28 Chapter 9: Why are you here? [5]

[A/N: Okay guyz, maybe some are wondering when is this 'title' going to end?

Well, this is the last one of the 'Why are you here?' series! I'll move on to the Date Arc next.

Also, this novel had officially hit 1Million views a few hours ago so yeah! Tnx guyz!

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Anyways, I'll make this short, and here's the chap]

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"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!"

From the direction of the corridor, he heard the screams of a female student.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

As he walked while taking a look, he saw that a few students had gathered in the corridor.

In their center, he noticed a woman wearing a white coat collapsed on the floor.

"What happened here?"

Rei asked, and a female student nearby hurriedly answered.

"I-It seems she's a new teacher, and... she suddenly fell...!"

Rei in response just observed for a brief moment.

It wasn't really his business in the first place to intervene but what is done is done. Also, why scream to attract attention instead of helping the woman immediately herself?

The other students were just watching them only with interest or curiosity about what's happening.

Rei who could see this secretly heaved a disappointed sigh, not that he was any better at the moment though. Pushing those things aside, at the same time he also thought about what would he cook for his main dinner for tonight which is completely different from the matter before him.

'Curry or Steak?'

As he was thinking about this, the girl hurriedly spoke.

"I don't really understand, but for now let's get the nurse—"

As the girl started to speak, the collapsed woman in the white coat grabbed his leg.

"Kyaaa!" The girl once more, screamed in surprise.

"Huh?"

Rei in response just quivered his brows as he felt the woman grabbing his leg.

"...Don't worry about me. I just tripped."

While speaking, the woman slowly raised her face which had been attached to the floor.

"Oh... so it's you, huh," Rei muttered in a very low tone.

Long bangs, and thick circles. She was wearing glasses, but there was no way Rei could forget those facial features.

She is more or less familiar to him.

Among the lore within this world's story. She could be more or less considered to be the final boss as well as a sacrificial or abandoned heroine—of some sorts.

The woman then adjusted her glasses as he she stared right back at Rei and said, "...Hn? Ahh, you are?"

The woman—<Fraxinus>'s Analysis Officer, Murasame Reine, slowly picked herself off the ground. Also known as Mio Takamiya, <Deus>, the Primordial or First Spirit that appeared on this world.

Upon making eye contact with each other, Rei then saw her eyes piercing through him. It was as if she was 'analyzing' him which unexpectedly made him slightly uncomfortable.

'She already knows me huh'

But it wasn't surprising though. If Ratatoskr had been keeping him in check, then his identity as a student here was a dead giveaway. He already expected it in the first place.

'Well, after the incident yesterday, knowing me playing here the role as a student was a given. They might even already know about me even before yesterday if I may presume'

In his thoughts that were swirling in his mind, Rei decided to be blunt in a sense and asked not minding the people around him.

"What are you doing at this place...?"

"...Can't you tell by looking? I'm a teacher. In particular I will be teaching physics, as well as taking the position of assistant homeroom teacher for class 2-4"

While displaying the nametag on her chest whose name written is "Murasame Reine", she replied. Incidentally, the stuffed bear covered in scars peeked out of her breast pocket directly above it.

Rei wondered why she even told him that much information. Well, not like there's a problem though.

On contrary, it's a normal introduction if you were to introduce yourself as a new teacher to your students.

He then stretched out his hand and helped Reine up.

"...Nn, thanks"

"No problem. Then, I'll go now"

After helping her back up, Rei then started to walk away but was suddenly held back by Reine as she grabbed his arm.

"Wait"

"What? I still have things to do after this, so could you please let go of my arm?"

Turning his head, he asked with a somewhat irritated tone. Not that she noticed or maybe she just ignored it and just continued.

"Come with me first, Rei. No, <Seraph>," Reine said in low voice which Rei was the only able to hear it.

As soon as Rei heard her say 'that', he immediately narrowed his gaze upon her and then responded.

"And why should I do that?"

It was quite a rude remark but Reine didn't falter as she smoothly told back him back her response.

"Just come. It won't take much of your time. And it would certainly be worth it and would pique your interest"

Without avail not even waiting for Rei's response, she started to walk forward as if expecting Rei to agree with what she said.

And she was correct, it did piqued Rei's interest albeit shortly so he followed her wondering what it was.

'What is she thinking when she decided to make that move?' Rei wondered in his mind.

