The others nodded. Hitori was indeed far too calm now. No matter how they looked at it, it wasn't normal.
At that moment, Yamada Ryo quietly moved behind Hitori and yanked the pendant from her chest. Hitori, who had been speaking smoothly, suddenly froze. It was as if a robot had lost power.
Seconds later, her pretty face flushed visibly red. Not only her cheeks, but even her ears and neck turned crimson.
Pfft…
At the same time, Kael thought he saw steam rising from the top of her head. Impressive—this crossover world even manifested "steam girl" moments. Interesting, very interesting.
Then, Hitori collapsed softly, as if melting, frightening Nijika into quickly catching her.
"Bocchi! Bocchi! Bocchi!!!"
Her cries were heartbreaking, as if Hitori were dying.
After a while, Gotō returned to normal, curling up in a corner.
Ikuyo sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, it's the normal Bocchi."
Nijika nodded. "Yes, the normal Bocchi."
Ryo looked at the pendant in her hand. "Mm, the normal Bocchi."
Marin glanced at the three, then at Hitori huddled in the corner, feeling speechless. Was this how Kessoku Band interacted? It was too bizarre.
Nijika's eyes flickered as she looked at the pendant in Ryo's hand. "Amazing. Just a small pendant, yet it changed Bocchi so much."
Ryo nodded silently. "It's truly mysterious."
Ikuyo asked curiously: "What exactly is going on?"
All three looked at Kael.
He explained: "Didn't I say? This pendant was blessed by a master. It calms the mind, brings peace, and serenity."
In truth, Kael had sealed a calming spell inside it.
Nijika said: "But such a pendant must be precious."
If it had been given to her, she wouldn't accept it easily. But since it was for Bocchi, she couldn't refuse on her behalf. Bocchi clearly needed it.
Kael said: "For ordinary people, yes, it's precious. But for masters, it's something they can make in bulk. It's worth little."
He had consumed only a tiny amount of mana. Devouring one spirit gave enough mana to cast such a spell three to five times. So to him, it wasn't worth much. The real value was in the pendant itself, which was finely made. But he didn't mention that.
In the end, Nijika and the others returned the pendant to Hitori. She didn't wear it again but carefully stored it away.
"Th-thank you, Renjou-kun." Her face flushed as she thanked him.
Without wearing it, the pendant had no effect, so Hitori remained socially anxious.
Kael smiled, patting her head. "We're classmates. No need to be so formal. But I hope you won't rely too much on the pendant. Someday, with your own courage, you'll stand before the audience and give a wonderful performance to those who love you."
Hitori imagined herself successful, performing at Budokan. She giggled to herself. If a grown man did this, it would seem creepy. But for Hitori, it was cute. Sometimes, beauty made all the difference.
Nijika saw Bocchi lost in fantasy and sighed, thanking Kael on her behalf. He accepted calmly.
After chatting a while longer, Kael left with Marin and Mai. As they exited the Starry Music Bar, Kael felt two strange gazes lock onto him. They carried unprecedented malice. Someone was targeting him. Interesting.
He smiled and said to Mai and Marin: "I just remembered something. Let's end here for today."
He had planned to take them to dinner, but now decided against it.
Mai said: "I have a program tonight anyway. Let's part here."
She left without looking back.
Kael turned to Marin. "Sorry, Marin, I can't take you home. I have urgent business. Go ahead first."
Marin sensed something. "You're not planning something dangerous, are you?"
"Don't worry," Kael said. "It's nothing dangerous."
Though the gazes carried malice, he felt no danger.
Marin, reassured, said: "Then I'll go. See you tomorrow, Renjou-kun."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
After saying goodbye, Kael walked into a secluded alley. Turning left and right, he soon reached an open space behind a building, with a garbage bin nearby.
"Come out." He said, "You've followed me all the way. Let me see who you are."
A man stepped out. He looked ordinary, the kind you'd forget in a crowd. But his eyes were different. Most people's sclera are white and pupils black. But this man's were reversed—black sclera, white pupils—giving him a strange, eerie look.
Such eyes, Kael knew, belonged only to one special family. The assassin clan with over 1,300 years of history. The Kure Clan.
-----
It's a new week. Gimme your Power Stones (～￣▽￣)～