PHASE 20 - THE PUTRID SIBLINGS

“I can no longer feel his presence,” Freya said. “I suppose we’re safe.”

The smoke completely faded, and there is no trace of the red-eyed man. Those chilling feelings from my skeleton were extinguished when that man went away.

No. I had a feeling that he let us go. He may be toying on us, but I think we’re on his mercy. That man could’ve killed both of us easily.

The blonde beauty landed beside Tiara, and she checked the shrine maiden’s body parts; hands, armpits, back, and even thighs. “Are you okay?” She asked.

“I-I’m fine,” Tiara said with a blush. “I-It’s an honor to fight with you, Lord Freya...”

“The pleasure’s mine.” Freya smiled brightly.

This blonde woman is the pinnacle of beauty. She’s so well endowed and tall as those beauty queens in the world pageants. The name of the Norse goddess of beauty and warfare really suits her well. If only she doesn’t cover her face with a mask…

“W-Why are you looking at me? I’ll get pregnant if you stare at me like that.” Freya said.

Hearing those, I shook my head in order to put me back in reality. I never thought that I’ve been staring at that blonde’s cleavage for half a minute! I spanked my head over and over. Where’s your woman-hating personality, Alaric!?

“A-Anyway.” Freya cleared her voice. “You guys should alert the shrine maidens about this.”

“R-Right!” Tiara pumped her fist. “With determination, I will get there fast!”

Then the idiot shrine maiden bolted forward in a flash! She’s so quick that she made me eat the dust and cough several times. There’s no way I can catch up to her with that speed!

“You should chase her immediately. Don’t worry, I’ll be by your side when you need me. Until then…”

Freya flew up in the sky with the velocity of a jet fighter. From here, she looked like a meteor rushing to the west. I’m pretty sure she’ll go back to Mirose Grande.

<>

I finally reached the shrine. There, the shrine maidens gathered in front of the main door. They are having this chaotic commotion as if they don’t know what to do. I saw the voluptuous Ayano first and talked to her.

“What happened!?” Ayano is getting impatient and nervous.

“Didn’t Tiara wake you all up?”

“Well, Y-Yeah…” Ayano scratched her head. “But Tiara’s story made us more disoriented.”

“Rikkun!” Tiara entered the scene as she ran towards us. “I woke everyone up!”

“What did you tell them!?”

“I told them when I was staring at my new idol badge and then a bad guy showed up! He glared and said many mean things and then poof! He disappeared! And then poof! He appeared in front of me and then he has a cool sword and I was scared! And then Bang! Lord Freya entered the scene and then there was an explosion! Boom! And then I released ! Hiyaaaaa!”

Tiara’s storytelling is with facial expressions, hand gestures, and full of action.

“That’s pure unnecessary details!” I smashed her head as I scolded her. “That’s why everyone’s confused!”

I took care of the explanations while Tiara behaved in the corner like a puppy. It took me about ten minutes for them to fully grasp the situation.

The shrine maidens patrolled around the mountain and guarded the shrine for the whole evening.

After that, everything was peaceful. No one saw The Outsider’s apparition that night.

I don’t have any slightest idea who that guy was, or what he wants. But I am sure of one thing.

That guy is extremely dangerous. He will be the primary suspect of the incoming murder. I should protect Tiara at any cost.

<>

The next morning, Tiara and I went early to class. The classroom is 90% percent empty, and the only ones here are two of my girl classmates, Heushac, and a blue-haired girl talking to him. That must be his older sister.

This blue-haired girl had her hair tied in a single ponytail, and you can resemble Heushac’s above average looks to her. Albeit taller than Heushac, his sister is a little more childish in appearance and thinking.

I’ve known her since I became friends with Heushac. She is Helena Efilion, a third-year student in this high school. She’s an athletic woman who managed to pull off the gold medal on National Keno Championship last summer. Oh, she has a foul smell, the same as her ‘baby brother’. If Heushac smells like dung, Helena smells like sweat. Every. Freaking. Time.

“Aren’t you glad that your big sister went all the way here just to deliver your forgotten lunchbox?” His sister smiled. “You even forgot to take a bath or brush your teeth, so I got a soap and a toothbrush for you! I forgot the toothpaste so use the soap instead~”

“Sh-Sh-Shut up Helena!” Heushac shouted while looking away, hiding his blushing face. “Go home before my friends see you!”

Suddenly, Heushac and his sister gave their attention to me and my phone. I just took a picture of this sweet siblings with my camera app, and I forgot to turn off the flash. Now I can share this embarrassing moment to the squad later.

As a result, Heushac’s face became more reddish and he was stunned while having his jaw hanging. “My high school life is over.” He murmured over and over again.

“Oh, if it wasn’t Alaric!” Helena was surprised. “I just came to pass by to deliver my baby brother’s lunch.”

“I’m not a baby!” Heushac shouted. Everyone ignored him.

“That was ridiculous, Helena.” I forced a smile. “Didn’t you skip your kendo practice again?”

“Oh, I forgot that I was practicing!” Helena scratched her hair on the back. She then patted his younger brother’s head and smiled. “Take care, my baby brother.”

Before Heushac was able to protest again, Helena already rushed outside the classroom on fifth gear.

“Mr. Heushac, your sister looks very cool!” Tiara commented with twinkling eyes.

“Right?” I made a devil’s smile. “They’re so lovely and already acting like a husband and wife.”

Tiara blushed as she covered her mouth. “Don’t tell me… They want a forbidden love!”

“I don’t have a sister complex, you damn idiots!” Heushac yelled. “How many times do I have to tell you this, Alaric! Stop spreading some fake news!”

<>

“There you are!” It was Jeannette’s voice. She just came in.

Jeannette pulled me through my sleeve on the way to the corner of the room so that no one could hear us about Gate Guardian stuff. She was panting, maybe because she ran from the bus terminal until she reached this school. She’s so much in a hurry that she even forgot to lay her backpack down on her seat before talking to me.

“I heard the news about what happened last night.” She said. “Good thing Lord Freya saved you, huh?”

“Well yeah. She always saves me when I was in a difficult situation.”

“Right, right~” She smiled and elbowed me softly on my stomach. “Isn’t she beautiful? Freya is apparently the best Gate Guardian as of this time, and everybody knows her name as if she’s a superhero! Tall blonde woman with a delicate face, big breasts, and great buttocks. I used to check your browser history back in junior high, and I know she’s your type~”

“Yeah. now what?” I said coldly. “I thought you have something to say important. Teasing me with an unknown stranger is a waste of my time”

“You dense weab.” She muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing!” Jeannette smiled innocently. “I’m here to tell you that I asked a strong Gate Guardian to watch Tiara for the rest of the day.”

Yes, I remembered.

Today is the day Tiara will die.

But I… No. We are here to prevent it.

I wonder who’s that Gate Guardian.