Vol. 3 Chapter 4 – It’s the Hand That Squeezes. It’s the Hand That Grasps!

Time goes back a little.

It happened when Mina was preparing her simple ghost costume on the landing of the stairs leading to the rooftop, wearing nothing more than an ordinary white sheet over her head.

Ryousuke, who was supposed to come up from below as the guest role, should have been approaching from the stairs, but strangely, footsteps echoed down from the rooftop instead.

‘Huh? Did he pass by while I was getting ready…?’

Tilting her head in confusion, Mina hurriedly pulled the white sheet over herself, preparing to jump out, but first she checked who was coming down from where she was hiding.

“Hi—!?”

She involuntarily let out a scream.

That man could only be described as abnormal.

It felt to Mina as if a deep darkness itself was shifting, as though a real ghost was writhing before her eyes.

But upon closer look, it had the form of a human.

Its entire body was clad in a jet-black darkness, so deep it was visibly black even in the dimly lit school corridor where the light barely reached. On its head, three goat-like horns twisted and coiled grotesquely around each other. Most striking of all was the mask covering what appeared to be its face, intricately woven from golden cords, gleaming eerily in the darkness of the school.

“There you are.”

The man turned toward where Mina was hiding, drawn by her scream.

“Y-Y… no… no…”

Her entire body trembled.

She wanted to run, but her shaking legs refused to move.

She wanted to scream, but her trembling throat produced no sound.

“Judging by the voice… Ookura Mina, is it?”

The man spoke Mina’s name. That very terror triggered her body to finally break free from the paralysis.

“No… noooooooo!”

Screaming, she ripped off the white sheet and bolted out from her hiding spot, sprinting down the stairs.

She practically tumbled down the stairs as she ran.

“Haa… haa… haa… What is with that guy…?”

When she glanced back after descending the stairs, the man was clapping his hands together, pachi pachi.

“Ah, splendid… That was quite the bounce. Truly magnificent breasts.”

Under normal circumstances, that wouldn’t have been strange.

Yes—if not for the fact that the man was descending from above, as if floating. Defying gravity, he slowly lowered himself from the top of the stairs.

That sight reminded Mina of Lisara and the others’ 《Binding Attire Disurard》.

“Sh-Shinigami-san…?”

Indeed, that black attire resembled theirs. However, unlike this man’s, Lisara and the others’ outfits did not completely cover their bodies and left some skin exposed.

As Mina stood there staring up at him in shock, someone called out to her.

“What’s wrong, Ookura-san?”

“Huh? What happened?”

Igarashi and Onizaki arrived after hearing the commotion. Thanks to being stationed near the staircase, the two of them noticed Mina’s scream and the sound of hurried footsteps rushing down the stairs.

“What is with that person?”

“Judging by appearances, I’d say he looks like a suspicious intruder.”

Naturally, they both noticed the man gently floating down.

“I’m not sure… but I think he might be a Shinigami…”

“I’ve heard rumors. When a Shinigami gets serious, they supposedly take on a strange form.”

Igarashi nodded at Mina’s words.

“Oh, so you’re quite knowledgeable, huh? 《Chaste Beast of the Fields》, Igarashi Ikue.”

“The fact that you know that embarrassing title… you must be connected to the academy.”

Narrowing her already slender eyes even further, Igarashi glared sharply.

“Connected, huh? I suppose… for the time being, yes, though not exactly by choice.”

“A Shinigami… blending in among the students?”

Onizaki Yuuki, president of the girls’ pro-wrestling club, cracked his knuckles poki poki while glaring at the man. To anyone looking, he appeared like a small, childlike, cute girl — in fact, he was wearing a female student’s uniform — but he was, without a doubt, a man.

“《Pretty Monster》, Onizaki Yuuki, huh? Unfortunately for you, I’ve got no business with you today.”

The man gave a bitter smile.

“Shut up, you suspicious creep!”

Shouting, Onizaki charged up the stairs at full speed. At that, the man muttered:

“Honestly, as if a human could ever hope to defeat a Shinigami.”

With a voice laced in dry amusement, he extended his hand.

“《Shield Astaltzv》.”

A golden barrier appeared right in front of the man, and Onizaki crashed directly into it.

“Gyaah!?”

“Onizaki-san!”

Igarashi managed to catch Onizaki mid-air at the very last moment, just as he was repelled backward. Despite being a woman of smaller build, she braced and successfully caught the man’s body.

“Oh, so the rumors were true… you’ve got quite the skill and strength.”

“These are dangerous times we live in…”

Setting Onizaki down gently, Igarashi turned her deadly glare on the man. The sheer intent to kill radiating from her was enough to make even Ryousuke’s lustful thoughts shrivel away.

“Tch… applying pressure on me, are you? Such terrifying spiritual power…”

The man shuddered for just an instant.

“I’ll make you regret this.”

Step by step, Igarashi began climbing the staircase.

Watching her back, Mina hurriedly pulled out her cellphone.

She needed to contact Ryousuke, and Lisara, and the others.

“Ryousuke-kun, hurry… please!”

The ringing tone felt maddeningly slow.

Meanwhile, Igarashi kept glaring at the man as she steadily climbed the stairs.

The man, meanwhile, stood still on the landing, doing nothing, simply waiting for Igarashi to come closer.

“You seem prepared for this.”

Igarashi assumed that the man’s unmoving stance meant he was frozen in fear. After all, every man who had approached her before with lecherous intent had ended up standing paralyzed.

Even if he was a Shinigami, a man was still just a man.

This one was no different.

That’s what Igarashi thought.

But she was gravely mistaken.

“Prepared? I’ve been prepared for a long time. Ever since the day I decided to correct the relationship between Shinigami and humans.”