What Reine just did would be akin to an open provocation—or something like that. Nothing exaggerated really but it really just sounded like that to Rei.

Threatening—or convincing him by mentioning his codename—or rather, mentioning his identity surely won her the argument right from the very start whether it would or wouldn't catch his interest.

In other words, it caught his interest.

'Either way, it's not like she would do something big here anyways,' With those thoughts, he moved his feet.

Matching Reine's pace, they plodded away.

"So? Would you mind answering my question, Murasame-san? What is your goal here to be exact?"

Instead of giving him a proper answer, Reine just seemed to ignore his question as she directed the topic to something else.

"...Nn, ahh, just Reine is fine"

"Huh?"

"...I will also call you by your name. They say coordination and cooperation is born from trust"

Hearing those words, Rei couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion.

'What the hell are you talking about? Trust? Coordination and cooperation? Huh?'

Reine nodded a few times, and looked at Rei's face.

"Uhm, you were... Rie, was it?" Reine said as she tilted her head slightly.

"No. It's Rei," Rei corrected.

"Un. Got it, Rie"

"It's Rei..."

"Okay, Rei"

Finally, Reine finally managed to say his name properly.

And surprisingly, Reine knew his name (which she was wrong at the first and second attempt but it is what it is) even though he didn't really introduce himself but shrugged it off when he remembered that she was a 'teacher' so it was normal to know your students' names.

"Yeah... So your not going to waste my time accompanying you, would you? Even if I'm a student, I still have a handful of work waiting for me," Rei said.

What he said was true. There was no lies within those words. There are many things that he needs to do... well, most of it are just trivial things to be honest.

As Rei picked his phone wondering what his schedule was for today, Reine then responded.

"Of course I wouldn't. And I think what I'll propose to you might pique not just your interest but could your trust as well along the way"

Yes, there was the topic of interest but there wasn't anything like trust apparent here.

They both knew that themselves.

Yet why mention trust in the first place?

For Rei, this was slightly confusing as for what the goal of this woman is.

Today was a day that could really described as not great but not bad either. To be exact, this day was filled with surprises. While leisurely thinking about such a thing, they reached their destination.

Moving here and there, they finally stopped at the East school building's fourth floor. They halted their steps in front of a door with the sign above stating 'Physics Preparation Room'.

Opening the door, Reine then took a short glance at Rei and then said, "Come in," while gesturing her hands at him.

Immediately after, he frowned and rubbed his eyes looking at the sight right before him. He halted his steps entering inside and asked.

"...Hey."

"...What?"

Reine responded to Rei's words by tilting her head.

"What's with this room? Is this even authorized?"

The physics preparation room was not a place that students normally entered, and in fact, Rei had no idea what it contained since he was a transfer student himself but he at least had an idea about .

But even then, he clearly realized.

—That this was not the physics preparation room.

After all, Rei's vision was filled with a large number of computers, displays, and various electronic devices that he had never seen before.

Reminiscing from his memories about this scene, Rei could say that he really gave of a very good performance of acting shocked about the appearance of this place.

"...They're the room's equipment?"

"Why are you answering with a question? Or rather before that, isn't this the physics preparation room? Also, I remember that there should be a teacher in charge for this place"

That's right. Originally, this was supposed to be the only place other than the toilet where the kind and plain elderly physics teacher Chousoka Beshiyouichi could relax.

[A/N: I don't know who the fck he is but it is based from the source material (LN) so I really have no say in it guyz haha]

This fact was somewhat popular in this school which even Rei had caught wind in when he just started his first day here. Even so, Rei found this weird but he had taken note of it in his mind but he didn't expect it to be used right at this very moment.

Now, teacher Chousoka Beshiyouichi's figure could not be seen anywhere.

"..Ahh, him. Hmm"

Reine placed her hand on her chin and gave a small nod.

Rei stared at her with a blank expression.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Just like that, a few seconds passed.

"...Oh well, even if you stand there it won't change anything. Please enter."

"What's after 'hmm'!?"

What an amazing ignoring ability. It's a skill that Japanese people should definitely learn nowadays.

[A/N: Well.... it's written in 2010 so yeah.... Ignoring is a skill eh... Anyways, this is not a reliable source of info since it's a decade late so bruh...]

