A beautiful girl who transmigrates into a Herrscher of the Void is treated like an elf and conquered

"scared?"

This is incredible! They're definitely living together! And it seems there was even more "intense" interaction this morning?!

Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Shido's forehead was sweating. Just as he was about to explain, a voice rang out before he could.

"That's right! Shido!" Chiin suddenly stood up, his voice loud enough for most of the classroom to hear. "How many times have I told you! Don't always think about sneaking up on girls from behind to scare them! Look, you scared Tohka, didn't you? She instinctively elbowed you. Isn't that a reasonable and logical act of self-defense?"

As he spoke, he winked at Shido and Tohka, who were still in a daze.

Shido and Tohka were still a little confused, but seeing Senin winking at them, they vaguely understood that he was trying to help them out of the predicament. Shido quickly followed up, scratching his head sheepishly, "Ah...yes, yes, it was my fault, I won't do it again next time."

Tohka nodded blankly, "Um... don't scare me like that next time."

The students were stunned by Qian Yuan's "explanation." A scare from behind? A reflex elbow strike?

Although this reason sounds a bit far-fetched, even a bit childish, upon closer inspection... it seems more plausible than sensational news like "a beautiful transfer student in the class living with a boy and engaging in unspeakable acts," since the latter sounds more like an urban legend. Moreover, Chiin spoke with such righteous indignation, as if she had witnessed it herself.

"Oh, so that's how it is..."

"It's really not good to scare people from behind..."

"Wuhe, you're so careless..."

So, amidst a subtle sense of disappointment—"Oh, so that's all there is to it?" and "I got all excited for nothing"—and a self-persuasive feeling of "It seems reasonable enough," the gathered gazes gradually dispersed, and the students returned to their own topics in twos and threes, and the commotion in the classroom subsided.

Shido finally breathed a sigh of relief and gave Senin a look of immense gratitude.

Qianyuan received the signal, raised his chin smugly, and returned the look with a defiant glance: "No problem, with your godfather here, do you think you'll get yourself killed? You're a bastard!"

A potential public opinion crisis was cleverly resolved through Qian Yuan's witty and half-truthful "explanation".

Shido looked at Tohka, who was still somewhat bewildered but no longer nervous about being watched, and then at Senin, who sat back down with a "hidden merit and fame" expression. He felt a mix of emotions.

—This guy is actually quite reliable when it matters, even though he's usually a troublemaker and a complainer.

Chapter 201 Similar Types of Dishes

The lunch break bell is like a battle horn, announcing the arrival of the most "crisis-ridden" moment of the day.

Almost the instant the bell rang, two desks, with an undeniable air of authority, precisely moved closer from the left and right sides, and with two loud "bangs," they fit together seamlessly with Shido's desk, forming a temporary "dining table" with a subtly suggestive atmosphere.

On the right is Tohka, whose face practically screams "Dinner's ready!" On the left is Origami Tobiichi, whose expression is blank but whose actions are just as efficient.

"Shido! Lunch is ready!"

Tohka announced cheerfully, but then noticed the "uninvited guest" on her left. Her brows furrowed immediately, and her tone became displeased.

"...Huh? What? It's you again. You're bothering us."

Origami didn't even lift her eyelids, replying in her characteristically flat voice, "Those are my lines."

Caught in the middle, Shido instantly felt sharp, almost tangible gazes colliding violently in the air from both sides, as if he could hear a crackling sound of electricity.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he quickly raised his hands in a gesture of reassurance:

"Okay...okay, okay...calm down. Everyone...let's all eat together...lunch should be enjoyed..." His voice trembled slightly.

Perhaps it was Shido's persuasion that worked, or perhaps the temptation of the food was even greater, that Tohka and Origami reluctantly (as could be seen from their subtle body language) temporarily ceased their fighting and returned to their respective seats.

Then, in sync, both of them took out their lunch boxes from their backpacks.

Seeing this, Shido seemed to have found a lifeline and quickly took out his own lunchbox and placed it on the table.

As if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding, the three of them opened the lids of the bento boxes almost at the same time with a "click".

The air seemed to freeze.

Shido could clearly see that Origami's usually expressionless face had her blue eyes widen slightly for a moment.

His heart skipped a beat, and he instantly cursed himself for his carelessness!

Shido's bento box was prepared by him this morning.

Since his parents have been away from home for an extended period, taking care of his younger sister Kotori's meals has become his daily routine. (Although Kotori has barely eaten at home in the past month.)

Therefore, when Tohka became an extra diner at home, preparing a bento box for her became Shiri's natural responsibility.

