Aoharu Devil [Vol 1 Chapter 1]

CHAPTER 1: THERE IS A TYRANNOSAURUS IN THIS INSTITUTE

--- "Hello everyone. I'm Ioka Ito. Today I want to tell you about some things related to shooting. Recently we successfully finished shooting a special feature for a magazine. The outfit I'm wearing was selected after consultation with the stylist. The brand feeling of the dress is fully conveyed, and the style is beautiful and the texture is great."

That morning, I arrived at class as usual and was engrossed in watching a video on my phone.

The world flows at a speed that's hard to keep up with every day.

But I like it. The information, the recommendations, the trends. I casually watch them flow one after another. Sometimes I watch a video like this, sometimes I enjoy a popular game, and sometimes I read a popular manga. It's a cycle that repeats week after week.

Instead of being satisfied, I'm saturated. Just as I can't count the individual stars shining in the sky, I keep looking at a light I barely know the name of.

Unconsciously, I devote all my time to this kind of thing. Every day I connect to the world by inertia.

(I am like a small stone on the side of the road, looking at the starry sky with a heavy heart.)

This is what I'm thinking.

But in this world, there are also people who are the opposite of this.

People who are on the side of the bright stars.

I pull a box of mints out of my pocket and shake it to make a rattling sound.

I return my gaze to the video on my phone, and the stars in her hair shine brightly.

To the question that's obviously on my mind, I still can't find an answer.

(Why is she in that kind of place?)

(No, basically, is that really reality?)

"Good morning, Aruha."

"Good morning."

Hearing the greeting from behind, I reply without turning around.

Then, suddenly, with a loud "thud," something is placed on the table. I feel a weight that is not ordinary.

I look up and see plastic boxes stacked on top of each other, forming a tower.

The tower is so tall that I have to look up to see the top.

"What is this?"

"CD's. I said I'd lend them to you earlier, remember?"

Saying that, the tower owner puffed out her chest.

Miyamura Miu is a classmate sitting next to me.

Her golden hair shines in the morning light, and the earrings in her ears glisten as well. However, her kind eyes don't match her flashy outfit. Despite it being early summer, she wears a black hooded sweatshirt over her uniform. Combined with her petite figure, she looks like a black rabbit.

Despite her rocker look, she is, in fact, a hardcore rocker.

Because of her striking appearance and extreme hobbies, classmates in our class stay away from her. Consequently, I am able to talk to her like this thanks to a previous chance encounter.

One day, when she wasn't here, the guitar leaning on the table was about to fall. Without hesitation, I let out a strange cry and bent down to save it, finally rescuing it at the last second. Miyamura Miu, who happened to be returning, saw the scene and thanked me greatly. Since then, she has been enthusiastically preaching rock music to me.

In any case, that's what happened.

That's how we became friends.

I put my phone on the corner of the table and went back to looking at the tower Miu had erected.

"I'd never heard of CD's, let alone something like this tower."

"They're all from the 70's, they're considered low end, you know?"

"Don't talk like that, like it's a game. Besides, I can't listen to CD's at all."

"Heh? Ehy not?!"

"Because, I don't have a CD player."

"Is there really a human on this planet who doesn't have a CD player?!"

"Although I don't know much about rock stars, it's probably normal on Earth."

"Then, let's go back to modern times to the past! Then, you can also watch PV animations! I recommend the Japanese band "Inertia." They recently made their official debut. The lead singer is very handsome and the foreign guitarist is finally back. The recording has a British style..."

I basically ignore her sermons.

However, I think it must be worthy of envy to have something you want to recommend to others. That must be why I want to be friends with Miu.

As I thought about this kind of thing, completely letting my guard down.

I didn't notice that Miu, who wanted to play a video, picked up my phone that was on the table.

"Hey, don't look at it without my permission!"

I snatched the phone from her in panic, but it was too late.

The paused screen appeared before Miu's eyes.

"What is this, is this Ito Ioka-chan's video? Seeing you so nervous, I thought you were watching something dirty."

"Oh, so you know about her too, Miu?"

"Of course. When it comes to Ioka Ito, she's the big star of our school."

"I thought you were only interested in rock."

"It doesn't make sense, but I don't."

"No, it's just that I thought your interests were so extreme, so..."