“What…?”

The man vanished from Igarashi’s sight.

“W-Where did he go!?”

“A Shinigami clad in 《Binding Attire Disurard》 could never be slower than a human. Besides, I am one who stands among the Sixty-Ninth Stanzas. There’s no way you could have seen my movements.”

From behind her, the man spoke with mocking laughter.

“That number… that voice… don’t tell me, you’re—”

“Hm, at the academy, I certainly go by that name. But it is only a borrowed one.”

“Borrowed…?”

Igarashi tried to turn around but couldn’t move.

The difference in power was far too great. Like a frog paralyzed under the gaze of a snake, her body refused to respond.

“Now then, let us start with you, Your Excellency. You shall serve as both nourishment and a subject for my experiment.”

“E-Experiment…?”

“Oh, so you can still speak. All the better, that makes you even more promising.”

“What… what are you planning to do?”

“Why, you will thank me. I will only release your true soul, which is suppressed by that pitiful little ego of yours.”

“Stop—”

Before Igarashi could finish,

“O God of Fertility, Frey. O liberator of all. Release the bindings of this wretched one and nurture me further.”

The man whispered quietly.

And it happened at the very same moment Ryousuke picked up Mina’s phone.

“Kyyaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Igarashi’s scream pierced through the speaker into Ryousuke’s ear.

『H-Hey, Mina!』

Ryousuke’s panicked voice reached Mina’s ears.

“Ry-Ryousuke-kun, it wasn’t me, that scream just now, but—”

As she stammered, Mina saw Igarashi collapse to the floor, clutching her chest.

“Fufu… yes, let it out. Igarashi Ikue, release the living power that slumbers deep within your soul.”

The man looked down at her, then glanced at the hand in which he was gripping something.

“M-My… my bra…”

In his hand was Igarashi’s surprisingly cute, frilly bra.

“Now, release yourself!”

“W-What is this… my chest, it aches… ahh, aaahhh! It’s hot, it’s welling up inside… wh-what is this heat… it’s so hot… ahh… fuaaaan…”

Igarashi arched her back dramatically, as if to thrust her chest toward the man.

『What the hell just happened!? Where are you right now!?』

“Th-they’re, um… Igarashi-senpai and Onizaki-senpai, they’re— ahh, kyyaaaaaa!”

Right before Mina’s eyes, from Igarashi’s chest — from her breasts — something white and shining burst forth through her uniform with a loud pushaaaa.

“Come to me!”

At the man’s command, the luminous spray formed into a stream and was absorbed into his body.

The unbelievable sight made Mina drop her phone.

The battery slipped free and clattered down at her feet.

“Fuhahahahaha! Yes, this is it! This very spiritual energy erupting from the breasts proves my research has taken one more step toward completion!”

The man laughed triumphantly.

“That spiritual energy… incredible. This is good. It easily surpasses five million. Fuhahahahaha! Yes, become my strength. Become the power that allows me to continue hiding in the human world until the day my research is complete!”

The white, shining spiritual energy bursting forth from her breasts flowed into the man’s body and disappeared.

“What… what is this…?”

Mina groaned.

Something was terribly wrong.

From the very start, it made no sense. Human bodies couldn’t release spiritual energy — unless it was breast milk or something — but this was entirely different.

“Could it be…?”

Mina adjusted her glasses, a habit she always did when deep in thought. Her mind began to narrow down to one possible conclusion—

“I want to walk hand in hand with my wonderful prince, of course in matching outfits.”

Igarashi’s voice cut off Mina’s train of thought.

The outpouring from her chest had ceased and she was muttering words that Mina could hardly believe were coming from her.

It was absurd.

That notorious man-hater, the one known as 《Chaste Beast of the Fields》 Igarashi Ikue, speaking of a wonderful prince… and matching outfits, of all things!?

Mina couldn’t help but doubt her own ears.

“In the summer festival, we’d wear yukata together and watch the fireworks. He’d tell me I look so cute, and we’d share our first kiss. In the autumn, we’d sit by a bonfire and split one roasted sweet potato between the two of us. In the winter, we’d wear the long scarf I knitted together. Then on Christmas, we’d go to the amusement park at night, watch the fireworks, and my prince would say『I want all of you, I’ll make you happy for life』and with a ring, he’d propose… and that’s when we’d finally become one.”

There was no mistaking it — Igarashi was mumbling out loud her incredibly biased maiden fantasies.

“Fufufu, surprised? At the true feelings of the Igarashi who normally glares at men as if to kill them for even stepping close?”

The man looked at Mina.

“What does this mean?”

“It means that no one can live honestly. Everyone hides their true self.”

He took a step down.

“I live honestly!”

“Onizaki-san!?”

The one repelled unconscious by 《Shield Astaltzv》 — Onizaki — staggered back to his feet, knees trembling.

“What did you do to Igarashi!?”

“Good grief, I told you, I have no business with you.”

Ignoring his question, the man gave a bitter smile.

“You bastard!”

This time, Onizaki didn’t rush in recklessly. He lowered his stance and raised both hands — the stance of a wrestler.

“It’s useless, you know?”

The man pushed off with a ton against the stairs, leaping down nearly ten steps in a single bound.

“Got you off guard!”

Onizaki launched a knee kick at his torso but he used his leg as a stepping stone and effortlessly vaulted over his.

“O God of Fertility, Frey. O liberator of all. Release the bindings of this pitiful one.”

“What the—!?”

“To be honest, I’ve no interest in a man’s underwear.”

Behind Onizaki, the man muttered, and in his hand was a pair of cute panties.

“You bastard!”

Unlike with Igarashi, Onizaki did not crumble. He charged at the man again.

