Vol. 1 Chapter 5 – I Absolutely Won’t Lose to Some ×× Kind of Magic!

Junpei, of course, hadn’t forgotten about Meryl or the ring. But since there was no way for him to contact Meryl from his side, the only thing he could do right now was train in ero magic.

—It’s not just that if I can master ero magic, I might be able to become a member of Red Heart Brave. I might also be able to wipe away the slave marks that were carved onto those ten girls ten years ago.

Thinking that, Junpei, while still worrying about Meryl, spent his days devoted to training in ero magic with Sonia.

Then, in mid-August, when summer vacation had already reached its halfway point, on that afternoon, Junpei and Sonia visited the underground level of the magical combat training dome, that very room where the duel had taken place.

They couldn’t let anyone see their ero magic training, so they usually borrowed Junpei’s room, an empty classroom or some external multipurpose room, but right now it was the Obon holiday period and there were no club activities. During such a time, Sonia had once again borrowed this room.

“…By the way, there are security cameras here and there throughout the magical combat training dome, but there aren’t any in the underground rooms. Prestigious mage families often possess special magic that must not be shown to outsiders, and the presence of cameras isn’t allowed when training such magic. Therefore, it’s perfectly fine to use ero magic here.”

Saying that, Sonia stood in front of Junpei in her uniform. It seemed that wearing a uniform was her dress code when using school facilities, and Junpei was made to go along with it and wore his uniform too.

“Now then, to warm up, go ahead and do the usual.”

“Yeah.”

Junpei replied, then with practiced movements extended his right hand forward, turning his palm toward Sonia. Then he heightened his magical power, imagined it, focused his will, and whispered.

“Glitter Wish!”

At that moment, a gust of wind swirled up at Sonia’s feet and flamboyantly flipped up her skirt. But Sonia remained completely composed. Well, that was only natural, since she was wearing spats underneath.

Anyway, once the wind died down, Sonia adjusted her hair and skirt, then spoke while gesturing with her hands.

“It seems you’ve perfectly mastered the skirt-flipping magic, Glitter Wish.”

“Even I feel pretty pathetic about it. What the hell is this, a skirt-flipping spell…”

“Well, that’s simply the kind of magic it is, so it can’t be helped. Now then, warm-ups are over. We’ll do that next. Though, you haven’t succeeded even once.”

Saying that, Sonia lightly readied herself for the next spell.

Junpei also lowered his hand, relaxed his shoulders, and focused on unifying his mind.

On the very first day of his special training with Sonia, the first things they worked on were perfecting Glitter Wish and a spell called Over Feeling.

【Over Feeling】is a magic that makes a woman’s entire body hypersensitive. No matter where on the body, whether it be the arms or legs, even the slightest touch with a single finger would lead to overwhelming reactions. There was a reason Sonia chose to tackle such a spell first.

『—With my mental fortitude, there is no way I would fall behind to such magic. No matter where on my skin you touch, I will endure it.』

And so she had boldly declared, which was why they started by trying to make him able to use Over Feeling. However, for the past few days, the spell simply refused to activate properly.

“As I’ve told you repeatedly, the secret to successfully casting magic is, first and foremost, to believe in your own magic. And then to strongly visualize the miracle your magic will bring. As for visualization, it would be faster if you had a teacher to serve as a model, but your magic is one of a kind, so you’ll have to reach it on your own. Now, try to imagine it.”

When she says to imagine, should he picture Sonia submitting to his magic? He tries to imagine Sonia collapsing at the waist just from having her hand held, but he can’t picture it well. After all, she’s trying to endure his magic.

Then should he break through that image and instead imagine her being defeated?

—Ummm…!

It was becoming difficult to maintain the magical power he had built up any longer, so Junpei decided to startle Sonia and unleashed his magic.

“【Over Feeling】!”

Usually, nothing would happen and it would end in failure. But today was different.

He felt something. It wasn’t a mi— no, not a misunderstanding or illusion. Junpei could clearly feel something in his hand.

“Hm?”

When he opened his right hand, which he had somehow clenched without realizing it, he found himself holding a lump of white cloth. And it was faintly warm.

“What is this?”

He held it with both hands and spread it out. It was a lace-trimmed bra.

“Huh?”

The sound slipped out of his mouth. Wanting an explanation for what on earth was going on, he looked at Sonia, only to find her staring wide-eyed while frantically groping at her own chest with both hands.

“…It’s gone.”

“Eh?”

This time, Junpei’s eyes widened. Then Sonia, now expressionless, marched straight toward him.

“The magic you just used was not Over Feeling, was it?”

“Then what was it?”

“Most likely,【Cross Taker】. A criminal ero magic that steals a woman’s clothing!”

In the very next instant, a full-powered body blow slammed into him and Junpei flipped over like a frog. The strength left his hand and as the bra fluttered through the air, Sonia’s right hand snatched it.

“I’ll be heading to the changing room for a moment.”

Saying that, Sonia stomped off, her footsteps rough and sharp.

Before long, Junpei pushed himself up and sat there, clutching his stomach where he’d been hit, thinking. In other words, he must have tried to use Over Feeling but activated a different spell instead. Cross Taker… it had forcibly stolen Sonia’s underwear through teleportation.

“…Did it just perform a limited spatial jump?”

Spatial transfer was an ultra high-level form of magic. It was astonishing that he could actually pull it off, but the fact that it could only be used for the extremely limited purpose of snatching a woman’s clothing was just pathetic.

—Can I really pass myself off as a different type of magic user with something like this?

How was he supposed to apply a skirt-flipping spell or a magic that steals underwear? As Junpei held his head in frustration, Sonia returned. And she was still fuming, clearly angry.

“Listen well. Never again, under any circumstances, absolutely do not use any ero magic on your own that deviates from my plan! Understood?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“No talking back!”

With that sharp shout slammed at him, Junpei desperately replied,『Understood!』

Then he once again faced off against Sonia but his mind was anything but calm. Even though he insisted it wasn’t intentional, she didn’t listen, and on top of that, his stomach still hurt from the blow.

—Damn it, this woman…

Without realizing it, Junpei was glaring at Sonia with a sharp, needle-like gaze. Over the past few days, every time Over Feeling failed and their training ended, Sonia had relentlessly lashed out at him, saying things like, 『What a complete waste of time』,『Is there even any point in teaching you?』and『You really are terribly slow to pick things up』. If things ended like this again today, it was obvious he’d be showered with insults once more.

His unwillingness to accept that, combined with the lingering pain in his stomach, fused together into a magma-like fighting spirit boiling within his chest.

“Now then, I’m ready whenever you are.”

With Sonia’s words as the signal, Junpei gathered all of his magical power.

