Chapter 10 - Yeager's Intervention

  Not long after, Atsushi went to a nearby restroom to wash his face while still pondering his mountain spirit saying. Once he had wiped his face with a hand towel, he looked in the mirror, only to see a young girl looking at him. It was his mountain spirit in the form of a little girl. 

  "Hello there," she greeted. 

The moment he saw her, Atsushi freaked out and jolted from the sink to the restroom stalls. 

  "Woah, who are you?" he asked her. 

The mountain spirit giggled. "I'm your mountain spirit. It took you long enough to notice me." 

Getting up, Atsushi asked her, "Really? Are you the one who prevented me from making a contract with a demon?" 

  "Yup, that would be me." 

  "But why?" 

  But then, Shinya was walking by when he heard the conversation in the restroom. He then looked at Atsushi, who was talking to his mountain spirit. 

  "Who was he talking to?" he asked in his mind. 

  Back at the conversation, the mountain spirit said to Atsushi, "The reason why I didn't let you do that is that you would suffer in this life and die young if you do it anyway." 

  "Oh, that's why," Atsushi responded. "Then are you the one who told me to switch?" 

The mountain spirit then nodded. "Yes, so you would be in a better place than this brutal, strict faction." 

  "Okay, the only option is the Red Scarlet Army." 

  "You should think about it first before you do it." 

To that Atsushi tilted his head downward. "You're right. I'll stay here for a bit longer." 

  "Your choice," the mountain spirit replied in agreement, before disappearing out of nowhere.

  After that, Atsushi tilted his head normally, and left the restroom, only to be greeted by Shinya. 

  "Who did you talk to?" Shinya asked him. 

  "Oh, hi there, Shinya-san," Atsushi replied back. "Nothing. I'm just talking to myself, that's all."

He then went off.

  Later, in the meeting room, Guren discusses to the other high-ranking officials of the Imperial Demon Army regarding Atsushi's place and inability to make a contract with a demon and what they will do to him after that. 

  "He can't make a contract with a demon," Guren said to them. "I think we should put him in the Shinoa squad as a backup just in case things go wrong." 

The others were shocked to hear that, and one of them protested. "Are you crazy? He'll die with a regular weapon!" 

  "I know," Guren responded back, "but his regular fighting skills are good enough to give him a place in that squad." 

Because of that, the rest agreed to his proposal. But they had no idea that Atsushi had aura ability and power, granted by his mountain spirit.

  Not long after, Atsushi was in the school library reading books to pass some time. He was reading two textbooks on geography and a special book on the creatures of that world. 

  "So those are spirits..." he said to himself in a low voice. 

He had a can of coffee as a drink. 

Then, as Atsushi reads. Sayuri came, only to tell him that Guren wanted to see him in his office. 

Upon hearing that, Atsushi was surprised and looked at her. "What?" 

  "He wants to see you in his office," Sayuri repeated. 

"I-I see. Coming." 

And so, Atsushi closed the books and stand up, before leaving the library with Sayuri. 

  Moments later, both of them arrived at Guren's office, and Sayuri knocked on the door. 

  "Come in," Guren responded. Sayuri opened the door, and she and Atsushi went in, before closing the door. 

  "Oh, Atsushi," Guren said to Atsushi directly, "the kid I want to see." 

  "Um, why did you call me for?" Atsushi asked. 

  "We had a discussion with the other officials about your place in a team," answered Guren back, "since you can't make a contract with a demon for some reason." 

  "Yeah, I can't." Atsushi scratched his head. "Sorry." 

  "You don't have to apologize. We had already decided on your place in a team." 

Atsushi was stunned to hear that. "My place?" 

  "You will be serving as backup for the Shinoa squad," Guren replied back. "Is that okay for you?" 

To that Atsushi contemplates for a while, before asking what he will do as backup.

  "You will be providing support for them just in case things go wrong." Guren crossed his fingers on his desk. 

Since he knew the part about the formation of the Shinoa squad in his previous life, Atsushi just agreed with him, saying, "Yes, sure. I'll do my best to provide support for them." 

Seeing that Atsushi accepted his new position, Guren responded, "Okay, you're dismissed." 

With that, Sayuri opened the door, and Atsushi left the office, feeling positive about his new position in a team. 

  Then, as Atsushi walks down the corridor, Yeager calls his name. Upon hearing that, Atsushi looks to his left, only to see the young, white-haired man leaning against the wall. 

  "Uh, hi, who are you?" he asked Yeager. 

  "My name is Yeager Ray of the Red Scarlet Army," Yeager responded, before pulling out a business card and giving it to Atsushi. 

Atsushi then accepted the card and took a good look at it. 

He then read that Yeager is the leader of that faction. 

  "You're the leader of that faction?" he asked him. 

Straightening his back, Yeager glanced at him. "Yes, and I had been watching you for a while." 

Atsushi was shocked. "What? How?" 

  "I sent out my men to monitor you," Yeager responded. 

  "Why would you that?" 

  "Because I don't want you to get experimented by this faction." 

  "So you're going to recruit me or something?" 

Yeager then unfolded his arms. "It's your choice. I know about your previous life." 

This really shocked him again. "What?" 

  "But don't worry," Yeager assured him in response, "I'll keep that as a secret." 

Eventually, Atsushi agreed with him and responded, "Sure, I'll be thinking about that first. For now, I was assigned to the Shinoa squad." 

  "Good, okay then." Yeager agreed with him, before leaving as Atsushi watches from the distance. 

Yeager's footsteps make a falling noise as he went further and further away. No one saw their encounter. 

  Later, in his apartment home, Atsushi was laying on his bed thinking about his place in the Shinoa squad and the idea of switching to the Red Scarlet Army. Eventually, he made a plan to switch to that neutral faction while in the battle of Shinjuku, which would happen by tomorrow. He discussed that to his mountain spirit, who agreed to whatever he said to her, adding that she doesn't want him to die young and wasted that life for nothing. But he has no idea that he possessed an aura ability and power given by his mountain spirit, apart from his forest green hair and black eyes.