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

He silently sat back down and buried his face in his arms. The surrounding noise seemed far away from him.

All that remained was his deafening heartbeat and the complex emotions that almost overwhelmed him, a mixture of sadness, guilt, and endless confusion.

This seemingly normal routine has become a silent and continuous torment for him.

Chapter 121 The Solace of "Chuunibyou"

For Shido, the school bell now sounds like a temporary reprieve, like a sacred bell.

Almost immediately, he buried his head in his arms, trying to isolate himself from his surroundings and escape the omnipresent, self-torturing questions stemming from his own guilty conscience.

The sounds of his classmates chatting and laughing, and the movement of desks and chairs in the classroom, seemed to him to be coming from a very far place, indistinct and unclear.

In his world, all that remained was his heavy heartbeat and the fragmented memories of that blue-haired girl playing repeatedly in his mind.

Just then, a familiar scent, carrying a faint fragrance of laundry detergent, approached.

Before Shido could react, an arm had already naturally wrapped around his shoulder, the force neither too light nor too heavy, but carrying an undeniable intimacy.

"My dark ally, the Dark Flamebringer—"

A deliberately lowered voice, with an exaggerated aria, rang in my ears.

Shido stiffened, knowing without looking up who it was—Hououin Senin.

"What profound darkness, what heavy shackles of fate bind your soul, causing you to exude such a strong aura of torment even in broad daylight?"

Chiin continued with his familiar set of chuunibyou lines, his tone so serious it was as if he were chanting an ancient incantation.

"Tell me! I, the solitary and bewildered immortal black mage who walks the line between life and death—Chiin, will dispel this gloom for you!"

Normally, Shido would probably play along with him, either laughing or crying, or simply retort with a sarcastic comment.

But at this moment, hearing this familiar and long-lost illness, and feeling the warmth from his dearest friend on his shoulder, Shido felt an even more bittersweet surge in his heart.

(Chiin... he knows nothing... he still cares about me in this way, just like before...)

(But I... I...)

He dared not look up, afraid the other person would see the undisguised panic and guilt in his eyes. He could only bury his face deeper, mumbling indistinctly:

"No...it's nothing...I'm just a little tired..."

“Hmm…” Chiin seemed dissatisfied with the answer, tightening his arms as if to pull Shido out of his shell of self-isolation.

"Exhaustion alone cannot produce such a pure 'aura of darkness'... It seems that a more powerful 'purification ritual' is needed!"

Without saying a word, he forcefully pulled Shido up from his seat:

"Come, my ally! The cramped classroom only breeds shadows. Follow me to the 'Abyss of the Corridor' and let the flowing 'Winds of Time' cleanse your soul!"

Shido was almost forced to let Chiin put her arm around his shoulder and lead him out of the classroom and into the corridor.

The afternoon sun shone through the window, casting bright spots of light on the clean floor, while a gentle breeze carried the sounds of noise from the distant playground.

This vibrant scene stood in stark contrast to the gloom in his heart.

Chiin leaned against the window, took a deep breath, and continued his "role-playing," stretching his hand out the window as if summoning something:

"Listen! The whispers of the wind spirits! Feel! The interplay of light and shadow! Dark Flamebringer, pour your troubles into this void, and I will use the power of dark magic to transform them into nothingness!"

Looking at Senin's profile, which was so engrossed and even a little funny, Shido felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

He opened his mouth, but in the end it only turned into a powerless sigh. He lowered his head and stared at the tips of his shoes.

(He knows nothing, yet he still tries so hard to make me happy... I'm such a jerk...)

Just then, Hiroto, who was passing by, saw Senin "casting a spell" by the window and Shido looking dejected, and immediately came over with his eyes shining.

"Oh! Aren't these the Dark Flame Master and the Mysterious Black Mage?!"

Seeing this, Hiroto immediately got into character and struck a cool pose he had learned from Senin.

"It seems you've encountered a 'dimensional rift' that even you can't easily resolve? Do you need me, the 'Boundary Breaker Hong,' who traverses countless worlds, to lend you a hand?"

"You've come at the perfect time, Breakthrough Warrior!" Senin immediately chimed in, as if he had found a comrade-in-arms.