—This time for sure, I’ll succeed in casting it and make you eat your words!

At that moment, Junpei cast aside all restraint toward Sonia, even going so far as to think about humiliating her with his own hands and unleashed his magic along with a full-force image in his mind.

“【Over Feeling】!”

Then, behold, a wave of light burst forth from Junpei’s right hand, illuminating Sonia’s entire body in white. It was but a brief flash, and at a glance no major change had occurred, but this kind of phenomenon had never happened before and Junpei couldn’t help but raise his voice in excitement.

“Did it work?”

“How should I know. I can’t tell yet—hii!”

As if to check her own body, Sonia moved both her arms and looked down at her palms, but suddenly let out a strange sound and froze on the spot. Seeing that, Junpei tilted his head slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Th-this is… no way… just from moving my arms…?”

“Hey.”

Thinking this wasn’t getting anywhere, Junpei started walking toward Sonia. At that, Sonia panicked as if struck by electricity, yet she seemed unable to move.

“Wait! Something feels… off…”

“Off? What do you mean?”

Even though she told him to stop, Junpei stood right in front of her. Somehow, Sonia’s face had stiffened and she was leaning back slightly.

“My sense of touch is strange. The air… yes, just moving my body and having the air touch me feels, somehow, extremely… extremely…”

At her vague explanation, Junpei frowned in confusion.

“I don’t really get it, but Over Feeling is supposed to sharpen the sensitivity of your whole body, right? Doesn’t that mean it worked?”

“That… might be true…”

As she spoke, Sonia’s face grew redder and redder.

Seeing that the magic seemed to be taking effect for real, Junpei smirked and raised his right index finger.

“Mind if I test it?”

“Te-test?”

“Your body…your hand is fine. I’ll try touching the back of your hand with my finger. If you’ve become sensitive, then it means the magic worked, right?”

“That’s true, but that might be a little problematic…”

“Why? With your super-elite mental strength, you should be able to endure it, right?”

At those words, Sonia looked stunned. However, perhaps her pride won out and soon she spread a confident smile across her face, nodding despite the sheen of sweat forming on her flushed cheeks.

“O-of course. Go ahead. You may touch me.”

Saying that, Sonia shaped her right hand like the head of a crane and presented the back of it toward Junpei. It was a beautiful hand. Fair-skinned, with long fingers, and neatly groomed nails that shone like pearls. Thinking this must be what one would call a delicate hand, Junpei lightly poked the back of it with his finger.

“…Nn!”

Sonia reflexively clenched her teeth but she couldn’t suppress her voice.

Her sweet voice rang out far louder than expected, and Junpei, to be honest, even flinched.

Looking at her, Sonia’s eyes were moist as if she might start crying, her cheeks flushed and her breathing ragged.

“H-hey, are you okay?”

“Th-this… even though you only lightly touched the back of my hand with your fingertip, this thing running through my back is—kuuh!”

“H-hey, Sonia?”

For some reason, Sonia’s legs turned inward as she rubbed her thighs together, biting her lip as she glared at Junpei with a frustrated expression.

“…No, it seems the magic has succeeded.”

“I see.”

Saying that, Junpei once again touched the back of Sonia’s hand with his finger. Perhaps because it was sudden, Sonia let out a much louder voice than before, and then, in between breaths as if she had just sprinted at full speed, she cried out.

“W-what are you… doing…?!”

“Well, I need to check the effectiveness a bit more. You’re a descendant of a hero, so you’ll be fine, right?”

When Junpei asked with a smirk, Sonia looked dumbfounded for a moment but then seemed to remember to compose herself.

“O-of course I’m fine. But you… you’re not taking pleasure in this, are you?”

“Nope, not really. Though I do have to pay you back for that punch earlier. Let’s make it a match and see how much of my magic you can endure.”

The moment he brought up the word『match』, flames instantly lit up in Sonia’s blue eyes.

“I accept your challenge!”

Declaring that boldly, Sonia once again shaped her right hand like a crane’s neck and held it out toward Junpei.

“Now then, go ahead.”

Junpei was about to poke her with his finger again but that would be too predictable.

Thinking that on the spot, he instead brought his face closer to Sonia’s hand and gently blew on it.

“Ah, aaaahh!”

—That voice is way too loud.

Thinking that, Junpei looked at Sonia, who glared at him like he was her mortal enemy, her breathing ragged.

“What a cheap shot… utterly cowardly, and completely despicable!”

“I just blew on it a little. Here.”

Saying that, he really did touch her with his finger this time. Sonia’s body jolted as if she might jump into the air but she didn’t actually leap back. Her face turned bright red in an instant, and her eyes were so moist it was a wonder tears didn’t spill out, but she somehow endured it.

“F-f-f… If you think something like this will make me collapse, you are gravely mistaken.”

“I see. Then from here on, I’m going in continuously.”

Declaring that, Junpei began poking the back of Sonia’s hand repeatedly at short intervals. Each time, Sonia squeezed out strained cries.

“I… will… haaah! Not… lose… to ero magic… like this—!”

Watching her expression and hearing her voice, Junpei began to lose track of whether what she was feeling was pain or pleasure. Since the magic heightened sensitivity throughout the entire body, perhaps it was pleasure. But if it went too far, it might turn into pain.

And if pain went too far, perhaps it would become pleasure.

Either way, this was a match, and though Sonia was now breathing heavily, she had not lost the fighting spirit in her tear-filled eyes.

“I will… never… lose—”

—She really keeps going.

Junpei found himself almost feeling respect for Sonia, but at the same time, he wanted to know how far she could endure, and just how effective the Over Feeling magic truly was, so he decided to finish it. That is to say, after repeatedly poking the back of her hand, he suddenly, without warning, firmly grabbed Sonia’s hand with both of his.

And in that instant—

“—!”

Letting out a scream that didn’t form into words, Sonia threw her head back to look up at the ceiling, then began convulsing violently as she collapsed onto her back. The one who panicked was Junpei.

—This is bad, I overdid it!

Junpei pulled on Sonia’s right hand, which he had been gripping with both of his, drawing her falling body toward him and catching her against his chest. Then, with the care of handling something fragile, he gently laid her down on the floor, while he himself knelt beside her on one knee and peered into her face.

“H-hey… are you okay? Sorry, I think I went a bit too far…”

But there was no reply. Had she fainted? When she fell, her hair had become disheveled and covered her expression, so Junpei couldn’t tell.

“Hey.”

He called out again, shook her shoulder and finally brushed aside the golden hair covering her face with his hand. Sonia’s wide-open blue eyes suddenly moved, locking onto him.

“What, you’re awake.”

Relieved, Junpei let out a breath, and Sonia spoke in a faint, breathless voice.

