(I haven't treated you as an outsider! Raize is a good friend and companion who cares about me. But the suffering you endure being close to me is because of me. I don't want you to get hurt.)
(I don't!)
Eu, who had been looking directly at Raize, lowered her gaze, gently biting her lip. She held her notebook up in front of her as if to shield her emotions.
It seemed Raize's efforts weren't in vain. Eu liked living in this house very much and was grateful to Raize for helping her resolve her troubles. Because of Raize, she also saw hope for a solution to her heavy burden of power.
Treat Raize as an outsider? Eu absolutely wasn't thinking that way now. Her kindness would show even towards strangers, let alone someone she cared about.
At the very least, Eu's current communication didn't hide her inner thoughts. It was because she cared that she didn't want Raize to suffer misfortune because of her.
Eu felt that besides bringing trouble and misfortune to Raize, she hadn't brought him any luck. Having given nothing, how could she accept Raize's kindness with a clear conscience?
"...I haven't suffered any hardships since meeting you. Do you think I'm so weak that I'd face misfortune because of your power?"
Raize sighed, turned his head back to the TV, picked up an orange from the plate on the living room table, and used the power of Reject Phenomena in his palm to expel any unwanted substances. He popped the entire orange into his mouth in one bite.
Feeling the sweet and sour taste in his mouth, his heart felt a bit sour too. He somewhat understood the King of the Night's feelings now. This girl was simply too kind.
"..."
Eu also silently turned her gaze back to the TV, not responding to Raize's words. She was a bit unsure how to reply.
Although Raize grew stronger at a cheater-like pace every day, in a direct fight without her using her words of power, Raize could defeat her easily.
Weak? She couldn't be called weak. But her power did affect the fate lines of those close to her. Saying it brought calamity was no joke.
Even gods could be greatly influenced by fate. Those who thought they could defy the heavens were merely being controlled by an even greater destiny.
Unless Raize possessed that massive fate (causal) line she had sensed suddenly descending upon this world. That kind of existence's fate line was something Eu absolutely could not affect.
"Eh! Raize, you're back already? The matter was resolved that quickly?"
Haruna, having returned from the bathroom, now saw Laffey lazily lying on the sofa, and Raize and Eu sitting together. Haruna wasn't stupid; after Sei's earlier words, she had guessed Raize had gone to fight.
Haruna's sudden appearance made Eu and Raize exchange a glance. Finally, Raize stood up and headed towards the stairs, calling to Haruna as he went:
"Haruna, come with me for a moment. I have something important to discuss with you."
"What important thing..."
Haruna's carefree expression immediately turned a bit strange. The large ahoge on her head twitched slightly. She looked at Raize's retreating back and followed him upstairs.
Following Raize into his room, Haruna immediately saw Raize sitting expressionlessly before the computer chair, looking at her with an inexplicable gaze.
Before Haruna could react to anything, Raize casually waved a hand, closing the door behind her, then setting up a soundproofing barrier.
This sudden action startled Haruna, even making the ahoge on her head stand on end. She looked at Raize warily.
"R-Raize! What do you want to do?!"
After all, this sudden door-closing and barrier-setting was quite misleading.
But Raize paid no mind to Haruna's wild thoughts. With a cold face, he spoke:
"Formally notifying you of one thing: from now on, you are not to have any further contact with Ariel."
"Eh... Hah? Stupid Raize, what kind of nonsense are you talking? Why shouldn't I contact Master?"
Hearing this, Haruna's face froze for a moment. Then, upon processing it, her expression immediately became angry and puzzled by Raize's inexplicable demand.
"Because I have formed a death feud with the 'Master' you speak of! I just went out, killed her childhood friend, and also killed her once."
Raize replied with an expressionless, detached tone, showing no intention of hiding anything, directly telling Haruna the reason.
Hearing Raize's words, Haruna initially thought he was joking with her. She opened her mouth to retort, but upon seeing Raize's detached expression and his serious, icy gaze, she found she couldn't speak.
The Raize before her... was not joking at all!
According to his words, Raize had formed a death feud with Master, killed her childhood friend, and killed Master once.
"...You killed Master Ariel?"
Haruna's face became extremely somber. Connecting it with Raize's earlier statement forbidding her from contacting Master, yet also saying he killed Master once... Just what was...
"Killed her once. You're not unfamiliar with this thing called a Biological Orb, are you? She escaped using that."
Raize casually took out the Biological Orb he had obtained from Kyoko last time from his backpack space, playing with it in his hand in front of Haruna.
Then, in the following moments, Raize told Haruna the entire sequence of events, leaving nothing out.
The cause, process, and result of his recent outing, as well as the matters concerning Haruna herself, were all told to the Magical Girl whose emotions were beginning to churn violently.
"...You're saying Master is planning to rebel against the Queen of Velliers again, and I am Master's ultimate weapon to use against the Queen of Velliers?"
After hearing everything, Haruna felt utterly terrible inside and out. Besides her 'genius' setting, she actually had this kind of background?
Raize had just gone out and killed the Demon Baron. The Demon Baron was the male figure Haruna respected most in Velliers, and he had just been killed by Raize.
The Master who had been so kind to her... also had ulterior motives for her?
No... This can't be true! Absolutely not!
But is it false? Is Raize lying to her? Does he have any reason to deceive her?
Master Ariel has taught thousands of students. Even if she is a genius, it wouldn't warrant that much special attention from Ariel. Velliers isn't lacking in geniuses. So, what other special quality does she possess that makes Master pay such close attention to her?
Haruna's intelligent mind was racing at high speed. She wasn't stupid at all. Although she wanted to deny the words Raize had spoken, the truth her reasoning uncovered was impossible to ignore.