My stepsisters are sexy demons, and I must protect them-Chapter 70: We want you!

Ever since Hakuto stopped keeping an eye on Rika and Yuzu—it’s been three months now since he moved to the United States to train with Chris Kendrow—it’s now Shin who has taken over that role.

Itsu decided to retreat into solitude, returning to live in Ashiya, while Chantal took advantage of being close to France to reunite with her family after months apart.

Every morning, Shin walks the girls to school—they’re in their third year at a high school in central Rome, just steps away from their loft, which overlooks the Colosseum—and just the same, he brings them back home.

Also, Kagura forged Yuzu’s documents so that she would appear to be the same age as Rika, even though she’s a year younger.

This way, they can be in the same class and avoid leaving school at different times, making Shin’s job easier.

Shin doesn’t leave them alone for a second.

In the afternoon, he takes them shopping or out for drinks.

At night, he brings them to dance clubs, often along with their friends.

Rika and Yuzu had no trouble fitting in at their new school.

They quickly found themselves surrounded by a whole group of friends.

They’re finally living the normal teenage life they had always dreamed of, and that alone brings joy to Shin, Kagura, and even Hakuto—who still keeps in touch with them every day.

Like every weekday afternoon, Shin waits for them outside the school—his usual cigarette hanging from his lips.

«Your stepdad is insanely hot! Your mom is literally the luckiest woman alive,» one of Rika and Yuzu’s friends says, drooling as she stares at Shin.

His missing right arm—explained by the girls as a war injury, claiming Shin used to be in the military—only adds to his appeal among their group of friends... and even some of their mothers.

«And you haven’t even seen Hakuto, his son! He’s in America for his studies, but once he’s back, I’ll introduce him to you right away! I’m sure you’ll love him too!» Rika replies proudly.

«Yeah, but don’t get any weird ideas—our big brother belongs only to us!» Yuzu adds.

They wave goodbye to their friends and walk over to Shin.

They begin the short fifteen-minute walk from school to the loft.

But right away, Shin notices something.

A black car with tinted windows.

He’s seen it drive past them at least three times in the last ten minutes.

His senses go on alert, but he says nothing to the girls—he doesn’t want to worry them for no reason.

So they keep walking like nothing’s wrong, until they reach the large entrance gate of the luxurious apartment building they live in.

Shin glances over his shoulder.

That same black car.

This time, it’s slowing down.

Whoever’s driving has clearly realized that this is where Shin and the girls live.

«I’ll smoke a cigarette and catch up. You two go on ahead,» Shin says to them with a calm, steady voice—so relaxed that it doesn’t hint at any threat or suspicion.

A few seconds after the girls walk through the entrance, Shin is about to approach the black car.

It had stopped and parked not far from them.

But just as he’s about to take the first step, the vehicle suddenly starts moving and pulls up beside him.

On the outside, Shin stays calm and collected.

But inside, every muscle in his body tenses, ready to strike at the slightest sign of danger.

The car stops next to him.

The rear left window—heavily tinted—begins to lower slowly, and...

Shin raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

Alexia Kendrow.

Chris’s sister and the deputy director of HESPARC U.S.

She’s wearing oversized sunglasses, a white dress with pink floral patterns that reaches her knees and shows a generous amount of cleavage, a wide straw hat like the ones worn at the beach—under which her long brown hair is tied—and wooden clogs that reveal her red-painted toenails.

Nothing like the elegant black suit she wore when she appeared at Shin’s previous residence in Estonia.

«To what do I owe this wonderful surprise? Though I suppose the better question is, how did you even find me?» Shin says, his gaze inevitably falling to her cleavage—so deep that a glimpse of her white lace bra is visible underneath.

«I imagine this isn’t exactly the right place to talk,» Alexia replies with her usual cold and professional tone, which clashes with her tourist-like outfit.

She then opens the rear door of the car, and Shin takes a seat beside her in the back—though not before calling Rika to let her know not to make any plans for the afternoon, since he’ll be out.

«Oh come on, Shin! Today we were supposed to have drinks at that new bar overlooking the Colosseum!» Rika had replied, but there was no convincing him to change his mind.

At the wheel sits another HESPARC agent, also dressed casually.

He’s separated from Shin and Alexia by a tinted, soundproof glass panel that blocks their conversation.

«To answer your question—so I can finally explain why I’m here... are you seriously asking how I found you? It’s obvious. After locating you in Estonia, of course I had you followed and tracked through satellite. You’re more naïve than I thought if you didn’t see that coming,» Alexia mutters, sounding almost disappointed that she has to explain something so basic to the man once known as the number one Monster Reaper in the world.

«I just expected a bit more discretion from you, that’s all,» Shin comments, his eyes carefully studying every movement of her body—how her chest bounces when the car hits a bump, how she crosses her legs mid-sentence, revealing her thigh.

«Anyway...» Shin continues. «...how’s my son doing? He updates me daily on his training with your brother, but I’d like to hear the opinion of someone at your level.»