"The representative of those who have no interests, Aruha, shouldn't say something like that."

I was speechless and couldn't refute her argument. However, Miu seemed to be very knowledgeable and continued to explain it to me in detail.

"Because she is really amazing. You've seen the number of views of the video, right? Even though she hasn't been on TV, she's appeared in a lot of magazines and brand photo shoots. She's been modeling since high school. It's really admirable. When we first entered high school, there was a rumor that there was a star in high school and it caused quite a stir. In the spring, there was a long line of boys who wanted to confess to her."

"That looks like a ramen store thing."

"However, it's said that the boys who confessed were harshly criticized by her and couldn't recover. Because of that, Ioka-chan was given the nickname...."

Hearing these events surprised me a lot.

And there was a feeling of excitement.

"....The Tyrannosaurus of Sakamaki High School."

The Tyrant Lizard. King of the Dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurus Rex.

It's said to be the largest carnivorous dinosaur in history, which survived in the Cretaceous period. They gave this name to people who had their hearts squeezed by unimaginable power, full of hatred and fear.

This strong and powerful feeling completely coincides with my impression.

I remember what happened last night.

(Why was she on the roof at that time?)

(And more importantly, what was that flame?)

No, that's not right.

Surely, I know the origin of that flame.

Right then and there.

The noisy classroom suddenly fell silent and we raised our heads in discomfort.

The sound of shoes scuffing on the floor and the grinding of teeth echoed throughout the classroom.

"I found you, Arihara Aruha."

Miu and I turned our gazes toward the direction the voice came from.

There it was.

Ito Ioka herself.

"Please come with me."

This cold and distant instruction gives the opposite impression to the flame.

Flowing hair, jet black and shiny. Skin as clear as the sky, as fragile as a butterfly's wings. Eyelashes as light and wavy. Lips as colorful and blooming as flowers.

Slender neck, with a gentle curve from chin to chest. A small, delicate head, slender waist and limbs, and slender hands and feet. The uniform only serves to highlight the beauty of her body. Hard to believe we are of the same species.

But most impressive are those eyes.

In those long, delicate eyes, there is a serene but real warmth. It reminds me of the twinkling of stars in the dark. Like the North Star.

This light is reflected in the star-shaped hairpin she wears in her hair, and even dominates the space around her.

The whole class, which was active before, is now plunged into silence and holding their breath as they gaze in that direction.

As soon as she appeared here, everything changed.

It's as if she is the center of the world.

Her sharp eyes, like fangs, pierced me.

I felt a sudden shiver down my spine.

It's like being discovered by a huge predator as a herbivorous animal.

I didn't know what to do, but she approached me without hesitation.

She came so close that her chest was almost touching mine and stared at me.

"Why don't you speak? Didn't you hear me?"

"Well, even if you say that, class is about to start."

"So what?"

"Well, it's a history exam after all..."

"That's all the more reason to come with me."

"What do you mean?"

After snorting through her nose, she shook out her hair.

"Because I'm the woman destined to leave her name in the history of the world."

I couldn't help but stand there like a statue.

She is completely unreasonable.

Although unreasonable, I was overwhelmed by her confidence as she declared this with a straight face.

Taking advantage of the gap, she reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Enough lip service, I said come with me!"

Suddenly, she pulled me, making me lose my balance and kick the table. The CD's on the table flew through the air, and then the clear plastic boxes fell like rain.

The boxes glistened in the sunlight reflecting off them from the window. In my shaky vision, I saw the words written on one of the boxes: "20th Century Boy". I had no idea what kind of song it was.

The only thing I could be sure of was that the gravity of the huge star had captured the small pebble.

***

Sakamaki Municipal High School is a key school with a relaxed school culture. However, this is nothing more than a nice-sounding explanation that emphasizes the school's strengths, and in reality it is nothing more than letting students do whatever they want. For example, although students like Miu, who have a unique style of dress, are not taught, the school is also relatively indifferent when it comes to teaching.

This school became a key institute despite it's lack of management because it offers support to students who are eager to learn. However, on the other hand, if a student falls behind, he or she receives no help. It is up to each one to decide whether this should be considered as respect for autonomy or simply a lack of attention to the students.

This inconsistency is also observed in the management of facilities. On the surface, the school buildings appear new and well-maintained, but in the details they are neglected. For example, the rooftop door, which should be locked, is easily opened.