“《Binding Chain》.”

“Wha—”

Like a puppet with its strings cut, Onizaki collapsed.

“When the mind itself is bound, the body can no longer move.”

Without even glancing at Onizaki’s fallen form, the man stood before Mina.

“…………”

The man gazed intently at Mina, who was too terrified to speak.

He bent forward, staring fixedly at her chest.

“Hmmm. As expected from these breasts. Unlike Iria’s imitation, these possess the true aura and heat only the genuine article can hold. Just bringing my face close is enough to feel the puff-puff warmth from them. This is breasts, this is the nurturing, loving, and rousing power of breasts — breasts of the breasts, the very oppai itself.”

“Are you… are you forcibly dragging out the power to live, stealing the most precious spiritual energy from the chest!?”

“Oh? Even in this situation, you can still think clearly. To have such a big breast and still keep your wits… truly a miracle of a woman. Perfect for my experiment.”

From nowhere, the man produced a massive bottle, as tall as a human, like an old-fashioned milk bottle.

“Now then, Ookura Mina. I will squeeze your breast  dry and fill this. Then everyone will be able to use it!”

With lewd hands, the man reached for Mina’s chest.

“No, stop, I don’t want this, noooooo!”

“O God of Fertility, Frey. O liberator of all. Release the bindings of this pitiful one, and nurture me further!”

The man recited the spell loudly.

He clenched his hand.

When he opened it, he was holding Mina’s large, girlishly cute bra.

Yet, instead of focusing on the bra, his eyes refused to leave her breasts.

No — they couldn’t.

Because—

Baluuuuun.

Purururuuuun.

Boyon boyon.

Freed from the restraint of the bra, her breasts bounced wildly, their softness and elasticity surpassing even pudding on a plate, shaking and jiggling beneath her uniform in a way that was impossible to ignore.

No man alive could look away.

This was a miracle he could not help but witness as a man.

“S-So this is real… breasts really bounce like this…?”

Swallowing with an audible gulp, the man muttered.

Then, as a researcher, he began to reason.

There was no way mere size alone could make them bounce this much.

After all, in the erotic DVDs he’d obtained since coming to the human world, no matter how big the actresses’ breasts were, they never bounced like this.

“Why? Why do they tremble with such intensity? This is just like the breast physics you see in manga!”

“You really don’t get it?”

“No, I don’t!”

“It’s because she’s a high school girl!”

“A… a high school girl!?”

“High school girls! They are beings overflowing with youth and possibility, capable of turning the impossible into reality, a plump and springy existence! High school girls! They are a plump and springy miracle surpassing even the miracles of the gods themselves, stuffed full of dreams and hope!”

“I see!”

Slapping his palm in realization, the man nodded while trying to endure the overwhelming sight.

“Ryousuke. Then what about college girls?”

“College girls — they are older sisters who guide us toward adulthood, an anen-anenna existence!”anen-anenna¹

“I like office ladies myself.”

“Office ladies! They are glamorous older women who tease us with mature allure, a mun-mun existence!”

“A smolderingly sexy existence”

“Overflowing with sensual allure”

“A mature, voluptuous presence” high school girls are described as purun-purun (springy, bouncy youth), while office ladies are mun-mun (sultry, mature charm).”

“And what about junior high school girls?”

“A loli-loli existence!”

“What about even younger, then?”

“I’d get scolded if I said it!”

“You—since when have you been there!?”

At last, the man tore his eyes away from Mina’s bouncing breasts and realized that Ryousuke (in the form of a beautiful girl) had been watching the spectacle alongside him.

Not only Ryousuke but Lisara and the others were there too.

“Well, I happened to detect the seismic waves of her breasts.”

Tamano ran his fingers through his hair, trying to look cool.

“Ugh… I sensed it too. But… but… sniff… even though it’s so much fun to watch, what comes after, it never comes…”

Ryousuke let out a heavy sigh.

Just then, Mina clutched her chest and crouched down.

“M-Mina!?”

“Fufu… looks like it’s begun.”

The man stepped away from Mina and leaned against the giant milk bottle.

“What did you do to Mina!”

“First of all, who are you supposed to be? I don’t recall there being a beauty like you in this academy. You weren’t on the list for the Mankokapakku Party, if I remember correctly…”

“I’m Kaga Ryousuke. Due to… certain circumstances, I’m a beautiful girl today!”

“Certain circumstances, huh? If gender-swapping were really that convenient, then by now every boy in the country would be doing their health education lessons with their own body.”

“Tch… since I’ve actually been put through it, I can’t even argue back strongly…”

“So it’s a spell, then. Some trick from the Shinigami behind you. Amusing… kukuku. Makes me want to test whether I can squeeze something out of your breasts as well.”

“Eek!!”

A chill ran down Ryousuke’s spine. That sensation — being stared at with such lewd eyes. The thought made him… not happy, but at least reconsider whether he should keep holding back in the future.

Meanwhile, Mina was clutching her chest desperately, writhing in torment.

“F-from deep inside… ahh, ahhh… hot, why… why is it… coming from so deep, i-it’s coming out!”

She struggled, both arms pressing frantically against her chest, as if trying to cover the hole of a balloon leaking air.

“Uuhh… nnkuh… it’s coming out… no… if it comes out, he’ll take it…!”

“Oh? You can still resist? Seems the spell still needs improvement. But your limit must be close.”

“Ahh… ahhh… ahhhhhhhh!!”

Arching her back as if to thrust her chest out, Mina screamed.

From her breasts — her braless breasts — white, radiant spiritual energy burst out through her uniform and streamed directly into the giant milk bottle.

“Breast milk???”

“Idiot, of course not!”

Lisara, her face slightly flushed, denied Ryousuke’s words.