"The Dark Flame Envoy's 'Heart Barrier' has cracked, and negative energy is leaking out! Quickly help me set up the 'Three-Phase Purification Array'!"

“Understood!” Hiroto stood on the other side of Shido with a serious expression, flanking him with Senin on either side.

The two began making various complicated (and cringeworthy) hand gestures in the air, muttering incantations as if they were actually performing some incredible magic.

"In the name of arrogance, may the shadows depart!"

"With the proof of courage, the light descends!"

"Gather together! The power of our friendship!"

Sandwiched between two clowns, listening to their serious nonsense and feeling their seemingly silly but actually clumsy concern, Shido felt as if something had gently poked his heart.

The heavy sense of guilt still lingered, but in the face of this unreserved, even somewhat foolish, friendship, it seemed... to have loosened a little.

He couldn't help but look up at his two friends, who were immersed in their own worlds, and his lips twitched upwards with great difficulty and extreme weakness.

Although the smile was still bitter, at least it was no longer a deathly silence.

Not far away, the trio of Yamabuki Ai, Hazakura Mai, and Fujihakama Mii happened to witness this scene.

"Oh dear, the boys are starting again." Ai sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“As long as they gather together, their intelligence will disappear at a visible rate.” Mai nodded in agreement.

"Seriously, Itsuka-kun was acting like it was the end of the world just now, but now she's been swayed... I can't stand it." Mii shook her head helplessly.

They exchanged a knowing look that said, "Boys are all idiots," and walked away laughing.

Meanwhile, the so-called "purification ritual" continued in the corridor.

Although Shido did not participate, he did not resist anymore. He simply stood there quietly, letting Senin and Hiroto sing in unison, trying to dispel the gloom in his heart in their unique, clumsy but sincere way.

(I'm sorry, Chiin... I'm sorry, everyone...)

(But... thank you.)

This noisy, cringeworthy, and even somewhat embarrassing friendship became, at this moment, a small but solid force that kept Shido from being completely overwhelmed by guilt.

He knew that he had to bear the secret about Chika alone. But at least, in this seemingly normal routine, he wasn't completely alone.

Chapter 122 Slim Hope

The lunch break bell finally rang, and the atmosphere in the classroom instantly became relaxed and lively.

The students gathered in twos and threes, taking out their lunchboxes.

Shido also took out his prepared lunchbox—thanks to years of taking care of his younger sister Kotori (and a certain gluttonous spirit in the future).

His bento boxes are always exceptionally plentiful and exquisite, and today was no exception. The golden and crispy fried chicken nuggets, tamagoyaki, sausage rolls, and vibrant green broccoli made for a visually appealing and appetizing meal.

However, before he could even pick up his chopsticks, a figure sat down in the empty seat next to him with perfect ease.

"Hey, Shido, your bento is pretty fancy today too!"

It was Chiin. He was holding a rather ordinary-looking convenience store bento box, containing simple rice and a few bland side dishes in a plastic container.

As he spoke, he skillfully and precisely picked up the largest and juiciest piece of fried chicken from Shido's lunchbox and stuffed it into his mouth without hesitation.

"Hmm—! Five ants!" Chiin squinted his eyes in satisfaction, chewed a few times, and exclaimed with genuine admiration.

"Shido, your cooking is still the best! The fried chicken is cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the seasoning is just right!"

As he spoke, he naturally reached for his chopsticks again, this time aiming at the sausage roll:

"I've been at home these past few days, I don't even know what I've been eating, my mouth is practically bland, I'm so bored..."

Halfway through her sentence, Chiin suddenly stopped chewing.

He tilted his head slightly, a genuine look of confusion on his face, his brows furrowed slightly as if trying to recall something, and muttered to himself:

"...Speaking of which, what exactly did I eat these past few days at home? How come... I have absolutely no recollection of it..."

His hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air, his eyes somewhat vacant, as if groping in vain through the fog of memory.

When Shido, who was sitting opposite him, heard Chiin ask, "What exactly did I eat these past few days at home?", his heart skipped a beat, as if struck by a sudden bolt of lightning!

(He remembers!)

