Chapter 39 We Really Need to Talk
Killing off two divine beasts that didn't know how to pick the right time or place for a fight didn't take Hachiman Hikigaya too much effort.
During the process, he also gained a deeper understanding of the power of "chasing the sun."
Like Emperor Jun's Ten Suns, Kuafu's sun-chasing also carried mythological symbolism of the sun's cycle. Whether it was the power to pursue or to repel, both could be used even in an incomplete form.
Compared to the last time he fought the goat, this time the solar light drawn by Hachiman through the power of pursuit was even more intense — the light had been forcibly pulled from the other side of the Earth. Once he had touched and attained the speed of light, Hachiman then used Set's power to destroy the two divine beasts.
When he finished off the beasts, Erica Blandelli hadn't even finished her dramatic dash through the rain…
As for Liliana, she stared at Hachiman, bathed in the faint moonlight, his eyes darker than the night itself. As she fully experienced the immense power originating from the Earth Mother Goddess, she found herself rapidly immersed in it.
It was like standing amidst a "Witch's Night" blessed by the full moon. Her body and mind heated up, her magical energy surged to the maximum, and her pale skin turned unusually flushed — like someone who had just soaked in a tub of hot water. Even her usually strict and serious eyes were now glistening and moist.
She only returned to normal once she could no longer feel the power of the sun-chasing emanating from Hachiman.
However, what followed was a hollow sensation, as if her physical strength and spirit had been drained, and she felt like something important in her heart had been lost — to the point that she nearly burst into tears.
Thankfully, her self-control was excellent. She forcibly held it in and didn't embarrass herself.
But it was all in vain, because the earlier reaction she had — like someone overdosed — was impossible for Hachiman not to notice. When she came back to her senses, the first thing she saw was Hachiman looking at her with great surprise and curiosity.
The maiden knight at the prime of youth immediately panicked and turned her head away. She understood that this must have been caused by the fact that he had seized power from the Earth Mother Goddess, which caused someone like her, with the blood of a witch, to lose control.
Liliana Kranjcar wasn't just an excellent knight — she also had a hobby of passing time by writing romance novels. Because of this, aside from her usual serious demeanor as a knight, she possessed an overly delicate emotional world shaped by literature.
For instance, due to the resonance just now between her constitution and Hachiman Hikigaya's power, her mind began, unconsciously and amidst embarrassment and confusion, to imagine a completely unrelated story scenario.
It was a tale of a girl unaccustomed to love and a mysterious, wild, and equally clueless beautiful young man — a chance encounter caused by a third party made them strongly aware of each other's existence, and the rest of the story… well, couldn't really be written down...
Immersed in her delusion, the girl naturally showed a strange smile.
"You good?" Hachiman, feeling weird seeing the girl zoning out, walked over — only to be startled by her odd smile. At the same time, he felt it carried an inexplicable but awesome aura.
This little hamster really is weird. Definitely not the same as the anime version.
And Erica too — instead of the arrogant bitchy persona from the anime, she turned out to be a complete clown…
The gap between 2D and 3D hit Hachiman with a strange sense of sadness.
He shook his head, looking quite regretful, and then said, "I really don't feel like sleeping outdoors. If you two don't have anything else to do, I'm planning to find a place to stay nearby. Wanna come along?"
"Eh?" The silver-haired girl, seemingly not yet fully awake from her fantasy, let out a panicked cry, "N-no... not so fast… I-I'm not ready for that…"
"Lily, looks like your daydreaming habit still hasn't improved, huh." The recently returned Erica Blandelli laughed and called her friend back to reality, then turned to Hachiman and said, "Thank you very much for the invitation, but I've come to fully realize that I'm of no use to you here. So, please allow me to take my leave."
"Oh, no worries. Suit yourself." Hachiman waved a hand casually.
Not having her tag along was even better. As a seasoned loner, Hachiman thought being alone was most convenient anyway.
He happily watched the girl bid him a polite farewell and disappear quickly from his sight.
Only the silver-haired little hamster was left, lowering her head.
Even the tips of her ears were red now...
What a sin… Finally, something that matches the anime — no wonder she's a writer, her imagination is wild.
A magician who can fly and also write fiction — her brain must be something else. Hopefully, whatever she was just imagining was still within the bounds of normal. Though Hachiman wasn't too confident about that… given her reaction.
If that's the case, then by all means, go wild — just please, no yaoi plotlines!
Hachiman initially thought about grabbing her by the hand to drag her along, but decided against it. He walked a few steps first, and once he saw Liliana following behind, he finally relaxed and picked up his pace.
Even in this remote place, darkness had established its domain.
It was because Hachiman had seen the signs left behind by the darkness that he had invited the two girls earlier.
When he finally found a place, Hachiman had to admire whoever had bought the house.
He didn't know from what era the house was, but it was a small two-story villa, sitting alone at the edge of town, much like Lucretia Zola's place — just on the opposite side of the town.
As long as there was somewhere to stay, Hachiman wasn't picky.
The front door wasn't locked. He pushed it open and stepped in, finding the walls and floors clean, clearly tidied. The electricity was working too. When he flipped a switch, the entryway light turned on.
After walking for a while, Liliana also seemed to have returned to normal. With a scrutinizing gaze, she examined the house. She entered the living room and went upstairs before Hachiman, seriously checking every corner.
After that, she made a call.
"My King, please forgive me for deciding on my own — may I have one of my companions come over too? She's good at managing household matters."
"Of course. No need to be so polite." Hachiman, already in slippers, sat down on the couch in the living room, let his whole body sink into the soft leather, closed his eyes, and let out a satisfied sigh.
A while later, he heard footsteps and the sound of something being placed on the coffee table.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a cup of hot tea — and beside it, Liliana standing stiff like a door guard. He was baffled.
"Um… you're not gonna sit?"
"Eh? I-I can sit?"
"…Yeah, we really need to have a talk."