*Burp* "Ahh~ I'm full." I muttered before I looked at the twins who're currently on their way to a stall selling Taiyaki.

My eyes twitched, but I sighed before I once again took out my wallet, checked my available funds, before walking towards the stall where the twins are currently at.

At this moment, it had been exactly an hour after we had bought the cotton candy.

And as expected I had become the girl's leftover devourer, just like the fate of every male friend whenever they're out eating with a close female friend.

Right now, I'm stuffed, once again…

Thankfully, I can pretty much break down and digest everything I eat rather easily, so even though this has been the third time I felt full tonight. I could still keep on going until the twins themselves are satisfied.

We of course didn't just spend this entire time eating. We also participated in some games, like goldfish scooping, the gun game where you try to take down the prize you desire.

And some other neat carnival games that can typically be found in a shrine festival.

And as consequences of that, aside from being the twin's personal food finisher. I had also become a courier, responsible for carrying the various prizes that they had won.

"Here, Hisa-nii… Rem's full." Rem handed me her half eaten Taiyaki, which was followed by Ram who handed me hers as well.

I nodded and quickly ate the two fish shaped desserts and inwardly cheered for my almost drained wallet, before I asked the two what they wanted to do next.

In response, the two shrugged before answering that they don't know. So I decided to do the second goal on why we're here in the first place, and brought the two of them up to the shrine itself.

There, amidst the bustling people, a pair of mother and daughter wearing Shrine Maiden clothes were selling charms to the guests one after another.

The two looked pretty much alike, both with raven hair, and their hairstyles were also the same, tied in a pony tail.

….

...

"Three please." I said to Akeno's mother after it was finally our turn.

"Good evening. Thank you for attending the festival. Here's the three charms." Akeno's mother, Shuri, greeted us before her daughter handed us the three "Total Protection" charms, all of them were really high quality, and I also feel that these charms actually have a mystic feel to them.

After thanking the mother–daughter duo, the three of us finally walked out from the lines.

We found an unoccupied bench not that far, so the three of us sat down to take a quick break.

"So, how was your first Festival experience, Rem, Ram? Did you enjoy it?" I asked the twins, despite knowing the answer already.

And just as I assumed, the twins responded with a wide smile as they nodded in agreement.

"Rem really enjoyed it!"

"Mm. The food was great, same with the games."

"Im glad you two enjoyed it." I responded with a smile of my own before I looked back at the booth where Akeno and her mother were sitting, and asked.

"What do you think of the mother and daughter shrine maidens?"

Hearing my question, Rem and Ram looked at the two in question before pondering for a moment and then answering.

"They look like nice people."

"Indeed, the two of them seem really nice."

I nodded.

"Mhm, those two, are what people call 'Shrine Maidens' . They take care of this shrine, and make sure it keeps running so people who are in need of a little help have somewhere they can ask."

"So, yes.. those two are pretty nice. But you see, Rem, Ram, in the next few months or so. Those two will be attacked by some people…"

"What?!"

"Is that true?!"

Rem and Ram exclaims, wondering exactly how I got to know about this.

"Its a secret." I smiled mysteriously, before I looked back at the mother–daughter pair and voiced.

"Actually, one of the reasons why I came back here in the human world is to prevent that exact thing from happening. Because you see, I don't want the two to get separated unwillingly like this…" My smile turned faint as I was reminded unconsciously about my mother, and sighed.

"Hisa-nii…"

"Hisa—"

Suddenly, I felt a warm embrace, and I looked at the culprits, the twins and responded in kind. I could hear the sound of their breathing, their heartbeats that were rhythmically beating, as they tightened their hug.

I couldn't help but smile warmly at the two, I felt warm, knowing that despite me losing a very important person in my life—It wasn't all that bad because I got these two with me.

So in response to the twin's embrace, I tightened my hold on them.

"Hooh~ Your words are certainly interesting, Young Man."

"WHO-?!" I abruptly turned around and hurriedly shielded the twins behind me, and looked at the person.

There, leaning beside the tree behind us, was none other than the Takoyaki vendor beforehand.

And… It seems that the seemingly ordinary vendor in front of me might not actually be an "ordinary" person.

"Noo need to be so wary, Young Devil. I'm not gonna do anything to children like you three." The not-so ordinary vendor voiced, as he walked towards the bench we were sitting in, and sat down besides me.

"Oh? It seems like you're a more interesting Young Man than I thought." The man grinned, but I remained calm, because— I had successfully sent Rem and Ram inside the Gacha Temple.

My eyes wandered around to find a place to escape if things went south, as I asked the man.

"So, what does the Takoyaki Vendor want with me?"

"Gahahaha! You're a really interesting child. You know that? Being able to remain calm and try to find an escape route whilst calmly conversing with a potential for… Your potential is pretty great." The man laughed in amusement, before suddenly, the atmosphere changed in a split second, and a suffocating pressure drowned my entire body.

It wasn't because of me getting suppressed by possessing a lesser amount of magical energy…

What I'm feeling right now— is the pressure emitted by someone who has bathed in blood multiple times.

Someone who had experienced countless life threatening battles, and living to tell their tale.

"Your words before were quite interesting. You were saying that those two, mother and daughter will be attacked in the upcoming months?"

"Mind telling me where you got this piece of information, Young Man?" The man asked, full of skepticism, yet, his face remained serious as he looked at me with narrowed eyes.

I inwardly gulped my saliva. Because— while I could certainly just stop time right here and then, but— my gut is telling me that if I even just make my demonic power move even a little bit differently than right now.

Something bad will happen to me… And as for his previous word of not hurting children?

Yeah, like I'd believe any of that crap. Literally every peerage member of Rias in the series experienced malice back from when they were just children.

So, I would be super dumb to believe anything a stranger says. Especially one as strong as the one in front of me.

After all, someone wouldn't reach this level of strength by being honest.

"It's because of a friend." I answered calmly, after I thought of a way to get out of this situation.

"Friend you say? Tell me who this friend of yours is."

"Alright— Kurumi! Can you come here?"

With my words, a golden sphere made of magical energy suddenly materialized in front of me.

The man was puzzled, as he looked at Kurumi and me alternatively, before asking.

"This is—?!"

"The one who told me about the attack." I responded with a flat voice.

Yes, I'm dumping all the responsibility to my newly born quasi-spirit. Kurumi seems to realize it as well, as she kept sending me feelings of shock, and betrayal.

I responded by sending her feelings of calmness and warmness, to show that she didn't need to worry.

And speaking of Kurumi, while I may have blamed the info of Akeno and her mother getting attacked on her.

It's also true that Kurumi can somewhat see the future, and she can send what she has seen to me.

Although, currently she can only see snippets, like images and such, and not actual future vision.

The reason why I brought lots of cash tonight is precisely because she showed me images of the twins pretty much always eating something while we were here.

It was unfortunate that the last image she saw was only until we were in front of Akeno and her mother.

I felt frustrated. If only Kurumi saw this part of the future back then, then I would have been more prepared.

Thankfully, the man in front of him didn't exhibit any intentions of attacking.

[=============================]

Gatto Notes: As Promised, the Bonus Chapter is here!!!

Now, let us begin a new challenge!

100 Power Stones for 1 Chapter!

Good Luck!

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Then do check out my Patreon!

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That's all for me, see you in the next chapter, Ciao!!