“It seems… once it passes a certain peak, the effect of the magic fades… right now, my sense of touch has already returned to normal…”

—Peak?

Not quite understanding what she meant, Junpei tilted his head slightly, but somehow felt it would be inappropriate to press her with questions while she was in this state, sweating as if heat were rising from her body.

“Should I go get you some water?”

When he asked that, Sonia shook her head and finally pushed herself up. Seeing that, Junpei felt relief from the bottom of his heart.

“Looks like you’re okay.”

“Yes, well…but this magic is extremely effective on women and very dangerous.”

“Really? Then maybe I shouldn’t use it anymore.”

“No, this magic is necessary for you to rise within Red Heart Brave. That is one of the reasons I chose Over Feeling in the first place.”

Hearing that, Junpei widened his eyes.

“So it wasn’t just about that『super-elite mental strength』stuff?”

“Correct. Over Feeling can act on the opponent’s nerves and render them unable to move, so it can be disguised as a nervous system or paralysis-type spell. If you use it to subdue female criminals, you can build up achievements as well. Classification-wise, you would be considered a poison-type mage.”

“A poison-type mage… sounds kind of shady, but I guess it can’t be helped. But what about men? If it only works on women, wouldn’t that be suspicious?”

“For male criminals, you can temporarily turn them into women using gender transformation magic. Once they are restrained, you return them to their original sex. At that time, to ensure the existence of the transformation magic is not exposed to third parties, you would need to disguise it using illusion-type magical items. The next time I return to my family home, I shall prepare something suitable.”

Hearing all that, Junpei felt a sense of progress, as if he were climbing step by step upward.

“I-I see! Sonia, you really thought all this through for me! In that case, I want to keep practicing Over Feeling. Will you keep helping me?”

At that, Sonia nodded, her face slightly flushed.

“Yes, that will be fine. It is necessary, after all. However, from next time onward, we will do it at the pool or in the bath. I will wear a swimsuit.”

—The pool? A swimsuit?

Junpei didn’t understand her intention.

“Why do you need to wear a swimsuit?”

At that, Sonia’s eyes and mouth went wide, and then she suddenly shouted,『That’s sexual harassment!』and punched Junpei right on the nose before standing up and heading off to take a shower.

◇

Sonia had her own studies and her activities with Red Heart Brave, and even during summer vacation she was busy. Unlike Junpei, who had little to do besides the toilet cleaning he’d been assigned as punishment for that incident where he cast magic on Sonia and it led to their duel, along with his summer homework, her schedule was packed. And yet, despite that, Sonia made time for Junpei every single day.

In order to live up to that spirit of hers, Junpei also devoted himself to training in ero magic. For someone like him, who had always been treated as a dropout until now, this was something incredibly enjoyable and rewarding.

—To think that climbing the steps of becoming a mage could be this fun!

On that day, when he felt as if he had gained wings, Junpei went out alone for his usual early morning roadwork. Racing against the rising sun, he ran up the slope, and when he reached the top, he considered it the goal and slowed to a walk. He liked running. As he touched the back of his neck, feeling it soaked with sweat, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction, while the refreshing summer morning breeze brushed against him as he walked along the edge of the road. This area was elevated, offering a good view, and from one side of the road, the cityscape stretched out clearly before him.

“Nice view.”

“Yeah.”

After replying so naturally, Junpei suddenly caught his breath and came to a halt, turning toward the direction the voice had come from. There stood Meryl, clad in the jet-black ninja outfit he had seen when they parted the other day.

“Y-you… Meryl! It’s you, Meryl!”

“Yaho, long time no see. Yep, it’s me, Meryl.”

Saying that, she gave a wink and blew him a kiss over her mask. Junpei stared at her in stunned silence but when he came back to himself, he let out the breath he had unconsciously been holding and gave a wry smile.

“Figures… If it’s you, you’d just show up like this without any warning.”

“Well, Meryl is a ninja now.”

Saying that, Meryl suddenly did a flip on the spot and struck a pose.

Watching her with a somewhat helpless expression, Junpei spoke.

Sonia had her own studies and her activities with Red Heart Brave, and even during summer vacation she was busy. Unlike Junpei, who had little to do besides the toilet cleaning he’d been assigned as punishment for that incident where he cast magic on Sonia and it led to their duel, along with his summer homework.

And yet, despite that, Sonia made time for Junpei every single day.

In order to live up to that spirit of hers, Junpei also devoted himself to training in ero magic. For someone like him, who had always been treated as a dropout until now, this was something incredibly enjoyable and rewarding.

—To think that climbing the steps of becoming a mage could be this fun!

On that day, when he felt as if he had gained wings, Junpei went out alone for his usual early morning roadwork. Racing against the rising sun, he ran up the slope, and when he reached the top, he considered it the goal and slowed to a walk. He liked running. As he touched the back of his neck, feeling it soaked with sweat, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction, while the refreshing summer morning breeze brushed against him as he walked along the edge of the road.

This area was elevated, offering a good view, and from one side of the road, the cityscape stretched out clearly before him.

“Nice view.”

“Yeah.”

After replying so naturally, Junpei suddenly caught his breath and came to a halt, turning toward the direction the voice had come from. There stood Meryl, clad in the jet-black ninja outfit he had seen when they parted the other day.

“Y-you… Meryl! It’s you, Meryl!”

“Yaho, long time no see. Yep, it’s me, Meryl.”

Saying that, she gave a wink and blew him a kiss over her mask. Junpei stared at her in stunned silence, but when he came back to himself, he let out the breath he had unconsciously been holding and gave a wry smile.

“Figures… If it’s you, you’d just show up like this without any warning.”

“Well, Meryl is a ninja now.”

Saying that, Meryl suddenly did a flip on the spot and struck a pose.

Watching her with a somewhat helpless expression, Junpei spoke.

“Whether you’re a ninja or not, you always show up out of nowhere. But is this really okay? Appearing so openly in the middle of town… if you get caught on a surveillance camera, the police will come rushing over.”

“I’m in ninja mode right now, so I’m hidden. It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“So that’s some kind of magic, huh.”

Meryl was a mage whose style changed depending on what she wore. In the case of a ninja outfit, it probably granted some kind of stealth effect. Or perhaps she had mastered ninja arts like those that stirred mountain winds, with concealment being one of them.

As he was thinking that, a car passed by them. But it seemed the driver couldn’t see Meryl at all. Impressed by her perfect concealment, Junpei pulled himself together and spoke.

“…Uh, well… about that. I’m sorry about earlier. I was shaken and I ended up calling you a liar. But you were right. I’m the reincarnation of a Demon King, and an ero mage. That means it’s also true that there’s a domination-type magic among ero magic, and that I have to do something about it. So… I get it now. I’ll cooperate.”

