ALL NOVEL Chapter 24: Myself
Sawamura Eriri was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Sawamura family, and her father was a diplomat. She was undoubtedly part of the wealthy second generation, so money was never an issue for her. Although 200,000 yen wasn't a small sum, it was something Eriri could easily afford. Without hesitation, she quickly transferred the money to Ryuji Hoshino.
"Is it okay now?" she asked.
"Of course!" Ryuji replied, glancing at the transfer notification on his phone before giving a satisfied nod. He then waved his hand casually in Eriri's direction using his soul devouring ability to absorb the lingering negative energy on her. "It's done."
"???"
Wait, what? That quickly? Eriri was stunned. Was he joking? She wasn't sure whether to trust him. Even Utaha, who was standing nearby, gave Ryuji a suspicious look.
"I've already cleared the negative energy that the Skeleton Woman left on you. You should feel a lot lighter now," Ryuji explained calmly.
"???"
Eriri blinked in confusion but soon started to realize something. After taking a moment to check herself, her expression shifted to one of surprise.
"It's true!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up. The heavy, gloomy feeling that had been weighing her down all night was completely gone. She felt light and refreshed, as if all the fatigue from her sleepless night had simply vanished.
Ryuji had simply waved his hand, and just like that, she was cured. It was incredible. But wait... something didn't feel right.
"Hold on," Utaha, who had been watching the entire time, spoke up with a thoughtful look on her face. "What would have happened if we hadn't dealt with this negative energy?"
That was a question they hadn't considered earlier.
Ryuji shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "It's nothing too serious. At worst, you would have to see the Skeleton Woman every time you closed your eyes. You wouldn't be able to sleep, and you'd eventually become mentally exhausted, paranoid, and maybe even lose your sanity. But you wouldn't die."
His tone was so nonchalant it made the situation sound far less terrifying than it actually was.
"Wait, what?" Utaha's eyes widened. "That's really scary! What do you mean 'you won't die'? That's way too light!"
Without missing a beat, Utaha immediately requested, "Please help me clear mine too!"
As a bestselling author, she wasn't short on money, so 200,000 yen was nothing she couldn't handle. She quickly made the transfer without hesitation.
Ryuji, of course, took the payment and performed the same "cleansing" for her. With another casual wave of his hand, Utaha felt the weight lift off her shoulders.
As for Megumi, she remained silent. Coming from an ordinary family, she didn't have the luxury of being able to shell out 200,000 yen on a whim. But despite her financial situation, Megumi didn't seem too worried, maintaining her usual calm and composed demeanor.
"How about I help you pay for it?" Utaha offered, feeling somewhat guilty. After all, if they hadn't dragged Megumi along last night, she wouldn't have encountered the Skeleton Woman in the first place. It felt like her responsibility to help Megumi cover the cost.
"No need," Megumi interrupted, shaking her head firmly. Her calm smile never wavered. "Don't worry about me."
Seeing Megumi's composed attitude, Utaha relaxed a little. Since Ryuji was here because of Megumi's call, she assumed they had some kind of relationship. Perhaps Megumi didn't need to pay because they were friends.
"Wait a second!" Eriri suddenly exclaimed, as if something had just dawned on her. "While I'm grateful you helped clear my negative energy, what I really wanted from the start was for you to help Tomoya!"
Ryuji smiled knowingly. He had expected this.
"But," he said with a shrug, "I don't think saving him is really necessary."
Both Eriri and Utaha looked at him, puzzled.
"According to what you told me, Tomoya Aki has been entangled with the Skeleton Woman for quite some time, and she's already drained a significant amount of his energy. Even if I get rid of her now, he won't have much life left." (How he knows all these still baffles me, but yeah let's just assume it's the MC privilege heh)
In the supernatural sense, energy is closely tied to one's life force. Losing too much of it meant his days were numbered.
"This…" Eriri and Utaha were both taken aback. They hadn't realized just how dire Tomoya's situation was.
Seeing their silent shock, Ryuji continued, "Don't feel too guilty. The Skeleton Woman doesn't attach to someone without their own cooperation. Even if you pick up her token, as long as your willpower is strong enough, you won't fall victim to her. The Skeleton Woman merely amplifies the impulses already lurking in her target's heart."
In other words, Tomoya's weakness and lack of resolve had made him an easy target. If he had been stronger mentally, this wouldn't have happened to him.
"..." Both girls fell silent. They knew Tomoya well, and it was no secret that his willpower wasn't exactly ironclad. In the end, this situation was partly his own fault.
"Hah!" Utaha sighed, letting the tension drain away from her body. "Well, that doesn't mean we shouldn't still try to save him."
The thought of Tomoya and the supernatural events tied to him made her feel nauseous. It was time to leave that chapter behind. She'd try to see this as her opportunity to move on.
"And me as well!" Eriri added, her voice firm. Despite everything, she and Tomoya had been childhood friends, and no matter what, she wasn't going to abandon him now.
"Since you both feel that way, I'll handle it," Ryuji said with a shrug, unfazed. In fact, he was already thinking about the benefits. Clearing out the Skeleton Woman from Tomoya would allow him to devour another spirit and further increase his strength.
But then, he smirked. "Two million yen."
"... What?!"
Both Eriri and Utaha were caught off guard.
Of course, the money still needed to be earned, and he was going to multiply it by ten this time! The somewhat solemn atmosphere was immediately shattered.
"So expensive?!" Now they didn't feel like saving him anymore! But in the end, the money was transferred.
Looking at the balance displayed on his phone, Ryuji was quite satisfied. Not bad!" Alright then, let's meet at the school gate after classes this evening. "Yeah!"
After agreeing on the time, Eriri and Utaha left. However, Megumi stayed behind, staring quietly at Ryuji.
"Well, I'll head back and wait for you!" Sensing that Megumi had something to say, Miko, who had been present until then, didn't seem to mind. After saying a quick word, she also left the rooftop.
For a moment, only Ryuji and Megumi remained on the vast rooftop. "Ryuji-kun's girlfriend is really pretty. "Looking in the direction Miko had left, Megumi suddenly spoke. Her tone seemed calm, but whether it was just Ryuji's imagination or not, there seemed to be a hint of jealousy in her voice.
It's the same old story. Even though it's a cliché, rescuing the damsel in distress really does work.
"What you should be concerned about now is the negative energy on your body.
"Ryuji hadn't yet cleansed the energy left by the Skeleton Woman from Megumi.
"I don't have 200,000 yen."Megumi shook her head honestly. Her family was ordinary; her parents were regular employees, and she wasn't an only child. She had plenty of daily expenses. She didn't have any side jobs either, so she really couldn't come up with 200,000 yen.
"So, what do you have? "Following his principle of not working for free, asked.
"Myself!"