Multi-Anime, Kira Yoshikage Yearns for a Peaceful Life

Surrounded by monsters, she endured two brutal weeks, her spirit teetering on the edge of collapse.

But just as she was about to give up struggling, about to be torn apart by those creatures, someone effortlessly annihilated the terrifying, unbeatable monsters in her eyes, even casually remarking that they were merely ordinary evil spirits.

She thought she had found salvation, never imagining she had only fallen from one hell into another.

They weren't angels at all—but an Onmyoji and his Star Wrath Shikigami kept in captivity.

And she was the sacrifice they had chosen.

She had no strength to resist, nor any will to fight back; she simply accepted the truth calmly.

So she resigned herself to following this Kira Yoshikage around, since he could always find her anyway.

Though she would eventually be offered up as a sacrifice, at least by his side she could enjoy temporary peace, without fear of being killed by monsters.

At least until the shrine was built, she could savor a relatively quiet life.

But what she never expected was that Kira Yoshikage, who left her with an impression of coldness and mystery, worked as a bartender on the top floor of a hotel after school. Even if this bar called "Angel Ladder" was a social hub for high society, that didn't change the fact that he was a bartender!

Wasn't that a sudden surge of dissonance?

And on top of that, he was even being stalked by other girls from school—she had personally seen one enter this hotel... and now it was even more absurd: two girls in unfamiliar uniforms had found their way here, even pulling out guns in public as if no one else existed!

Sakurajima Mai was a hundred percent certain those were no toy guns, but real, lethal weapons!

Those two girls seemed to belong to some special organization, holding legal licenses to kill, which was why they dared to brandish firearms in public and even bluntly declared they would kill the woman who seemed close to them, just because she had come to meet Kira Yoshikage privately.

And their conversation left Sakurajima Mai utterly incredulous, because Kira Yoshikage actually said he only wanted a quiet life.

A man who could send his Star Wrath Shikigami to threaten the chairman of Shuchiin Academy, claiming he just wanted a peaceful existence—who would believe that?

Yet, despite Sakurajima Mai's disbelief, plenty of people did.

For instance, those two girls clearly believed it wholeheartedly, even showing some disappointment over it. Obviously, in their understanding, it was perfectly normal for Kira Yoshikage's definition of "peace" to be unconventional.

Sakurajima Mai wanted to ask for the truth, but she didn't dare step forward.

Because she knew they couldn't see her, and because she feared it might provoke Kira Yoshikage.

But after sitting there for so long, Sakurajima Mai finally couldn't hold back and blurted out:

"Um... that..."

The girl's voice was incredibly tense, even a little timid.

"What?"

Kira Yoshikage seemed to finally notice her, but still didn't look at her, asking as if talking to empty air.

"Can I go to the restroom?"

Sakurajima Mai rubbed her thighs together, asking weakly.

Kira Yoshikage didn't answer, even pausing his movements.

He looked up toward where the girl was sitting, and in the midst of her breathless tension, calmly said:

"You don't need to ask my permission."

Sakurajima Mai took that as tacit approval, carefully climbed down from the barstool, and walked toward the restroom with her legs pressed together.

After a short while, the girl, having quickly taken care of business, returned to the bar and sat quietly again.

After hesitating for a long time, Sakurajima Mai asked softly:

"Can I have a glass of water?"

"What would you like to drink?"

Kira Yoshikage glanced at her:

"You can sit closer."

Sakurajima Mai obediently moved to the seat in front of Kira Yoshikage, where a drink menu lay.

Her eyes skimmed over the cocktails, then she said slowly and firmly:

"Lemon water."

After all, if she ordered a cocktail, he would definitely swap it for lemon water with the excuse that minors can't drink.

"So, why are you following me?"

Kira Yoshikage asked while skillfully mixing a cocktail.

"Huh?"

The question caught Sakurajima Mai off guard, leaving her unsure how to answer. What did he mean, why was she following him?

She murmured softly:

"I... I thought you told me to follow you."

"When did I ever say that?"

Kira Yoshikage raised an eyebrow slightly. When had he said that?

Sakurajima Mai looked bewildered.

"Didn't you also make me a miko for the Deity? To stop me from running away, you gave me that look when you left school—wasn't that a warning not to think about escaping?"

Kira Yoshikage handed her the lemonade he'd just mixed:

"Do you know what this condition of yours is called?"

"What?"

"Self-awareness overload."

Chapter 58: If I Said It Was a Misunderstanding, Would You Believe Me?

"..."

Sakurajima Mai, criticized without mercy, puffed her cheeks slightly.

Even if she couldn't fight back, she was still allowed to get angry!