And so, as soon as they entered the room, Reine once again shifted the topic on another direction and asked.

"....Nevermind that. Did what I show you piqued your interest"

"..."

"..."

"Hah.... It did. You win, okay? So, what's the real reason why you brought me here? I'll at least listen to it before going"

"Un," Reine nodded as she sat down on a chair and began typing something on the keyboard.

Rei doesn't know what she was doing and wondered if his words before were just ignored or not.

A few seconds later, after pressing the enter key, she turned her head towards Rei as she crossed her arms which significantly highlighted her big 'assets'.

Noticing this, Rei apparently did nothing of some sort but just looked at her amusedly wondering what she would say next.

It's not like it had affected him even a little... probably. No, it did. He is still a healthy adolescent teenager after all.

"...Now then Rei, no, <Seraph>. This might be sudden...." Reine halted her words as she nodded to herself for a second as if she was distracted for a moment.

Breaking his attention on her 'assets', he then put his focus on why Reine paused as he urged her to continue.

"But?"

"Could you give your aid to <Ratatoskr>? No, to be exact, give your aid to Itsuka Shidou if the time arises"

'So in the end, it came to that, huh,' Rei thought to himself and yet he feigned ignorance over the matter and asked 'curiously', "Aid? For what exactly?"

"Aid, for sealing—no, saving Spirits like you"

"....."

'Save Spirits huh? You of all people would ask me that? Ridiculous'

Saving— or Sealing the powers of Spirits within Shidou's body was just a part of the great act staged by her, <Deus>, or Murasame Reine.

It wouldn't be even an exaggeration if she were to devise her long awaited plan that would've began when Shidou had sealed his first Spirit. And Rei's existence himself added a big clog on that.

'She might be assessing me whether if I were get in her way or not. In other words, she was evaluating me whether I would became an enemy of hers or not,' Rei thought to himself as he mused at the fact before adding another line of his thought.

'Well, we are probably thinking along the same things in our minds after all...' Rei chuckled.

With that in mind he responded, "Then I decline. Why should I even do that in the first place? Besides, what's in it for me even I were to accept it?"

"Hm... You're right, there's nothing much really considering the data we've gathered towards you, we still don't know what are the things you seek as of now"

Rei slightly widened his eyes albeit shortly after retracting it back to its normal state before answering amusedly right back at her.

"Are you sure about revealing that fact? That you are observing me or something?"

"...No, it's okay. And I already have a hunch that you already know about it even if I didn't mention it to you, right?"

"Hm? How could you say so? What if I didn't really know about it and you just revealed something that shouldn't be? Isn't it bad or rather—a demerit for you?"

"Un. Then there's nothing else I could do about it. After all, the damage is already done"

"...that's it?"

"Nn," she just nodded.

"...."

"...."

"...."

"...."

And silence dominated their conversation once again.

After a few seconds, Rei sighed and then said.

"I am wondering whether you are just an airhead or someone who is smart enough to make things complicated to the people you talk with"

"Maybe both?"

"Yes, maybe it is," Rei gestured and then continued, "So? What can you offer or give to me as an exchange if I were to give my aid to you guys?"

"...."

Reine remained silent for a brief moment as she was thinking deeply of something. And then a few seconds later, Rei became dumbfounded as he heard what her answer was.

"Hmm.... Then how about me myself?"

"What...?"

Rei.exe somehow stopped working.... Jokes aside, this left Rei speechless for the next few seconds wondering what the heck is this woman thinking off.

He was confused and baffled and it really showed on his face right at this very moment.

Noticing his confusion and bafflement, "Nn," She just nodded.

"...do you know what that means? Tsk. Anyways, that wouldn't be too bad but I'm not some scoundrel to accept your body as an exchange. I still follow the basic laws

"But human laws and thinking don't really apply to Spirits do they?"

"...Oh? Now that I think about it, you're correct... wait. Oi, don't tempt me lady, or I might just really do it," Rei threatened.

But that resulted to a failure nonetheless.

Disregarding his threat just as if it was nothing, Reine asked, "Nn. So, how about it?"

"...."

"...."

"...."

"...."

Silence then once more engulfed the room, and Rei was visibly having a visible frown on his face. He pondered what was this woman's true goal is....

No, he knows best what her true goal is.

But he didn't expect to do things that are too risky or rather, in desperate lengths in order to achieve that goal.

