Why is the Demon King like this?

Back at the apartment, it was almost 12:30. Shiraishi Chizuru yawned twice, cupped her face, and said that her skin desperately needed care and rest.

But before that, you should take a nice, relaxing bath.

The smart home system has already filled the bathtub with water; all you need to do is drop in two bath sponges.

"If you want to take a shower, I'll find you two sets of clothes you haven't worn before, just to make do for now."

Although her biological mother's whereabouts are unknown, there are many clothes in her closet that she has never worn—it should be said that she herself spends very little time at home.

"Arigato~ It's okay if you've worn it before." Chizuru Shiraishi's cheeks flushed slightly. Although she had prepared herself mentally, she still felt incredibly shy when she saw Keisuke Ao's face and heard those words.

—It's like a girlfriend spending the night at her boyfriend's house for the first time.

What a strange sense of déjà vu!

On the contrary, Aokiji was truly open and honest. As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand and went into the master bedroom to find clothes.

Chizuru Shiraishi paused for a few seconds, made a face behind him, and then hunched her shoulders and crawled into the bathroom.

She only came to her senses after hiding in the bathroom. In fact, she and Qing Keijie were not really alone in a room together. There was a drunk Hanako sleeping on the sofa!

Although the Mystic Eyes have been retracted and Hanako is no longer visible, a clear outline remains on the sofa, especially in the middle, where a shriveled peach is imprinted...

A high school student's malnourished butt... What is he thinking!

Patting her burning face, Chizuru Shiraishi forcibly shifted her attention, looking at the decor of the bathroom in the upscale apartment in Shinjuku.

First of all, the area is surprisingly large, with a frosted glass partition in the middle separating the inner and outer rooms into wet and dry areas, which is a classic Japanese bathroom style.

The outer room has clothes racks, a washing machine, a dryer, a full-length mirror, and a multi-functional washbasin. The overall design style is quite modern, which is the style that Chizuru Shiraishi likes.

—The house he dreamed of buying was just the starting point for Ao Keisuke, how despicable!

"call--"

Chizuru Shiraishi walked to the mirror, looked at herself, took a deep breath, and patted her chest.

"Don't be nervous, Chizuru!"

"You're a grown-up now!"

"That's just Keisuke Ao, a little brat. He's the one who should be worried!"

The reflection in the mirror showed a flushed face from the wine, and captivating eyes. Just looking at it made one feel smug and self-satisfied.

She pinched the buttons with her fingers and took off her clothes one by one. After thinking for a moment, Shiraishi Chizuru did not take off the last piece of armor. Instead, she took out disposable underwear from the bag and went directly into the inner room.

Although Keisuke Ao is undoubtedly a clueless simpleton, who knows, maybe when he comes in to put away his clothes and sees the underwear, he'll suddenly become aroused and his animalistic instincts will kick in!

Chizuru Shiraishi proudly puffed out her chest; her round, full figure was a size that no young girl could match.

"Speaking of which, Qinggui's family is really rich. Damn, the bathtub is huge! Three people could probably fit in it without feeling cramped. I'll call that Tsukishima guy over sometime for a competition!"

Finally removing her last armor and quickly rinsing herself with the showerhead, Chizuru Shiraishi eagerly lay down in the bathtub.

"Ah~~~" A satisfied sigh.

……

While Chizuru Shiraishi was taking a bath, Keisuke Ao opened the wardrobe in the master bedroom and pulled out several boxes.

It was filled with expensive clothes, most of which had never been worn, or at most once.

Keisuke Ao took a few loose-fitting clothes suitable for sleeping and then put them away again.

His parents never kept important things in the house. He had searched the master bedroom before but found nothing—mostly just some physics books, and they were all in English originals.

On the desk next to the wardrobe stands a family photo, the faces in which have become completely unfamiliar.

To both the original owner and Qing Guijie, this couple was essentially strangers.

He picked up the picture frame, glanced at it a few times, and then put it back in its place.

"Dr. Shiraishi, I've put the clothes in the outer wardrobe; you can choose one yourself."

"Okay~~"

The sound of excited splashing came from behind the glass partition. Keisuke Ao was slightly startled when he heard it, then took a deep breath and immediately walked out of the bathroom.

My willpower... doesn't seem to be as strong as I thought.