Another situation is that empty classrooms can be so easily entered, even if no one is passing by.

"So...."

I was dragged into an empty classroom and faced her.

"....You should understand why you're here, right?"

She blocked my escape route by standing with her back to the door and then asked me. The curtains of the empty classroom were closed and it was dimly lit even though it was morning. I could hear the students bustling before class. Inside the classroom, she stared at me like a hunter stalking her prey.

"Uh... it's because you dragged me here by force."

"The word 'force' doesn't sound right when it's conveyed."

"You dragged me here so no one would listen, didn't you?"

"Since you understand all this, don't beat around the bush anymore."

I sighed at her full-pressure attitude.

"It's about the rooftop, isn't it, Ito?"

"Please don't call me by that name."

"Isn't that your real name?"

"I don't like that last name."

"I had no idea. So, Ioka?"

"Although I find it disrespectful, it's okay."

After nodding somewhat dissatisfied, she pointed her slender finger at me.

"My request is very simple. Regarding that matter, please keep your mouth shut."

As I suspected, that was really Ito Ioka.

"I will not intentionally divulge this."

"What reason do you have for me to trust those words?"

In the end, even if I told people that the popular fashion model was on fire on the rooftop, no one would believe me. But she doesn't look like she would be convinced by that alone.

"Well... just because it doesn't benefit me?"

"It doesn't. You have a hold on my weakness."

"Weakness, you say?"

"Well, even if I don't say so, you should be able to figure it out if you think about it! In any case, if you want to live a proper life, erase all memories about me from your mind. Right now."

"I don't want to go looking for trouble, though."

"Understood. Then, we won't have any relationship from now on. If you violate our agreement...."

"If I violate?"

"....Be prepared to face the end of your life."

After making a threatening statement, she gently turned away.

That's it, I thought.

Yeah, that's it. She and I should have no interaction in our daily lives.

We are in different worlds.

Different as clouds and mud. Distant as stars and stones. It was a simple traffic accident, just that.

But at the same time, I was also thinking about something.

(Is it okay to let it go and ignore it?)

The reason is because I know that the flames on the rooftop were no ordinary flames.

She said "proper life" earlier, obviously only as a threat to me.

(But what about Ioka Ito?)

(Is she living a proper life?)

The scene on the rooftop suddenly popped into my head.

Why did I go for the fire extinguisher at that moment?

The reason is clear.

Because I saw her lips moving...

--- "Save ..... me."

"Ioka. There are two things I must tell you."

"Huh? What things?"

She turned around and raised her eyebrows, annoyed.

"First of all, take this, it's for you."

I pulled a mint tablet out of my pocket.

Ioka's eyes widened and she walked straight towards me, snatching the box of white candy with a voracious attitude.

"I won't thank you."

"No problem. There's one more thing...."

Even though I was a little afraid, I told her anyway.

"....I know your secret."

The next moment, her long hair fluttered.

Before I could understand what was happening, the hunt was over.

She stepped forward and held out her hand to me. Reflexively, I stepped back, but it was too late. She grabbed me and my balance collapsed. Then, in less than an instant, the world turned upside down.

No, I flew through the air.

I fell backwards to the ground, unable to breathe. It's a blessing that I didn't hit my head. Or did she throw me to the ground to make sure I didn't hit my head?

Lying on the floor, my body feels heavy.

Ioka sits on top of me, holding me with both hands, unable to move. What strange strength.

It must have shown on my face, because she snorts mockingly.

"After all, I am a model. I know the human body very well."

"It hurts... isn't that the problem?"

"Besides, I have a little knowledge of Judo. It's important to know how to control your body, and unlike tasers or special police batons, the physical body is legal."

"Using martial arts as a weapon is not allowed."

"No, this is just a positive self-defense technique."

"Don't define this type of proactive attack on your own."

"So much nonsense. If you don't behave...."

After Ioka released my hands, she stood up and untied the belt of her uniform. Then, she gently unbuttoned her shirt. Her white chest was dazzling, and I couldn't help but look away.

"W-What are you doing?!"

Instead of answering, she pulled a square key ring out of her skirt pocket and placed her thumb on the button.

Although I tried to get up, she pressed my chest with her other hand and held me down.

