He who Protects the Transforming Heroines from The Shadows - Chapter 28 - Sheldia’s Tokyo Sightseeing (3)

“No, I’m not suspicious or anything…”

Prompted to “come out” by the doll-like, delicate girl, Eito stepped out from around the corner.

“Suspicious people all say that.”

The extraordinary girl, who had just beaten back a pervert with her parasol, stared intently at Eito. It seemed she was finding him suspicious as well.

(How did it come to this…?)

Standing there in the evening glow, facing off against the mysterious girl, Eito tried to recall how he’d ended up in this situation.

♦

“…Man, cheese is the best.”

On his way home from Fuuraku High School, Eito had stopped at a convenience store known for its glass milk bottles and was eating some Karaage-kun fried chicken bites. There are all kinds of flavors—regular, red, limited editions and so on—but Eito’s favorite has to be the cheese flavor.

“Heh, and there’s even a bonus piece right now… what a pleasant surprise.”

Feeling this kind of small happiness meant that he had some leeway in life. Leeway, and operating alone from the shadows. Eito thought of himself as cool like that.

“I’m like someone who’s strayed from the righteous path…”

What is someone holding a box of Karaage-kun even talking about? Chuckling creepily, this slightly unhinged guy turned to more serious thoughts.

(In the end, nothing really happened since then…)

A few days had passed since the fight with Reizeroll. Whether it was because of that battle or not, he hadn’t heard of any Dark Thrall appearing from Soleil lately. Well, maybe there hadn’t been any situations requiring him to be called in—that is, situations where Youka and Miya were involved—but he was sure Dark Thralls were still showing up somewhere in the world.

Because of that, Eito hadn’t transformed into Spriggan lately. He didn’t even know if that phenomenon—the one where he lost control of his body—was something that only happened when he transformed, or if it could happen even without transforming.

But in any case, nothing had changed since then.

“More importantly, man, this Karaage-kun is delicious…”

Shifting between silly thoughts and serious ones, Eito had almost reached home.

Just as he was about to turn the next corner, he heard an enraged voice.

“You little brat! You think you’re so great just because I was being nice? I’ve had enough! Get over here!!”

(What…?)

The voice came from just around the corner he was about to turn.

There was a clear sense that something wrong was going down. Curious, Eito pressed himself to the corner wall and cautiously peeked around.

“How unpleasant. Don’t touch me.”

He saw a neatly dressed man in a suit and a doll-like, delicate girl in an elaborate gothic outfit arguing about something. The girl seemed to be a foreigner.

(This is obviously a case for the cops…)

No joke, this was a real case for the police. Knowing full well that his skinny self stepping in wouldn’t help anything, Eito decided to watch for now.

If it looked like the girl was about to get taken away, he’d have to call 110 immediately.

Given that it was a frail-looking girl against a grown man, the odds of that happening seemed high.

But what happened next was completely different from what Eito had imagined.

“Foolish…”

The girl muttered in exasperation, and then the man was suddenly sent flying. Apparently, she had struck him with her parasol. That fact was shocking enough, but Eito also had no idea where she’d even pulled that parasol from.

(What the hell…?)

While Eito’s mind was frozen in shock, the girl threw some dangerous-sounding words at the man she’d just blown away. Hearing them, the man let out a pitiful scream and ran off clutching his side.

(I don’t know what’s going on, but getting involved with that loli is bad news.)

That was what Eito’s instincts told him. To be honest, he didn’t actually know if she actually was a “loli,” but, knowing nothing else, he judged based on appearances.

He decided to slip away from here as quietly as possible.

However—

“Well now… and who might you be, standing there all this time?”

It seemed the girl had noticed him.

(Tsk… seriously…?)

He was sure he hadn’t made a sound, but apparently it hadn’t mattered. Should he come out honestly, or just make a run for it? After a moment of hesitation, Eito chose the former.

(It’d be bad if I bolted and she chased me down…)

Reluctantly, Eito stepped out into view.

♦

“…Are you actually listening to me?”

While Eito was recalling how he had ended up in this situation, the girl in front of him snorted in displeasure.

“…Yeah, I was listening. Like I said, I’m not suspicious. I’m just an ordinary high schooler. I was hiding and watching because I was worried about you.”

Eito explained why he had been hiding and observing. He spoke in Japanese, but since this girl seemed fluent in Japanese, it should be fine.

“…Hmm. Well, it doesn’t seem like you’re lying. If you really were keeping watch because you were worried about me, then you have my gratitude.”

