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Bokue didn't fully understand why the Hero Village had suddenly set their sights on Mio Naruse. Perhaps it was security concerns—or something else entirely.
After all, whether it was the Hero Village or the Keikain Clan, their core mission was still to safeguard humanity. Given that the Hero Village was located in the far northern reaches, they naturally kept a closer watch over the Kanto region.
And as for "how powerful" a Demon Lord-class enemy could be, that was entirely relative.
For Bokue, even someone like Vali Lucifer in Juggernaut Drive form was little more than a nuisance solved by a single punch. But for the Hero Village? Forget Juggernaut Drive—Vali probably wouldn't even need to activate Balance Breaker. Merely unfurling the wings of the White Dragon Emperor would be enough to flatten them completely.
So, given that the daughter of an actual Demon Lord was spotted in their neighborhood, no wonder they were freaking out like frightened quails.
It made perfect sense.
In the apartment living room, the distance between the three on the sofa seemed to steadily shrink as time passed.
Initially, when Bokue had first sat down, Yuki Nonaka and Astarte had deliberately taken positions at opposite ends of the couch, leaving a big gap in the middle for him. They'd even sat against the armrests to make things crystal-clear.
But now? The empty spaces between each girl and the armrests could comfortably seat another two people.
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"Honestly, I'm still surprised," Yuki spoke quietly, her golden eyes calm as ever. "I never thought I'd run into you here in Tokyo. When I first saw you, I genuinely thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she casually reached for his right hand, drawing it gently into her lap, resting it comfortably on the smooth, warm skin of her thigh—right in the middle of her absolute territory, just below her skirt's hem.
"So after you left... does that mean you've parted ways with the Keikain Clan now?"
Bokue shook his head lightly, savoring the subtle warmth beneath his palm.
"Nope. I haven't left the Keikain. I just don't live under the same roof as them anymore."
He spoke evenly, his voice calm and confident.
"Besides, why should I leave? Those things belong to me by right. If the branch family elders have a problem with that, they're free to send their own kids to challenge me for the leadership. But we both know that'll never happen—they're simply too weak to even think of it."
He paused, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Ironically, if I officially left, that'd be exactly what those old fossils want—"
"—I'll leave what's mine exactly where it belongs. Even without my presence, nobody would dare touch it."
Yuki's breath hitched slightly.
Even without my presence...
Nobody would dare touch it...
Those words struck a chord deep within the usually impassive hero girl, and her eyes briefly glistened with quiet emotion.
"Speaking of that—" she hesitated softly.
"Hm?"
"Your sword," she said quietly, "it's still there—in the village, at the old spot."
"...Oh?"
Bokue blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
Of course he knew exactly which sword she was referring to: the legendary blade kept in Hero Village, known among villagers as the greatest sword in their possession—the "Brunhild Blade." According to legend, it housed the spirit of Brunhilde herself—the strongest Valkyrie of Heaven—and was once used as a holy seal to suppress malevolent spirits.
Unfortunately, years ago, someone foolishly drew the sword, breaking its seal and unleashing a powerful evil spirit. It had immediately possessed the surrounding villagers, causing them to massacre one another, leading to horrific tragedy.
Coincidentally, it had happened around the time Bokue himself had briefly trained in Hero Village.
"That sword's still there?" he repeated, thoughtful.
"It is," Yuki nodded slightly. "The village sent people to reclaim it multiple times since then, but everyone failed."
"Nothing to do with me." Bokue's reply was instant, blunt, and casual.
After all, he'd simply stabbed the sword into the ground and left without looking back.
"I know," Yuki acknowledged calmly, meeting his gaze. "But later, when I talked about it with Kurumi and Hayase, we all agreed on one thing. The only one who could reclaim it—is you, Bokue."
"Hmm... Maybe someday." Bokue's answer was vague, neither confirming nor denying.
From the village's perspective, the Brunhild Blade was unquestionably precious. Letting it sit there, unused, was practically criminal.
But to Bokue, honestly? He really didn't have any use for it anymore.
"By the way," he changed the subject abruptly. "Since the village sent you all here on a mission, they must've prepared accommodations, right?"
"Nope," Yuki shook her head lightly. Then, with a completely straight face, she glanced downward at the floor, as if admiring its design.
"So if possible, I'd like to stay here tonight. How lucky—I really thought I was going to have to sleep on the streets in this scorching summer heat—"
Before she could even finish, Bokue quickly cut in.
"You can stay here—no problem. But don't use the inner bedroom. That one's Kuroka's room. The outer bedroom is mine—you can use that one tonight."
"...Then where will you sleep?"
Yuki tilted her head ever so slightly.
Bokue shook his head again, unbothered.
"I won't be here tonight. I need to check on Mio Naruse and the others. Then afterward, I'll head back to the Underworld."
"The Underworld?" Yuki repeated blankly. A heartbeat later, she quickly recovered her composure.
"Ah, I see. That's fine. Actually, the village gave us plenty of money for hotel expenses."
Bokue blinked.
Wait—didn't she just say she was prepared to sleep on the streets a second ago?
Suddenly it's luxury hotels?
Talk about an upgrade in living standards.
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And so, Yuki Nonaka ended up spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing comfortably in Bokue's apartment. It wasn't until late in the evening that she finally stood up to leave.
She was leaving only because Bokue was about to head out himself—and the reason Bokue was leaving was because Astarte had official work hours to stick to.
Even though she had only recently joined the Special Zone Security Force on Itogami Island, she was still officially employed, thanks to Natsuki Minamiya. Forgetting to clock out would definitely result in a salary deduction.
Thus, at sunset, Yuki Nonaka stepped out of the apartment building, strolling calmly along the sidewalk, eyes glued to the GPS on her phone screen.
Bokue had already left with Astarte, and it was now time for Yuki to arrange tonight's accommodations.
Technically, she hadn't lied earlier—Hero Village hadn't arranged specific lodging, just gave them enough money for hotels, leaving the choice entirely up to each individual.
And because of that, Yuki could conveniently book herself into a hotel as close to Bokue's apartment as physically possible. At most, it would only take her twenty minutes by foot—probably ten minutes tops if she jogged, given her supernatural physical fitness as a hero.
Perfect.
As the thought danced through her mind, a faint smile touched the usually expressionless corners of her lips.
But suddenly, her phone screen lit up with an incoming call.
Caller ID: Kurumi Nonaka.
Yuki's gaze lingered for a brief moment on the blinking name.
Then she tapped the screen, accepting the call without a hint of hesitation.
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