Then, she looked me in the eyes and smiled a wicked smile before saying,

"....I will destroy your life."

That thing was not a keychain.

It was a security bell.

This is ridiculous. How can there be such a model in the world?

But I have to admit that this move is very effective. If Ioka pressed the button, people from the surrounding classrooms would come running. With just a little bit of acting, she would become the victim and I would become the attacker.

"Wait a minute!"

"It's all your fault. It's all because you said something you shouldn't have."

"Wait! I know the business about your flame!"

"...Do you really think I'm going to believe such a lie?"

But contrary to his tone, a strong hesitation was conveyed from our skin on contact.

I adjusted my breathing and pushed her body back.

"At that moment, I wanted to put out the fire without thinking about it! But when I thought about it carefully, you didn't seem surprised even though your body was burning! In other words, that probably wasn't your first time! Maybe something like that happens to you often?!"

"So what if it happens?"

"That's why! Maybe, I can eliminate your flame!"

"I won't be fooled. You just want to use some kind of trick to do me a favor and satisfy your own desires. How low. Okay, promise me you won't tell anyone about this and I won't have to waste any more time on you."

It's hard to be believed when I say things like that directly.

But what was I supposed to say?

As I hesitated, unsure - I saw it.

From her bare chest, a black shadow emerged.

"It's a lizard again!"

It quickly crawled up her neck to her back.

"What's wrong?" Ioka looked at me in surprise.

That's right.

This is a sign.

Then, I realized.

"My body ..... feels warm."

"You're thinking something kinky, aren't you!"

"It's not my body, it's your body that's hot!"

"What are you ..... saying..."

Her voice, which was trying to remain calm, trembled halfway through. The effort to hide her gasps was failing. The temperature emanating from her body had already exceeded the level of a human.

I looked around me.

The tables, chairs and floor were all made of wood.

In other words.

They were all flammable!

I remembered the rooftop scene from that moment.

If flames like that broke out here, it would become a big disaster.

Just at that moment...

* Ding dong, ding dong.

The class bell rang.

For a moment, her gaze was distracted.

That moment took no longer. I grabbed her hand and the safety button fell to the floor with a clattering noise. She fell and I stood up. The strength I had a moment ago was completely gone. The hand I grabbed was thin and burning hot, surprising me.

"L-Let go of me..."

"This is not the time to say that!"

"I told you to let go of me...!"

She tried to get up, but her steps were unsteady and she was about to fall.

I immediately held her. The temperature of our skin in contact kept rising.

"Stop... please let go of me.... "

"I can't let go of you! In any case, we have to get out of here first."

"Well... I'll go to the rooftop by myself..."

A small flame appeared on her shoulder.

There probably wasn't much time left.

The top of her delicate chin was sweating constantly, and she couldn't even stand up properly. It would be unwise to climb the stairs in this condition, even if there was nothing flammable on the roof.

There was no choice but to gamble on one possibility.

If we stayed on the same floor, there might be a way to make it.

"Hurry up and get up, we have to go."

I used my shoulder to support her, her steps were unsteady and her body temperature was also rising to an uncomfortable level after prolonged contact.

"This way!"

I quickly led her down the hallway as I dragged her along.

We were lucky to avoid being seen because the morning class session was in progress, so we had plenty of excuses if anyone questioned us.

Besides, the reason was that our destination was the same place we were headed.

Her lips twisted in pain as they quivered and closed.

"W-Why..."

Even I myself was unclear as to why.

I felt as if an enormous force was driving me to do it.

That's right, to put it another way.

It was like the fall of a meteorite attracted by gravity.

I ran around the classroom where the morning class was being held, as I had been doing for a while, holding her by the shoulder.

After running down the empty hallway for a while, we reached our destination and opened the door. The white sliding door made a creaking sound as it hit the door stop and bounced back.

"Sai-san!"

"Whoa!"

The person sitting on the other side of the door jumped out of the chair like a spring.

After looking me in the face, she let out a big sigh and put a hand on her chest.

"What's wrong, Aruha-kun? Knock the door when you come to the infirmary, what if I get caught loitering?"

She put the game console in the desk drawer as she spoke, and straightened her misaligned glasses.