The girl said that and smiled. Eito thought her smile somehow didn’t seem like that of a normal girl.

“But if you’re a man, you could have stepped in to help me, couldn’t you? Someone of that level wouldn’t pose an obstacle even to me, aren’t you being a bit cowardly?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jou-chan. As you can see, I’m scrawny. If I’d stepped out back then, I’m confident he’d have me beaten down instantly.”

In response to the girl’s slightly exasperated words, Eito said that with confidence. Without transforming into Spriggan, he was just a weakling. A weakling generally had no physical strength.

“That’s not something you take confidence in… You’re a strange person.”

Looking truly exasperated this time, the girl gave Eito that assessment.

“Also, I’ve been wondering… what’s that in your hand?”
“Huh? Oh, this. Karaage-kun, cheese flavor.”

Eito answered the girl’s question briefly. Briefly, but there wasn’t really any other way to put it.

“Karaage-kun…?”

The girl wore an expression as if to say “What’s that?” Eito checked how many pieces of Karaage-kun he had left. One piece.

(Thank goodness for the bonus piece campaign…!)

That was close. Without the bonus campaign, this piece wouldn’t be here. Thank you, bonus. If possible, please run forever.

“Oh, I guess you wouldn’t be familiar with it as a foreigner, but it’s food. There are a bunch of flavors, but this one’s cheese flavor. The coolest flavor there is.”

Even Eito himself didn’t know what was supposed to be “cool” about it. He was just saying something that, in his mind, a foreigner (specifically an American) might say.

Normally, Eito wasn’t very talkative outside of muttering to himself, but because this was a stranger, a foreigner, and most of all clearly younger than him, he was chattier than usual for such a small fry.

“I’ve got exactly one piece left, want it? Of course, there’s no poison or anything in it.”

To prove that he was harmless and just an ordinary person, Eito made that offer. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t want to give away the last, most delicious piece of Karaage-kun, but he had no choice. This was, after all, a strange girl who had sent a grown man flying with her parasol. He didn’t want to get on her bad side and get whacked with it himself.

“Oh, it was food. Then I’ll take you up on your kindness and have one.”

Nodding in understanding, the girl slowly approached. She sniffed at the Karaage-kun Eito had skewered with a toothpick, then popped it into her mouth.

Eito waited quietly until the girl chewed and swallowed.

“Oh, it’s delicious. It has a somewhat gentle taste.”

The girl smiled softly and shared her impression of the flavor.

“Hah, right?”

Acting smug as if he had made it himself, the weakling showed off. Of course, it had been a Lawson employee who fried the Karaage-kun in a fryer, so his smugness was completely unearned.

“So, that proves I’m your ordinary neighborhood kind guy. Well then, Jou-chan, take ca—”
“Say, would you like to have a talk with me?”

Before he could finish saying “care,” the girl said that.

(GYAAAAH! This is the worst!!)

Screaming internally, Eito responded to the girl.

“…I doubt talking with me would be any fun. Just take my advice and leave me be.”

Eito tried to refuse gently without changing his tone too much, but inside he strongly felt, “I really don’t want to get involved.”

“At the very least, I’ve found it amusing talking with you in this short time. And I can tell you’re not a bad person. Is it no good?”

The girl looked up at Eito. Under her steady gaze, he visibly faltered.

“L-look… despite how it looks, I’m bad at talking. S-so…”

There was no “despite” about it. He was clearly bad at talking.

“………”
“Ugh……”

Under her unblinking gaze, Eito realized. Oh no. This is one of those situations where you can’t leave until you say “yes.”

“………Fine, but don’t say I’m boring now, alright?”
“Of course!”

For whatever reason, Eito had ended up catching the interest of this mysterious girl who had smacked a suspicious man away with her parasol.

♦

They moved to a nearby small park because standing around talking wasn’t ideal. Even a small park had at least one bench, so the two of them sat there.

“I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Sheldia. The reason I came to Japan is for sightseeing and various other things.”

Just as she had when she met Youka and Miya, Sheldia introduced herself to the boy with long bangs sitting next to her. She didn’t quite understand why he was sitting at a slight distance.

“…Kijou Eito.”
“I see, so your name is Eito. You said you’re a student, but do you know the girls named Youka and Miya? They showed me the way before I met you.”

Since they wore the same uniform, Sheldia understood that Eito and those two were from the same school. Even Sheldia, who wasn’t very familiar with Japanese culture, could figure that much out.

