Abnormal Type Moon

Chapter 6: A Night for Two

____

Utaha seemed to understand, but not entirely.

Roy had explained a lot.

What she did grasp was that the magic in this world was nothing like the magic she'd read about in novels. The two were almost entirely different, each tedious, complex, and awkward in its own way.

But if the Magus rankings now included a strength standard, and Roy was at the lowest rank, the "youngest child," did that mean he was also the weakest Magus?

Yet he had killed a monster larger than a lion with a single move.

And if he was supposedly weak, why had the Magus at the refugee shelter been so enthusiastic toward him earlier in the day?

"Go take a shower first," Roy said, emerging from the kitchen with water droplets still clinging to his hands.

He pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

"I'll bring you some clothes in a bit."

"...I see."

Utaha stood silent for a few seconds before rising and heading toward the bathroom.

The bathroom was in the same traditional Japanese style as the rest of the house, exuding a kind of vintage charm from the last century. Thankfully, the water and electricity were still functional.

As she unbuttoned her shirt, she suddenly paused.

Looking down, she noticed her shirt was completely soaked through, the outline of her underwear faintly visible. Although not overly revealing, it gave off a hazy, suggestive allure.

Had he noticed during dinner earlier?

The girl crossed her arms instinctively, a blush spreading across her face. Whether it was from shyness or frustration, even she wasn't sure. For a moment, she looked both bashful and alluring.

After a while, she let out a bitter laugh, sighed, and sat down on the stool to wash.

With her fair skin and shapely figure, she naturally drew attention wherever she went.

But at that moment, she seemed distracted, her thoughts elsewhere, her focus far from the task of bathing.

"I brought the clothes," Roy called out suddenly.

Plop!

In the quiet bathroom, the sudden sound of her racing heartbeat seemed deafening. A wave of tension swept over her, and for a moment, Utaha felt a pang of unease.

"They're at the door. If they don't fit, just make do with them."

As soon as he finished speaking, his footsteps receded, gradually fading into the distance.

Utaha let out a long sigh of relief, her smooth, rounded shoulders slumping weakly as her body relaxed.

---

An hour later.

Utaha sat upright in front of the kotatsu. She wore a loose white pajama set, and her headband had been removed. Her long hair was still slightly damp, framing her delicate features. Having just bathed, her skin appeared softer and more radiant than it had during the day.

Her expression, however, was heavy, as though she were deep in thought, grappling with something serious.

The sound of Roy's approaching footsteps made her body tense up instinctively. Then, as though reaching an important realization, she raised her head to look at him.

Roy entered the room wearing a simple white T-shirt and indigo trousers. Without the baseball cap, his damp, slightly disheveled white hair caught her attention completely. His thick hair curled slightly at the ends, giving him an air of understated elegance and effortless style.

His glasses were gone, allowing her to clearly see his facial features for the first time.

As she had expected, they were nothing short of exquisite. He wasn't conventionally handsome or beautiful but possessed a captivating blend of both. The charm of his face seemed to transcend gender, surpassing that of any idol she had ever seen on TV.

Under the warm light, his skin appeared dazzlingly pale, rivaling the complexion of a porcelain doll. Combined with his slender frame, he exuded an air of delicate, almost ethereal fragility.

Looking at that face, Utaha suddenly felt a little confused.

She felt a sense of disobedience that came from nowhere.

She couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, but she felt inexplicably bothered by it.

Something about his face just didn't seem right.

Suddenly, Roy turned his head.

Their eyes met, and Utaha's delicate body trembled instinctively, as though she were being stared at by something dangerous. A sense of panic rose from deep within her.

For some reason, his blood-red pupils seemed far more sinister in that moment. Against the backdrop of those pupils, his expression appeared less gentle and more detached than it had during the day.

"You're here," Roy said, noticing her sitting near the stove.

He put on his glasses again, and a smile appeared on his face.

As soon as that gentle smile appeared, the cold aura around him vanished without a trace, and his temperament softened, becoming gentle once more.

"Just sleep in the side-bedroom tonight."

Utaha felt a little uncomfortable with his rapid transformation, but she didn't dwell on it.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thankfully, Roy hadn't suggested she sleep with him.

As a refugee, she understood how low her status was in this world. Judging from the shelter's attitude, refugees had no value, and even the slightest offense could cost them their lives.

If Roy had demanded she share his bed tonight, she would have had no choice but to comply. Refusing could have meant death.

And who knew if Magus possessed abilities like hypnosis?

Thankfully, Roy hadn't done anything of the sort, which made her feel more at ease.

Utaha silently felt fortunate that the master she served wasn't the type to be ruled by lust.

Under Roy's arrangement, she was given a side-bedroom. Though it was a side-bedroom, it was larger than the master bedroom of most families and came fully equipped with a bed, bedding, and a wardrobe.

After turning off the lights, Utaha lay in bed, her thoughts tangled.

She remembered how, at the shelter, the golden-haired, dark-skinned magician had seemed captivated by her beauty and had planned to take her with him.

Then Roy had appeared and taken her away, claiming to like her.

But now that she was here, Roy had done nothing.

If he had wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to resist. There was no need for him to pretend to be a gentleman. This meant Roy genuinely had no such intentions.

She didn't expect—or want—him to do anything, but the situation puzzled her.

If he had no interest, why had Roy gone out of his way to take her from the dark-skinned Magus?

To be honest, she hadn't liked the other magician either. The way he had looked at her was as though she were a commodity, not a person.

In comparison, Roy was much more gentlemanly. Naturally, if she had to choose, she would rather be Roy's servant.

Her thoughts briefly turned to Aki Tomoya. She wondered how he was doing but assumed that, as a man, he wouldn't be in as precarious a situation as hers.

The day had been long and exhausting. Her mind soon became a jumbled mess, and she drifted off into a restless sleep.

"I hope I wake up tomorrow and find out this was all just a dream..."

---

Night.

After settling Utaha in her room, Roy grabbed a bottle of wine and sat alone on the eaves.

He gazed up at the sky. Dark clouds stretched endlessly, completely obscuring the moon.

Drinking under the moonlight felt like a distant luxury.

He tilted his head back and gulped down the wine. The fiery taste stimulated his senses, burning its way from his throat to his stomach. Despite his gentlemanly appearance, his manner of drinking was surprisingly casual.

"It's almost time to begin..." he murmured.

Late at night.

Roy changed into a black robe and donned a mask that completely concealed his face. Only his blood-red pupils were visible, standing out sharply against the darkness of his attire.

Without the obstruction of his glasses, his eyes appeared far sharper and colder than they had during the day.

Silent as a shadow, his figure melted into the darkness.

On the west side of Fuyuki City stood a small hill, less than a hundred meters high. The only way to reach the top was a long staircase at the front of the hill.

This place was known as Mount Enzou.

There had once been a temple on this hill, called Ryuudou Temple. However, during the disaster ten years ago, the temple had been consumed by flames, along with the abbot and his family who had resided there. Even now, the area remained a patch of scorched earth.

"There are quite a few barriers here," the man in black muttered, standing at the foot of the mountain. His approach had been entirely unnoticed, leaving no trace to alarm anyone.

"But they're meaningless."

A faint, sinister smile formed under his mask, and his tone dripped with malice.

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

In the darkness, his pupils gleamed with a jewel-like light.