“Ohh, Junpei, you’ve become such a reasonable boy…!”

Meryl said that, looking almost a little moved.

“How did you suddenly become so cooperative?”

“Ah, well, it’s a long story…”

That said, he couldn’t just not explain. Thinking that, Junpei began organizing his thoughts on where to start. But Meryl shook her head.

“Oh, in that case, Meryl will just read it herself, so stay still for a moment, okay, Meryl.”

“Read it yourself?”

Not understanding what she meant, Junpei blinked in confusion as Meryl grabbed his shoulders with both hands and brought her face close to his. Since she was beautiful, Junpei couldn’t help but get a little flustered, and Meryl said.

“Alright, look into Meryl’s eyes.”

Just as Junpei did as he was told and felt like he was about to be drawn into her amethyst-like eyes—

“Meryl Ninja Art, God’s Eye!”

In that instant, it felt as if lightning had struck his pupils, and Junpei was hit with a shock, experiencing a strange sensation as though time itself had stopped. As she peered into his eyes like that, Meryl spoke.

“Hm, I see. So the captain of Red Heart Brave has taken an interest in you. And then Sonia-chan found out about your ero magic but you ended up getting along with her.”

Seemingly satisfied, Meryl stopped looking into Junpei’s eyes. Then it felt as if time, which had been frozen, began to move again, and Junpei roughly shoved her away.

“You just read my memories with magic, didn’t you! That’s a crime!”

“Now, now, with the kind of relationship Meryl and Junpei have.”

“What kind of relationship is that?!”

Junpei shouted with his whole body, but Meryl looked completely unconcerned.

“Honestly, you really are something…”

After somehow calming himself down, Junpei was met with a small chuckle as Meryl asked.

“So then, Junpei, you’ll completely believe Meryl now, right?”

“…Yeah, I believe you. You’re totally outrageous, but you’re a good person.”

Like that broadcast hijacking the other day, and now this memory-reading, she had a tendency to do outrageous things without choosing her means, but at her core, Meryl was a good-hearted mage.

Believing that, Junpei watched as Meryl smiled brightly with delight.

“Thanks, Junpei. Then here’s an order from Meryl to you. Meryl will continue searching using the ring, so Junpei, please keep working hard on your ero magic training.”

“…You mean, I should find a way to deal with those slave marks?”

“Exactly! The slave magic formed by the rings and the marks. If Junpei becomes able to use that, you might figure out how to erase the slave marks carved onto those girls and by recreating the orichalcum rings, you might even be able to track down all the remaining ones! Dreams, hope, and possibilities will all open up at once! That’s why Meryl has high expectations for you!”

Although Meryl spoke with a bright expression, Junpei was frowning.

“I was thinking the same thing. That’s why I tried asking Sonia about slave magic indirectly, but she gave me a scary look and said this: domination magic is the highest tier among ero magic. Therefore, you’d have to increase your magical power and master all other ero magic before you could use it.”

“Yeah, well, that makes sense. It’s not something you can achieve overnight. But there is a possibility, right?”

Meryl’s eyes, as she asked that, seemed to test him, and at the same time challenge him. As if accepting that challenge, Junpei nodded firmly.

“There is. Just watch. I probably can’t do it this summer, but I’ll manage it before I graduate.”

“Oh, you said it?”

“I said it.”

He was aware that he might be setting his goal too high. In truth, fully mastering ero magic might take ten years. It might even take twenty. But that would be far too slow. The girls who had been marked with slave seals would lose the prime of their youth. It would be too pitiful if he didn’t break those chains while they were still young and beautiful.

“And if I can’t even do something like this, then I won’t be able to keep my promise to Sonia about becoming a member of Red Heart Brave before graduation.”

As he said that, Junpei turned his gaze toward the view from the hill. He had a long way to go.

Then, looking up at him, Meryl spoke.

“Junpei, you’ve changed.”

“Hm?”

“It’s like… you’ve become brighter, or more positive…”

“Well, I finally figured out my magic. In that sense, it’s thanks to you.”

It was also thanks to Sonia and Kaede but the one who had given him the very first push was, without a doubt, Meryl. If he hadn’t met her, if she hadn’t opened that door for him, Junpei would probably still be worrying over what his magic really was, wasting this summer away aimlessly.

“Thanks, Meryl.”

“Ei!”

The moment he finished thanking her, Junpei’s field of vision suddenly tilted to the left. Meryl had swept his legs out from under him. Caught completely off guard and about to fall without understanding what was happening, Junpei was instead scooped up and lifted into Meryl’s arms.

And then—

“Chowaー!”

“Owaaー!”

With Meryl’s strange shout and Junpei’s scream trailing behind them, the two shot high up into the sky. Perhaps this too was some kind of ninja art. Carrying Junpei, Meryl made a massive jump of several hundred meters, and soon they were caught by gravity, tracing a parabola—

“We’re falling—”

“We’re not falling! Meryl Ninja Art, Flying Cloud!”Flying Cloud¹

The moment Meryl shouted that, a white cloud appeared beneath where they were descending, and they made a soft landing on it.

“Alright, arrival.”

Saying that, Meryl casually tossed Junpei onto the cloud called Kintoun.

Junpei placed his hands and knees onto the strange, cloud-like ground, but couldn’t stand up. The shock of it all had made his legs give out. Even so, his heart was pounding wildly. Looking around, he saw that they were above the clouds in the sky. It seemed this cloud was slowly carrying them along.

As he gradually calmed down and understood the situation, Junpei shouted at Meryl.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“I thought I’d take you to the dorm at the magic academy.”

“Don’t do that out of nowhere! Explain properly first! Of course I’d be surprised!”

Shouting like that, Junpei stood up with the unsteady stance of a newborn foal, then looked uneasily at the cloud platform about ten meters in diameter that was carrying them.

“Hey, this cloud… it’s safe, right? If we slip through it, we’ll plummet straight to the ground, you know?”

“It’s fiiiiiine, totally fine. Believe in Meryl’s ninja arts. Nin nin.”

Saying that, Meryl casually formed some random hand signs in front of her chest. Junpei glared at her for a while but eventually gave up, let out a sigh, and sat down cross-legged on the spot.

“You’re the kind of person who does stuff like this without a care.”

“Yep. Because Meryl is Meryl!”

Saying that, Meryl walked over toward Junpei. Bathed in the sunlight from the eastern sky, the two of them drifted slowly across the vast ocean of the sky atop the moving clouds.

“…Hey, Junpei. Do you remember the clothes I was wearing when we first met?”

“…A princess dress.”

It was a memory he couldn’t forget even if he tried. After all, their first meeting happened when Meryl jumped onto the roof of the storage shed at the magic academy, and he tried to restrain her with magic.

