"Ah!"
A faint scream caught Rei Ao's attention.
"Hm?"
Just as he was picking up a bite of food during dinner, he paused.
"What's wrong?"
Mai asked, seeing him stop mid-bite.
"It seems like Ms. Mafuyu's in a bit of trouble. I'll go check. You all go ahead and eat."
Clack.
His chopsticks hit the table as he spoke—and then he vanished without another word.
…
"Ms. Mafuyu?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
Tohru suddenly exclaimed loudly,
"Aiya~ I've got a feeling Ms. Mafuyu is about to get claimed by Rei Ao."
"Huh?!"
Emilia was baffled.
What the heck did that mean?
Was Rei Ao some kind of walking hormone dispenser or something? Just "claimed" like that?!
…
"Urgh!"
Gasping, drowning in suffocation, Mafuyu Kirisu's flailing movements were growing weaker.
Her consciousness was fading.
She had no idea what was happening.
But it felt like she was about to drown—right here in her own home.
"Is my life going to end like this…?"
Unwilling emotions flooded her chest, but she was powerless to resist.
Her greatest regret at this moment wasn't even dying—
It was that she wouldn't get to see how well Fumino and Rizu did on the test.
Her eyes slowly closed, filled with that very regret.
Suddenly—
A hand pierced into her fading vision.
It tore through the water sphere she couldn't escape.
Pop!
The sphere burst.
Water splashed across every corner of the bathroom.
Splashhh—
Soaked and naked, Mafuyu collapsed from the shattered sphere.
"You never know, Ms. Mafuyu. Trouble finds you even at home. I can't tell if that's lucky or unlucky."
Rei Ao quipped as he caught her in his arms.
He didn't avert his gaze either.
He always appreciated beauty with respect—and boldness.
"Cough, cough, cough!!!"
Now able to breathe again, Mafuyu coughed violently, spraying a mouthful of water right onto Rei Ao.
It took her a while to recover.
She looked at him, dazed.
"Am… am I dead…?"
"Ms. Mafuyu, don't say something so ominous. You're very much alive."
Rei Ao smiled lightly.
"But I do have to warn you—you might have just died of embarrassment."
"???"
Mafuyu blinked.
The cold sensation on her skin—and the way Rei Ao was looking at her like he was admiring a painting—suddenly made it all click.
Blushing violently from head to toe, she started trembling as if something were building up—
"KYAAAA!!!"
She finally screamed.
"Don't look at me!!!"
She flailed her arms trying to cover his eyes.
"Whoa, whoa—hey, stop moving around like that. If something goes off by accident, that's on you."
Rei Ao warned her with a twitch in his lip, feeling himself getting…well, brushed against far too enthusiastically.
But Mafuyu wasn't listening at all.
With a resigned sigh, Rei Ao made a decision: go big or go home.
He spun her around effortlessly like a doll and lifted her up like a koala, supporting her by the waist and thighs.
Now Mafuyu was clinging to him tightly.
"Smack!"
He gave her a solid pat.
"Don't move. Now I can't see you. But more importantly—shouldn't we be paying attention to that thing instead of you?"
"!!!"
The slap stunned her like a jolt of electricity, but she actually managed to listen.
She followed Rei Ao's gaze—
And there, beneath the broken, overflowing sink, was a strange, humanoid figure made of blue water.
The form resembled a little girl and stood on top of the pooled water. A thin water membrane surrounded her, making it look like something out of a movie.
But the cold water still dripping down her body told Mafuyu this wasn't CGI.
"R-Rei Ao… w-what is that?!"
She asked through sobs and coughs.
"A water spirit. That's the thing that nearly killed you just now."
…
[Creature]: Water Spirit
[Level]: 33
[Abilities]: 'Heal,' 'Purify,' 'Water Element Control'
[Description]: A powerful but extremely timid and sensitive elemental spirit.
Rei Ao looked at the data and didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
Who would've thought Mafuyu, of all people, would run into something like this at home?
And of course, this creature wasn't weak—but its personality was like a sensitive child.
He had a good guess what had happened:
The water spirit had accidentally crossed over from another world, panicked, and hid inside the plumbing. By pure coincidence, it caused a pipe to burst in Mafuyu's bathroom and, startled by her presence, nearly lashed out with a full power outburst.
Now, the little thing was huddled in a self-made water shield, trembling with fear.
If anything, Mafuyu was the helpless one in this scenario.
"…"
Mafuyu's brain was still frozen.
A water spirit? What was Rei Ao even talking about?
Seeing her dazed again, Rei Ao acted decisively—
"Smack!"
The mix of pain and numbing shock snapped her out of it.
"Space out again and I'll spank you harder."
"???"
Mafuyu looked at him, utterly bewildered.
Was this really something a student should be saying to his teacher?!
"Anyway, let me fix your bathroom first."
Rei Ao raised a hand.
"Hwoooosh—"
A chill made Mafuyu instinctively cling tighter to him.
She watched in stunned silence as frost poured from Rei Ao's fingers.
Crack—crack—crack!
The broken, gushing pipe was gradually sealed over with layers of crystal-clear ice, stopping the leak.
Then, with a single tap of his finger, Rei Ao punctured the water spirit's protective bubble.
Just as the little creature tried to flee in panic, he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck.
"Eeep!!!"
The water spirit shrieked and struggled violently.
Tiny water arrows began forming around her.
"Hold still. Otherwise, I'll erase you from this world—got it?"
Rei Ao's voice was cold, and his aura surged.
"Eeep!!!"
Immediately, the water spirit went limp like a ragdoll.
He now held her easily by one hand.
With the culprit under control—it was finally time to deal with Mafuyu Kirisu.
~~~
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