So, is this park actually owned by the saints?

Nah, it’s probably just paranoia.

But surprisingly, Kiyoshi was the one naturally leading the way. He navigated the twists and turns with ease, as if he was born for it.

"You’ve got good instincts, Kiyoshi," I remarked.

"Well, that’s the bare minimum if you want to be a member of Demon Fox." He scratched his head sheepishly.

Hm? For a second, I thought I saw Tanaka-nii-san glance at us out of the corner of his eye.

Was he feeling left out?

"Hey, Tanaka-nii-san," I bumped my shoulder against his. "Haven’t you ever thought about getting a girlfriend or something?"

He turned his head toward me, and his eyes slowly opened wider than I’d ever seen them.

"A girlfriend? When I live under a bridge and barely eat every day?" he muttered. "That kind of fairy tale doesn’t exist in real life."

"It doesn’t… I’m sorry for speaking without thinking," I apologized softly.

"And besides, relationships are complicated," he added, speaking as if the thought weighed on him, "I can do just fine without ever getting married or raising children."

And just like that, there was the country’s declining birth rate summed up in one sentence.

"What about you, Kiyoshi?" I asked, tilting my head at him. "Do you have a girlfriend? Ah—sorry, let me rephrase that. What I really meant to say is, do you plan to get married?"

"That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?" He pushed his glasses higher up his nose with a quick adjustment, clearly flustered. "I’ll have you know, I’ve actually had a few women ask me out before."

"Are you lying?" I asked flatly, and a faint pulse of bloodlust slipped out with my words.

"Yes, ma’am, forgive me," he immediately confessed.

Tanaka-nii-san clicked his tongue and scolded me. "Refrain from releasing bloodlust where ordinary people are, Nagisa. You’re not the same as you were before. Even the smallest amount can hurt a human mind."

"Ah, you’re right," I admitted, pulling it back. "I’ll be more careful now."

The thing is, normal people can’t comprehend bloodlust at all. Their brains just can’t make sense of it.

Depending on the level released by someone strong, an ordinary person could lose their mind from the sheer instinctive fear of the unknown.

"Hey, look, that gyaru is two-timing."

"Yeah, you’re right. What a bitch."

Let’s ignore the whispers of the weak now. I don’t want to have blood on my han—

Eh? 

Suddenly, Kiyoshi and Tanaka-nii-san both stopped moving, their attention snapping toward the couple who had just spoken. Their faces went completely straight.

The girl instantly shrank back, hiding behind the guy’s shoulder.

Because even Kiyoshi was leaking bloodlust. And after Tanaka-nii-san had literally just scolded me about it too.

"Wh-what?" the boyfriend—or maybe just some random guy she was with—snapped at them, trying to sound brave.

Tanaka-nii-san’s voice was soft, almost gentle. "Take that back."

"We didn’t say anything, dude!" the guy barked back, throwing an arm around his trembling girlfriend like a shield.

But Kiyoshi stepped forward, calm as ever. "You called her a two-timing bitch just now. Apologize." His tone was casual, as if he were just stating a fact.

The girl peeked out timidly, stammering, "W-we weren’t even talking about her! Just go away!"

"You have three seconds to apologize before we act," Kiyoshi muttered, glancing down at his wristwatch like this was nothing more than waiting for a train.

"Don’t think you can escape us," Tanaka-nii-san added in that same casual tone, the way someone might greet a friend. "Start talking."

The boyfriend’s jaw clenched tight, and his teeth ground audibly. His girlfriend shook beside him, both of them looking exactly like cornered rats facing down two hungry cats.

Her eyes darted to me, glossy with tears.

Maybe I should step in and help he—

"Please," she suddenly pleaded, her voice cracking as she looked at me, "stop your boyfriends! We weren’t talking about you!"

…Okay. Maybe I should just let them die after all.

The boyfriend looked like he was about to shit his pants, but his bravado kept him clamped up tight. He glanced back at his trembling girl before finally blurting out,

"O… okay, man! We’re sorry, alright? You’re scaring my girl!"

Pfft. You’re scared too, punk.

"Alright, alright," I stepped in at last. "That’s enough bullying. And you two, just so you know, I’m not dating them."

They nodded furiously and bolted the moment the bloodlust shimmered away.

"Was it fun? Picking on the weak like that?" I asked the two of them.

Kiyoshi calmly adjusted his glasses. "It was more entertaining than the maze, at least."

Tanaka-nii-san chuckled under his breath. "You should have given us a bit more time. The poor lad was this close to sullying himself."

Uwahhh. So they both had sadistic streaks all along. And is it just me, or do they actually get along pretty well?

They were about the same age—twenty-six—but Tanaka-nii-san looked a little younger than Kiyoshi, though not by a huge margin.

Still… I guess it was safe to assume that, in their own weird way, they stood up for me back there.

I grabbed both of their hands and dragged them along to every attraction and ride that Kiyoshi’s wallet could cover.

And it was honestly so much fun. Even the normally reserved Tanaka-nii-san was pointing at things and laughing out loud like some oversized man-baby.

Kiyoshi too… He loosened up more than I’d expected.

He had always seemed like the kind of guy who would lock himself indoors all day, only stepping outside at night to stare up at the sky in solitude. But here he was, enjoying himself.

Watching them have fun like that… it made me feel happy too.

I see now.

I don’t want my friends to suffer anymore. I want to protect their happiness.

Because their happiness is also my happiness.

We were sitting down in a café with ice cream cones in hand when Shizuka finally texted Tanaka-nii-san, reminding us it was time to regroup.

Already five o’clock? The day had gone by way too fast.

And wait a second… Now that I think about it, I need a smartphone too.

{Notice: Master has no need for such an archaic device.}

A-archaic?! Does this digital person even understand the meaning of archaic?

Apparently, I myself was already a living, walking smartphone… and more.

But still, I wanted to actually hold a phone in my hand, to feel like a normal human being.

(So yes, that means no sending texts and emails directly through my head!)

{Shuuunnn.}

Don’t pout!