“That’s spiritual energy. What’s gushing out is spiritual energy…”

“Spiritual… energy?”

“Yes. And that glow comes from her life force. It’s the pure, strong spiritual power that sleeps deep in the soul. Normally, life force is buried so far inside that you can’t even touch it…”

Ryousuke looked at Mina. Nothing was coming out of her chest anymore. Yet, like some kind of magic (or rather, clearly a spell), the giant milk bottle continued to fill naturally with white spiritual energy.

“Fufu… this new spiritual-energy tank seems to be a success. Until now, only I could reap the benefits. But from now on, anyone will be able to draw from it freely!”

The man proudly declared.

But Ryousuke wasn’t listening.

The point was simple.

Mina’s breasts were being squeezed of their spiritual energy, and it was being stored in that milk bottle.

It was wrong.

Utterly wrong.

This was something he absolutely could not accept.

“Ry-Ryousuke?”

Lisara looked at Ryousuke anxiously as his shoulders shook. Even the man furrowed his brow at the fierce will burning within him.

“Stop it! Stop this at once!”

Ryousuke’s scream echoed. Even without Excalibur, this was something he could never allow.

“What’s this sudden outrage? Are you saying the sight of breasts gushing out light isn’t beautiful to you!?”

“That’s right!”

“Ryousuke… yes, you’re right… this unnatural, forceful, perverted act cannot be forgiven!”

“No!”

Ryousuke immediately denied it.

“Eh?”

“Breasts… breasts can only be squeezed by hands, dammit!”

It was a cry from the depths of his soul.

But it earned no sympathy. Only the kind of silence that falls when no one agrees, followed by countless cold stares piercing into him.

“Uh… huh?”

“Well, Ryousuke-kun. I sort of get what you’re trying to say, but maybe don’t yell that while Mina-kun is the one being subjected to it…”

Tamano spoke to him, bewildered.

“No, that’s not it! That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what do you mean?”

“The only ones allowed to squeeze a girl’s breasts are babies… and the hands of someone she loves!”

The scene fell silent once more.

“…Don’t say things in such a misleading way. For a second, I seriously thought about punching you.”

“I feel exactly the same as Lisara-oneesama.”

Lisara and Kyuru both let out weary sighs.

“R-Ryousuke… kun…”

It was a faint voice, but clearly audible.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. She’s resisting, even after my spell has begun?”

The man stared at Mina in shock.

“Mina!”

“W-where…?”

Mina looked around weakly. Of course — Ryousuke was still in the form of his ideal beautiful girl. She wouldn’t recognize him like this.

“I… Ryousuke-kun… want you to… squeeze…”

“Enough! O God of Fertility, Frey!”

The man began strengthening the spell and Mina’s voice grew fainter and fainter until it was nearly gone.

“Damn it, can’t we do something!?”

“Yes, we have to act somehow.”

“May I make a suggestion?”

Iria raised her hand slightly, frowning.

“You have an idea?”

“I think we should retreat for now. If that man is who I think he is, then there’s no doubt we’ll need proper preparation. Lisara-san, doesn’t that ring a bell for you?”

“…Ah.”

Lisara let out a small sound of realization.

“But what about Mina? And Igarashi-senpai and Onizaki-senpai?”

“Ryousuke-kun, you know the saying — sometimes you have to take the longer way around to get there faster.”

Iria shook her head, exasperated.

“So what, we’re just going to abandon them!?”

“…Ryousuke.”

Lisara gripped his shoulder.

“What, Lisara? Don’t tell me you’re saying we should retreat too!”

“Right now, I think Iria’s judgment is correct. I’ve realized something as well. If I’m right, then he’s not someone we can just recklessly charge at. If we want to save Mina and the others, then we need a plan.”

“But still—!”

“Ryousuke-san.”

Kyuru smiled sweetly.

“What is it—”

Thwack.

A sharp pain struck the back of his neck.

“Wh-!”

“This way is quicker.”

Kyuru smiled at Lisara, holding Ryousuke’s limp hand after knocking him unconscious.

“Ky-Kyuru…”

“Come on, onee-sama. Since Ryousuke-san’s in the body of a girl right now, Kyuru and the others can manage carrying him. Let’s hurry.”

“R-Right…”

Still a little stunned, Lisara nodded.

“Iria, you’d better have a clever plan to get us out of this.”

“Yes, I have one.”

“Then we’ll go with that.”

“Okay—♡”

Iria called out brightly, her tone almost too cheerful for the tense moment, and waved Malbec over.

“Yes, what is it?”

Looking a little uneasy, Malbec stepped closer.

“Let’s both use 《Binding Attire Disurard》 and draw his attention.”

“Eh? A decoy? But from what I just heard, that sounds really dangerous—”

“It’ll be fine, since Iria’s here too. Do I look like the kind of Shinigami who’d throw herself away?”

“No, you don’t.”

The reply was immediate.

“Y-You—!”

For a moment, Iria nearly snapped, but she took a deep breath and forced a smile.

“See? So it’s fine. Now let’s go.”

“O-Okay.”

Reluctantly, Malbec nodded.

“Lisara-san, during that time, head to the classroom you were hiding in.”

“Iria, you…”

Lisara couldn’t help but be moved by Iria’s unexpected selflessness. With slightly moist eyes, she looked at her.

“I’ll catch up right away, okay♡”

“Yes. I’ll be waiting. I’ll definitely be waiting.”

“Of course.”

Iria’s answer was the signal.

Leaving Iria and Malbec behind, Lisara turned on her heel and ran, dragging Ryousuke along.

“Hm? You’re retreating…?”

The man looked up from the milk bottle, a little surprised.

