Two days later, Shiki left school after another study session with Itsuki in the library.
The sun began to set, painting the sky with orange and golden tones as Shiki walked through the streets, observing the students who, like him, were returning home.
As he crossed a nearby park, he heard a familiar voice calling him from behind.
"Hey, Shiki!" Shiki turned around and saw Raku, his classmate, running towards him with a wide smile on his face.
"Raku, what are you doing here?" Shiki asked, stopping and waiting for his friend to catch up with him.
Raku, a boy with messy hair, stopped in front of Shiki, breathing a little agitatedly.
A few days ago, Shiki and Raku talked in class and got along quickly, so they became friends.
Shiki and Raku walked while they talked to each other. Shiki, noticing the necklace around Raku's neck, couldn't help but ask.
"Raku, that necklace you're wearing? I always see it. Is it your talisman against the evil eye or something like that?"
Raku smiled and touched the locket, lifting it up so that Shiki could see it better. "This little trinket, huh? It's more of a reminder than a talisman. A girl gave it to me when we were kids."
"Ah, I see. A mysterious girl from the past, a lost love... Did she also leave you a letter with invisible ink?"
Raku let out a laugh. "I wish. But no, she just gave me the necklace and told me to keep it until we saw each other again."
"And you never saw her again? Not even a message in the sky?"
Raku shook his head, his smile becoming a little softer. "No, never again. But I've always hoped that, one day, destiny will do its job and bring us back together."
Shiki nodded, impressed by Raku's unbreakable faith. "Well, who knows. Maybe one day I'll show up."
Raku laughed. "Yes, maybe. But in the meantime, I have this necklace as a souvenir. And, well, life keeps surprising us, doesn't it?"
Shiki smiled, understanding that truth well. "That's true."
As they continued walking, the silence that fell between them was comfortable, until Shiki broke it with an unexpected question.
"So, Raku, speaking of girls... When are you going to confess to Onodera-san?"
Raku stopped in his tracks, his face instantly blushing. "What? What are you talking about? I don't like anyone."
Shiki looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, of course. And the sky is not blue. So, can I declare it for you?"
Raku turned to him, his face transformed into a serious, almost threatening expression. "Don't even think about it! I'll bury you in Tokyo Bay if you do!"
Shiki couldn't stop laughing at his friend's exaggerated reaction. "Hahaha, you're a lost case, Raku."
Raku, seeing his friend laughing, felt a sudden urge to hit him. He clenched his fists but then calmed his inner Yakuza with a resigned sigh. After a few more minutes of talk, Raku and Shiki said goodbye and took different paths.
Upon arriving at his apartment, Shiki looked around and murmured quietly, "I'm home."
As always, no one answered. That lack of company generated a momentary feeling of emptiness, but he quickly put it aside.
He walked to the sofa and dropped heavily, taking his phone and starting to surf the internet in search of distraction.
As he slid the screen, something caught his attention: Kadokawa Publishing House, his publisher, was starting to promote his light novel on their websites.
Social networks had already been filled with comments and speculations. Fans, accustomed to Kadokawa's quality publications, were curious and eager to discover this new work that was so much talked about.
Shiki couldn't help but smile when reading some of the comments:
[Loli Senpai: He is a new author named Emiya]
[Otaku Sensei: I can't wait to read it! Kadokawa never disappoints.]
[KawaiiChibi: Does anyone know what it's about? I'm dying of curiosity!]
[Princess Crimson of Ruin: If it's from Kadokawa, it will surely be a success. When does it come out?]
[TsundereQueen: I'm sure the protagonist is another idiot! But I'll read it anyway, just because of the illustrations.]
[LightNovelFan: Kadokawa's novels always keep me up all night!]
[KuroNeko13: Please have a good waifu!]
[AnimeAddictX: I'm ready to add this to my favorites list before it even comes out.]
Shiki laughed slightly when reading the comments, enjoying the enthusiasm and speculation of the fans. With a smile on his face, he went to the bathroom to relax a little.
Upon entering the bathroom, Shiki noticed the luxury that emanated from his environment.
The space, which had previously been an ordinary bathroom, now shone with a refined elegance thanks to the modifications he had made with his Angel [Haniel].
The white marble tiles and the soft lights that illuminated the atmosphere gave a feeling of calm and comfort.
Shiki approached the center of the bathroom and, with a relaxed gesture, allowed his uniform to dissolve in the air.
Instead of undressing in the conventional way, his clothes were transformed into a resplendent blue powder, which slowly disintegrated into small particles of spiritual power.
These particles floated in the air before disappearing completely, leaving Shiki stripped of his uniform with an almost ethereal elegance.