Her brightly colored dyed hair was casually tied back on top of her head, and the mood was so relaxed it was almost as if she had just taken a bath. Her well-defined figure and upturned glasses were reminiscent of a bee, a large bumblebee to be more specific. She was tall and had a friendly demeanor, and if she wore a uniform, she might have looked like a student.

She shook the hand that still held chips and reached into the pocket of her white coat.

Yes, a white lab coat.

It was to be expected, this was the infirmary, after all.

The troublesome and irresponsible sanitation teacher, Sai Saitou, was eating snacks and playing games during working hours. Normally, this would be considered a problem, but now was not the time to worry about it.

I took the fiery Ioka to the infirmary.

"This is the girl I told you about earlier!"

After seeing Ioka burning on the roof the other day, I sent a message to Sai-san. This is because Sai-san is an investigator of this kind of phenomena.

"You mean the one from before, hm?"

"Yes! She's being possessed!"

"You should have told me that first!"

Sai-san quickly closes the curtains and runs to the door, locking it. The view outside is blocked along with the light. The room suddenly becomes dark and the sound of Ioka's pained moans is absorbed without echo. Sai-san, with a stern face, places a hand on Ioka's forehead.

"Phew, it's hot. What are the symptoms?"

"I already told you! It's fire!"

"Fire? Then why did you bring her here?! You want to burn down the infirmary?!"

"I'm sorry! There wasn't time to go anywhere else!"

Sai-san checks Ioka's eyes and looks inside her mouth with a familiar touch, pressing her cheek.

"Did you see any strange animals?"

"I did."

"What kind of animal?"

"A lizard, I think."

"What size?"

"Uh... about this size."

I gesture with my thumb and forefinger to show the size as I try to remember what it looks like.

"Did she notice?"

"I'm not sure, she probably didn't see it."

"Did she have any vomiting or say anything silly?"

"From what I could see, no."

Sai-san folded her arms and kept muttering something.

"A lizard and fire.... A salamander... So it's not Phoenix... If we understand it visually, is it sequence 51 or 52? No, if we consider it directly... But it's just... In that case..."

"Keep warming up! Think of something!"

I was in a panic.

I thought that, coming here, Sai-san would be able to help solve the problem immediately. I was overconfident.

But while Sai-san was deep in thought, Ioka's body temperature was almost like that of a furnace. This can't be, if Ioka's body burst into flames here, it will become a big problem.

"... It's okay. I, I can handle it on my own..."

However, it wasn't Sai-san who answered me.

She had a puzzled look on her face. Ioka reached shakily into her pocket and pulled out a box of mints.

"Ah, that is..."

Ioka didn't respond, but popped the candy into her mouth with a crunch. After making a loud crunch, she cleared her throat. She tried to close the lid, but tipped the box of candy over and scattered the white candy all over the bed.

"Now, it should be....."

I watched her as she gasped for a while.

But the air around her was still shaking.

"Uh, why ..... why isn't it working?!"

"The answer is simple. Because the symptoms are getting worse. Ah, trying to deal with it on your own is dangerous. Half-knowledge is dangerous."

Sai-san pulled me aside and looked at Ioka.

".... It's no good. There's no time. Aruha-kun! Give me a hand!"

"Hey, what are you saying?!"

"Just follow my instructions! First, hold her!"

Just then, a sudden rubbing sound filled the air.

It took us a while to realize that it was Ioka's moans.

Her eyes flickered with golden light. Fine wrinkles appeared on the delicate bridge of her nose and her clenched teeth were visible through her thin lips.

Seeing this, I understood.

The domination was getting stronger and stronger.

"I'm sorry. Ioka! Be patient!"

Just as she was about to freak out, I held her arms behind her. Even though her feet struggled and made me wobble, I managed to hold her in position. The heat passed through her clothes and reached my body which was in close contact.

"Hey, what are we going to do now?!"

"Wait a little longer!"

Sai-san replied without looking back. I wondered what she was doing, it turned out that she kept rummaging through the desk drawer.

Every time she rummaged through the drawer, she pulled out snacks.

"Something other than candy would be better. It has to be something you can eat quickly ...... cookies, there's too much dust ..... ah, come on, who made such a mess!"

Obviously it's my fault, but now is not the time to say such things.

(I don't know anything.)

(I can't do anything.)

