In Tokyo, building the Holy Light Girls team

"Please grant me one request, okay?"

"You mean, Teacher Xia Mu?"

As if anticipating what was about to happen, Mai subconsciously closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering and trembling, as if preparing to welcome some momentous occasion.

"Please, please don't tell anyone about my abilities, Mai-sensei!"

"Ah????"

……

Chapter 20 Campus Upheaval

"Mai-sensei? Mai-sensei?"

Hearing Natsuki's call, Mai realized that she had misunderstood him, thinking...

"...Ms. Mai? What happened to you just now?"

She quickly stepped back, pressing one hand to her heaving chest, and waved her hands in explanation, "Teacher Xia Mu, please don't misunderstand, I just... I just..."

As she spoke, her face grew even redder, like a glistening, translucent fruit, making one want to taste it.

"Oh! I understand, Ms. Natsuki. I... I won't tell anyone about this, so you can rest assured?"

At this moment, Xia Mu nodded in satisfaction, while Mai stomped her feet heavily on the floor a few times, and then, blushing, simply walked past Xia Mu toward the door.

It has to be said that Xia Mu's good looks seem to have played a significant role. If it were someone else, like Teacher Peter, the moment he realized he was being harassed, he would probably have been slapped without warning. How could the later events have happened?

Of course, Mai's initial attraction to Natsuki should not be overlooked either...

As she walked, Mai, who was about to leave, stopped.

She glanced at the sky gradually darkening outside, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and timidly asked Natsuki, "Um, Teacher Natsuki..."

"What's wrong, Mai-sensei?"

"Could you...take me home?"

"Yes, Ms. Mai."

"If you don't want to, I... huh???"

Ms. Mai was taken aback again, thinking she was about to hear a rejection.

After all, such a request was already excessive for two people who were just ordinary colleagues, but unexpectedly, Xia Mu's words surprised her.

"Did I hear that right, Professor Xia Mu? You just said..."

"Alright, let's go, Mai-sensei. In your eyes, how reclusive am I? It's just a request like this, how could I possibly refuse?"

Xia Mu responded with a smile.

He wouldn't admit that the reason he was so decisive was ultimately because he was still a little uneasy about Mai's earlier promise!

He suddenly remembered something, picked up an object from the table, and then went to Mai and put his black-rimmed glasses on her face.

"Ms. Mai, don't forget your glasses! You still look beautiful like this, hehe!"

"Beautiful...beautiful..."

Mai replied blankly.

It seemed that Xia Mu's gentle movements had a huge impact on her mind; Mai even felt like she was about to faint!

So she turned and left. Although Xia Mu was a little puzzled by her behavior, he still followed her.

……

Walking along the path leading to the school gate, Mai felt a sense of security despite the darkness that had enveloped the sky.

In particular, when her gaze fell upon Xia Mu beside her, this sense of security became even stronger.

"...Ms. Natsuki, given your relationship with Sayuri, I think you should have guessed why...I've become like this..."

She looked down at her legs, where the bandages had been removed. Recalling the skin condition that had been branded into her eyes just moments before, just like before, Mai felt a profound sense of disbelief once again.

Xia Mu touched his nose. Although he sensed that the other person seemed to have some misunderstanding about his relationship with Sayuri, he still nodded: "Is it because of the [Slit-Mouthed Woman]?"

"Yes."

"Isn't it ridiculous? As a teacher, I'm afraid to go back to school alone. Actually, these past few days, I've been asking colleagues who live along the way to go back with me, but it seems a bit too late today, so I'm troubling you, Teacher Xia Mu..."

She turned to look at Xia Mu, her face showing an apologetic expression, but the slight fear in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Well……"

Xia Mu thought for a moment, and was about to say some comforting words when he suddenly stopped, put one hand in front of Mai, and frowned as he looked ahead.

"Who is it? Show yourself!"

Mai was startled and immediately clung tightly to Natsuki, squeezing her soft parts until they were deformed, as if only in this way could she gain some sense of security.

However, when her gaze fell upon a figure slowly emerging from the darkness, she suddenly asked in confusion, "Is that Mizuno-sensei?"

Under the dim light of the streetlamp, a tall woman in a white coat approached the two of them.

Even though it was the same face as before, Mai had a completely different feeling about her for some reason.

"School doctor Mizuno?"