“Still, my existence must not be exposed to the Shinigami Realm just yet.”

“Well, your opponents will be Iria and me.”

“If I may humbly add myself as well…”

Iria and Malbec stood to face the man.

“Let’s 《Binding Attire Disurard》.”

“Y-Yes.”

Malbec gripped her pendant — the Moo-Moo Rabbit, symbol of Melro Life Insurance, which also held the power to store spirit money.

As members of the Melro Executive Special Task Force Far East Branch, both Iria and Malbec had been entrusted with far greater amounts of spirit money than ordinary Shinigami.

“《Binding Attire Disurard》!”

They recited the spell. Dust and fragments swirled around Malbec, reshaping her clothing.

Her appearance changed into that of a Shinigami in a revealing, high-leg swimsuit-like outfit.

“Fourth rank, I’d say. Judging from that 《Binding Attire Disurard》.”

The man gave a bitter smile, as if dismissing her as no threat.

“M-Maybe so, but my superior is first rank! Right, Branch Chief!?”

Malbec turned her head.

──No one was there.

“Eh.”

“Your superior ran off while you were transforming. I thought you were the main force, but… I see now, you’re just a sacrifice. How pitiful, a mere fourth rank.”

“T-That rotten boss… you bastard!!”

Her scream of rage was darker than the man’s jet-black robes themselves.

※ ※ ※

“Mina—!”

When Ryousuke opened his eyes, he was back in the classroom where Lisara had changed into her kimono.

In the dim light, Lisara had already changed back into her uniform and was glaring daggers at Iria.

“Good, you’re awake” Lisara said, still glaring at Iria.

“I know it was wrong, but it couldn’t be helped” Iria answered.

“Damn it, if you dragged me all the way here, then nothing I say matters now.”

Ryousuke slammed his hand against the floor.

‘We left Mina and the others behind… I know, I know it was the right decision, even I can understand that. But still— not being able to protect a girl, a girl who’s cute, erotic, and makes my heart happy— not being able to protect Mina of all people…’

He slammed the floor again.

“Damn it!”

“Ryousuke… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Lisara, it’s not your fault. It’s just me being useless. Even if I claim girls are precious treasures, that it’s my policy to protect them, at the end of the day, I’m worse than any ordinary guy. I’m the one at fault.”

Ryousuke averted his eyes, refusing to meet Lisara’s gaze. He knew her eyes would hold encouragement or sympathy— but receiving that would give him no comfort at all.

“Lisara, can I ask you something?”

Even in the darkened classroom, he could at least tell who was present.

And someone was missing.

“Where’s Malbec-san?”

“Yes, I was about to ask the same. Iria, why are you the only one here?”

Lisara’s voice was low as she confronted Iria.

That’s right— Malbec wasn’t with her. Iria had returned alone.

“I just thought fewer sacrifices would be better♡”

“A human offering…? Poor Malbec-san.”

“Ufufu, but Malbec’s more talented than she looks. She’ll be fine.”

Neither Lisara’s sharp tone nor Ryousuke’s accusing glare had any effect on Iria.

“More importantly, Lisara-san, you’ve realized who that man really is too, haven’t you?”

“Yes, probably the same person you’re thinking of.”

“The one who, long ago, caused trouble in the Restall household, turned the entire Shinigami organization into his enemies and then disappeared without a trace?”

“I think the same. That 《Binding Attire Disurard》 of his—to be frank, it’s at a far higher level than mine. If such a Shinigami had come to the human world, there’s no way I or Kyuru or even Iria wouldn’t have heard about it. Kyuru, you haven’t heard anything, have you?”

“No, Kyuru hasn’t. But who is he?”

“A Shinigami who once belonged to the Restall family.”

“The Restall family?”

Kyuru’s eyes widened.

“The moment I saw that breast-based technique, it clicked for me” Iria said.

“Yes. He’s a man who wields extraordinary power even among the Shinigami, one who stands in the ranks of the Sixty-Nine Stanzas.”

“Stanzas!?”

At Iria’s words, Kyuru looked back and forth between her and Lisara, her eyes silently pleading, This has to be a lie, right?

“Tamano-senpai, do you know what a Stanza is?”

“No, unfortunately not.”

“Wan (Neither do I)” another replied.

“Stanza… It’s a title of honor in the Shinigami Realm, granted to those with exceptional achievements or immense power” Lisara explained.

“There are ranks from One to One Hundred. The greater the achievement, the stronger the Shinigami, the lower the number they receive.”

“So that means there could be as many as a hundred people?”

“No. Only six can hold each rank at a time. So at most, there are six hundred.”

“By the way, Lisara… what about you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I only just became a first-rank Shinigami. Even with the Restall name, it’s not an honor given so lightly.”

“But if there are six in each, that still makes six hundred, right?”

“I’ll tell you something useful. Once a Stanza is given, it’s permanent. Even if a Shinigami commits crimes, even if they die, their name remains in the Stanza as an honor.”

“Huh?”

“In other words, most of the Stanzas are just filled with famous Shinigami from the past. There are almost no living Shinigami who hold a Stanza. Since there are hardly any open slots left, new ones are rarely awarded.”

At Lisara’s words, Iria muttered in a low voice.

“That Galdabroeg having a Stanza means he’s strong enough to achieve such an impossible rank.”

“So in short… he’s insanely dangerous?”

“Unfortunately, that’s exactly right.”

Ryousuke’s summary was met with Lisara’s weary reply.

“So what exactly did he do?”

“He tried to destroy the current relationship between Shinigami and humans.”

“Destroy it?”

“Yes, he tried to. He claimed Shinigami had no need to support humans, that it was a disgrace to Shinigami.”

“But what about Life Jewels?”

