Chapter 537: Magical Girl...

"Rei Ao, who are they…?"

Mafuyu Kirisu looked at Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa, each leaning softly against Rei Ao on either side, momentarily at a loss for words. She knew Rei Ao had many "little girlfriends," but seeing them like this in front of her was still strangely disconcerting.

It was even more awkward for Fumino Furuhashi and Rizu Ogata.

"Allow me to introduce: this is Miko Yotsuya, and this is Hana Yurikawa."

"Mm, just call me Miko."

"Hehe, I'm Hana."

The two greeted them shyly. They had just been so focused on clinging to and missing "Rei Ao-nii" that they forgot there were others present.

"And this is Mafuyu Kirisu; these two are Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu."

After introducing each party, Rei Ao said, "I've brought them here to see firsthand what these evil spirits look like."

"Huh? We're really going to see those terrifying things?"

Miko shrank back a little. Even though she had gained some powers, she still felt scared of evil spirits.

"Miko, you're too timid. With Rei Ao-nii here, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Hana teased with a cheerful grin.

Rei Ao nodded, agreeing. "Miko really is timid. I remember when we first met, she was so scared by an evil spirit that she wet herself."

"Eh?"

Miko's face immediately turned bright red.

"Rei Ao-nii, please don't say that out loud!"

"Wow, Miko actually wet herself from being scared by an evil spirit?"

Hana seemed to find this hilarious, eyes sparkling with interest. "Come on, tell me more!"

"Guh…"

Fumino's forehead broke out in cold sweat, half-dazed. "Are…evil spirits really that terrifying?"

Hearing that from Rei Ao, she began wanting to back out. She definitely didn't want a scenario where she peed herself in front of everyone!

Rei Ao: "Well, if they're scary or not, you'll see soon enough. Let's go."

…

Nighttime in the city was very quiet.

"KYAA!!!"

A girl's shriek tore through the silence. Fumino, Rizu, and the others all crowded around Rei Ao. Even Mafuyu pressed herself against his arm, trembling.

It was because in front of them stood a bizarre being—deformed, multi-limbed, multi-eyed, shrouded in oppressive black aura—muttering like a curse:

"You…can see me…? You can all see me…?"

This was the evil spirit Rei Ao had brought them to witness.

The only one unafraid was Hana, who stuck out her small pink tongue in disgust.

"Ugh, so ugly. No matter how many times I see an evil spirit, I still think they're just ugly."

"It's not just ugly, it's scary!"

Miko was shaking all over. If she weren't clinging to Rei Ao, she might have wet herself again.

"…"

Fumino and Rizu quietly nodded in agreement. It was truly scary. If they were alone, they might wet themselves, too.

"Hey now, don't be so scared. I'm right here."

Being surrounded by beautiful girls was definitely a pleasure, but Rei Ao hadn't forgotten the real reason he was here.

"Mafuyu, try using your powers to get rid of it."

He spoke suddenly.

"Huh? Destroy it?! Me?!"

Mafuyu Kirisu's expression went blank. She had no idea how to destroy an evil spirit!

"Don't forget you're contracted to the water spirit. Give it a try. Consider this a bit of training for you."

"!"

After Rei Ao's reminder, she recalled that not long ago, he'd given her a contract with a water spirit. Seeing his encouraging look, Mafuyu gathered her courage, released Rei Ao's hand, and tried summoning the water spirit.

In Fumino and the others' eyes, a magical array formed in front of Mafuyu with wondrous brilliance.

"Eek!"

The moment the water spirit emerged from the magic circle, it chirped affectionately and drew closer to Mafuyu. It instantly captured the attention of the other four girls.

"What is…that?"

Closest to Mafuyu, Rizu Ogata stared blankly at the water spirit shimmering under the streetlamp.

"So cute!"

Fumino's eyes shone with stars, clearly enchanted by the spirit's adorable look.

Miko Yotsuya thought of something.

"This must be that water spirit from Tohru's world Rei Ao-nii mentioned, right?"

Rei Ao nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. I gave Mafuyu the contract with it."

"Mafuyu, deal with that thing in front of us."

"Alright, I'll try my best!"

Hugging the water spirit, Mafuyu braced herself and stepped forward to face the ghastly evil spirit. In that instant, every one of the spirit's many eyes zeroed in on her.

"You…can see me!!!"

As if confirming that fact, it howled, brandishing its claws as it lunged at her. Mafuyu's heart pounded with anxiety. But remembering Rei Ao's expectations—unwilling to let him down—she pursed her lips and raised her right hand, following her instincts to communicate with the water spirit.

In that same instant, the water spirit reacted.

"Ynn~!"

It let out a call, then turned into a ball of light and merged into Mafuyu's body. Immediately, her pink hair changed to crystalline blue, and a diamond-shaped blue gem glowed at her brow and chest. When she opened her eyes, they were as clear and deep-blue as the ocean.

"Naru…naru~"

Meanwhile, Fumino and the others seemed to hear the sound of waves in their ears.

"You…can see me!!!"

The evil spirit, now right in front of Mafuyu, opened its fanged maw grotesquely wide.

"Die!"

A cold voice came from this newly empowered Mafuyu.

"Graaaaargh!!!"

A powerful jet of water shot from her palm. In the blink of an eye, it blasted down the deserted street for hundreds of meters.

"Splurt!"

The evil spirit's shrieking stopped abruptly, its body torn through by the thick water blast, leaving a gaping hole. It twitched once, then gradually dissipated into ash.

"I…I did it?"

Mafuyu stared in disbelief at what she'd done. The entire street lay drowned in water, with a channel carved out for hundreds of meters. She couldn't believe it was her doing.

Even though she'd formed a contract with the water spirit, she'd never used its power before. She'd spent the whole day glued to Rei Ao, so she assumed it had only made her body more…"hydrated." Apparently, there was more to it—though Rei Ao had mentioned how much he liked her "wateriness."

"A…amazing!"

Fumino gazed at Mafuyu's back with shock and admiration.

"…So skillful,"

Rizu also felt envious of such wondrous power.

Rei Ao took in their reactions calmly, the corners of his mouth lifting without a word. This was precisely the effect he'd hoped for by letting Mafuyu put on a display.

~~~

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