With the uniform already gone, Shiki washed and then immersed himself in the bathtub.
"Ah, it feels good."
The water was at the perfect temperature, emitting a subtle vapor that filled the environment with a relaxing aroma. He immersed himself in the water with an expression of satisfaction, feeling how the warmth and comfort of the bathroom enveloped him.
Relaxed and with a smile on his face, Shiki closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy a moment of tranquility.
— — —
On the other hand
From the top of a building, the view of the lights and the moving cars created a vibrant contrast with the tense scene that was unfolding on the roof.
A beautiful girl, with her pink hair and a long tail with a heart-shaped tip, was surrounded by two guards dressed in dark suits.
"We have finally found her," said the guard in an elegant black suit, his scar on his eye blinking under the city lights.
"We never imagined she would escape to such a remote planet."
"The game ends here, Your Highness. Now come with us," added the second guard, his authoritarian tone barely hiding the frustration.
Princess Lala crossed her arms, her tight white suit accentuating her defiant posture.
"Never! If I go back, my father will force me to marry a prince from a distant planet. And not to mention those boring banquets!"
The first guard, visibly tired, sighed. "Your Highness, this is not a game. We know you're upset, but you have to understand that we have no choice. Your father has been clear."
"But I don't want to be a wedding trophy!" Lala exclaimed, her face red with indignation.
"Besides, you always come to look for me when I'm in the middle of something important."
The second guard frowned. "Important as... this new invention of yours? Because, honestly, Your Highness, it is difficult to keep up."
Princess Lala sketched a mischievous smile and touched a device on her wrist, which resembled an elegant bracelet.
"Pyon Pyon Warp-Kun, do your magic!"
"Wait, Lala-sama!" The first guard shouted, but it was too late.
The princess disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind only a trace of silver smoke and her clothes on the floor.
The second guard leaned towards the first guard. "Do you think we'll catch up with her this time?"
"If His Majesty continues to use those tricks, we will never know," the first guard replied, frustrated.
"Come on, at least make sure you find the robot she always carries with her!"
The princess's clothes were transformed into a small robot with wings that quickly took off while screaming.
"Lala-sama, why does she always leave me behind?!"
The two guards looked at each other, resigned, and then began to follow the robot that was moving away in search of its creator.
"This is the last attempt," said the first guard, with determination. "We won't let her escape this time."
"Yes, because what comes after this will not be pleasant at all," added the second guard with a bitter smile, as they both headed towards the night horizon in search of the elusive princess.
— — —
Back with Shiki
Shiki was enjoying a moment of tranquility in the bathtub, the warm water enveloping his body while his thoughts wandered freely.
Suddenly, a bright light interrupted his peace, appearing in front of him with an unexpected flash.
"An attack?" Shiki wondered, although his acute perception did not detect any imminent danger. The light seemed more like a magical whim than a real threat.
Before he could think more about it, the light dissipated to reveal a beautiful girl with pink hair, who by chance of fate, appeared right in front of him.
The moment was so fast that their lips met in an unexpected kiss. The situation became even more surreal when her naked and soft breasts were pressed against him.
Unconsciously, Shiki squeezed and massaged her breasts.
'How soft,' he thought inside, enjoying the feeling.
But then he realized that he was groping and kissing an unknown girl who had suddenly appeared in his bathroom.
Shiki separated her lips from his, breaking the kiss that had begun so abruptly.
The girl, who seemed as disoriented as he was, realized that she had arrived at this mysterious place while fleeing from her father's guards. In a turn of fate, she had teleported into a stranger's bathtub.
Who would have imagined that she would teleport to such a random place?
And she realized that she had just had her first kiss with the boy with dark blue hair and golden eyes, who was eating her body with his eyes covertly.
'Do I have to marry him now?' she thought to herself while remembering her mother's teachings.
But then she remembered that she had managed to escape successfully.
"Successful escape!" With a mischievous smile, she got out of the bathtub, showing her naked body, leaving Shiki speechless and contemplating the beauty in front of him.
Shiki couldn't help but contemplate the view in front of him.
Lala was a young woman with long, pale pink hair, with strands cascading to her waist, covering some parts of her body and making the view more beautiful.
Her eyes were big and green, shining with a lively intensity as they looked at him with curiosity.
Her figure was slender and curvy with a long tail with a heart-shaped tip. In short, she was a beautiful girl.
If Shiki diverted his gaze and didn't enjoy the view, he would be an idiot, wouldn't he?
"Who are you?" Shiki asked as she hid the sword between her legs, which was quite animated by the stimulation.
"Me? I'm Lala Satalin Deviluke!" the girl introduced herself with a radiant smile, emerging from the bathtub with an unexpected elegance as she wrapped herself in a towel to cover her body.
