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The silence of the night was broken by the sound of crackling flames, consuming everything in their path.
In mere seconds, all that remained of the bodies had been reduced to nothingānot even ashes were left behind.
"This corpse-burning technique is pretty handy," Hikari muttered to himself, glancing around.
Every trace of the recent bloodshedāscattered clothes, broken bones, even the faintest remnantsāhad vanished in the fire, leaving the forest unnaturally clean.
He also felt something deeper, almost spiritual. The invisible connections binding him to Oga and Yuuta had been severed by the flames.
"So this technique doesn't just incinerate the bodies; it breaks some kind of connection I had with them too," Hikari thought aloud, intrigued by the technique's effects.
"It seems that even if surveillance cameras captured me eliminating Masaru and the others, as long as I burn their bodies, unless I did it in broad daylight or right in front of a police station, suspicion would be greatly reduced."
A slow grin spread across his face. The corpse-burning technique was more practical than he'd anticipatedālike a power that transcended the physical, reaching into something intangible.
"Well, this saves me a lot of hassle." With that, he walked out of the forest with easy confidence.
Under the light of the moon, his tall figure stretched out into the night, growing fainter with every step.
ā
After the hassle-free incineration of those scumbags, Hikari returned to the apartment where Natsuha lived.
Passing by Yukino's house, he paused, glancing at the dark windows.
'Looks like she's not home tonight', he thought, 'After all, with all the commotion that went on next door, if Yukino-san had been around, she would've definitely made some action.'
With a slight shake of his head, he continued on, finally reaching Natsuha's door and knocking lightly.
The door swung open almost instantly, revealing the lovely face of Natsuha, her cheeks faintly flushed.
Without giving Hikari a chance to say anything, she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly around the waist as if she wanted to melt right into him.
"Hikari-kun, pleaseā¦ just hold me," she whispered, her voice soft and filled with a fragile need.
Feeling her warmth pressed against him, Hikari wasn't heartless enough to push her away. He knew how terrified she must have been after everything that had happened at her place tonight. After all, she was still a high school girl, not some kind of unbreakable superhero.
So he placed a comforting hand on her smooth back, patting gently.
Feeling the warmth of Hikari's embrace and his reassuring touch, Natsuha finally began to relax, her heart calming down from the night's ordeal.
After a moment, she pulled away, her face redder than before but with her gaze steady on his. "Thank you for saving me again today, Hikari-kunā¦ Let me make you a cup of milk tea, okay?"
Hikari took a quick glance inside the apartment. The walls were cracked, the furniture overturnedāit was a disaster zone. Shaking his head, he said, "There's no way you can make anything here. The place is a wreck. Not to mention you can't even study or sleep here tonight."
"Let's just go to a hotel for the night."
Natsuha glanced back at the mess and nodded, cheeks tinged pink as she softly took his sleeve. "Alrightā¦ I'll do as you say."
Hikari knew her nerves must still be frazzled, so he didn't hesitate to lead her out of the apartment and find a nearby hotel for the night.
ā
In the suite, Hikari sat on the bed, reviewing the points he'd earned from his Pure Love System. Natsuha, meanwhile, had headed straight for the bathroomāprobably needing a hot shower to shake off the shock left by Oga's gang.
He thought it might be good to talk things out once she was out, just to make sure she wouldn't be haunted by what had happened.
While he waited, he took a look at the points he'd accumulated from today's encounters.
'Not counting the 500 points from Natsuha, just taking down Masaru and his gang of delinquents netted me almost another 500 points.'
'And with the 'bonus' from Natsuha, I actually crossed a thousand points in my Pure Love Points.'
Hikari could hardly believe itāhe'd hit the jackpot tonight.
The thought of spinning the system's prize wheel crossed his mind, but before he could start, he heard the soft creak of the bathroom door.
Natsuha came out, wrapped in nothing but a towel, her hair still wet and draped over her shoulders, looking so stunningly beautiful that Hikari had to pause and take in the sight.
The thin towel barely managed to cover her figure, and he couldn't help but feel that her curves were almost unfairly tempting.
Looking at how her towel clung, barely containing her figure, Hikari fought the urge to voice a complaintā'how could someone have a figure like that?'
Under his gaze, Natsuha did something unexpected. Instead of shying away or blushing furiously like she usually would, she squared her shoulders slightly, holding his gaze without a hint of embarrassment.
Surprised, Hikari glanced up at her face and noticed that while her cheeks were flushed, her eyes held his with a steady determination.
'Well, look at thatāwhen did this little wallflower suddenly become so bold?'
"Hikari-kun!"
Before he could react, she had closed the distance between them, her scent filling his senses as she pressed herself against him.
A moment later, her soft lips met his.
Caught off guard, Hikari's eyes widened as he looked at her, inches away, eyes closed, lashes fluttering. Her face was smooth and flawless, like the most exquisite piece of art.
Yes, he'd saved her tonight, 'but thisā¦ isn't this a bit tooā¦ forward?'
After a moment, it was Natsuha who pulled away, her face now flushed as she took a breath. Hikari gently grasped her shoulders, steadying her as she caught her breath.
"What was that for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Natsuha's eyes softened, and she lowered her gaze slightly, murmuring, "To thank you. Today, Hikari-kun, you saved my lifeā¦ I wanted to show my gratitude."
And before he could say anything, she continued, "Butā¦ it's not just about gratitude. Iā¦ I've wanted to tell you for a while now. Iā¦ I like you, Hikari-kun."
Her voice grew softer, but her resolve didn't waver. "I like you so much that I'm ready to give everythingā¦ everything that I am, to you."
Hikari stared at her, his mind spinning. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, her gaze unwavering. "I'm certain. Every word is from my heart."
āāāāāāāāāāāāā
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