The moment the door opened, Yoru Moonshadow's fist shot forward.
"You "
His lips twisted in fury, but his voice caught in his throat. At the last second, he managed to halt his punch just inches before it landed on a beautiful face. The wind pressure from the strike fluttered the girl's bangs slightly.
For a moment, her expression faltered in surprise and alarm, but she quickly returned to her usual calm and aloof demeanor.
"What do you think you're doing? Following a beautiful girl like me all the way here? Planning to break in and do unspeakable things? I've already called the police, you creep."
Her icy blue eyes remained as cold as ever. Her sakura-pink lips delivered the accusation in a flat, unimpressed tone, her words tinged with a touch of narcissism. She raised her phone. The call was already made or maybe it had just ended.
Yoru's mouth twitched awkwardly. He hadn't even opened his mouth yet when Yukino Yukinoshita spoke again.
"Your apartment is across the hall."
That same indifferent tone. That same indifferent face. Yet there was a clear note of annoyance in her voice.
"Hah? What the hell are you talking about? It's the third unit on the right after you get off the elevator, obviously "
Yoru's scowl deepened, but before he could finish, Yukino interrupted.
"Did you even take the right elevator?"
She gave him a look usually reserved for idiots. Smart as she was, she'd already pieced everything together.
Yoru paused for a moment. Then it clicked.
The elevator he usually used was out of order. There were two elevators in the building, on opposite sides of the corridor. Since he took the other one this time, he'd followed his usual path from memory and ended up at the wrong door, the one across from his actual apartment.
How embarrassing.
Wait... she's his next-door neighbor? Why had he never seen her before?
Oh, right. Their schedules probably never lined up. After all, his lifestyle was completely opposite of an elite model student like Yukino Yukinoshita. They likely passed each other without ever realizing it.
"…By the way, are you alright?"
Her elegant brows furrowed slightly. Her voice softened a touch as she noticed the gauze wrapped around Yoru's body. Several bandages were bloodstained, some even starting to unravel from the strain of the heavy bags he was carrying.
Yoru paused at her words.
"Me? I'm fine."
He replied with a nonchalant tone and forced a smile, putting on the stoicism of a man. Without missing a beat, he turned to gather his bags and headed toward his real apartment.
The moment he turned away, however, a cold sweat poured down his back.
Fine? Like hell he was. It hurt like crazy.
But there was no way he was going to show weakness in front of this proud and condescending girl.
Damn woman!
Why the grudge? Because thanks to her, he was now painfully aware of all the injuries he'd been ignoring.
The distraction of returning home and diving headfirst into the world of anime had dulled his senses. He'd essentially anesthetized himself. But the moment she brought it up, reality came crashing back in, and so did the pain. All of it.
He pressed the keypad on his actual door. This time, a soft electronic chime confirmed the code was correct. The mechanical locks disengaged.
The door opened.
Bang!
He shut it with a bit too much force.
Finally alone, the unflappable Demon King facade crumbled.
"What a fragile body…"
He sighed.
Honestly, if he wanted to, he could easily rebuild himself a stronger body. How? By pulling materials from the Demon King's Ring.
But therein lay the problem.
Right now, opening the Demon King's Ring was a serious hassle. This body was as normal as it got a plain, powerless human shell. Without mana, he couldn't even access the ring.
Technically, he didn't need magic to use it. A strong enough soul force could do the trick.
And his current soul wasn't the same feeble thing it once was. It had endured the trials of ninety-nine worlds, tempered into the soul of a true Demon King.
So what was the holdup?
Simple. This human body was too mundane. And, for some reason, this world itself seemed to suppress all supernatural power. His soul was sealed he couldn't use even a shred of it.
That seal wasn't absolute. If his soul left his body, it could break free.
How?
Just die.
Kill the host body, and the soul would be liberated. But the moment he died, this fragile shell would collapse like an overinflated balloon popped by a needle, the pressure inside would explode outward and shred it to pieces.
Besides, there was no need to release such power in a peaceful world like this.
And this body… wasn't just any vessel. It was his original human body. Not one he stole. Not one he reincarnated into. The body his mother gave him at birth. His only true human form.
Could he really just throw it away?
Of course not.
He flipped on the lights in the apartment.
From the entrance, several doors were visible. Three clearly led to bedrooms. The doors along the hallway were probably the bathroom and washroom. At the end of the corridor, where the light shone brightest, was the combined living and dining area.
A classic 3LDK layout.
Come to think of it, how could someone like him afford a place like this?
Did Eriri's dad help him out?
Please. He wasn't shameless enough to freeload like that.
Did his family send money?
Hah. As if. They hadn't contacted him in years.
The money was his. Earned with his own hands.
From a certain… niche hobby. One that aligned suspiciously well with a certain twin-tailed blonde.
Enough about that.
It was time to dive into the world of 2D.
Anime. Games. Manga. Light novels.
Time to make up for years of hunger and longing.
"Eh? So that's how it was…"
"What? The heroine DIED? This isn't some kind of twist, it's a betrayal!"
"No, no, the animation quality this season is garbage!"
Mutterings echoed through the apartment. Anger. Joy. Sorrow. Frustration. Sighs. Shock. If someone overheard, they might think a lunatic lived there.
And honestly? They wouldn't be wrong.
Under the glow of the apartment lights, Yoru's night of indulgence was just getting started.
It was supposed to last until dawn.
But then, an uninvited guest arrived.
A guest Yoru really didn't get along with.
A certain teacher from school.
The two of them had been at odds for a while now, locked in a never-ending game of cat and mouse.