(He doesn't remember the specifics, he doesn't remember Chika's existence, but... his taste buds remember! His body remembers the dishes Chika cooked these past few days!)

An indescribable surge of emotion, a mixture of ecstasy and bittersweetness, rushed to Shido's head, making him almost drop his chopsticks.

His eyes widened as he stared intently at Chiin's bewildered face. An unprecedented thought, faint yet fiercely persistent, sprouted like a tender shoot breaking through the soil, frantically growing in his heart, frozen by guilt and despair.

(Yes! Memories can be erased, existence can be wiped away... but what about feelings? Habits? Those things etched into our bodily instincts?)

(Chika... she might not have completely disappeared! She's just been "hidden"! Right inside Chiin's body, or somewhere in his soul!)

(If... if I could find her... if I could awaken that forgotten feeling...)

Shido's breathing quickened involuntarily, and his eyes shone with a light he hadn't seen in days. He looked at Senin as if he were looking at a treasure trove containing endless hope.

(In that case... after bringing Chinatsu back... can they... still be like before... no, maybe even...?)

A vague yet beautiful vision of the future flashed through his mind—Chiin and Chika, two people.

They could go to school together, play around together, and he could prepare lunchboxes for two people at the same time, watching them fight over the fried chicken he made...

(...Can we...still stay together...?)

This idea is incredibly tempting, but it also comes with greater uncertainty and risk.

But at this moment, for Shido, who was almost overwhelmed by guilt, this was undoubtedly a lifeline, a glimmer of light that suddenly appeared in the darkness.

"Hey, Shido?"

Chiin's confused voice interrupted his reverie, "What's wrong with you? Your eyes are so wide, like you've seen a ghost... Are you upset that I ate your fried chicken?"

He joked, trying to dispel the inexplicable daze he had just experienced, and also interrupted Shido's reverie.

Shido snapped back to reality, quickly lowered his head to hide his overly obvious emotions, and his voice tightened:

"No, no! You eat, you can eat as much as you want!" He even pushed the lunchbox towards Chiin, his tone almost eager and solicitous.

Chiin was taken aback by his unusual behavior for a moment, then laughed:

"Oh? So generous today? Then I won't be polite!" With that, he picked up another piece of tamagoyaki and ate it with relish.

As Shido watched him devour his food without a trace of gloom, the newly ignited flame of hope in his heart intertwined with the still heavy sense of reality, creating an extremely complex emotion.

(Wait for me, Chinatsu...)

(No matter where you are, no matter what the cost...)

(I will definitely... find a way to bring you back!)

He gripped the chopsticks tightly. For the first time, when facing Qian Yuan, he felt not only guilty and ashamed, but also a firm, almost mission-like determination.

This seemingly ordinary lunch break bento has become, for Shido, the starting point of a silent vow.

Chapter 123 A Terrible Premonition

Chiin chewed the fried chicken nuggets he had "borrowed" from Shido with satisfaction, savoring the crispy skin and the tender, juicy meat beneath, as well as the perfect seasoning that blossomed on his tongue.

It has to be said that Shido's cooking skills are impeccable; he's practically a born home cook.

"Hmm~ Shido's cooking is definitely the best for my taste. These past few days at home... uh, at home?"

He displayed a perfectly timed look of bewilderment, muttering to himself, "What have I been eating these past few days at home?"

He successfully maintained the image of an ordinary person with a "brief memory gap" flawlessly.

However, when he secretly glanced up to observe Shido's reaction, he couldn't help but be taken aback.

(Huh? Why did this guy's eyes suddenly light up? And with such determination? Like he's found his purpose in life?)

Chiin was somewhat baffled.

(Wait a minute, according to the 'script' and common sense, after experiencing yesterday's ultimate blow of 'the white moonlight falling and self-destructing,' shouldn't this guy fall into a longer period of depression and self-doubt?)

(Even with his brother-obsessed sister Kotori there to comfort him, there's no reason he should have recovered so quickly, right? Did Kotori give him a 'loving corrective slap' last night? Or... did she slap him too hard?)

While discreetly taking another sausage roll, he quickly searched his mind for the relevant "plot".