“Now that you mention it, what kind of magical effect did that princess-like dress have? You’re the kind of mage whose abilities change depending on what you wear, right? Then that dress must’ve—”

“That one, you see, has the power to increase my luck. Just by wearing it, it brings about good encounters. You could call it a fate-interference type magical effect. Though, it’s only about as effective as a charm. I wore it hoping I might find the ring, but for some reason, I ended up getting attacked by Junpei.”

“I didn’t attack you…”

—Fate, huh?

That word stirred something romantic in him, and Junpei let out a small laugh.

“I heard from Sonia that ero magic has something like that too.”

“Something that brings good luck?”

“Yeah. It’s called Embracing Love Story. It interferes with fate and supposedly brings lucky encounters… with beautiful women, in a sexual way or something like that…”

When he heard that, Junpei felt it was hopeless. Something like『luck』couldn’t be verified, even if something good happened, there was no way to prove whether it was due to magic or not. Therefore, he decided to forget about Embracing Love Story.

“But maybe… back then…”

Junpei had cast a spell when he tried to capture Meryl. What if that had been Embracing Love Story? Just as his imagination leapt that far, Junpei let out a wry smile.

“No way. I’m overthinking it. I just got carried away by the word『fate』…”

“No, that’s not it. It might’ve been the combined effect of Junpei’s magic and Meryl’s dress that brought us together, you know? I mean, it’s strange that Meryl would just fall like that.”

Junpei was struck by that possibility. If that were true, then people would call it this.

“It was a fated encounter.”

Indeed, his meeting with Meryl had dramatically changed Junpei’s fate.

After that, Junpei was led by the hand of Meryl, riding the wind through ninja arts, and after making sure no one was around, they descended into the parking lot behind the student dormitory. From the soft, fluffy cloud, to suddenly stepping onto solid asphalt, Junpei felt an overwhelming sense of relief as he planted his feet firmly on the ground, when Meryl spoke.

“Well then, Junpei. Meryl will keep searching for the rings, so do your best with your ero magic!”

“Yeah, I’ll do my best, but… you’re leaving already?”

“Yep. Because Meryl senses people getting closer.”

“What?”

Right before Junpei’s surprised eyes, Meryl pointed off in a random direction.

“If it’s ordinary people, I can just stay hidden, but this is a district full of magic students. Against other mages, I might get found out, so I’m retreating. Well then, see you, bye-bye, Meryl!”

The moment Meryl waved at Junpei with a smile, a small whirlwind rose at her feet along with dry leaves. In an instant, those leaves completely obscured her figure.

“Meryl Ninja Art, Leaf Concealment!” Leaf Concealment²

Then the whirlwind vanished, and as the dry leaves fluttered down, Meryl was already gone.

“She’s gone…”

—But knowing her, she’ll probably just pop up again out of nowhere sooner or later.

Thinking that to ease the faint sense of loneliness, Junpei looked in the direction Meryl had pointed. Just then, from around the corner of the student dormitory, a beautiful woman with her black hair tied up high appeared.

“K-Kaede-san!”

“Junpei. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, just… doing some mental focus training for magic on my own… What about you, Kaede-san?”

“I sensed someone’s presence. I thought it might be a suspicious person, so I came to check.”

That sent a chill down Junpei’s spine. If Meryl and Kaede had run into each other here, what would have happened? As Kaede walked over toward him, she slightly bent down and skillfully picked up a single dry leaf that had been riding the wind past her feet.

“Dry leaves, in the middle of summer… Was someone else here?”

“N-no, not really…”

“But I thought I heard a woman’s voice.”

Being pressed like that, Junpei felt cornered. He couldn’t think of a good excuse. However, perhaps she hadn’t imagined that the other person could be Meryl. Kaede’s stern expression gradually softened into a smile, and she spoke in a joking tone.

“Could it have been Sonia?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while. I was thinking we should talk again when there’s time. And then, I heard some rumors. It seems the two of you have been spending a lot of time together lately. Quite a few people have seen you. When did you two become so close?”

“Geh…”

Overwhelmed, Junpei couldn’t even compose himself, and was left completely speechless. If he had thought about it a little, he should have anticipated this, but he and Sonia had never discussed what kind of excuse to come up with if a third party found out they had become close.

—I let my guard down because it’s summer vacation. I never thought rumors would start spreading.

“Well?”

Kaede’s tone was calm but there was a hint of reproach in it, so Junpei decided to answer honestly for the time being.

“T-to tell the truth… recently, we’ve gotten a bit close…”

“Even after that duel?”

“We ended up getting along after that duel.”

“I see, so you clashed and then made up. That’s a good thing. It is a good thing, but…”

Kaede was smiling with her lips. But her eyes were shadowed like clouds drifting over them. That made Junpei uneasy and he instinctively leaned forward.

“What is it?”

“No, it’s just… how should I put it? Something feels off. Looking back, ever since you entered the upper division in April, I’ve been watching over you this whole time. And yet, while I was a bit busy, how did you end up getting so close with Sonia?”

“Well, that’s…”

Junpei tried to say something, but couldn’t. The matter of ero magic was a secret between him and Sonia, and he hadn’t even told Sonia about his connection with Meryl. There were reasons why it had to be that way, but hadn’t he been too careless when it came to Kaede?

“That’s right… yeah…”

Before meeting Meryl and Sonia, when he had been sulking after being called a dropout, the one and only person who had reached out to him and encouraged him was Kaede. And yet, he still hadn’t properly shown her his gratitude!

Just as Junpei realized that, Kaede suddenly seemed to lose all her energy, as if a flame had been extinguished.

“No, sorry. This is my own lack of judgment. If I go stand under a waterfall and cool my head, it’ll probably clear up. You and Sonia getting along… that’s a good thing, right? Yeah.”

“No, it’s not good. I’ll explain, so please let me talk it over with Sonia first.”

“Huh? Hey—”

Ignoring Kaede’s confusion, Junpei hurriedly pulled out his mobile device and contacted Sonia.

And then, an hour later, in Junpei’s room on the nineteenth floor of the student dormitory, the three of them, Junpei, Kaede and Sonia, were seated on the floor around a low table. In front of each of them was a glass of iced coffee with a straw. This was something Junpei had started preparing after reflecting on how he hadn’t even been able to offer Sonia a simple drink the other day. Incidentally, the coffee itself was a cheap bottled one.

After offering Kaede the coffee, Junpei explained to Sonia everything that had led up to this situation.

“…And so, I’m thinking of explaining everything to Kaede-san.”

“I thought we agreed that matter was a secret only between you and me?”

