Chapter 25: Hateful Seraphic

Risa stifled another yawn as she, Akira, Lumina, and Kiyoshi made their way back to the academy together. The events of their recent encounter with a maniac still lingered in the air, prompting Risa to voice her concern.

"What are we gonna tell the teachers after what happened?" she asked, her curiosity evident in her tired eyes.

"It'll be fine, it's not like anyone needs to know we fought some maniac," reassured Akira, while Lumina shifted out of her human form.

"I'm with master; we shouldn't reveal what happened today. Just go to school like you would normally," Lumina advised, addressing both Risa and Akira.

As they walked, Risa couldn't help but be curious about Kiyoshi. "What are you up to, Kiyoshi?" she inquired, sensing him in his spirit form, hidden within her.

"None of your business," Kiyoshi retorted, engrossed in scribbling something in his notebook.

"Don't be like that! I thought you'd be friendlier after soulbonding with me!" Risa said, pouting a bit.

"I'm not a pet, and every Seraphic has their own personality. So I won't open up to you that easily," Kiyoshi explained, maintaining a certain distance.

"Why can't you be more like Lumina?! She's so nice and more talkative than you are!" Risa expressed, showing a newfound fondness for Lumina over Kiyoshi.

"Give him some time, Risa. He is traveling with humans for the first time; he's probably not used to it," Lumina intervened, providing a perspective on Kiyoshi's behavior.

Akira chuckled, "You'll start to love Kiyoshi soon, Risa. To be honest, Lumina was also kind of like that before she was interested in traveling with me."

As the trio continued their journey, Risa noticed something peculiar about Lumina's appearance and questioned her.

"What is it, Risa?" Lumina asked, puzzled by Risa's stare.

"You're walking in your human form more than usual," Risa observed.

"Well, we aren't around many people, so I like walking around. I'm sure Akira thinks so too," Lumina replied with a smile.

"I'm glad you're back to your usual self. You managed to fight some weirdo by yourself. So, I'm kind of proud of you," Akira commended Lumina.

"KINDA?! WHY KINDA!?" Lumina demanded an explanation, getting up close and personal with Akira.

"H-hey, I was joking!" Akira tried to diffuse the situation.

"No, no, no! You're going to give me an explanation!" Lumina insisted, playfully poking Akira.

"Jeez, you two are annoying," Kiyoshi remarked, shifting into his human form with his arms crossed.

"Oh, look who finally decided to join us," Lumina teased with a smile.

"I can break the soulbound at any time, but since you all did me a favor, I'll do you a favor, Risa," Kiyoshi stated.

"Huh? What, do you want to break the soulbound already?" Risa said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yes, I only soulbounded to you so I could help you battle. But believe it or not, it pains me to leave you alone like that. So I'm going to help you search for a new Seraphic, someone like Lumina who won't always bash at you," Kiyoshi explained.

"Why do you hate people so much? If you could explain it more to us, then we'd be able to help you!" Lumina implored, but Kiyoshi remained silent.

"For now, you can use my powers, Risa. But I will hunt down a new Seraphic who would be better suited for you. Do I make myself clear?" Kiyoshi asserted.

"If that's what you really want, I won't stop you, Kiyoshi. But I just hope you don't end up regretting what you did afterward," Risa expressed, showing understanding.

"I know you guys had trouble finding a Seraphic, so I'll make it easier to track them this time. Trust me," Kiyoshi assured me, leaving an air of uncertainty lingering among the group.

To Be Continued...