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[Crossover] Ch 176: High God Forest
🕑 Added 2025-08-01 16:44:16 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
Inside a car speeding down the highway.
Ryo let out a small yawn, leaning back against the soft leather seat as he found a more comfortable position. His eyes drifted lazily to Koyomi Shizuka.
"So… you do know how to dress up."
Koyomi, usually seen in those old-fashioned braids and nerdy round glasses, now wore an elegant kimono with her hair styled. The transformation was enough to surprise Ryo.
"This is only for formal occasions," she replied coolly, not missing a beat. "If it were up to me, I'd rather stick to my usual look. This outfit's way too flashy for my liking."
Koyomi's combat style leaned toward the assassin type—one strike, one kill. Stealth was second nature to her. If this hadn't been such an important event where the Lion King Agency had to send someone of high status, she'd never be caught dead in this getup.
"Well, I say keep it. Much easier on the eyes," Ryo replied casually, brushing off her opinion entirely.
"Oh, and next time? I don't want to see any of those so-called political higher-ups anywhere near me."
He was referring, of course, to the group of elderly men in traditional robes who'd greeted him at the airport.
In Ryo's eyes, they were a waste of space—no magic, no combat ability, no value. Just a bunch of powerless old men trying to stay relevant. Talking to them was like watching paint dry.
"Unlike you, the Lion King Agency still has to take their opinions into account," Koyomi said, instinctively pushing up her glasses—only to remember she was wearing contacts today. She quickly brushed her hair back to cover the move and sneakily dropped her hand, hoping he didn't notice.
Ryo raised an eyebrow, amused. "In that case... ever thought about defecting to my side?"
"That would go against the very principles the Agency was founded on."
Koyomi kept her voice calm and measured. But after a beat, she added, "Still, considering your request, I'll make sure to remove any irrelevant people from the schedule moving forward."
Koyomi knew full well this would piss off a lot of people—but frankly, if it meant avoiding a confrontation with the Fourth Primogenitor, she was willing to risk it.
Ryo smirked. "In that case, add a stop at Kannawa Lake to the itinerary."
Koyomi stiffened for a brief moment.
Kannawa Lake was no ordinary place. Among Japan's upper echelons, it was known as a sealed site—a location housing a relic tied to a god-killing weapon potentially catastrophic enough to trigger a world war.
The Lion King Agency hadn't fully uncovered what was hidden there, but they knew enough to treat it with extreme caution.
So why was Ryo bringing it up now?
Koyomi's mind raced. Could there be a mole leaking information to him?
Meanwhile, Ryo wore a sly grin. "What's wrong? Is the Lion King Agency not capable of handling such a small request?"
Of course, Ryo knew exactly what was sealed inside that lake. That was why he brought it up.
He hadn't originally planned to make a scene. All he needed was a quick look and he'd get the gist of it.
His real goal in coming to Japan was to visit an old base filled with valuable grimoires. The lake was just a bonus.
In truth, he could've completed both objectives without anyone ever noticing. But after dealing with those annoying old men at the airport, he felt like shaking things up a bit.
This was a power play. A subtle form of pressure.
He was now handing Japan's top brass a loaded question: {Do you let the Fourth Primogenitor approach the most dangerous relic in your country — or do you risk pissing him off?}
"...Understood," Koyomi replied after a pause. "Could we move the lake visit to tomorrow instead? We'll need time to secure the area."
"Make it tonight," Ryo said, eyes closed, ending the discussion.
Koyomi nodded calmly, but inside, she was cursing every last one of those stupid geezers who insisted on seeing Ryo. This entire mess is their fault.
She glanced over at him, and for the first time, seriously wondered: Should I consider jumping ship?
She was tired of dragging a bunch of deadweight around.
Letting out a long sigh, she said, "Alright. I'll arrange the Kannawa Lake visit right after our stop at High God Forest."
"Hm?" Ryo raised a brow, mildly surprised by how fast she moved things up.
Doing the math in his head, he realized that meant he'd probably reach the lake by early afternoon.
So she wasn't even bothering to inform the higher-ups or wait for approval—just going straight to implementation?
He stared at her for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Interesting."
The Lion King Agency was being remarkably... cooperative. So much so that Ryo was beginning to wonder if he casually suggested a deeper alliance, she'd hand herself over on a silver platter.
At this point, he was definitely warming up to them.
"Alright. Let's go with that plan," he said, wrapping up the topic.
By now, the car had begun approaching the gates of High God Forest, the Lion King Organization's training ground.
— — —
High God Forest – School Cafeteria
Sayaka Kirasaka, tall, elegant, and absolutely stunning with her flawless skin and refined features, patted the seat beside her and waved eagerly.
"Yukina! Over here!"
Yukina Himeragi, with her short shoulder-length hair and slim, almost fragile frame, turned toward the voice. Carrying her tray, she walked over.
Sayaka took one look at Yukina's meal and groaned.
"Grilled fish and miso soup again? Come on, Yukina—you've got to eat something more nutritious once in a while."
"I think this is more than enough for a healthy breakfast," Yukina replied calmly, folding her hands and softly saying, "Thanks for the meal."
Sayaka sighed and slid her extra carton of milk toward Yukina, only for it to be promptly pushed back—along with a sharp, disapproving glare.
"…Fine, fine." Sayaka pouted, retrieving the milk. "It's just drinking two cartons a day, maybe it will make me explode or something."
Yukina suddenly froze mid-bite. Her eyes glanced at Sayaka—specifically at her chest that clearly wasn't lacking—and then down at herself.
A moment of realization struck.
Maybe… just one extra carton tomorrow wouldn't hurt.
Just then, Sayaka leaned in and whispered, "By the way… did you hear?"
"Is it more pointless gossip?" Yukina replied without even looking up. "Which senior embarrassed herself this time during field training?"
Every student at High God Forest ended up doing an internship with the Lion King Agency after graduation. Their assignments were often... unconventional, which naturally made for hilarious stories. It was a running source of entertainment around campus.
"No, no, not this time." Sayaka shook her head and bit into her sandwich.
"I heard from an upperclassman—apparently, someone big is coming today to hand-pick their future bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" Yukina blinked, suddenly wide awake.
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