章 5: Chapter 5: Unlucky Girl
"Sure enough, being the parent of a reincarnator is the most dangerous job!"
Looking at the familiar house from his memories, Ryuji couldn't help but sigh.
The original body's parents had met with an accident during a trip, leaving Ryuji with only this house and nearly a million in savings.
"At least the savings are enough to get me through college."
He smiled.
"Not bad!"
At least it was better than having nothing.
Taking advantage of the quiet moment, Ryuji took the opportunity to assess his current condition.
"I don't feel hungry at all. In fact, I feel pretty full. It seems that this soul-devouring ability requires a digestion process!"
Not only that, but during the digestion process, Ryuji could feel his strength gradually increasing.
"I guess as my strength improves, the speed of digestion and the number of spirits I can devour will also increase."
It made sense. No matter how powerful the ability, it still required a process of leveling up.
Nothing happens overnight.
Once digestion is complete, I can continue to devour spirits. There are plenty of weird creatures in Yotsuya Miko's world, even some disguised as gods. If I swallow them, my strength would improve significantly.
Ryuji grinned to himself.
"This is getting exciting. I might even be getting a little greedy…"
But he reminded himself to be patient.
His soul-devouring ability was a rare, powerful skill. The power it could bring was limitless, as long as he kept devouring. Sooner or later, he would become truly invincible.
"Ha! Who needs beef when I can devour spirits?"
…
The next morning, after waking up, Ryuji found that the feeling of fullness had completely disappeared, indicating that the digestion process was over. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, admiring the sharper lines of his muscles and the lighter feeling in his body.
He nodded in satisfaction.
After packing his things, he headed out.
Since he could unlock talents from protagonists, it was only logical for him to attend school himself. He had no idea what other opportunities might await.
As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw Yotsuya Miko walking toward him.
"Good morning," he called out, intending to greet her.
But something was off Yotsuya Miko didn't look like herself. Her head was down, and she walked in silence, clearly troubled. Beside her was a strange figure, a spirit lingering around her.
"Can you see me? Can you see me?"
The eerie voice of the spirit repeated itself.
Good grief, Ryuji thought. Being the protagonist must be tough, getting harassed by these weird spirits first thing in the morning.
"Hoshino kun!"
Noticing him, Yotsuya Miko raised her head, her golden eyes brimming with tears as if she might break down at any moment.
She had thought her house was a safe space, but last night, yet another spirit had appeared at home, preventing her from getting any sleep.
Now, seeing Ryuji felt like a miracle, like she had finally found a savior.
"Leave it to me!" Ryuji said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Just in time he had finished digesting the spirit from yesterday.
"Can you see me? Can you see me?"
The spirit continued its eerie chant, still lingering around Yotsuya Miko, oblivious to the danger it was in.
"Yeah, I can see you."
"???"
The sudden response from Ryuji made the spirit freeze in surprise. It turned around to face him, its eyes quickly morphing into something ferociously sinister.
"Kill."
Knowing that it had been spotted, the spirit immediately tried to attack.
"Soul Devourer!"
In an instant, the space behind Ryuji twisted, and a crack appeared. Chains shot out from the crack, wrapping tightly around the spirit and dragging it into the abyss.
This time, the spirit didn't even have a chance to struggle. Unlike the one from yesterday, this one was swallowed whole without resistance.
"Burp!"
Ryuji let out a burp, patting his stomach with a satisfied grin.
Having done this once before, he was already becoming skilled at using his ability.
"I'm full!" He chuckled, watching the space behind him return to normal.
Unlike the last time, this time he felt just right not too full, but completely satisfied.
"Thank you! Thank you, Hoshino-kun!"
Yotsuya Miko's eyes sparkled with gratitude and admiration, almost as if she were worshipping him.
She had spent the entire night hoping she might awaken some sort of special ability. But after a full night of trying, Yotsuya Miko had to accept the disappointing reality that her only talent was being able to see these spirits. Other than that, she was powerless.
"It's nothing," Ryuji replied casually. "Besides, helping you also helps me get stronger."
"You don't have to be so formal. Just call me Ryuji."
Yotsuya Miko blushed slightly. Calling someone by their first name was a sign of closeness.
"Then… Ryuji-kun," she said shyly. "You can call me Miko."
Hearing her say that, Ryuji noticed her face turning redder. However, the warmth in her tone didn't feel awkward it was as if using first names made her happy.
"Alright, let's head to school, Miko. It's getting late."
"Mm!"
...
Miko wasn't usually this quiet, but she hadn't slept well the night before. Her mood was understandably low, and she seemed a bit sluggish.
But when she was with Ryuji, she made an effort to start conversations.
"So… do you have monsters like that around your house too?"
Ryuji already knew the answer from watching the anime, but he still asked, pretending to be curious.
"Yeah!"
Miko nodded quickly. "I see them all the time! Even when I'm in bed or in the bathroom."
"No wonder you didn't get any sleep last night."
"Bathroom?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow and glanced at her playfully.
Miko, feeling flustered under his gaze, quickly explained with her face turning bright red.
"I-I didn't take a shower last night, but I don't smell, okay?!"
She lowered her head and sniffed herself, convinced that she still smelled pleasant.
"I didn't say anything," Ryuji said with an amused smile.
"But," he added with a grin, "if you want to take a bath and finally get some sleep, I'll come over tonight to help you out."
"Really? Is that okay?" Miko's face lit up with surprise and excitement.
In fact, she had been too embarrassed to ask for his help. They had only just met after all.
Now that Ryuji had offered, she was thrilled.
"Of course, it's no problem."
"Besides, Miko is so beautiful. If I keep helping her like this, maybe I'll win her heart!"
He joked inwardly, but in reality, it would also make things easier for him. Knowing the exact location of the spirits would allow him to swallow them more efficiently.
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