“…Yeah. I don’t know them personally, though. Those two are famous at my school. Anyone at Fuuraku High knows them.”

Eito hadn’t expected those two names to come out of this girl’s mouth, but he gave her an explanation that sounded reasonable.

“Oh, so they’re famous. They were both very nice.”
“…Well, I won’t deny that. More importantly, why do you want to talk to me? To you, I’m just some student you met while traveling. Why go that far…”

Glancing at Sheldia, Eito voiced the question he’d had from the start. He didn’t understand. What exactly about him had caught Sheldia’s attention?

“I told you, didn’t I? Talking to you was fun. Also… let’s see… maybe because the atmosphere around you feels mysterious.”
“Mysterious? Me…?”

Her words were completely unexpected. Eito had never been told that before, nor had he ever thought so himself.

“Yes. How should I put it, there’s something strange about your presence. At first glance, you seem like an ordinary person with no story to tell. But deep down, I feel there’s some unusual story you’re hiding.”

The girl’s words were abstract. An ordinary person hearing that would just be confused, and Eito was no exception.

“…I don’t really get it. Well, maybe you’re seeing something I’m not, Jou-chan.”
“Can you stop calling me ‘Jou-chan’? I told you, I’m Sheldia.”

Sheldia puffed her cheeks slightly and protested. Watching her, Eito became unsure whether she was childish or mature.

“…Sorry, but Jou-chan suits you. I’ve taken a liking to calling you that.”

He flatly rejected her request. The reason was exactly what he’d just said.

“You have quite the bad personality.”
“I heard that a lot.”

In the twilight, the two exchanged light banter.

Confirming that night was quickly approaching, Eito asked Sheldia a question.

“It’ll be night soon. Don’t you need to go home? Your family would be worried…”

Sheldia had said she came to Japan for sightseeing and other reasons. So, Eito thought, someone clearly younger than him like her must have come with her family. It was a natural assumption.

“You seem mistaken, but I came to Japan alone. I don’t have any family.”
“You’re kidding…”

Eito hadn’t considered the possibility of her traveling alone. He didn’t know much about foreign cultures, but in Japan, most parents would absolutely forbid it.

“…I see. In that case, I won’t lecture you, but where are you staying? It’s dangerous to be out at night, I could walk you there.”

He couldn’t just leave a girl who had been attacked by a suspicious man earlier to go home alone. So he offered. There was no ulterior motive behind it.

“I haven’t booked a place yet. I was going to stay somewhere random.”
“…Finding a place to stay without a reservation at this hour will be difficult. I don’t know how much money you have, but hotels in the city center are packed with tourists. Besides, there aren’t any hotels around here.”
“Really?”

He hadn’t expected that she hadn’t even decided on accommodations. Eito was a little exasperated at her lack of planning.

“…Then I guess I’ll just sleep outdoors tonight.”

After thinking briefly, Sheldia reached that conclusion.

“No, no, no!! What are you saying!?”

Her outrageous response made Eito open his eyes wide beneath his bangs. What was this foreign girl talking about?

“It’s fine. I used to sleep outdoors all the time. I’ve got the proper gear too.”
“Look, even if you tried sleeping outdoors somewhere, the police would just question you. Sleeping outside in modern Tokyo isn’t realistic…”
“? I’ll just chase them off then, no?”
(This girl is hopeless…)

Her answer, completely off the mark, made Eito hold his head. Parents, please educate your children.

Besides, Sheldia said she had outdoor gear, but all she had was the umbrella she’d used to send a man flying. There was no sign of any gear on her person.

“……………Haah, hold on a minute.”

Eito stood up from the bench and stepped away from Sheldia.

He took his smartphone from his bag and called someone.

“…Yeah, got it. Thanks, Mom.”

After a fairly long conversation, Eito thanked the person on the other end. Hanging up, he returned to the bench where Sheldia sat.

“What was that? I noticed you were in contact with someone.”
“I called to get the permission. I mean, this isn’t something I can decide on my own end.”

Scratching his head roughly, Eito let out a sigh. How had things ended up like this?

“…Look, you can say no if you don’t like the idea. We only met today, after all. But if you’re fine with it—”

He thought he was being pretty generous to a stranger. Still, leaving her alone felt wrong. Maybe he’d inherited his mother’s kindness.

Looking at Sheldia, who was waiting for him to finish his sentence, Eito said:

“—Why don’t you stay at my place tonight?”