Chapter 25: Civilian Presence Detected…

Akira finally made time to respond to Ayaka’s urgent text, slipping out just before midnight.

He found Ayaka on the unused rooftop access landing of the apartment complex. She was already there, wearing that chic, dark tactical bodysuit, the same one from their first Gate mission.

Her silver hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and her eyes held a serious, focused glow that immediately put him on edge.

“You’re late, Akira-kun,” Ayaka stated flatly, not even turning to look at him as he approached. “The Gate instability is increasing. You felt it during your little tryst with your aggressively possessive human friend, yes?”

Akira bristled slightly at her tone. “I was securing my resources,” he replied, keeping his voice neutral. “Now talk to me about the Gate. And the casualties you mentioned.”

Ayaka’s expression hardened and the playful succubus facade was completely gone. “The Grade Gamma Gate manifested downtown near the financial district. The Guardian was a Frost Elemental, a corrupted ice spirit.

“She didn’t just drain energy like most low-level entities. She froze three humans solid before the Gate destabilised and pulled her back.”

“Froze them? As in…”

“Dead, Akira-kun. Completely dead. Two salarymen heading home late and a college student. The authorities are calling it a freak weather phenomenon, but the supernatural community knows better.”

She turned to face him fully. “And they found traces of your essence signature at the scene.”

“My signature?” Akira felt his stomach drop.

“Your residual essence from the Mantis fight is volatile. It leaves a scent trail that lingers for days, maybe weeks. The supernatural community, the Yokai, the Spirit Mediums, the independent exorcists… they’re all stirring now. Some think you’re a key to stopping the Merge. Others think you’re causing it.”

Akira felt cold dread settle in his stomach. This wasn’t about school drama or getting his revenge. Real people were dead. And somehow, he was connected to it.

“What do we do?” he asked quietly.

“First, we need to manage your essence leakage. You’re radiating power like a beacon right now.” She stepped closer, her hand glowing with faint crimson energy. “Come here. Let me absorb some of it. It’ll stabilise your signature and give me a boost for the Gate hunt.”

Akira nodded, stepping forward. Ayaka placed her palm against his chest, and he felt the familiar sensation of essence transfer, like warmth being drawn out through his skin.

Just as the energy began flowing between them, the system screamed an internal warning:

[ALERT: UNPLANNED CIVILIAN PRESENCE DETECTED]

[DISTANCE: 8 METERS]

[IDENTITY: RINA KAGEYAMA]

Akira turned around quickly, feeling his heart race. Standing near the stairwell door was Rina, wrapped in a thick wool blanket over her pyjamas. Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked at the bright red energy linking Ayaka’s hand to his chest.

She looked at Ayaka’s face in her tactical gear, then back at Akira’s face.

“What the fuck is going on?” Rina whispered in a trembling voice. The blanket slipped from one shoulder. “Akira, why are you with her? What is she? What is that… that light?”

Ayaka quickly took a combat stance, her hands glowing brightly as the air around dropped several degrees. “A civilian witness. High risk. I can incapacitate her quickly before she can scream.”

“No!” Akira moved instinctively, stepping between them, to shield Rina. “Don’t touch her.”

“She’s seen too much, Akira-kun. This compromises everything.”

“I said no.”

[CRITICAL CHOICE DETECTED: RINA KAGEYAMA EXPOSED TO SUPERNATURAL WORLD]

[A: ERASE HER MEMORY – Cost: 100 PP to purchase MIND WIPE skill. Low risk to secrecy. +5 Affinity (Ayaka). Rina remains unaware.]

[B: BRING HER INTO THE FOLD – High risk. Requires truth, emotional commitment, and Dominance to force belief. +60 PP. RINA ROUTE UNLOCKED. Gain a protective ally with civilian vulnerabilities.]

[C: LET AYAKA HANDLE IT – Extreme risk. Ayaka may permanently injure or kill Rina to preserve secrecy. – 20 Affinity (Rina). Moral consequences are severe.]

Akira’s mind raced. He had 535 PP. Bringing Rina into this world meant putting her in danger… real danger, the kind that had already killed three people tonight.

But erasing her memory…

He looked at Rina’s terrified face, then at Ayaka’s cold, calculating expression.

