Chapter 450: Really Great

“Is she waking up? Is she waking up? Is Rikka waking up?”

He had been watching over Rikka at her bedside since dawn.

Right now, just seeing the girl’s quivering eyelashes, Himekoji couldn’t help grabbing Touka’s arm beside him and asking eagerly.

“Mhm.”

She nodded lightly. Though she was Rikka’s sister, Touka didn’t seem as excited as Himekoji. Her calm, dull eyes held a hint of numbness.

But when Himekoji turned to look at her, she put on a flawless smile just like his.

“I told you, Rikka is fine.”

“…That’s great…”

Only now did the stone that had been hanging in Himekoji’s heart finally fall. Although a certain unease was still secretly dancing around some unseen corner, right now, it was clearly overshadowed by his joy that Rikka was safe and sound.

“They really can’t see any wounds at all…”

With Touka’s permission, Himekoji cautiously reached out. Like he was checking for injuries, he carefully touched Rikka’s calf and arm. He absolutely wasn’t taking advantage.

“So amazing…”

While his hands were busy, his mouth murmured in quiet astonishment.

As Himekoji said this, Touka beside him seemed to think of something. She turned her head to look at him.

“Speaking of… your injuries?”

“Oh, I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Himekoji grinned and shook his head. Although large movements hurt, he stubbornly showed no sign of discomfort.

“Covered in wounds and Bandages… that doesn’t look fine at all.”

Touka stared at him for a long moment, finally sighing as if accepting it.

“But it’s good luck they’re only surface wounds.”

“By the way, Touka… what was that yesterday? What really happened?”

After making sure Rikka truly had no major problems, Himekoji finally felt like asking about the unbelievable scene from yesterday.

The dazzling magic circle and the terrifyingly beautiful sword energy… these supernatural, unscientific, utterly mysterious things… they shouldn’t exist in the real world, should they?

Of course, if you thought about it that way, the System shouldn’t exist either.

So… since they appeared, they appeared. Himekoji wasn’t doubting that moment’s reality. He just wanted a more detailed and certain explanation from Touka.

What happened to Rikka?

That’s all he wanted to know.

…

“It was just role-playing.”

“Role-playing?”

That was clearly not the answer Himekoji wanted to hear, but it was the explanation Touka had prepared.

“What kind of role-playing was that?!”

Himekoji’s voice grew heavier unintentionally.

“That kind? What kind?”

Touka actually tried to avoid the topic right then.

“Someone could have died…”

Himekoji clenched his fist, his gaze shifting tenderly and pityingly towards Rikka.

Even though Rikka looked unharmed now, yesterday’s fight was no child’s play.

It was real blades, meant to kill!

“Hah. But isn’t she fine? Not a thing wrong.”

Even without looking, Himekoji knew the smile on Touka’s face right now couldn’t be natural.

“Not a thing wrong?”

How many times had Touka said that now?

“Really not a thing wrong?”

Himekoji couldn’t help starting to doubt. This repetition in her words felt too deliberate… deliberate enough to be suspicious.

“Mmm~”

Just as Himekoji finished speaking, a soft, delicate moan sounded.

The sleeping Rikka beside them seemed to stir. Instantly, Himekoji forgot the argument with Touka. His eyes shifted, all his focus back on Rikka. He didn’t even notice Touka silently leaving at that moment.

…

Himekoji nervously watched Rikka.

He noticed his hand was still resting on her forearm. He hurriedly pulled it back like he was afraid of seeming improper. But his gaze wasn’t discreet at all. It was fixed intently.

He saw Rikka’s eyes gradually open little by little. Beneath her quivering lashes were a pair of beautiful, differently colored pupils: dark gold and jet black, glittering like gems.

With a soft blink, those eyes stared straight at the ceiling. There was a brief moment of confusion. Then, clarity and vitality gradually returned. Rikka slowly sat up.

The movement startled Himekoji.

Was it okay to sit up so soon?

Maybe she should lie down a bit longer?

Even if she looked fine, what if there was internal damage you couldn’t see?

A doctor! He should call a doctor for a check-up!

There were so many things he wanted to say, yet Himekoji didn’t make a single sound. He just quietly, nervously supported her slender back with a hand the whole time.

The first words came from Rikka.

“Mummy?”

Pointing at Himekoji, she tilted her head and asked softly. Just this small movement made the cute stray hair on her head bounce.

“Mummy?”

Himekoji echoed the same word in confusion.

“Where?”

He turned his head, looking around, only to realize the room was empty except for him and Rikka. Her sister had vanished without him noticing.

“Eh? The Mummy couldn’t mean…”

Could she mean him?

Himekoji looked down as if suddenly realizing. Indeed, covered in Bandages, he looked a bit pathetic. It wasn’t weird to be called a Mummy.

“Is that not it?” Rikka blinked, questioning him.

“Of course it’s not!”

Instinctively, he fell back into his previous way of talking with Rikka. Being constantly provoked by her eccentricities, his tone always became sharp. But Rikka was just recovering from a serious illness. Himekoji suddenly remembered this and started worrying his voice might have been too harsh. He wanted to apologize.

But before he could, Rikka happily clapped her hands.

“I remember now! I’m still short an Apostle of the Mummy type. A Mummy must be really tough, right?”

“I told you already, I’m not a Mummy!”

The girl hadn’t listened to a word he said the first time…

For the second time, Himekoji failed to control his temper, his tone sharp again.

But he really couldn’t help it.

You could blame it on habit. Back when he was tutoring Rikka, every conversation ended with him getting worked up after just a few sentences.

Surprisingly, Himekoji didn’t dislike this feeling.

No, he even kind of missed it. Missed it a lot.

Rikka was safe, and still her usual self. That was really great.

…

Whether Mummies are tough or not, I don’t know. But whether you are tough or not, I could find out right now.

If this were before, Himekoji would have rolled up his sleeves and threatened exactly that.

You all know why, right?

The fastest, most convenient way to deal with… eccentric people had always been to beat them up first and talk later.

But right now, he couldn’t. Rikka had just recovered from a serious injury.

Although, with all his Bandages, Himekoji looked much more the part of a wounded person…

Anyway, at this moment, Himekoji could only forcefully suppress the urge that always flared up whenever he saw Rikka –

Rikka is so cute… I kind of want to punch her twice to see…

Just kidding!

Of course he wouldn’t actually hit her!

Though, back when he was tutoring her, he kind of did hit her pretty much every day…

Well, that was just normal playful fighting between a Pervert and an eccentric person.

Speaking of which… a big Pervert and a little eccentric…

Could those two even be considered normal in the first place?

…