“He planned to take them by force. He researched turning humans into livestock for supplying spiritual energy.”

“What!?”

“Meiz Galdabroeg. He’s extremely dangerous.”

If Lisara’s words were true, then his goal was to completely destroy the very structure of their society.

“I think I’ve heard a similar story before” Tamano said, digging into his memory.

“Wasn’t it something like the『Battle of Twilight』?”

“Hmm, Tamano-senpai, you’re more knowledgeable than I expected” Iria said, genuinely surprised.

“Hey, what was that about?”

“Ryousuke, just as I expected, you don’t know it.” Lisara gave him a tired smile, with no trace of surprise.

“It’s an old story. There was a time when Shinigami killed many humans out of greed for Life Jewels.”

“That actually happened?”

“I only know it from history, too. Both Shinigami and humans turned their eyes away from it. Originally, Shinigami had their own rules for interacting with humans. Killing them like barbarians was forbidden.”

“Then why did it happen?”

“There was a fierce civil war in the Shinigami Realm. Each faction plundered the human world for victory and survival. As a result, the human world fell into ruin, overflowing with misfortune. And that meant Life Jewels with their original radiance vanished.”

“Right… Life Jewels from humans who lived happy lives could be directly converted into spirit money of pure quality, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, exactly. That’s why Life Jewels of true brilliance kept decreasing and even the Shinigami Realm weakened. Eventually, rules were formally established between Shinigami and humans. That’s how both sides came to work together smoothly.”

“I see. So then, that… what was his name again?”

“That Shinigami, Meiz Galdabroeg?”

“Yeah, him. He wants to break the current relationship and return to the old days?”

“That’s only speculation, but yes. I don’t know the details. It was all ages ago…”

“I do have one question, though.”

Kyuru, who had been sitting with folded arms, raised her head.

“If I recall, Melro’s new radar picked up a reading of the Singular One around this time last year, didn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right” Iria tilted her head.

“Tamano-senpai, didn’t you also hold a test of courage last year?”

“No no, it was a break during finals, or a festival or something.”

“The name doesn’t matter… the point is, you did hold one, yes?”

Overwhelmed by Kyuru’s pressing tone, Tamano nodded quickly.

“And nothing happened then?”

“Nothing… hmm…”

Tamano thought hard for ten seconds. Just as everyone was growing irritated, he suddenly clapped his hands.

“Now that I think about it, every year during the test of courage a few people would collapse, feeling sick. For a while they acted wild, following their desires too much. Basically, they were acting strange. But after about a week, everyone returned to normal.”

“Wait, normally that would mean the event should’ve been banned right away!”

“Hahaha, come on, Ryousuke-kun. Of course I covered it up as heatstroke or something. After all, you never heard about it, right?”

“Yeah, because this is the first I’ve ever heard of it!”

“Well well, don’t get so mad. Since there were no lasting effects on anyone, it wasn’t a problem. Ah… well…”

“There were side effects, weren’t there!?”

“No no, it’s just that they blurted out their desires so openly that everyone avoided them for a while. That’s why they became shut-ins for some time, that’s all.”

“…You” Ryousuke muttered.

“Hm, now that I think about it, all the victims were girls”

“As I suspected… Lisara-oneesama and I weren’t the only ones who thought the test of courage was actually being used to search for the Singular One” 

“So that means Galdabroeg was active last year too?” 

“Yes, that’s right. Whether by coincidence or competence, some Melro investigators discovered it, and they were eliminated. The proof? Just earlier, Galdabroeg was holding Mina-san’s oversized bra in his hand. Remember the other note the investigator left behind? The one about an underwear thief? Doesn’t that describe him?”

“But there were multiple strong spiritual energy reactions, though?” 

Iria tilted her head, confused.

Kyuru gave her a thin, mocking smile.

“That was probably the result of that bizarre spiritual absorption method. He’s squeezing it directly from their life force. Normally, spiritual energy from life force never shows up—unless you measure it directly. Forcing it out makes it appear on the surface.”

“Ah, uh… yeah, yeah, exactly! Iria thought the same thing too!”

Iria nodded repeatedly in an obviously fake show of understanding. Ignoring her, Kyuru turned back to Lisara.

“You see, that means—he’s forcibly dragging out the true nature that people normally hide behind morals and common sense. Forcing out the side humans never want anyone else to know about.”

Kyuru spat out the words.

“…Lisara, apparently life force is the hidden nature humans don’t want exposed” 

Ryousuke said, glaring at her.

“Oh, but Ryousuke, you never hide yours in the first place” 

Lisara replied calmly.

“…Sorry.”

He had no comeback.

“In any case, he drained Igarashi’s and especially Mina-san’s spiritual energy, directly from their purest life force. We have to assume he’s stockpiled an enormous amount of spirit money.”

“Kyuru… are you angry?”

“W-well, you see, I just… I don’t like it when someone does whatever they want in my territory, that’s all!”

“Fufu, I feel the same way” 

Lisara said with a smile.

Kyuru waved her hands in denial, flustered, but Lisara’s words softened the moment.

“But the truth is, he’s stronger than us. On top of that, with all the spirit money he’s accumulated, he’s an extremely formidable opponent.”

“See? Just like Iria said, it was the right call to think of a strategy first~” 

Iria lifted her nose proudly… despite having abandoned Malbec.

“Fine, but what’s the strategy? Do you even have one?” 

Ryousuke pressed.

“Strategy…?”

“Yes, strategy. Let me guess—something like, if you and Lisara are fully prepared, maybe we can handle it? That’s all you’ve got, right?”

“Uh, umm… would that be bad?”

Iria put her fists together under her chin and smiled cutely.

“Of course it’s bad!”