Therefore, the result is obvious—

Origami's indifferent gaze, like the most precise scanner, moved back and forth several times between the dishes in Shido's bento box and the dishes in Tohka's bento box.

The two bento boxes were exactly the same, from the shape of the tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), the cuts of the sausage, the arrangement of the vegetables, and even the amount of sesame seeds sprinkled on the rice! It was practically a copy and paste!

"Huh? Wh...what? Even if you give me that look, I won't share with you!"

Tohka didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the problem. She was just puzzled and a little possessive of her food because Origami kept staring at her bento. She looked back at Origami in surprise.

Origami slowly shifted her gaze from the bento box to Shido's face, her voice steady yet carrying immense force:

"How is this going?"

"This...this is because..."

Shido's face instantly broke out in sticky sweat, his gaze began to drift uncontrollably, and his brain frantically tried to concoct a reasonable explanation.

"Actually... this is a bento I bought this morning at the bento shop! Yes! It's their best-selling bento! And, coincidentally, Tohka also bought the same one there... Haha, what a coincidence..."

Origami ruthlessly interrupted Shido's flawed explanation. She stretched out her fair fingers, picked up the lid of the bento box that Shido had placed upside down on the table, and showed the inside with the logo and pattern printed on it.

"This is a bento box that you bought for 1,580 yen at the 'Sundrug' discount store in front of the station 154 days ago and have been using ever since. It is definitely not a product of the bento store."

Shido was stunned, as if struck by lightning: "Why...why do you know so much?!"

This can't be explained by keen observation alone! This is an abnormal level of information mastery!

"That's not important," Origami said casually, putting the lid back in its place.

"No, that's actually a very serious problem!"

Shido screamed inwardly, but was intimidated by Origami's uncompromising tone and cold gaze, and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue, forcing their conversation to stop.

"Huh? What have you two been talking about since the beginning?! Don't sideline me!"

Left out in the cold, Tohka watched the strange atmosphere and encrypted conversation between Shido and Origami, puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, and loudly protested.

Her purple eyes were filled with confusion and resentment at being excluded.

Lunchtime proceeded with difficulty in an extremely strange and turbulent atmosphere.

Shido felt that the food in his mouth had lost its flavor, leaving only a bitter feeling of "embarrassment" and "crisis".

At this critical moment.

The prison took action. (So, I took action.)

Just as Shido was about to evaporate on the spot due to Origami's all-knowing, icy gaze and Tohka's bewildered and aggrieved questioning, feeling that lunch was about to turn into a public execution, a lazy yet heavenly voice interrupted.

"Hey, Shido, wanna share a table?"

Chiin strolled over with his own lunchbox and unceremoniously sat down in the empty seat directly in front of Shido, effectively blocking the confrontational gazes from his left and right.

He snapped open the lid of his bento box, revealing a menu that was almost identical to the one Shido and Tohka had prepared!

Senin seemed completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of tamagoyaki that looked exactly like the one in Shido's bento box, and stuffed it into her mouth. As she chewed, she said to Shido in the most natural tone:

"Oh, Shido, let's eat together. Hmm—this tastes really good! As expected of the bento shop that Tohka and I specifically asked you to buy from yesterday, the best-selling items are definitely reliable! Right, Tohka?"

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward Tohka, giving her a look that seemed to say, "Get to the point!"

Although Tohka was a little confused by the term "commissioned purchase," as she clearly remembered that Shido had made it himself that morning, she had a basic trust in Chiin, especially since the dishes in Chiin's bento box were indeed the same as hers. So, she subconsciously followed his words, nodded vigorously, and echoed, "Mmm! It's delicious!"

Chiin's "misleading" tactic was extremely clever. He dragged himself into the camp of "the same bento," instantly blurring Shido's "special act" of preparing bento for Tohka into a normal act of "being asked by a friend to buy in bulk."

Moreover, his tone was natural and his expression was calm, as if it were simply the truth.

Origami's gaze swept back and forth between Senin's bento and Shido's face, her sophisticated, computer-like brain seemingly reassessing the situation.

If Senin's bento is the same, then the reason why Shido and Tohka's bento are the same seems to be more likely to be "group purchase" rather than "exclusive production for special relationships" as she initially suspected.

Although she may still have doubts deep down, the explanation provided by Chiin is logically sound for the time being.

Shido instantly understood Senin's intention and mentally shouted, "Good brother!"

He quickly stepped down from the platform, chuckling awkwardly at Origami: "Haha...yes, that's it. Chiin and Tohka both said they wanted to try that restaurant's bento, so I bought some for them..."