Alexia smiles faintly, and for a moment her usual coldness softens.

«I’d rather keep it a surprise and let you see for yourself. I’m sure you’ll be amazed. That said, I’m flattered to know the legendary Shin Tendo holds me in such high regard.»

«Ever since I was your teacher at HESPARC Academy, I’ve... let’s say... I’ve held you in such high regard,» Shin says, his look distinctly ambiguous and lascivious.

Alexia clenches up on the seat—her face flushes red and her lips tighten.

«I-I was just a young eighteen-year-old student! You only took advantage of me because, well... you had a bit of charm back then!» Alexia snaps, her voice trembling with embarrassment.

She rubs her thighs together and clenches her fists, turning her face away to avoid Shin’s gaze.

He wears a half-mocking, half-thoughtful expression.

«Is that so? And yet, if I recall correctly, it was you who snuck into my office before I’d even given my first lecture... It was without a doubt the best ’Welcome, Professor Tendo’ I’ve ever received in my short teaching career,» Shin says with a grin.

«I already told you! I was just a young student, infatuated with my professor! And a serious professor—which you clearly weren’t—would’ve rejected me and reported it to the principal, instead of letting me do... all those things we better not mention!»

Her face grows redder, her voice increasingly filled with embarrassment.

Shin shrugs.

«How could I possibly turn down a charming girl like you? Even back then, it was obvious you had... quite the potential. And I have to admit, you’ve nurtured that potential very well,» he smirks, his eyes blatantly fixed on her cleavage, almost daring her to notice.

«I’d like to remind you that I’m now the deputy director of HESPARC U.S.! So I expect you to address me—and behave—with the proper respect for my role!»

Shin lets out a sigh.

Then, his expression suddenly shifts, becoming deadly serious.

«The fact that you came all the way here in secret makes me think something serious is going on.»

Alexia, now back to her composed and professional self, gives a slight nod.

«It’s about the member of the Primordial Shadow Cult you handed over three months ago—the human girl from N’Raeth named Velune, that insufferable little necromancer.

It took nearly two and a half months and some... unorthodox methods to make her talk, but we finally got some valuable information.»

«Unorthodox methods? Come on—even if she’s part of the Cult, she’s still just a girl, eleven or twelve at most. I didn’t think you were the type to torture children,» Shin mutters, visibly displeased.

«That brat has been eleven years old for four hundred years,» Alexia replies.

«The fact that she managed to resurrect the legendary Drakhul Volkom is already a disturbing testament to her necromantic abilities. But she did something even worse—she used resurrection magic on herself.»

Shin is stunned.

«Is that... even possible?»

Once again, Alexia gives a slight nod, her voice turning even more serious.

«It shouldn’t be. But clearly it is, and she’s the proof. She didn’t go into much detail, but to simplify, she made major modifications to the standard resurrection spell, then took her own life right after casting it—with the target being her own corpse. Pulling that off required not just unimaginable necromantic knowledge, but also perfect timing and precision. Now she has all the traits of an undead—she feels no fatigue, no pain, she doesn’t age, and because the spell was cast on a fresh corpse, she avoided decomposition. In other words, she might very well be the most skilled necromancer to ever exist.»

Shin slowly shakes his head, unable to fully grasp the meaning behind those words—words that likely aren’t entirely clear even to Alexia herself.

«Back to why I’m here,» Alexia resumes. «Velune gave us the presumed location of another Cult member. To avoid leaks, the movements and positions of their adepts are kept secret even from each other. But among the members of the branch that follows a certain Cassian Thalukvar—one of the twelve high priests of the Cult—there’s a dark elf named Eskari.»

Shin grows thoughtful upon hearing that name.

It sounds familiar, somehow.

But he can’t remember where he’s heard it before.

«According to the information we extracted, that dark elf is currently deep within a large forest, trying to absorb natural energy and enhance his own. You should know that elven magic is fueled by the lifeblood flowing through plants. Because of the internal regulations of the Cult I just mentioned, Velune doesn’t know exactly which forest it is. But we believe it’s obvious—if someone wanted to maximize their power, the best choice would be to hide in the heart of the largest forest in the world.»

«The Amazon Rainforest...» Shin murmurs.

Alexia nods.

«Unfortunately, satellite scans didn’t reveal anything. But with vegetation that dense, it would’ve been strange if they had. That’s why I’ve assembled a task force with the objective of locating and eliminating Eskari.

It’s a team made up of the best agents from the U.S. division—each one an exceptional fighter, trained through the harshest programs.»

Alexia pauses briefly, her serious gaze locking with Shin’s.

«But hunting a dark elf in his natural habitat is a mission that requires a leader with immense battle experience and encyclopedic knowledge of N’Raeth’s creatures. Traits only a few in the world can claim.»

Shin lowers the window just a crack and lights a cigarette.

A faint smile curves his lips, waiting for the inevitable.

«Shin Tendo... on behalf of the U.S. division—I ask you to lead the mission to capture Eskari.»

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