"Lala?" Shiki repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes! I come from the planet Deviluke," Lala replied with enthusiasm, as if she were announcing her arrival at a party.
Shiki looked at the scene with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. 'Great, now there are not only gods, demons, angels, and dragons in my world, but also extraterrestrials.'
"Do you mean that you are an alien?" Shiki asked, trying to process the information while observing Lala's tail, which moved with a surprising naturalness.
"I suppose I am for you earthlings," Lala replied with a naughty smile.
"Well, seeing your tail that moves naturally, I believe you," Shiki said as he wrapped himself in a towel and left the bathroom. Lala followed him, still excited.
"So, how did you suddenly appear in my bathtub?" Shiki asked curiously.
"Ah! That's because I used this," Lala said, raising her arm to show a silver bracelet that shone with a mysterious flash.
"The Pyon-Pyon-Warp-kun I invented!"
"The what?" Shiki asked, raising an eyebrow.
'What kind of name is that?' He thought it was amusing.
"The Pyon-Pyon-Warp-kun!" Lala repeated with pride, making a dramatic pose.
"Even if it doesn't work quite well, since I can't specify the destination, it allows me to teleport," Lala explained with the same enthusiasm as a shonen hero.
"I see," Shiki said, nodding as he processed.
'Incredible that her inventions are so great, but the names... that's another story,' he thought with an ironic smile as he prepared to ask the crucial question.
"Then why did you teleport to my bathroom?"
Lala lowered her head with a depressed expression and confessed:
"I'm being persecuted by my father's guards! He wants to force me to marry a stranger."
Shiki blinked, processing the information. 'A princess? And I just groped and kissed a princess! I'm sure they'll force me to marry her or, even worse, they'll kill me to erase the evidence!'
'Although I don't think they'll succeed,' Shiki recalled that he was quite dominant.
While watching the depressed Lala, Shiki couldn't help but smile at the absurd situation.
'Well, I wouldn't mind marrying such a charming and lively girl,' he thought as he gently stroked her head, trying to lift her spirits.
"At least you're safe here. If those guards come, I'll take care of them, don't worry," Shiki said with a soft and reassuring smile.
Lala looked at Shiki's smile and, somehow, felt a warm tingling in her chest.
'Is this the love my mother was talking about?' she wondered while enjoying the comforting caress.
Suddenly, a small robot in a white suit and tie appeared through the window, moving with agility.
"Are you okay, Lala-sama?!" the robot exclaimed with concern.
"Peke!!" Lala screamed with joy when she saw her little friend and hugged him tightly.
"It's a shame that you were also able to escape safely!" Lala said as she turned happily with Peke in her arms. The heart-shaped tail moved frantically, reflecting her own happiness.
Peke, the small robot, noticed Shiki's presence and watched him with curiosity.
"Lala-sama, who is this earthling?" Peke asked, pointing to Shiki with his small metallic finger.
Lala turned to Shiki, realizing that she didn't even know his name.
"He's the person who lives here, and now that I think about it, I don't even know your name," Lala admitted with a grimace of surprise.
Shiki was momentarily speechless. It was true; he hadn't formally introduced himself.
"My name is Suzuki Shiki," he said, scratching his head with a touch of discomfort.
"This is Peke!" Lala introduced her little robot.
"Nice to meet you!" Peke said, raising a hand as a greeting.
"Peke is a robot that can change my clothes," Lala explained as she took off her towel without any reservation.
Shiki, unable to avoid it, took a look at her naked body, thinking that maybe he would have to teach this girl a little common sense.
"Come on, Peke, do your thing," Lala ordered with enthusiasm.
"Okay!" Peke answered with a series of flashing lights. Then, the robot transformed his body into an elegant light, and in the blink of an eye, dressed Lala in a beautiful white dress and a hat with wings.
"Tada!" Lala exclaimed, turning happily to show her new dress.
"How's it going? Do you like how it looks on me?"
Lala asked with a mixture of smile and shyness, as she turned to show her new dress.
Shiki examined the garment. Although the dress was a little strange, he couldn't deny that Lala looked charming in it.
"You look charming," Shiki replied seriously, making Lala blush slightly.
Boom
Suddenly, the wall of the living room collapsed into pieces, and two guards dressed in black suits and heart-shaped tails broke into the room.
Shiki, still wrapped in a towel, felt a throbbing vein on his forehead as he looked at the destruction.
"My wall!" he shouted, his voice full of disbelief and frustration.
— — —
(A/N: I tried to correct the spelling errors with a page. How about now? Are there still many errors? Remember that I don't speak English, so I can't know).