Just hearing the sound of water conjured up images of Chizuru Shiraishi naked in the water, which was quite a shock to his body.

"Um……"

Back in the living room, he turned on the TV, tuned to the late-night snack special, scooped up Yuki who was spinning around in the crook of his legs, and started petting the cat while collecting information on shops worth exploring.

Meow~~

The little female kitten stuck out her buttocks and twisted her body back and forth, as if she were being scrubbed by Qing Keijie.

With improved food lately, the kitten we rescued has started to have shiny, lustrous fur that feels quite nice to the touch.

After a moment, Keisuke Ao abandoned his fantasies about Chizuru Shiraishi's body and began to think about what to do next.

Once spiritual awakening is complete, he no longer needs the help of protective charms. Although the peak of his spirituality is reduced, his own spirituality is undoubtedly more readily available and safer.

As for the remaining amulet with slightly lower spiritual capacity, I might as well just give it to Shiraishi Chizuru, lest this guy actually deliver it to my door one day and become food for evil spirits.

In addition, with the spirituality that can be recycled and reused, all tests and experiments can gradually be put on the agenda.

Overall, spirituality is still relatively lacking and needs further enhancement.

And, regarding tonight's events, Qing Keijie still feels that the matter is not yet over—was this farce really just a ploy to kill a powerful person?

Although he lacked some of his senses at the time, he still vaguely sensed external traces connecting him to the Mirage Realm.

Before and even during the collapse of the mirage, there must have been other techniques interacting with it, intending to achieve their true, hidden purpose.

Although he forcibly severed this connection, the person behind the scenes was also quite decisive, directly stopping and concealing the spell, preventing him from even grasping a clue.

It's quite a pity!

Now that he has advanced to the Extraordinary level, his goal has gradually shifted to the "gods" of this world. Their true nature and state of existence contain the great secrets of this world. How could Qing Guijie be as indifferent as he appears?

Moreover, the Garden Shrine is right next to Shinjuku, so if anything unexpected happens, he would probably find it difficult to stay out of it.

So his earlier refusal in the car was just a cover-up; he didn't want to reveal his thoughts yet.

At the same time, he and Yui Kamabatake also shared an unspoken understanding this time—

This tacit understanding did not mean that she could completely open her heart and soul, offer up her spirituality, and let him take whatever he wanted.

Instead, his appearance was used as a trap to observe the possible reactions of the person behind the scenes!

If he and Chizuru Shiraishi are investigated or attacked, and this happens without going through the official channels represented by Yui Kamabatake, then it's almost certain that there's a mole within the Hanazono Shrine.

On the other hand, Keisuke Ao was not actually officially registered; he was a wild, hidden talent, and only Yui Kamabata knew about his abilities.

Therefore, if he was not attacked, but strange rumors have emerged about him on the mystical side, it can prove that the mastermind behind the scenes has a certain influence on the official side, and Yui Kamibata can use this to catch him red-handed.

This information gap is the unspoken consensus reached between Shinbata Yui and Ao Keisuke. They disregarded the potential dangers of exposing themselves and even took the initiative to throw themselves into the situation, thus expressing their appreciation for Shinbata Yui's unwavering dedication.

"Heh... let's just treat it as a bit of fun in our daily lives."

Of course, the reason for this decision was that Keisuke Ao was indeed quite interested in this group.

What's particularly intriguing is the subsequent methods used to evade his detection—I really want to find out who the mastermind is and slowly kill them.

Another reason is that the situation is still under control. After all, he has destroyed all the clues at the scene, and after the matter is resolved, he can completely push all the blame onto Shinbata Yui.

Ultimately, who would believe that a wild talent with a spiritual level barely over 100 and no control over anything could do such a thing?

This is his best protective shell.

Now that he has come into contact with the mysterious, it is unrealistic to completely hide himself behind the scenes, unless he is willing to keep his abilities hidden forever—which is especially impossible for the Demon Lord who likes to have fun.

Therefore, by taking this opportunity to slip himself into the official spotlight as an ordinary person, and with Yui Kamabatake assisting him (acting as his backer), it's easy to create a situation where the truth is hidden from view.

Therefore, all the efforts will be rewarded overall.

Beneath the surface of such a grand conspiracy, there will naturally be those who try to profit from the chaos. Why can't that person be the Demon King?