I clung tightly to Ioka's burning body as she raged.

(Hurry up!)

(Think of a solution quickly!)

"Got it! That's it!"

Sai-san finally found what she was looking for, a magic tool that could solve any problem. But it wasn't.

It was just a thin, square sheet of paper, wrapped in golden paper.

The familiar shape was...

"Chocolate?!!!!"

Ignoring my shout, Sai-san tried to remove the wrapper, but failed.

"Oh, take it!"

Irritated, she used her knee to break the chocolate in half and quickly ripped off the wrapper, throwing the contents at me.

"Make her eat it!"

"Ahh!"

I reached out my hands, but couldn't grasp it securely. The chocolate bounced several times in my hands.

It was then that Ioka, who had regained her freedom, pounced on me. My body fell to the ground with much greater speed than before. It was a truly beastly move.

Ioka's hand reached for my neck and the heat was immediately transferred to my skin and muscles, as if an iron was being passed over me.

"Hurry up, put it in your mouth!"

"Don't say it so simply!"

There were already flickering flames on Ioka's shoulder. Her hand tightly squeezed my neck.

The blood couldn't reach my brain and my consciousness began to fade. The air vibrated in her throat and, at that moment, my blurred vision caught her open mouth.

"Eat it! Eat it!"

I quickly shoved the chocolate into her mouth and covered it with my hand to keep her from coughing and trying to spit it out.

"That's right, let her swallow it!"

"Easy for you to say..."

Ioka's throat twisted in pain.

It was too hot to touch.

She was still struggling and my hand was pushed away.

The chocolate was still in her mouth and she hadn't swallowed it yet. If I continued like this, she would spit it out.

There was no time to think. Without hesitation, I hugged her. I pressed her head against my chest with my arms and felt her breathing through my clothes, like a fan. Even though she was trying to push me away with her hands, I hugged her tightly, ignoring everything.

"How hot, can we stop now!"

"No! Just hold on a little longer!"

"I can't take it anymore!"

"Hold on!"

I followed Sai-san's instructions and hugged her tightly. Soon, I felt something coming down her throat against my chest.

"Did you swallow it...?!"

This time, her resistance gradually weakened. It was like a frying pan taken out of the fire, with the heat dissipating into the air.

Soon, Ioka's body weakly collapsed.

Her closed eyes and calm expression rested on my chest as I lay on my back.

Her thin lips let out a deep sigh, as if everything that had just happened was a lie.

Then, she continued to breathe steadily and calmly.

"Okay, okay. It's all right now."

"I was scared to death..."

Suddenly, I felt my limbs weaken and realized my whole body ached. My head and back thumped as I fell, my arm and hand jerked. My neck and palms burned with pain, probably burns.

"Uh, can you help me?"

At her words, I barely held my creaking body and stood up with Ioka in my arms. After laying her down on the bed next to Sai-san, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Haa ..... thank you. Good job."

"What do you mean good job? I thought I was going to die!"

"Well, we're almost done, no complications, right? The infirmary was saved and they didn't burn you to ashes. Long life, right?"

"As expected, the probability of that happening is quite high..."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Although I could vaguely feel it, putting it into words, it still made me shudder.

However, for my body that had just exerted all its effort and was overheated, this cold feeling was actually comforting.

I looked at Ioka, lying on the bed.

She had a calm expression, as if her earlier debauchery was nothing more than an illusion.

Her long eyelashes cast shadows on her fair skin. Her relaxed eyebrows traced a beautiful curve reminiscent of an unstrung bow.

I understood that most of her stern impression was due to her expression.

As soon as she fell asleep like that, she was like a doll made by a master craftsman.

I sighed in relief from the bottom of my heart.

Prior to this, any accidental event could have turned into the situation Sai-san mentioned.

As if to confirm that Ioka and I were still alive, I took a deep breath.

But the problem remained unsolved.

"The real show starts now."

"Yes. This is only a temporary measure. Simply an emergency treatment, a symptomatic therapy or an emergency avoidance. Not ashes, but consumed charcoal. In other words, what comes now is...."

Sai-san shoved her hands into the pockets of her white lab coat and flashed a fearless smile.

"....The true exorcism of devil."

===

TL: Diego

Raw : Saekano-TL

Need proofreader, contact me at diegosky#5650

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