'Is she really that serious? Enough to offer herself just to let her plans of Shidou sealing the Spirits power in order for him, in other words, for Shinji, to be with her once again?'

Devoted.

That was the first word that acme out of his mind if he were to describe who Murasame Reine—Mio Takamiya was in his mind despite the countless inhuman acts and cruelty that she did to others during this past 30 years.

Mainly turning humans into Spirits and causing some of them to 'die' and 'suffer' in the process.

As soon as he was about to give his answer—

"Reine, are you in? We're here already, I'm coming in!" A cheerful voice came from the door of the room and interrupted him.

Noticing this, Rei then said back to Reine, "It seems that I'll leave my answer to your question as blank for the moment"

"....So you still consider my offer valid?" Reine inquired which Rei shrugged.

"Who knows?"

Rei replied vaguely which Reine reacted with her usual nod.

With that said, Rei then moved towards the door and opened it.

"Reine, we will come i— eh?"

And what greeted him was a red-haired girl with her hair tied in twintails with ribbons.

"Yo, still suffering from some burns ain't you? Is your body alright now, Kotori?" Rei asked casually sounding 'concerned' towards her.

On the other hand, the girl, Kotori, widened her eyes in surprise and quickly scanned the room to check whether Reine was here or not.

She entered and finally found her for a second sitting in a chair while crossing her arms she said hello to Kotori.

Seeing that, Kotori gave off a relieved sigh.

"Erm... Ainsworth-san? Why are you here?"

Alongside her, Shidou was momentarily paralyzed meeting seeing Rei located in from the physics room.

Shidou wondered why is he brought here even though Kotori herself told him that she would bring him to their temporary 'training center'.

Rei on the other didn't put much of his mind on it and came up with an excuse on the spot.

"It's nothing, just a brief student consultation with the new Assistant Teacher of our class," Rei responded lazily as he passed by them in a agile manner.

"Eh...?" Shidou tilted his head in confusion about what Rei meant by that.

'What? Student Consultation? Assistant Teacher?'

And on the other hand....

"You—"

Before Kotori could even call him out, she then noticed that he had already disappeared from the place. And it all left them speechless, except for Reine, in response.

What Rei just basically did was that he opened a invisible [Gate] in succession as he was speaking his last words to them.

It only took him a mere second to create it which he entered in a split second making him like he wasn't even there in the first place.

It brought him in the back alleys located in the middle of Tenguu City.

"Now then..."

Continuing his steps, he then found himself in front of a crowded street filled with people here and there.

Along the way, Rei began to make a brief summary of this day's events in his head as he began to walk forward.

In conclusion....

'This day is definitely weird,' that is what he thought.

Rei couldn't help but ponder if this could be called good or bad but anyways. He would retract the thing that he was thinking over that this day wasn't great or anything.

It wouldn't be weird if some call him an idiot or something by having contractions on his thinking and choices, but everybody had surely put themselves most likely once or twice in their life in situations similar to this.

So in conclusion, he wouldn't deny that this day was somehow.... 'Great'.

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[A/N: Weird chap, I know right? But it is intended, so don't mind it too much. Especially, about the conversation of Rei and Reine. As far as I know, Reine-or Mio to be exact has that personality which could be considered an airhead yet cunning at the same time.

[Spoiler Warning]

She will do everything at her disposal to be with Shinji—or who Shidou was in the past, once again.

Well, that's how she was portrayed in the novels but it's not to the point that she would offer her body I think? Okay, this is some BS I made so please spare me from your criticisms and insults.... It was in order to make the story interesting guyz..... pls spare me...

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Anyways, this chap is mainly a somewhat boring chap in order to sort out the MC's interaction with other characters. This mainly shows his interactions which had completely diverged from the original, so yeah...

The main parts of this arc would happen in the next chaps.

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And you know what that means, right?

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Now then, I have an announcement to make. I am not sure if I could release a chap next week since some of my exams were coming up. Need to study up okay.

This was also the reason this chap was long (3.6k words is already long in my opinion).

Also, this length of the chap would be normally be split into 2 chaps in my opinion (since there is an average of 1.7k-1.8k words per chap on the chaps I release).

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This is definitely sure, but the next update won't take over 10 days or so,... probably.

But expect a double or triple release on the next update. I'll write if I have time so yeah.

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With that said, peace out~]