“But Kaede-san has always been worried about me. There’s no way I can treat her carelessly. I want to tell her everything truthfully and put her mind at ease.”

Perhaps overwhelmed by Junpei’s earnestness, Sonia let out a sigh and turned to Kaede. Kaede, who had been sipping her iced coffee little by little, pulled her mouth away from the straw and spoke.

“What exactly are you talking about? What is『that matter』? I can tell you’re going back and forth without touching the core of it, but I have no idea what’s going on.”

“That’s true. To state the conclusion first, we have discovered the true nature of Junpei-san’s magic.”

When Sonia revealed that herself, Junpei’s face lit up instantly.

“Sonia!”

“…If it’s Kaede-san, she can be trusted. She won’t speak of this to others. But I don’t intend to tell everything. Because this is a secret that belongs only to the two of us.”

Emphasizing the『just the two of us』part, Sonia gave a sly grin.

“I will only reveal what is necessary to convince Kaede-san. Is that acceptable?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

When Junpei nodded with a smile, Sonia replied,『Very well』and turned her gaze toward Kaede, who was still wrapped in surprise. She then carefully explained that Junpei was a reincarnated being and about ero magic. However, she deliberately avoided mentioning the dangerous aspects of ero magic, such as the fact that Junpei’s past self had been a Demon King, or the slave magic involving rings and marks, and instead emphasized only its lewd nature. It was almost as if she wanted Kaede to dislike Junpei.

“That is all.”

By the time Sonia finished speaking, Junpei had gone completely pale.

—Wait…? I told her to reassure Kaede-san, but now that I think about it, ero magic is still ero magic… isn’t this just going to make her totally put off?

Sure enough, Kaede’s face turned bright red as she raised her voice.

“There’s no such thing as such an indecent magic!”

“It may be hard to believe, but it is the truth. If you doubt it, so be it. That concludes the explanation. Please make absolutely sure not to speak of this to anyone.”

“W-wait. Ero… no, I mean… somehow, it feels improper just to say the name…”

Kaede was so embarrassed she couldn’t even bring herself to say『ero magic』and Sonia let out a small laugh.

“In that case, shall we come up with another name for it?”

Listening to this from the side, Junpei felt his heart leap. This was his chance to finally break free from the uncool name『ero magic』. But—

“…No, that won’t do. If you change the name of a spell, it can affect the caster’s mental image and lower the success rate. So… fine, I get it. It’s ero magic!”

Blushing yet seeming to have steeled herself, Kaede fixed a firm gaze on Junpei, who looked disappointed at having missed the chance to rename it, and spoke.

“Junpei, do you remember when you tried your magic on me the other day?”

“O-of course. At that time, three buttons on your uniform blouse popped off…”

As Junpei recalled the purple color of the bra he had seen back then, Sonia shot him a sharp glare.

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Well, actually, that day… the day Meryl showed up at the school, Kaede-san told me to try using magic, so I did. And then her blouse tore…”

Hearing that, Sonia didn’t get angry, but instead put on a thoughtful expression.

“That was most likely the magic『Cross Break』, which forcibly strips a woman’s clothing, activating in an incomplete form. Kaede-san, that was quite dangerous.”

“Ugh…”

Realizing that she could have been stripped naked if things had gone just a bit differently, Kaede’s face showed a flicker of unease. But it was only for a moment. She quickly composed herself and spoke again.

“I see, so that’s what it was. But I still cannot believe it. Junpei, try using one of those ero spells on me. Yes… 【Over Feeling】will do.”

“Huh? N-no, that’s—”

“My apologies, but I am stubborn. I cannot believe such magic exists unless I confirm it with my own body. Don’t hold back. It may sound arrogant to say it myself, but I’ve trained both my body and mind in my own way. I absolutely will not lose to something like ero magic!”

Junpei stared blankly at Kaede as she declared that with burning spirit. Given her personality, there was no way she would be convinced unless he actually used Over Feeling on her. However, this was a situation he felt like he had seen somewhere before.

Thinking that, he glanced at Sonia, who let out a small sigh and said to Kaede.

“Whatever happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

……。

After that, having been subjected to Over Feeling and ended up displaying an outrageous, embarrassing spectacle, Kaede was efficiently ushered into the bath by Sonia. While that was happening, Sonia borrowed the key to Kaede’s room from her and rushed off to get a change of clothes. Meanwhile, Junpei was struck with a furious『You went too far!』from Sonia and was made to sit in seiza in the shared hallway outside his own room.

—Why is this happening? This is my room, though…

Junpei was only allowed back inside after nearly thirty minutes had passed.

Kaede, now dressed in a black jersey as her room wear, had her still slightly damp hair let down instead of tied up.

—Whoa… just letting her hair down changes her whole vibe. She looks like a different person.

As Junpei fidgeted, tickled by the scent of shampoo, Kaede, sitting cross-legged in a relaxed manner thanks to her jersey, spoke.

“Well then, sit over there, Junpei. And forget what you saw earlier.”

“Yes.”

As instructed, Junpei sat down, gave Sonia a small nod of acknowledgment and took a sip of the iced coffee that had been untouched. Once he did, Kaede continued.

“I understand now that ero magic is real. And I also understand that it’s dangerous unless it can be completely controlled. For that reason, I approve of Sonia going this far to help, and of you mastering it in a way that won’t reveal it as ero magic, while aiming to reach the top as a mage.”

“Kaede-san…!”

Junpei clenched a small fist in triumph on his lap. He was happy to be acknowledged by Kaede.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Yeah, do your best. However, I will also participate in your ero magic training.”

“Eh?”

It was Junpei who voiced his surprise but Sonia also widened her eyes.

“Kaede-san, what do you mean by that?”

“Well, I mean, this magic is indecent, isn’t it? What if something happens if you two are left alone together? No, that won’t do. From now on, as long as I’m available, I’ll be present during your ero magic training. The three of us will do it together.”

At that, Sonia stood up straight and looked down at Kaede as she spoke.

“With all due respect, Kaede-san, this is my duty as a descendant of the Hero.”

“A Hero? What does a Hero have to do with ero magic?”

In the explanation given to Kaede, Junpei’s past life had been described as just an unknown ero mage, and the matters of Heroes and Demon Kings had been kept hidden. However, Sonia showed no sign of being shaken by that reply.

“I mean that I am approaching this with the resolve of a Hero! This is a duty that I alone must bear. There is no need for you to become a victim of this magic as well. I alone am sufficient!”

“I see. But I do not consider it a sacrifice. If it helps Junpei, then I’m glad.”

Cutting her words there, Kaede shifted her gaze from Sonia to Junpei and said clearly.

“Because I like Junpei.”

It was nothing less than a bombshell statement.

“…Huh?”

