With repeated use of the world anchor function, Shirakawa had gradually adapted to the feeling of dimensional travel. He stood once more at the door of Rika's villa.
He rang the bell.
Soon, footsteps echoed from inside—and the door opened to reveal a freshly-showered Saeko Busujima.
Wearing nothing but a white maid apron—completely bare underneath.
Tied loosely with a single ribbon.
Her graceful figure peeked through the gaps, leaving no room for imagination. As she bent down to take the bags—
She didn't seem the slightest bit embarrassed about her exposure.
Seeing him arrive, Saeko's expression bloomed into a soft smile. She quickly took the two bags from him.
"Leave the cooking to me!"
She was serious.
And for the elegant, full-fledged onee-san type like Saeko—Shirakawa had no reason to doubt her. He followed her into the kitchen, ready for dinner preparations.
He made his way into the living room as if nothing else mattered.
Only Takagi Saya remained there, lounging on the sofa. Her hair looked freshly washed, and she wore a light green bikini top paired with black ultra-short shorts.
Noticing Shirakawa's arrival, Takagi Saya immediately sat upright from her relaxed position. Yet she didn't seem fazed at all about appearing in front of the opposite sex dressed like this.
What truly mattered—
Was the overwhelming pressure Shirakawa exuded.
The pride her family had instilled in her was thoroughly shattered. Looking at the calmly composed young man standing before her, Takagi Saya stiffly greeted him.
"S-Shirakawa-sama… you're here."
"Where are the others?"
"Rei Miyamoto and Marikawa-sensie are showering... Do you need them for something? I-I can go call them over right away."
So he wasn't here to give her trouble.
A wave of relief washed over Takagi Saya. She tried to make amends with her actions, feeling guilty for the subconscious offense she'd committed toward him earlier in the school building.
"No need."
Shirakawa shook his head. If he recalled correctly, Takagi Saya was quite intelligent. Her academic performance at Fujimi Academy should be top-tier.
A very useful tool indeed.
He glanced briefly at this spacious two-story apartment, likely owned by Rika Minami, and said flatly, "Are there any spare rooms? Show me to one."
"Y-Yes… of course."
Her voice trembled slightly. She didn't dare refuse. She didn't even put on slippers, hastily guiding him upstairs.
They arrived at a guest room on the second floor.
Saya had originally planned to rest here herself. After turning on the lights and just beginning to introduce the room—
Click.
The door shut behind them.
Shirakawa casually tossed the backpack he carried onto the bed.
"..."
What happened next, Takagi Saya could already guess with her eyes closed. With the sheer difference in power between them, she had no means to resist.
Rather than making it awkward...
She decided to offer herself proactively as a form of redemption. Her cheeks flushed as she studied Shirakawa's face seriously. He looked about her age—a high school student.
Sun-kissed and handsome, with powers that rivaled the gods.
Thinking back to the slight offense she'd given earlier that afternoon, Saya suddenly realized something clearly: If it were Shirakawa for her first time... maybe that wouldn't be so bad.
"…I understand."
"Shirakawa-sama, no matter what you ask—I'll do it."
As Shirakawa bent down to open his bag, the girl began unfastening her clothing with determined eyes.
Her voice rang out, firm and unwavering: "Even if we don't use protection... I'm okay with it."
"…?"
Holding the day's study materials in hand, Shirakawa looked at her with a bewildered expression. His eyes scanned her perfect figure.
Had she misunderstood something…?
But explaining now would probably be pointless.
Fine. Let her think what she wants.
No matter how busy things get, a proper exorcist must never neglect their daily assignments!
He pulled out the Ex Curry Stick, and picked up a math textbook.
In a calm tone, he declared, "All right. Let's begin with today's coursework."
"First, fill-in-the-blank questions. Are you ready?"
"Y-Yes… Please, be gentle with me, Lord Shirakawa…"
---
Meanwhile—
"Saeko, did you make all this food? Wow! It looks amazing! There's even seafood—that stuff's so expensive these days!"
Still wrapped in a white bath towel, Shizuka Marikawa—her impressive bust seemingly about to burst free—stared in awe at the feast on the table.
She couldn't help but praise it aloud.
Busily finishing the final dishes, Saeko Busujima gently shook her head and clarified, "These ingredients were all gathered by Shirakawa-kun."
"I just helped with the cooking."
"…I see."
The topic quickly shifted. Hearing that all this food had been prepared thanks to Shirakawa, the smile on Shizuka's face deepened into something more heartfelt.
She looked around eagerly, hoping to catch a glimpse of their divine benefactor. But when she couldn't find him, she asked:
"Where is Lord Shirakawa?"
"He should be in the living room," Saeko replied.
"Great!"
With enthusiasm, Shizuka made her way there—after all, she owed her life to him. She had to thank him, no matter what.
But—
The living room was empty. Not only was Shirakawa nowhere to be found, even Takagi Saya had vanished.
"Hmm…"
"Where did Lord Shirakawa go?"
Curious, Shizuka searched room after room. If she found Saya, she could probably ask her directly.
Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side.
After checking several rooms on the second floor—which was noticeably quiet—she finally heard some sounds… of studying?
Eyes lighting up, Shizuka crept toward the source, hoping to surprise him.
Without knocking, she opened the door—
Only to find Takagi Saya, clearly worn out, trying hard to keep up with Shirakawa's exorcist homework.
Rather than embarrassed, Saya looked relieved, as if she'd just found her savior.
She pointed to the assignments, her voice hoarse from explanation:
"Marikawa-sensie, please help me."
"It's Lord Shirakawa's…"
"Fill-in-the-blanks—I seriously don't know how to solve them. You're our teacher at Fujimi Academy, right? You must be able to figure them out. If I can't finish this…"
"I swear my brain is going to break!"