Secrecy was paramount to survival. He couldn’t risk exposure, not with hunters who might already be tracking him.

“Ai,” Akira commanded mentally, his eyes locked on Ayaka to signal her to stand down. “Purchase Mind Wipe skill, Level 1. Now.”

Ai’s voice purred in his mind. “Ooh, going for the memory manipulation route? How deliciously ruthless, darling!”

[PURCHASE CONFIRMED: MIND WIPE (LVL 1) – COST: 100 PP]

[PP: 535 → 435]

A rush of cold energy flooded his mind.

Knowledge poured in, the neural pathways to target, the precise mental pressure needed, and the visualisation techniques to replace memories seamlessly. It felt invasive even just learning it.

“Ayaka, stand down,” Akira’s voice carried the weight of his Aura of Power. “I’ll handle her. Trust me.”

Ayaka, sensing the wave of energy radiating from him, backed away slowly. Her hands dropped to her sides, though she remained tense. “Akira-kun?”

“I know what I’m doing,” Akira said, though he wasn’t entirely sure that was true.

He turned to Rina, who was now pressed against the wall, her eyes darting between them like a trapped animal. “Akira, what are you talking about? What’s happening? Please, just tell me what’s going on!”

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, meaning it. “This is for your own protection.”

He took two measured steps toward her. Rina tried to move away, but he caught her shoulders gently. “Don’t run. This won’t hurt.”

“What won’t hurt? Akira, you’re scaring me!”

He placed both palms gently on her temples, ignoring her flinch. “Rina,” he said in a quiet, hypnotic voice, fuelled by the newly acquired power flowing through him like ice water in his veins.

“Listen to my voice. You were tired. You went to bed early. You never came up here. You never saw Ayaka. You never saw the light. Everything is okay. You’re safe in your bed.”

Rina’s eyelids fluttered as the mental command took hold.

Akira pushed deeper, imagining the last five minutes of her memories fading away like smoke. He gently filled that space with new ones, her feeling tired, getting ready for bed, and then drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

[MIND WIPE (LVL 1) EXECUTING…]

[TARGET: SHORT-TERM MEMORY (LAST 5 MINUTES)]

[PP COST: 10 PP]

[PP: 435 → 425]

[SUCCESS RATE: 94%]

[EXECUTION COMPLETE]

Rina’s body went slack for a moment, held up only by Akira’s grip. Then her eyes fluttered open again, unfocused and confused. She blinked several times, looking around as if seeing the rooftop for the first time.

“Wha… what am I doing here?” she whispered, genuinely confused. She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, shivering. “I must have been sleepwalking or something. God, it’s freezing up here.”

She looked at Akira, then at the empty sky behind him. Ayaka had moved into the shadows, invisible to normal sight.

“Why are you up here in the middle of the night, Creep King?” Rina asked, her tone shifting back to her normal defensive snark. “Couldn’t sleep or something?”

“Just clearing my head,” Akira said smoothly, forcing his expression to remain neutral despite the guilt churning in his gut. “You should go back inside, Rina. You’ll catch a cold out here.”

Rina nodded slowly, still looking confused but no longer terrified. The fear was completely gone, replaced by simple annoyance. “Whatever. Don’t be weird, standing out here alone. People might think you’re suicidal or something.”

She turned and padded back toward the stairwell door, clutching her blanket. Just before she went inside, she paused and looked back. “Hey, Akira?”

His heart stopped. “Yeah?”

“Goodnight.” Then she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

[RINA MEMORY WIPE: SUCCESS]

[SECRECY MAINTAINED]

[CIVILIAN THREAT NEUTRALIZED]

[WARNING: REPEATED USE OF MIND WIPE MAY CAUSE PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE TO TARGETS]

Ayaka stepped out from the shadows, looking at him with a newfound respect. “You’re more powerful than I thought, Akira-kun. That was risky, using mind magic on a civilian, but it worked.”

“I did what I had to do,” Akira said, staring at the door where Rina had disappeared. His hands were shaking slightly.

“Don’t feel guilty. You saved her life. If she had kept that knowledge, she would have become a target. The supernatural world doesn’t tolerate witnesses who can’t defend themselves.” Ayaka moved closer again. “Now, about the Gate.”

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