Hearing those words, Junpei was thrown into complete confusion. His heart pounded wildly, yet his fingertips grew cold. Meanwhile, Sonia stood there with her mouth hanging open, flustered.

“W-wait just a moment. Even with the assistance of my translation magic, I’m having trouble grasping your true intent. That『like』… what meaning of『like』is it in Japanese?”

Since Sonia pressed the question head-on, Junpei’s heart leapt even higher. Kaede glanced at him briefly, then returned her gaze to Sonia and answered.

“…I don’t fully understand it yet. But ever since I met Junpei in April, I’ve wanted to do something for him, somehow. And even now, after hearing about this ero magic, I have no hesitation in helping him, even going this far. That must mean I like him. Yes… I like him.”

As she spoke rapidly, Kaede’s cheeks grew redder and redder but before Sonia could fire off another question, Kaede struck back instead.

“And what about you? You used the word『sacrifice』. Does that mean, in your heart, you dislike it? Are you forcing yourself to do this just because it’s your duty?”

“Th-that’s…”

Sonia looked at Junpei with her blue eyes. The emotions within her surged like waves, coming and going, and if they were to suddenly turn into a violent tide that crushed him, he wouldn’t have the right to complain. Junpei braced himself for that, but—

“At first, that was my intention. But for some reason… now, strangely, I don’t dislike it.”

“Sonia…”

Relief and joy blossomed in his chest, and along with it, the sensation of the kiss they had shared when she cast the life-sharing magic came back vividly to his lips, making the way he looked at Sonia turn passionate.

“…Thank you. I’m really happy you don’t hate me.”

“Wha—”

Caught off guard, Sonia staggered and ended up sitting down after catching her leg on the bed. But just like that, she crossed her legs high and, with an elegant motion, adjusted her bangs as she spoke.

“W-well, even a dog you don’t think is cute at first can grow on you once you raise it.”

“You’re calling me a dog?!”

“Yes, a dog. Honestly, for me to be like this… hohoho. Hohohoho!”

Even though the air conditioning should have been working, Sonia fanned her face with her hand.

Watching her like that, Kaede smiled.

“I see, I understand now. Then I suppose I win.”

“You win? What do you mean by that?”

“I clearly said that I like Junpei, but you did not. In that case, you have no grounds to object even if I participate in the ero magic training. If you do object, then go ahead and say it clearly. Say that you want to train alone with him for such-and-such reasons. For example, that you don’t like other women getting close to Junpei.”

“Th-that’s not the case at all!”

“Then it’s fine, right?”

“Grr…”

Grinding her teeth, Sonia glared at Junpei with her intensely sapphire-blue eyes.

“Junpei-san! What is your opinion?”

“Huh, me?”

“Yes. This is about your magic, so you decide. Will you continue training in ero magic alone with me as before, or will you accept Kaede-san as well? Which is it?”

Pressed for an answer, Junpei swallowed hard and spoke hesitantly.

“I-I think… three people would be better. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having Kaede-san help too.”

And just like that, the scales tipped decisively. Whether by their exchange or by majority rule, it was decided that the training would involve all three. Kaede nodded with a satisfied smile.

“You heard that, Sonia?”

“…Yes, I heard it clearly.”

Sonia slowly stood up, crossing her arms beneath her ample chest as if supporting it and looked down at Junpei with cold eyes.

“Oh, I see. I understand very well. Junpei-san’s—ero ero ero ero…Ero Taro! From today on, you are Ero Taro!”Ero Taro³

“Hey, stop giving me weird nicknames. Seriously, why are you so mad? What’s wrong with Kaede-san helping out?”

“That’s… well…”

Sonia faltered, trembled, and then, her face flushing bright red, shouted. 

“I cannot accept it!”

◇

With Kaede now joining the ero magic training, the summer vacation days slipped by one after another.

On one such day, Kaede went to visit Kondo-sensei in the hospital together with Okumura Sensei and the other teachers. Normally, the entire Red Heart Brave would have gone but crowding into a hospital room with too many people would be a nuisance, so it was decided that Kaede and one third-year boy would go as student representatives.

And so, for the first time in a while, Junpei found himself alone with Sonia. They were in Junpei’s air-conditioned room. Sitting formally on their knees facing each other, Sonia was the first to speak.

“Before we begin today’s training, I have something I’d like to discuss.”

“A discussion?”

“Yes. Since Kaede-san isn’t here today, I was thinking that this would be a good opportunity to t-t-try out the 【God Hand】, but, um, that is a bit, well…”

Sonia trailed off, her face turning red as she stumbled over her words. Junpei immediately understood the reason why.

“When you say God Hand… you mean that God Hand that can freely change the size of breasts and buttocks just by touching them?!”

“T-that’s exactly right!”

Although Sonia affirmed it, there was a hint of hesitation on her face. Somehow, she even seemed to be pulling her hips back slightly. Junpei, too, was at a loss for words in the face of this difficult task, clasping his hands together, but just as the silence threatened to drag on, he felt it was getting awkward and raised his hand.

“Yes, question.”

『Go ahead』Sonia said, seemingly relieved as she allowed him to speak.

Junpei carefully began.

“If we’re going to try out that God Hand, does that mean I’m allowed to touch Sonia-senpai’s body?”

“Of course not!”

Sonia snapped sharply with a fierce glare but in the very next moment, she suddenly became meek, lowering her eyes and speaking in a quiet, halting voice.

“…That’s what I’d like to say but I actually have a bit of a problem.”

“Trouble?”

When Junpei repeated that, Sonia lifted her gaze and spoke.

“Junpei-san, what do you think about my chest?”

“It’s big.”

Even though he simply answered honestly, she glared at him with a sharp, cutting look. But she quickly softened her expression and let out a small sigh.

“I personally feel that it might be a little too large. To be frank, it gets in the way of movement. So if possible, I was thinking it would be nice if it could become smaller. Of course, I don’t mean to the extent of making incisions in my body, but if your magic can easily make that wish come true…”

“Alright, let’s do it!”

Junpei’s face lit up as he sprang energetically to his feet. Not that there was anything in particular to do by standing up, but he simply couldn’t stay still. Watching him with a suspicious look, Sonia said.

“Why are you suddenly so full of motivation?”

“Well, this is something we can’t avoid. I mean, the God Hand just involves touching the body, right? Ero magic has way more borderline and dangerous spells than that, doesn’t it?”

“That is, well… yes… or rather, it really is ero magic!”

“Then this isn’t the time to get scared over something like the God Hand. We just have to do it.”

Sonia looked at Junpei, who was speaking so passionately, with a dubious expression, but after a while, she let out a sigh and said.

“Well, I suppose you’re right. Besides, I don’t want to lose to Kaede-san.”