Xia Mu also spoke up, but his gaze towards the woman opposite him carried a solemn meaning. That familiar sense of danger made him subconsciously narrow his eyes.

Good evening, teachers!

Upon approaching, Mizuno greeted the two of them without a second thought, her two taut, beautiful legs crossed, the white stockings reflecting an eerie light, adding to her strange charm.

"I never expected to meet you all at a time like this... and Mai-sensei too... What a coincidence... May I travel with you?"

As she spoke, she lifted her leg again, but Xia Mu shouted once more, "Stop!"

hum-

A faint golden light suddenly surged from Xia Mu's fist, and the instantaneous brilliance drew Mai's attention.

However, Mizuno on the other side seemed to have been hit hard. After letting out a shrill scream, he immediately retreated backward at high speed!

boom!

As she stepped onto the ground, spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread out, leaving a dented mark. Only then did she finally stop her backward steps.

When he looked up, green lines appeared on Mizuno's face, and a pale green glow flowed in his eyes. A voice like the whisper of a demon slowly came out of his mouth.

"You... really are a special human being!"

As she spoke, the surrounding space was enveloped in even deeper darkness, and the shadow behind her trembled violently at the same time. The next moment, it detached from the ground, growing sharp claws and fangs. Beneath the shadow, there was a pair of eyes that also emitted a green light!

Its bared fangs and claws, the intense killing intent it released, finally made Mai realize that the "Mizuno-sensei" before her, like the "Slit-Mouthed Woman" she had encountered before, was—

"what!!!"

Mai screamed immediately, and her arms around Natsuki tightened even more.

Mizuno seemed oblivious to the terror he was instilling in Mai, and simply continued speaking to himself:

"Mai-sensei, what's wrong...? Are you really that scared...? Speaking of which... I should thank you... If it weren't for you... I probably wouldn't have met... this special person..."

She stared at Xia Mu, licking her lips with her tongue, revealing a smile that could only be described as terrifying.

……

At the same time.

In the school clinic in the adjacent teaching building, a girl with pigtails tiptoed open the door, then clenched her small fists, her eyes filled with determination.

"Mr. Mizuno, I'm sure I'll catch you red-handed!"

Little did she know, from the darkness behind her, several figures were slowly emerging, their eyes gleaming with a green light, like wild beasts ready to devour their prey, filled with bloodlust...

……

Chapter 21 "High-Level" Ghosts

"Miko-sensei... what... exactly do you mean...?"

Despite her fear, Mai still looked up and asked a question. Upon hearing this, Mizuno's grin widened even further.

"It seems Ms. Mai has forgotten about this. In that case, I'll remind you, hehe..."

Amidst the laughter, it seemed as if some fragments flashed through Mai's mind. She found herself back in the school clinic during the day, Mizuno had returned to his previous normal self, and she herself was speaking uncontrollably.

“…Sayuri-san…can banish the Slit-Mouthed Woman…her ability…seems to originate from Natsuki-sensei…”

In an instant, Mai seemed to understand everything. As her vision returned, she was back in the present scene.

"...It's all because of...me..."

Mai repeated herself, then suddenly left Natsuki's side, bowing deeply to him: "I'm sorry, Natsuki-sensei, I was the one who told everyone about this..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xia Mu suddenly lunged at her, shouting, "Watch out—"

boom!

A loud bang suddenly rang out, and amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Mai coughed violently. When she looked back at the spot where she had just been standing, her eyes widened in shock.

A jet-black whip rose from the ground, its surface covered with sharp barbs, its source none other than the shadow monster behind Mizuno!

Looking at the marks on the ground that looked as if it had been cut open, she had no doubt that if she hadn't dodged, she would probably have been killed by that thing—

Thinking of this, she wanted to scream again, but the next moment Xia Mu covered her mouth with his hand, and she could only make "mmm" sounds.

"Ms. Mai, calm down, I'm here!"

Xia Mu's calm words rang in Mai's ears, and a faint golden light appeared between them.

As if sensing a magical power, she suddenly calmed down a lot. There were still tears in the corners of her eyes, but the emotions she conveyed made Xia Mu, who noticed them, smile.

"Hehe, this is... the Mai-sensei I remember!"

As Natsuki spoke, he helped Mai up from the ground, while Mizuno across from him let out a strange laugh:

"Hmph, you actually managed to dodge it. You were troublesome fellows. Next time, you definitely won't—"

"you……"