let out a light giggle. "Good luck reaching his level though. I can't give you any shortcuts there."
"I get it," Hiro said. "I'd like to learn more about your kind later on. Back where I came from, demons are just old stories in books."
"How rude," Thea teased, but her smile stayed warm and genuine.
"Well, I should probably head back," Hiro said after a while. "Classes and all that."
Thea nodded cheerfully and started walking the opposite direction with a little wave. Hiro turned toward the shuttle stop and nearly collided straight into Rin.
A strange purple glow pulsed around her for a second, the kind of intense anger aura that could probably scare off even the toughest fighters from those old action shows he used to watch.
"Who was that?" Rin asked, her voice eerily calm and steady. Somehow, that made the whole moment feel even more awkward than if she had yelled.
"Just a friend of mine named Thea," Hiro answered, managing to ignore the heavy vibe in the air. Rin gave him a long, searching look before shrugging it off. The glowing aura faded away like it had never been there.
"Want to come over to my place tomorrow?" she asked. "I could use some company. And I've got those huge chocolate fudge sundaes waiting in the freezer."
"You had me at the sundaes," Hiro said with a grin. Right then, his Analyze kicked in on its own without him even thinking about it.
Rin
Level: 18
Type: #%%£@$
Relationship: Close Friend Level 1, with extra things veiled.
HP: 100%
MP: 100%
Stats: A protective barrier blocks full details from view.
Special abilities: Overwhelming Presence Rank 10. Subtle Influence.
Skills: Shadow Edge Slash Level 15. Triple Strike Technique. Rapid Movement Burst.
Magic abilities: None visible.
Secrets: Your current closeness isn't strong enough to break through her protective veil yet, but she may choose to share more when the time feels right.
Hiro tried to push his mind to reveal more about her exact type, but the system kept glitching out like static on an old screen.
'What the hell is going on? Her skill list seemed normal enough, but the level is way higher than I expected. Did she already know about the gifted side of things? If so, why hadn't she or Hanako mentioned anything?'
Something felt off, but he still trusted Rin… mostly. This weird glitch had to be beyond her control. He hoped. Maybe he'd need to bring it up with the group later just to be safe.
For now, he wanted to stay optimistic about her.
[Quest: Visit Rin's apartment tomorrow evening. You have already accepted this quest. Reward: 400 EXP. 30 dollars.]
When they finally made it back to the academy grounds, Hiro spotted Mio across the courtyard and gave her a quick wave.
The auburn-haired blogger smiled brightly and waved back, adding a playful little wink for good measure. He felt Rin's aura flare up again for just a second.
'Was that a quick spark of jealousy? No way.'
It almost made him laugh, but it also left a strange hollow feeling in his chest. He wasn't from this world. Real relationships here could never work out long-term. Or maybe they could. He'd have to take some time to think it through before risking anything.
The End could show up out of nowhere at any moment and finish him, assuming he even survived that long.
Hurry double-checked Rin's relationship status in his head just to make sure. It was still at Level 1, yet those little threads of jealousy toward other girls kept showing up.
Maybe the heart really couldn't be fully tracked by whatever system was running things.
"See you later," Hiro said once he walked Rin all the way to her classroom door. She looked like she wanted to lean in for a kiss but held back.
"See you," she replied, cheeks faintly flushed, before slipping inside.
As Hiro headed into his science lecture, a loud voice from a guy in the back row caught his attention. He took his seat and listened in.
"I'm telling you guys, I saw something straight out of a nightmare in the alley behind my building last night," the guy insisted. His voice had that easy, laid-back surfer drawl that made Hiro chuckle quietly to himself. "The shadow was like way too big to just disappear like that. I'm not making this up."
"You sure you weren't seeing things after staying up too late?" a girl behind him asked, skepticism clear on her face.
"Dude, I don't even drink," the guy shot back, then looked straight at Hiro. "You believe me, right dude? Nobody else will listen. You're my only shot here."
'This is exactly what I get for half-paying attention,' Hiro thought with a sigh.
[Quest: Look into the unusual sighting behind Ryder's building tonight. Accept? Reward: 1400 EXP, $250.]
Hiro picked yes without thinking too hard, a little surprised by how big the reward was this time. The rest of the class laughed and tossed jokes around, but Hiro kept his eyes on Ryder.
"Just show me what you saw tonight," he said. "I want to check if this thing is real or not."
Ryder nodded quickly, his messy copper-red hair falling into his eyes.
"Come on over whenever," he said. "I'm sure it'll show up again. It's been doing this every single night for a whole week now. It's messing with my head bad. Even the local cops couldn't find a single trace."
Hiro nodded back, but a cold little shiver ran down his spine. Something about this possible new monster appearing felt seriously wrong. Very wrong.