Raising Yanderes to save the world

Leon stared at the sword embedded in the wall, his breathing becoming heavier as he tried to hold himself back.

The house had stopped disappearing, but the cracks running across its surface remained, and the faint light leaking through them made the entire structure look like it was barely holding together.

”Leon... what are you doing?”

Seraphina asked, but Leon did not answer immediately. He reached toward the sword, his fingers tightening around its handle.

”I am not letting it disappear.”

His voice sounded strained, almost desperate.

”This place... this house... it is the only thing I can still remember clearly. If it disappears, then I might forget something else.”

Seraphina looked at him with confusion.

”Forget what?”

Leon’s expression changed, and for a moment, he looked like he was struggling to remember something important. His eyes shifted toward her, but he quickly looked away again.

”I don’t know.”

That answer only made Seraphina more suspicious.

She stepped closer to the house and placed her hand against its damaged wall. The moment she touched it, a strange warmth spread through her fingers.

A familiar presence made her heart skip a beat, and an image flashed through her mind.

A man standing beside a window. A voice telling her that she could treat the library as her home.

”Kael...”

The name escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

Leon suddenly turned toward her.

”What did you say?”

Seraphina pulled her hand away from the wall, her eyes widening as the memory disappeared.

”I... I don’t know.”

She was telling the truth. She truly did not know what she was talking about. But somehow, she wanted to know.

She wanted to know what secrets this house... no, home hid and who it belonged to. And from what she could tell, she was not the only one.

Iris and Lyra had followed her and Leon home as well, but she could not recall why they had. What were they here for?

Did whatever she was forgetting have anything to do with them as well?

’Ugh, this is all so tiring. Why can’t I just recall what happened? Why does it all have to be so complicated?’

She asked herself, but there was no answer to her question.

Seraphina noticed Lyra and Iris walking toward the half-disappeared house with small and hesitant steps. They looked just as startled as she was.

”Excuse me, but do you know what we are doing here? I did not mean to come here. It’s just... my feet followed you both here before I knew it...”

Iris looked uncomfortable as she tried to make sense of why she was there. But it was Lyra’s face that made her pause.

The demon queen looked like she had no idea what she was doing. But at the same time, she looked like she wanted to run to the house and hold it in place. Her conflicting emotions made her face look ugly.

”Is something the matter?”

Leon asked in his usual kind way. He was a soft-spoken person, especially when he was in front of the others...

But why did that feel like a lie? All of Seraphina’s memories indicated that Leon was nothing but polite and never showed his true self to anyone. So why could she picture him as a hot-tempered brat who was ready to cause trouble?

Leon turned to look at her with a concerned expression, and Seraphina almost expected him to snap. She was ready to snap back as well when Leon paused and his face twisted into one filled with concern.

”Seraphina, are you alright? You look like you want to say something. You don’t have to hold back your words.”

She felt too shocked to say anything.

This was the usual Leon she recalled from her memories. Then why... why did this not meet her expectations?

”I—”

She even dodged the hand that was reaching for her face, and her flinch made Leon frown. He looked down at his rejected hand, and a flash of irritation flickered across his face.

It was so brief that she had to wonder if it had been a mistake on her part. But she wanted to see that expression again.

’Once more. I want to see that expression once more.’

Unfortunately, Leon did not give her any opening. He started to head toward the half-collapsed building and pushed the door open. She had to follow along at a calmer pace, but her hand itched to reach out and yank him back.

The inside of the house looked just as bad as the outside, and her feelings became complicated.

She looked around the corridor, and her instincts kept her waiting to see someone turn around the corner. But there was no one around when she looked there.

Once again, she felt lonely standing in the middle of that house.

”It seems like there are some rooms around here. Shall we head out and check them out?”

Leon asked, and Seraphina blinked as she followed after him.

Her feet seemed to know where they were taking her, even when she had no idea. But she walked in front of a room that looked semi-familiar and forced the door open.

The inside was empty for the most part, but she swore she saw a small but familiar-looking box on top of the counter. She blinked, and it came back. This time, she grabbed it before it could disappear.

When she opened it, it was obvious that the box belonged to her. But she had no memory of ever owning that box in her life.

”Is this some kind of prank someone is playing on me? Leon is not one to play such pranks, though...”

She muttered, trying her best not to flinch or show how disturbed she was. But it was of no use. The more she tried, the more unsettled she felt.

”I should get back to the main temple. My followers are waiting for me—”

But her legs wouldn’t move. She was rooted to the place... to this room.