He felt the pressure from the gaze that was almost crushing him suddenly lessen considerably.

Taking advantage of the moment, Chiin started shoveling rice into her mouth and began to complain incessantly about the side dishes in the bento box, such as "the fried chicken pieces are coated with a bit too much flour" and "the broccoli would be better if it were blanched a little longer," successfully shifting the topic from "the origin of the bento box" to "the taste of the bento box."

Tohka was also led to seriously evaluate the taste of the food, temporarily forgetting her earlier unpleasantness.

Origami silently looked at the group for a few seconds, but ultimately didn't ask any further questions. She simply began eating her own bento, though the occasional glances she gave Shido still carried a hint of scrutiny.

A potentially explosive "bento box battle" was once again averted without serious incident thanks to Chiin's witty banter and masterful acting skills in confusing the situation.

Shido looked at Senin across from him, who was eating with great relish and occasionally winking at him, and felt a mix of gratitude and amusement, thinking, "This guy can make up lies so easily."

I can finally eat lunch in a little more peace of mind today.

Chapter 202 The Spacequake Arrives

Chiin had just managed to temporarily stabilize the delicate balance at the lunch table with his witty remarks, and the group hadn't even had a chance to eat much—

"Woo——!!!"

The piercing, high-pitched spacequake alarm shattered the midday tranquility without warning, like a cold blade piercing everyone's eardrums.

The atmosphere in the classroom froze instantly.

Almost at the same instant the alarm sounded, Origami Tobiichi stood up abruptly, her movements clean and swift, without the slightest hesitation.

Her usually expressionless face was now covered with a layer of cold determination. She didn't look at anyone, nor did she say anything more; she simply strode forward, resolutely walking towards the classroom door, in the opposite direction from the crowd of refugees.

Shido could only watch, with mixed feelings, as that slender yet upright figure quickly disappeared through the doorway.

He knew that Origami Tobiichi, a talented woman who was both a student and a member of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Anti-Spirit Unit (AST), was heading to the battlefield—and her goal was to kill and expel spirits like Tohka who had just appeared in the world.

Shido clenched his teeth tightly, his fists unconsciously clenching under the table.

He couldn't stop origami; it was her duty, and the path she had chosen. But—

"Hey, Shido."

Chiin nudged him lightly with her elbow, her nonchalant expression softening and replaced by a serious "it's time" look.

He lowered his voice and reminded them, "Now it's our turn to make our appearance, isn't it?"

Shido took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and nodded: "Ah...yes. The spirits are about to appear, we should set off."

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the direction from which the alarm was coming from outside the window, his heart filled with worry for the unknown spirit and tension for the upcoming operation.

Just then, a voice that sounded somewhat dull, yet was unusually clear and calm, came from the classroom door.

"...Dear students, a space earthquake warning has been issued. Please maintain order immediately and take refuge in the underground shelter."

Ms. Murasame Reine, wearing her signature white coat and glasses, was standing at the door, pointing towards the corridor leading underground.

Her appearance and words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly bringing the students, who had been somewhat stunned, to their senses.

The students' faces showed either tension or fear, and they all swallowed hard, but they still followed their usual training and walked quickly toward the corridor in order.

"Huh? Shido, where are you all going?" Tohka tilted her head in confusion as she watched her classmates hurriedly leave, her purple eyes filled with bewilderment. She didn't seem to fully understand the meaning of the "spacequake warning."

"Ah, ah..." Shido quickly explained, "Everyone needs to go to the shelter located in the basement of the school. It's safe there."

“Shelter?” Tohka repeated the unfamiliar word.

"That's right. Anyway, I'll explain it to you in more detail later. Let's go, Tohka."

As Shido spoke, he also stood up, preparing to take Tohka and Chiin to Fraxinus as planned.

"Okay." Tohka was still a little confused, but she had absolute trust in Shido.

She glanced longingly at the lavish bento box on the table, which she had barely touched, before obediently standing up as Shido instructed.

However, just as the three were about to blend into the crowd and find an opportunity to reach the rendezvous point with Fraxinus—

Reine approached silently and whispered in Shido's ear at a volume that the other students could not hear:

"...Well, let Tohka go to the shelter with everyone."

Shido looked at Reine in surprise, "Is this really okay?" Let Tohka go to safety alone? What if something happens to her, or she gets discovered by the AST...?

“…Ah.” Reine’s tone remained calm. “With her power sealed, Tohka is almost no different from an ordinary person.”