After sensing the presence, Satoshi used a technique to stop time.
He can't exactly teleport, however, in the outside world, it would appear as if he did once time resumed.
Thus, he just leisurely walked over to the alley where the woman was getting harassed at.
Satoshi observed the situation.
There were four men.
Though, he paid them no mind. With a snap of his finger, these people can get erased into dust effortlessly.
His abilities only met resistance when faced with someone carrying a substantial reservoir of cursed energy — and even then, it would merely dull the effects, not nullify them.
Satoshi was simply curious at the target he needed to save.
"Who's she?" He muttered. Naturally, over a hundred years without modern technology would make his memory a little blurry. Thus, he couldn't recognise the woman in front of him.
She had brown hair, sharp brown eyes, a well-endowed voluptuous figure, and an expression that suggested she'd rather kill these men herself if she had the strength.
Her beauty was undeniable, though her aura screamed composed, serious, and definitely not the type to tolerate nonsense.
[Host has found a potential harem member!]
[Sae Chabashira:
Favourability: 0
Personality: Calm, hardworking, sadistic, arrogant
Preferences: Intelligent domineering men
Likes: Discipline, tea, personal space
Dislikes: Loud people, being underestimated]
Satoshi blinked slowly.
"Sae Chabashira?"
After pondering for a few seconds, he eventually realised her identity.
"Hoh? I remember now."
Due to her much younger appearance, he had to really focus to remember her.
But with his almost eidetic memory, it wasn't too difficult to recollect his memories.
If his memory was correct, she should be one of the teachers from Classroom of the Elite.
After his observations, he let time resume.
The four men quickly noticed him.
They stared in disbelief at the small child who suddenly appeared, standing confidently at the mouth of the alley.
"The hell? A kid?" one scoffed.
"He lost, or something?"
They all paused what they were doing and laughed.
The next second, however, the one who laughed the loudest found himself flying backward and crashing against the brick wall.
The sound of his ribs cracking echoed in the alley as he slumped unconscious.
"What the—?!"
Satoshi's foot had connected squarely with the man's gut, and despite his small frame, the sheer force behind it was terrifying.
The other three hesitated.
But before they could react, Satoshi blurred again.
He kicked the second thug in the temple, the man's body spinning mid-air before collapsing like a broken doll.
The third raised a knife.
Of course, Satoshi grabbed his wrist.
A scream followed as bones shattered, and the blade clattered to the ground.
With a pull of the broken arm, he lowered the man's head to his level before grabbing the back of his head and smashing it to the ground, knocking him out cold.
The fourth man turned to run.
After all, a little child breaking bones and flinging bodies midair would likely be quite a terrifying scene.
Of course, he didn't make it more than two steps before a small fist collided with the back of his head, his world going dark.
Silence.
Satoshi brushed his hands together.
Then, he turned to her.
Sae hadn't moved. Her sharp eyes remained fixed on him, eyes wide and utterly shocked.
Did a child just...
"No... I must be hallucinating..."
She shook her head.
The alley fell into silence.
The only sounds were the soft crackle of a flickering streetlight and the groans of four unconscious men piled on the ground like broken mannequins.
Sae Chabashira remained where she stood, back pressed against the alley wall, her chest rising and falling in quiet, controlled breaths.
She looked down at her hands — still clenched from the tension moments ago — then back at the scene in front of her.
Her eyes drifted to the small figure standing casually with his hands in his pockets, as if what just happened was nothing more than an afternoon errand.
Her brows drew together.
"…They're all… down?"
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper to herself.
She wasn't hurt. Not even touched. Relief washed through her chest.
But more than that, she was trying to wrap her mind around what just happened.
She stepped forward and looked at the boy — no older than four or five — with pale white hair and silver irises.
Her gaze narrowed slightly.
'He's… cute...'
"Oi," Satoshi called, interrupting her train of thought. "Are you okay?"
"…Yeah," she said calmly, pulling herself together.
"Thanks."
She found it slightly awkward thanking a little child for saving her, but quickly buried those thoughts.
Satoshi gave a faint nod, then turned and started walking out of the alley.
His job was basically done.
Sae watched his back.
She took a breath, folded her arms, then started following him without a word.
A few steps in, Satoshi stopped.
He glanced over his shoulder, silver eyes blinking lazily.
"…Why are you following me?"
Sae didn't hesitate. Her tone remained cool, even and expressionless.
"It would go against my conscience to let a small child wander the streets alone. Especially after saving me."
Her delivery was matter-of-fact, almost professional. But her eyes watched him with a growing flicker of intrigue.
Satoshi blinked once. Then again.
He said nothing, just quietly turned forward and kept walking.
'She's persistent. But I guess I can't blame her.'
Imagine getting jumped by a group of people, only to get saved by a little kid who could send adults flying with a single punch. It'd be hard not be interested, especially considering how superhuman it all looked.
And it was unlikely she knew anything about sorcerers and curses.
A chime soon rang softly in his mind.
[Quest Complete!]
[+ 100,000 Yen]
[Sae Chabashira Favourability +20]
'Nice. Got cash now,' Satoshi thought, his stomach quietly rumbling.
"I'm going to get food," he muttered aloud, mostly to himself.
Sae didn't comment — but still followed.
They turned a corner and eventually arrived at a warm, low-lit diner tucked between two shops. A simple wooden sign hung above the door:
Yukihira Diner.
He was back, and this time, not penniless!
The bell above the entrance chimed softly as they stepped inside.
"Welcome~!" a cheerful voice rang out.
Tamako Yukihira, smiling with flour on her cheeks, looked up from behind the counter. Joichiro Yukihira leaned on the edge of the kitchen window, raising an eyebrow at the two.
"Huh? Didn't expect to see a pair like this walk in together," Joichiro mused, wiping his hands with a towel.
Tamako's eyes sparkled as she looked between them. "Is this your son? He's adorable!" she asked Sae, her tone light and teasing.
Sae raised an eyebrow, but let out a soft chuckle.
"Older sister," she corrected simply, with a shrug.
Not bothered by her blatant lie, Satoshi slid into one of the booths, resting his chin on his palm as he stared at the menu board on the wall.
Joichiro chuckled as he walked over.
"Well, he's got good taste if he brought you here. You two want the house special?"
Some time ago, he had noticed a kid with silver hair standing outside their restaurant. Thus, Joichiro wore a smile as he guessed that child had went to a family member to ask if they could come eat at their place.
Sae glanced at Satoshi, who nodded subtly without a word.
"Yeah," she answered for both of them, then took a seat next to Satoshi.
Her gaze lingered again on his small hands resting on the table — the hands which effortlessly defeated those people with bad intentions.
She sipped the complimentary tea that Tamako poured for them, her expression thoughtful.