Chapter 230: The Influence of Charisma

Tomie had no idea what Ryuji was thinking.

Nor did she comprehend the kind of danger this place presented to her.

After all, she was immortal, and with immortality came a sense of invulnerability.

To her, this strange, eerie environment was nothing.

"Humph."

As Ryuji's figure gradually disappeared from her sight, Tomie sneered, her disdain palpable.

Did he seriously think he could scare her into submission with such tricks?

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

"Hah!"

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, then glanced at the unsettling silence surrounding her.

Though she frowned slightly, she didn't resign herself to staying put.

Instead, she moved forward.

Yet it didn't take long for Tomie to find herself back in the exact same spot.

"What… I can't leave?"

Tomie wasn't entirely emotionless—vanity, jealousy, and pride often clouded her judgment.

But she wasn't stupid. It didn't take long for her to piece together the nature of her predicament.

"So, you think this will make me surrender?"

Even if she were trapped in this space forever, she didn't believe such a cheap trick would break her spirit.

Since leaving was impossible, Tomie saw no point in wandering aimlessly.

She sat down where she stood.

Though the surrounding darkness was oppressive, as if it might suddenly produce some unseen horror, she showed no fear.

If anything, it felt as though the darkness should be afraid of her.

But something odd began to creep in.

"What's happening?"

As time dragged on, an unshakable feeling of loneliness began to creep into Tomie's heart.

It didn't make sense.

She was immortal, after all. Why would she feel something as mundane as loneliness?

Frowning, she tried to brush the sensation aside.

For now, it wasn't unbearable. It was still early, after all.

Yet time passed differently in this space.

For every day that passed outside, ten days passed within this silent void.

Ryuji had been strategic in his choice of punishment.

Among all the domain he controlled, this dead realm was the most unique.

Its strength lay in its subtlety.

Loneliness—pure, unrelenting loneliness, was a far greater torment than death itself.

It didn't break you quickly. No, it worked slowly, gnawing at your mind until all rational thought crumbled.

You might endure it for a day or two, but what about a year? Or a decade?

Outside, even if you had no friends, you could at least watch the hustle and bustle of others on the streets or distract yourself with idle chats online.

But here?

There was nothing. Only yourself.

And that was the scariest part of all.

---

Meanwhile, Ryuji reappeared in the Service Club.

The girls didn't panic at Tomie's sudden disappearance.

They knew it had to be Ryuji's doing, though none of them understood how he'd done it.

"What happened?" one of them asked, breaking the silence.

"It's nothing serious," Ryuji replied, casually waving a hand.

This whole situation with Tomie was more of a whim than anything else.

If it worked, great. If not, it wasn't a big deal to him.

At worst, she'd be trapped in that isolated space for eternity.

"Oh, is that so?"

Utaha, standing nearby, smirked at his words, clearly amused.

"So, does that mean you're a little interested in Tomie?" she teased. "What's the plan? Make the beautiful urban legend fall for you?"

She chuckled, her tone light.

Because despite everything, they couldn't deny one thing— Tomie was stunning.

"…"

Ryuji didn't bother responding to her teasing.

Instead, he simply reached out and gave Utaha a light flick on the forehead, silencing her smug grin.

"Hey! That hurt!"

Utaha feigned pain, her mock outrage drawing a few laughs from the others.

"Anyway…"

Yui, standing beside Yumiko, suddenly spoke up, her eyes locked on Ryuji.

"Is it just me, or does Ryuji-kun seem… more attractive than before?"

"Yui! Too blunt!"

Yumiko burst out laughing at her friend's straightforwardness.

Though she already knew Yui had a thing for Ryuji, it wasn't often that Yui expressed it so openly.

Normally, she was shy—almost timid about her feelings.

"No, it's true…"

Yui blushed, scratching her head awkwardly, clearly flustered by her own words.

She tried to explain herself but ultimately gave up, lowering her head in embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Saki and Mai chimed in from the side.

"Well, she's not wrong," Saki agreed with a soft laugh. "I've noticed it too. Ryuji-kun does seem… different. More confident. More charming."

"Wasn't Ryuji-kun already handsome and charismatic, though?" Mai added, her smile playful.

"Hahaha!"

The room erupted into lighthearted laughter.

The atmosphere had grown warm and cheerful, with everyone joining in the teasing.

As for Ryuji?

He stayed quiet, not offering much of a reaction to their comments.

"More attractive, huh…"

He raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. It didn't take long for him to connect the dots.

The girls' observations had to be related to the ability he'd triggered earlier when confronting Tomie.

[Charisma.]

That was one of Tomie's two most unique abilities.

Unlike Tomie's subtle manipulation, Ryuji's charisma didn't force others to fall for him.

Instead, it heightened his natural charm, making him more captivating without people even realizing why.

It wasn't a power that controlled others outright. Rather, it made them gravitate toward him, drawn in by an unexplainable pull.