Kira Yoshikage's expression remained calm:

"If you want to leave, you can at any time. But becoming a miko is your best option, unless you want to be as 'popular' as you were during the day."

Sakurajima Mai's body trembled. You call that popularity?

Kira Yoshikage didn't disturb her, giving her enough time to think.

After a long while, Sakurajima Mai seemed to finally come to her senses. She spoke softly:

"Over two months ago, a woman broke into my house and kidnapped me."

"When I woke up, I was already in the basement of Shuchiin Academy."

"After being locked up for a few days, the woman holding me became very frantic, as if she'd lost something important, searching everywhere in the room. That's when I realized she was actually looking for me. For some reason, even though I was standing right in front of her, she couldn't see me at all."

"Then that man came..."

Sakurajima Mai paused, silent for a long time before lowering her voice:

"Shinomiya Kōkō, the chairman of Shuchiin Academy."

"Because of my 'disappearance,' they had a conversation right in front of me as if I wasn't there."

"From their talk, I learned they planned to use me as a 'miko,' a sacrifice offered to the Deity in a ritual. And because the Deity loves pure virgins, even the kidnapping and guarding had to be done by women, to avoid any accidents."

Sakurajima Mai gave a self-deprecating smile. Maybe she should be grateful that was their motive; otherwise, who knew what she'd have gone through as a kidnap victim.

"At first, I tried to escape the school. Since no one else could see me, it went smoothly. But after I left, I realized that while humans couldn't see me, 'Evil Spirits' could. As a result, no matter where I went, a swarm of Evil Spirits would target me."

"With no other choice, I had to return to Shuchiin Academy."

"As for the rest, you probably already know."

Sakurajima Mai's voice grew calm, but her trembling body still showed she wasn't feeling great.

Kira Yoshikage listened quietly to her story, understanding her worries. He spoke calmly:

"A miko isn't necessarily a sacrifice."

"Their ritual for raising the Deity has flaws, which is why they turned the miko, who should have been an offering to the Deity, into a sacrifice instead."

Sakurajima Mai lowered her head silently, then asked in a small, confirming voice:

"So, I don't have to die?"

Kira Yoshikage stared at the girl's fair, small hand for a long moment:

"If you want to die, that's also an option."

"As compensation, could you leave your hand with me? I'll treasure it well."

Kira Yoshikage's tone was very sincere, but Sakurajima Mai still firmly refused him:

"No, thanks."

If she could avoid dying, she wasn't ready to die just yet.

Sakurajima Mai took a sip of lemonade, feeling much lighter.

Maybe it was the relief of knowing she didn't have to die, or maybe it was finally having an outlet for all the pent-up pressure. Either way, Sakurajima Mai felt like she was back to her old self—

Except for the fact that no one could see her, which still troubled her.

Sakurajima Mai held the cold cup in both hands and asked softly:

"Um, Kira-kun, can I ask you a few questions?"

"You may."

For a girl about to become a miko, about to work hard to protect his peaceful life, he could offer free consultation.

Sakurajima Mai pressed her lips together and voiced the question that had been bothering her:

"Why can't anyone see me?"

Kira Yoshikage thought for two seconds, then spoke:

"Because you're a Psionic User. That's your psionic talent."

"Psionic talent?"

"To put it simply, you can understand the essence of all supernatural phenomena as the materialized products of psionic power in the physical world, and humans with psionic talent are Psionic Users."

"Every Psionic User has their own unique psionic talent. These talents are both a blessing and a curse."

"Used well, they can destroy the world. Used poorly, they can also destroy the world."

Sakurajima Mai quipped:

"Is there any difference between those two?"

"The former is destruction by your subjective will—for example, you grow tired of humanity and decide to use your psionic power to destroy the world."

"The latter is when your psionic power goes out of control, causing your body to explode like a large nuclear bomb, leading to the world's destruction."

Sakurajima Mai looked at her own hands with some doubt:

"Am I really that powerful?"

"No."

"Then what you just said..."

"Just giving an example."

Sakurajima Mai suddenly felt a tightness in her chest—so infuriating!

Kira Yoshikage ignored the girl's frustration and continued explaining:

"Your current situation is a classic case of psionic power going out of control."

"Ordinary Psionic Users first awaken 'Spiritual Sight'—the ability to see those spirits. But you, driven by self-preservation instinct, accidentally activated your own psionic talent, making you unobservable to others."

"While this temporarily got you out of danger, the already-out-of-control psionic power is difficult to calm."

"If you still can't master your psionic power, this state of being unobservable will only get worse."

"Not only will humans be unable to observe you, but even most 'spirits' won't be able to perceive your existence."