“Ehhh, why!? Sure, Iria doesn’t have some ridiculous honor like a Stanza, but I did graduate first in the first-class exam! And Lisara-san, you were second, se-cond place!”

She emphasized『second』on purpose. Lisara’s temple twitched for an instant, but she calmed herself with a cough.

Ryousuke pretended not to notice Iria clicking her tongue.

“But Ryousuke, Iria has a point. Kyuru is with us too. Depending on how we do it, we might be able to pull something off.”

“….”

Ryousuke said nothing. Instead, he took Lisara’s hand.

“W-What are you doing?”

Without answering, he placed her hand against his chest. Funyun.

“Ahhn.”

Ryousuke let out a moan.

“W-What!?”

As Lisara froze in shock, Ryousuke sighed deeply and guided her hand lower, toward his crotch.

“Eh, wait, w-wait, stop—no—!”

“Nngh!”

“Huh?”

Lisara tilted her head.

Then, blushing furiously, she cautiously rubbed again to confirm.

“Fuahhn… Lisara, your hand movements are way too erotic!”

“Wha—ah, um, s-sorry…”

Her face went from red to crimson as Lisara hastily pulled her hand away.

“Onee-sama… how bold of you to do something like this here. C-Could it be… you’re already in that kind of relationship!?”

“No way! Leaving me out of it? Why? How could something so stupid happen!?”

“No way, after all this time I, Iria, who even resisted celebrity pickup attempts out of fear they’d find out about my fake chest, get left behind!?”

At Kyuru’s outburst, Tamano and Iria both jumped.

“…Iria-san. For all that, I think you’ve been showing off quite a lot with those fake breasts of yours to Ryousuke-san” 

Kyuru remarked.

“Well, top celebrities usually have strong spiritual power. It makes me really nervous.”

Flustered, Iria pressed her index fingers together in front of her chest.

“I see… so you’ve been holding back. Meaning, you haven’t had your first time yet…”

“It’s not like I’m desperate to throw it away, but… ugh, there are so many good men out there… kuh, and yet, to think Lisara-san would beat me to it. Even if the partner is Ryousuke-kun, it still feels frustrating!”

“W-Well, that was… not entirely bad, maybe, or… not the worst thing… but still, Onee-sama, that’s unfair!”

“More importantly, how did Ryousuke-kun end up being taken by a beautiful girl like Lisara— totally unacceptable!”

“I didn’t take him!” 

Lisara shrieked.

“That’s not it at all! Why are you making such ridiculous misunderstandings!?”

“But Onee-sama, casually touching a boy’s crotch like that… normally, you wouldn’t… right?”

“That’s right, just like Kyuru-chan says. Normally it’s impossible” 

Iria added.

“By now, under those white slender fingers… it must’ve been so hot, so hot… ahhh, I’m jealous.”

Ryousuke wept blood in his heart. If only it were true.

“For crying out loud, Iria, why are you misunderstanding!? You’re the one who took my Excalibur, aren’t you!?”

“Ah.”

Iria let out a foolish sound.

“But Lisara, you understand now, don’t you? Right now I can’t supply you with spiritual energy. I can’t even sense the presence of 《Gram》.”

“Yes, Ryousuke. I tried to access 《Gram》 several times, but there was no response. It shouldn’t have disappeared, so most likely it’s fallen completely asleep within your soul as a girl.”

“Is there a way to wake it?”

“Basically, it has to be undone by the one who cast the spell to turn you into a girl.”

The moment Lisara looked at her, Iria said—

“Sorry, impossible!”

—and apologized.

“What do you mean? Do you not have enough spirit money?”

Iria shook her head furiously.

“Then why not?”

“Could it be… you’ve fallen in love with beautiful me?”

Ryousuke’s words were ignored.

“It can’t be undone unless I’m with Malbec. That spell was cast by the two of us together, so unless we’re both there, it can’t be dispelled.”

“Y-You mean… you left Malbec-san behind, so what, I’m stuck like this forever!?”

“Well, technically I could undo it by force but that would burn through a ridiculous amount of spirit money. At least for now, it’s impossible.”

“Y-You little—!!”

“Iria, then what’s your grand strategy supposed to be…?”

“Hmm, well…”

Lisara held her head in her hands, while Iria folded her arms, closed her eyes, and paced around the classroom in thought. Then Kyuru grabbed her wrist.

“Iria-san… you weren’t just thinking about running off on your own, were you?”

“Oh my, Kyuru-chan… you really are sharp when it comes to cunning things.”

“And I still pale compared to your scheming.”

“Ufufufu…”

“Kukuku…”

The two of them laughed, nodding to one another.

“We’ll never forget our friendship♡”

“Exactly so.”

They sprinted toward the window.

“W-Wait, you two!!”

“Lisara, it’s fine.”

“How can you say that—”

At the same time Lisara turned to Ryousuke—

“Wan!”

Caesar darted under Iria and Kyuru’s feet, sending them both sprawling face-first onto the floor.

“It hurts…”

“That’s terrible…”

The German Shepherd tapped each of their heads lightly with his paw.

“Wan (Meeting someone is a miracle. If you abandon those you meet, will you really be able to enjoy happy dreams tomorrow? Even we dogs suffer when we regret running away.)”

Caesar (male, 3 years old) gazed into the distance with eyes that seemed to recall old memories.

“…Wan (And you’re Shinigami. Imagine it, young ladies.)”

“Th-That’s… Caesar, forgive me!”

Kyuru clung to Caesar.

“Kyuru… you really are a kind girl” 

Lisara said warmly, wiping the corner of her eye after seeing the touching sight.

