Akira stared at the system notification, his mind racing. This couldn't be a coincidence. An exorcist showing up right after a Gate opened on the school's sports field, and then Club Obsidian just two nights ago? And she just happened to transfer into his class?

It was too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence.

"Ai, what do you think is going on?" he thought urgently.

"Calm down, darling," Ai's voice was steady but urgent. "Your Essence Cloak is active. She can't detect your signature unless you do something stupid. But she's definitely hunting."

"Why do I think Agent Sato sent her or something?"

"We can't put it past him. He's quite suspicious of you and I'm sure the test then didn't convince him much."

"So he sent her after the Club Obsidian incident, hoping that what? She would find something?"

"Probably darling. Or she's here to investigate the general area. Either way, you need to minimize interaction with her. Don't give her any reason to suspect you're anything other than a normal student."

Akira took a slow breath, forcing his heart rate to steady. He confirmed mentally that his Essence Cloak was at maximum, then told himself to stay calm. She's just another student… nothing more, nothing special.

"Shinomiya-san, you can take the empty seat behind Kanzaki," Satomi-sensei said, pointing directly at the desk behind Akira.

Right behind him. Perfect.

Ayame walked down the aisle, her shoes making soft clicking sounds on the floor. As she passed him, Akira caught a faint scent in the air… something like incense mixed with ozone, almost like the air after a lightning storm.

She sat down, and immediately he felt her presence like a weight pressing on his back. Every instinct he had was screaming awareness of the girl sitting behind him.

The lesson started, but Akira couldn't focus.

Every nerve in his body was hyperaware of Ayame's presence. He could feel her eyes on him, like she was studying and analyzing him. But when he glanced back subtly, she was looking down at her notebook, writing diligently.

"Maybe I'm being paranoid," he thought.

"Or maybe she's just that good," Ai countered. "Don't let your guard down."

The rest of the morning dragged on. Ayame didn't say a word to him, didn't even acknowledge his existence. She took notes, answered questions when called on, and blended in perfectly.

When the lunch bell rang, Akira grabbed his bento and stood quickly.

"Akira-kun!" Mia appeared at his side immediately, linking her arm through his. "Let's eat on the roof today. Just the two of us."

"Sure."

As they headed toward the door, Akira felt eyes on his back. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Ayame watching them with a neutral expression, her dark eyes tracking his every movement.

Mia noticed too, and her grip on his arm tightened. "Come on. Let's go."

The roof was empty, the afternoon sun warm on their faces. Mia set down her lunch but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she turned to stare at Akira with an intensity that made him still.

"What?" he asked.

"That new girl."

"What about her?"

"I don't like her," Mia said with a pout, crossing her arms over her chest, pushing her boobs up a bit.

"Mia? Come on, you don't even know her."

"I don't need to." Mia's eyes narrowed. "She was watching you the entire class. Every time you moved, every time you spoke, her eyes followed you. Like she was studying you or something."

Akira kept his expression neutral. "She's new. Maybe she's just trying to figure out the social dynamics."

"No." Mia shook her head firmly. "It wasn't like that. It was... weird. Like you were some kind of puzzle she wanted to solve." She grabbed his hand. "Promise me you'll stay away from her."

"Mia, she sits right behind me. I can't exactly…"

"Then don't talk to her. Don't help her. Infarct, don't even look at her." Mia's voice was serious. "I mean it, Akira-kun. Something about her feels wrong."

"Wrong how?"

"I don't know. Just... wrong. Like she doesn't belong here." Mia shivered despite the warm sun. "She gives me the creeps."

Akira squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I'll be careful. I promise."

Mia seemed satisfied with that; she finally sat down and opened her lunch. They ate in comfortable silence, but Akira's mind was racing. Mia's instincts were usually good when it came to threats.

If she sensed something off about Ayame, she was probably right.

—

When they returned to class after lunch, most students were already back, chatting in small groups. Akira headed to his desk with Mia still clinging to his arm.

"I'll see you after class, okay?" she said, finally releasing him.

"Yeah."

She shot one more suspicious glare toward where Ayame sat, currently talking politely with another girl about the school festival, then went to her seat.

