Will You Stay Tonight?

When she heard the name club, Utaha gave Lucien a long, skeptical look and said:

"While I can't deny that a follower's duty is to serve their god, if you name a school club that, it's never going to pass the review board."

She added dryly, "You won't even manage to find the minimum three people to register it."

Inwardly, she thought, What kind of name is that? But she had the distinct feeling that if she said it out loud, Lucien would just mock her with some over-the-top justification. So she let it go.

Lucien chuckled. "Relax. I was joking."

Then he added, more seriously, "What I actually had in mind was calling it the Astronomy Club. In occult studies, constellations and star signs have always played an important role. Plus, the name is common—it won't attract too much attention. That's a good thing, right?"

Utaha didn't argue with his logic but reminded him, "I'm pretty sure there's already an astronomy club on campus."

"That doesn't matter," Lucien replied, stretching his neck with an audible crack. "There's no rule saying there can't be two clubs with the same focus."

Yeah, but the school's not likely to approve two of the same kind... Utaha thought to herself, but she let it slide. As the top student, she still had some influence with the teachers—maybe that would help.

"I assume you have a third member in mind?" she asked. Then, after a pause, added, "Though I should warn you, I don't really have any… friends at school."

Lucien raised an eyebrow at that. "And what makes you think a foreign transfer student who got into a fight on day one would have any friends either?"

The deadpan delivery caught her off guard, and Utaha gave a strange, almost sympathetic smile.

"I see… so you're one of those too."

"One of what? The outcasts?"

Lucien raised the question casually, but she didn't answer. She just smiled faintly and said:

"Looks like our grand plan to build a divine circle might fail before it even starts—can't form a club if we don't have three people."

She paused deliberately, then added with a teasing smile:

"Of course, if our dear god could use that face of his properly, I'm sure luring in a cute first-year girl wouldn't be that hard."

Lucien gave her a look. "Why me? Why don't you go seduce a guy?"

"Because I'm too attractive."

Utaha crossed her arms and propped her legs up with a completely serious tone. "If I gave a boy that kind of invitation, he'd definitely get the wrong idea. And as you know, the girls at school are much more encouraging toward me. Does that satisfy you, o mighty god?"

"I've never heard any rumors about 'Utaha being full of herself' at school," Lucien sighed and gave up arguing further. He finished his coffee in one gulp and, after a moment's thought, said:

"I do have someone in mind for the third member."

"Who?"

"Erica Spencer Sawamura. First-year."

"The art club's flower?" Utaha reacted instantly.

She'd heard about the girl who'd caused a stir among the male students the moment she joined, and whom people had even dared to compare to her as another "untouchable beauty."

"I heard her father works in the British Embassy in Tokyo… I see. So she's your target for initial contact?"

The moment she said it, something clicked in her mind.

Lucien's expression when he mentioned Erica... it didn't sit right.

"Wait… does Erica also have the 'qualification'?"

"Most likely," Lucien said flatly, offering no further explanation.

After all, it wasn't like Utaha could say, I've seen the doujinshi starring you and Erica, and that's how she knew they were both "heroines." She'd get hammered for that. Literally.

"Most likely?" she repeated. For Utaha, that basically meant definitely.

After all, he was a god—disgraced or not, a god's judgment should still count for something.

"In that case, it's settled. After school tomorrow, shall I go talk to her, or will you?"

"You should," Lucien replied. "It's easier girl-to-girl. I'll handle the convincing part."

"Understood." She didn't argue—someone with Lucien's history of violence approaching a well-liked first-year girl probably wouldn't go over well.

"Seems like tomorrow's going to be busy," she sighed.

"Very," Lucien nodded, tone turning thoughtful. "Funding for the club, intel networks, access to weapons, a proper training ground for combat and firearms… and then there's the monster chasing you. We have a lot to figure out."

Utaha's expression froze slightly.

Seeing her stare blankly at him, Lucien scratched his chin and asked:

"What's with that look?"

Utaha opened her mouth slowly, then said:

"I just realized—if you weren't a god, the first time I'd ever see you would probably be on one of those late-night crime documentaries."

"…Wow."

Just say I look like a gang boss and get it over with, Lucien thought.

He pulled out his phone and said, "Alright, enough nonsense. Let's exchange Line IDs—it'll be easier to stay in touch at school."

He clicked his tongue. "Shame you don't use WeChat. That would've made my life way easier."

"I can learn," Utaha offered immediately.

"Don't bother. We'll probably need a private internal network soon anyway. No point getting used to an app I won't use."

They swapped Line contacts, and Lucien stood up, stretching.

"Alright. That's everything for now. I'll get going."

But just as he stepped away, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

He blinked and turned around.

"…Something else?"

Utaha hesitated, her voice softer, almost uncertain:

"Tonight… would you mind… staying?"