“To Kaede-san?”

“That’s right. Over these past few days, watching how Kaede-san conducts herself up close made me realize something. That person is very kind and devoted to you, but I don’t want to lose to her. As a descendant of the Hero, I will carry out even being the partner for the God Hand perfectly!”

Saying that, Sonia also stood up straight and pressed her chest against Junpei’s.

“As for the God Hand, it requires direct contact with the target’s body. It won’t have any effect through clothing.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Therefore, from now on, you will be blindfolded.”

With a bright smile as she said that, one minute later, Junpei found himself sitting in seiza with an eye mask on. It was something Sonia had purchased beforehand from a drugstore.

“This will do.”

Moving behind Junpei as he sat formally, Sonia carefully secured the blindfold over his eyes and said so in a sing-song voice. When the eye mask was first put on, Junpei had reflexively closed his eyes to protect them, but when he tried opening them, he couldn’t see anything at all.

“Tohoho…”

“Did you say something?”

“No, nothing.”

When Junpei played it off like that, Sonia said nothing in response and only the sound of footsteps could be heard. It seemed she had moved around to stand in front of him.

“Even if this is magic training, I cannot carelessly expose a maiden’s skin. Besides, sealing one of the five senses and heightening the sixth sense used to handle magic is a traditional method of training for magicians.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I will say this in advance, but if you remove that eye mask before I say『okay』…”

“I know. I value my life too.”

Although he couldn’t deny feeling a little disappointed, thinking about it normally, there was no way she would show her naked body to a man who wasn’t even her lover. And letting him touch her body was strictly for magic training.

“Very well. Then remain as you are and wait for a while.”

After that, the sound of footsteps came again. Judging from the direction of the sound, the distance, and the arrangement of the furniture, she had likely gone over to the bed. Then came the rustling sound of clothes. Because he was blindfolded, the sound felt strangely vivid and Junpei suddenly felt like he might start trembling.

“…Hey.”

“What is it?”

“Let me ask one thing… are you seriously taking it off?”

Even after waiting five seconds like that, there was no reply.

“Are you listening?”

“I-I am listening.”

“You’re taking it off…?”

“I-I am taking it off. Just the upper body! I-it can’t be helped, can it? That’s what this magic requires! If this unnecessarily large excess flesh can be made smaller just by you touching it a little, then I, I will… teyaa!”

Suddenly, there was a sharp, spirited shout and Junpei, who had been sitting in seiza, instinctively lifted his hips.

—Teyaa… what did she just do? What did she do? Did she take it off? Was it like… bururun?

Just imagining it made both his hands, clenched on his knees, grow sweaty.

“I-I’m starting to get nervous.”

“Why are you the one getting nervous?! I’m the one who’s nervous!”

Raising her voice roughly like that, whether she gained courage or just threw caution to the wind, Sonia strode over to stand right in front of Junpei. Then, something touched his knees, and he tensed up.

“Now then, since you can’t see, I’ll explain. Right now, I am sitting in seiza directly in front of you. Literally, our knees are pressed together.”

“I see… so what’s touching my knees is your kneecaps. That’s close.”

“It has to be, otherwise your hands wouldn’t be able to reach. Explanation over. Now, go ahead.”

Junpei felt the ball had been thrown to him. This time, it was his turn. What he had to do was already decided. Raise his arms, extend his hands forward, and touch.

—Touch? Can I really touch? No, this is that kind of magic, so it’s fine, right? Magic? In this situation, can I focus and raise my mana? Can I even do that?

As Junpei rapidly repeated this back-and-forth in his head, he slowly moved his arms forward, harboring a fear like plunging his hands into flames.

Then, a sudden thought occurred to him, and he stopped his hands to ask Sonia.

“Hey, I just thought of something… what would you do if I used Over Feeling here?”

“I’ll kill you.”

Said in a genuinely cold voice, Junpei felt as if cold water had been splashed over him.

“Yeah, figured. I was just saying, just saying.”

Saying that, Junpei cast aside his small mischievous impulse and began moving his halted hands forward once again.

“Alright… I’m going to touch now?”

“…Okay.”

The moment Sonia gave that reply, Junpei felt his hand come into contact with human skin. And not only that, it moved beyond his expectations. It sank.

“Whoa!”

An astonished cry escaped him.

“What is this?! It’s so soft! Amazing!”

“Hey… your voice is too loud!”

“No, but… the flesh is squishing around!”

There were probably individual differences but he had never known a woman’s body could be this soft. A world beyond his imagination lay there.

“D-don’t just touch, hurry and use the magic—”

“This is no time for magic! I’m moved right now!”

“Y-you’re moved? You’re feeling moved just from touching my body?”

“Yeah. When a guy touches a girl’s body for the first time, I think everyone feels moved.”

“I-I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, but I can tell you’re serious.”

At that moment, the tension left Sonia’s body. Until now, she had been shrinking back and subtly resisting, but it shifted into a softer, more accepting feeling. And that led to yet another new discovery.

“Hm? It’s not just soft. There’s something kind of firm against my palm. This is…”

Just as Sonia let out a stiff, strained sound, in the very next instant—

“No commentary allowed!”

Suddenly, Junpei felt an impact on his jaw—and by the time he realized he had probably been punched, his consciousness had already sunk into darkness.

…

How long had he been unconscious? When he came to, the eye mask had already been removed, and Junpei was laid out on the bed. Sonia, her face bright red, stood over him with her arms crossed. Of course, she was already dressed again.

“…You put your clothes back on.”

“Yes. It seems the God Hand was still too early. For both you and me.”

Saying that, Sonia’s face flushed even more, and she turned away with a huff.

“More importantly, you weren’t even trying to use magic while you were touching me, were you? I couldn’t feel any rise in your mana, nor any focus to activate magic—nothing at all.”

“Well… that’s because…”

The moment he touched her, his reason had completely flown away.

—There’s no way I could concentrate or anything like that.

As if she had heard Junpei’s inner thoughts, Sonia spoke.

“That’s exactly why I’m saying it’s still too early. I’ll be taking my leave now. Forget everything that happened today as if it were a dream. And absolutely keep this a secret from Kaede-san, understood?”

After saying that, Sonia turned on her heel and headed toward the entrance. Junpei sat up on the bed and followed her with his gaze, but he couldn’t find the words to stop her as she put on her shoes.

“Well then, farewell.”

With that, Sonia left Junpei’s room.

Left alone, Junpei lay back down, resting his head on the pillow as he absentmindedly stared up at the ceiling.

“Like I could ever forget that.”

The smoothness, softness, warmth, and the sense of awe from the first time he touched a girl’s skin—Junpei would remember it for a long time afterward. As one of those vivid pages etched into his life’s memories.