Akira sat down and immediately noticed something on his desk: a small paper talisman, no bigger than a bookmark, covered in intricate kanji. The symbols were written in what looked like silver ink, and they seemed to shimmer faintly in the afternoon light.

[SYSTEM WARNING: HOLY OBJECT DETECTED]

[TYPE: PURIFICATION CHARM - LEVEL 3]

[EFFECT: Will burn demonic essence on contact. May cause pain or visible reaction in corrupted individuals.]

[RECOMMENDATION: DO NOT TOUCH]

Akira stared at it, his heart pounding. Where did this come from? Who put it here?

"Darling, don't touch it," Ai warned urgently. "That's a test. Someone's trying to see how you react."

But people were starting to notice him staring at his desk. If he didn't do something, it would look suspicious.

So, checking for the umpteenth time that day, he confirmed his Essence Cloak was active before acting.

"Hey, did someone drop this?" Akira called out casually, picking up the talisman between two fingers.

The moment his skin made contact, he braced for… he had no ideas what he was even supposed to brace for: pain? Sting? Burn?

But nothing happened; no burning, no pain, not even a tingle.

Several students looked over, but no one claimed it.

"It's pretty," a girl nearby said. "Maybe it fell out of someone's bag?"

Akira turned it over in his hand, examining it like it was just an interesting piece of paper. "The writing is really detailed."

"Oh, that's mine."

He looked up to see Ayame standing beside his desk with her hand extended. "I must have dropped it when I was getting settled earlier. Thank you for finding it."

Their eyes met, and Akira saw the calculation there. She'd been watching his reaction carefully.

He handed it to her. "No problem. What is it?"

"A family tradition. For good luck." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "My grandmother makes them. I carry one everywhere."

"That's nice."

"Yes." She studied his hand for a moment, looking for any sign of a burn or reaction. There was nothing. "Thank you again, Kanzaki-kun," she said then returned to her seat.

Akira sat down in his seat.

"That was a test," Ai said. "And you passed. Your Essence Cloak protected you completely."

"She's definitely hunting."

"Without question. But she can't prove anything yet. Just keep acting normal."

—

When class finally ended that day, Ayame packed her things methodically. As other students filed out, she approached the teacher.

"Satomi-sensei, I'm a bit lost on today's material. Could you recommend any resources to help me catch up?"

"Of course! Let me get you the textbook chapters we covered last month..."

As the teacher turned to her desk, Ayame glanced at Akira. It was just a brief look, but her eyes held a clear message: I'm watching you.

Akira grabbed his bag and headed for the door, where Mia was waiting.

"Finally! That took forever." She grabbed his arm possessively. "Let's go. I want to stop by the convenience store before we head home."

As they walked down the hallway, Akira glanced back once. Through the classroom window, he could see Ayame still talking with the teacher, but her eyes were tracking him, following his movement until he turned the corner.

"She's good," Ai observed. "Very good. Professional. Subtle. This isn't some amateur exorcist. This is someone who's hunted powerful entities before."

"What do I do?"

"Exactly what you're doing. Act normal. Be a regular student. And pray she doesn't find any evidence that links you to Club Obsidian."

"And if she does?"

"Then darling, you'll have to make a very difficult choice."

Akira squeezed Mia's hand as they walked, trying to focus on her cheerful chatter about their evening plans. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't shake the image of Ayame's calculating eyes.

The hunt had begun.

And he was the prey.

—

That evening, back in his apartment, Akira lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Mia was asleep beside him, her arm draped possessively across his chest.

"Ai, how long do you think I have before she figures it out?"

"Hard to say. She's clearly experienced, but without concrete evidence, she can't make a move. The talisman test failed, which should buy you some time. But she'll keep testing. Keep watching."

"I can't avoid her. She sits right behind me."

"Then you'll have to be very, very careful. No slip-ups. No unexplained absences. No supernatural activity where she might notice."

"And if another Gate opens?"

Ai was quiet for a moment. "Then you'll have to choose between saving lives and protecting your secret. And darling... I don't envy you that choice."

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