But then Kyuru blurted,『I was so caught up in Lisara-oneesama’s misfortunes that I completely forgot about Mina-san—Mina-san of all people! Onee-sama can be miserable and still dream, but Mina-san mustn’t be left like this!!』

“…Oi…”

Lisara’s smile froze stiff at Kyuru’s follow-up.

“Haa… honestly, this is unbearable. Why should I, Iria, have to do anything for that incompetent girl? Why should I, Iria…”

Muttering complaints, Iria slowly stood.

“Wan (You know what’s at stake. Don’t you have your position to think of?)”

Caesar gave what looked suspiciously like a sly grin.

“…My position, huh. You’re right. If word got out that I abandoned my subordinate to die, it could put my place in the organization at risk. Hmhm, I guess I don’t have a choice then.”

Walking up, Iria suddenly clamped a hand hard on Caesar’s head.

“Iria-san!”

Kyuru, still hugging Caesar, jerked her head up and glared at Iria.

“Iria doesn’t like men who act too clever for their own good.”

Meeting her glare head-on, Caesar let out a small bark.

“Wan (Glad you could be honest with yourself.)”

“Hmph!”

Iria turned her face sharply away, releasing him. Caesar pulled free from both her and Kyuru, then trotted over to Ryousuke.

“C-Caesar… no, Master of Popularity!?”

“Wan…wan (Being hated by women is also a form of kindness in a man. Remember that well.)”

“M-Master… Master of Popularityyyyy!!”

“P-Please take me as your disciple toooo!!”

Hugged tightly by both Ryousuke and Tamano, Caesar looked a little troubled.

“U-Um… anyway, let’s all do our best together, okay?”

Lisara tried to bring the mood back under control.

But while Kyuru remained calm, Iria—

“What’s with that cool act! I-I… aaahhh… I’m not… I’m not swooning over a dog, never… never ever, my first love… n-never, no way at alllll!!”

She muttered while scratching wildly at her hair.

“Master of Popularity, someday I’ll be dandy too!”

“Wan (Partner, first you need to draw Excalibur). Wan… (Even if you’re in a girl’s body, it’s not attractive if your insides are still a man…)”

“Caesar-shishou, me too, please make me your disciple! I really want to be popular!”

“…Wan (Yeah, you don’t look like you’d ever be popular).”

“Noooo!”

With Ryousuke and Tamano clinging to him, Caesar looked completely exasperated.

To anyone watching, this didn’t look like a group about to face a battle at all.

“What am I supposed to do with this bunch… so little sense of urgency…” 

Lisara muttered.

And the one who broke that mood—or perhaps pushed it into further chaos—was a voice so sultry it could have earned an adult-only rating on tone alone.

“Aaahhn, Ryousuke-kuuun. Aha, I fooouuund youuu♡”

With a loud bang, the door swung open, and Mina stepped inside.

Her face was flushed.

Ryousuke understood at once. It wasn’t shyness—this was the peach-colored blush of arousal, like the actresses in those erotic DVDs when they were truly turned on. On top of that, for some reason her uniform was half-unbuttoned at the chest, revealing a deep cleavage carved by those unbelievably massive breasts.

Because of course—she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“U-Uofff, fuoooooooh, oppai-npaiiin!!”oppai-npaiiin²

Tamano leapt up, his eyes turning into pure breasts, only to be headbutted in the crotch by Caesar.

“Bow! (The only ones allowed to fondle breasts are a lover and a baby, as your partner said earlier.)”

“Gyaaaahh… sh-shishou… that’s too cruel…”

Tamano collapsed on the spot.

“Ryousuke-kun♡”

Mina ran toward him, her breasts jiggling tayuun-tayuun with each step.

“M-Mina!”

No matter how you looked at it, this was not the Mina they knew.

“Mina! Calm down, your life force is running wild because of Galdabroeg’s spell!”

Lisara stepped in front of Mina.

That was right.

Mina’s life force had been forcibly dragged to the surface.

‘So that’s it… Mina’s hidden true nature is… that kind of seductiveness, huh. Well, it matches her body. If she hadn’t been holding it back, by now she would’ve been oozing sex appeal and ruling not just the school but the whole town. For society’s sake, I guess hiding it was the right call.’

Ryousuke nodded in reluctant agreement.

“Anyway, Mina, calm down!”

“Lisara, please step aside.”

Mina leaned close to Lisara’s ear and whispered something softly.

Bon.

That’s what it sounded like.

Lisara crumpled to the floor, red as a boiled octopus.

“Fufu♡♡♡”

Mina gazed down at her, overflowing with allure.

“T-The world of adults… it’s amazing… a lap pillow is just child’s play… to think you can do… something like that… impossible, I could never…”

Lisara was consumed by a strange sense of defeat, face beet-red, eyes glazed and wide.

“Haaah, Lisara-san really is useless.”

Folding her arms, Iria planted herself regally in front of Mina.

“I don’t really get it, but just go to sleep for a while!”

“Oh, don’t get in my way. Unlike you, Iria-san, my bust is all natural, you know?”

“T-That’s cruel. S-Sure, mine are fake but still…”

“Wall boobs, right?♡”

Thud. Iria collapsed face down and started crying.

“Well then, Ryousuke-kun. Are you… ready?”

For some reason, Mina crawled toward him on all fours.

“R-Ready? Ready for what exactly!?”

“Mouu, you don’t know?”

She twined herself around his leg.

Her breasts pressed and rubbed against him.

Those upturned eyes, those wet pupils, those flushed cheeks — dangerous.

And that natural cleavage — overwhelming.

“Besides… you know, I’m Ryoko-chan now!”

“Fufu, I heard. You’re a girl right now♡”

“Th-That bastard, running his mouth about unnecessary things!!”

“I don’t mind if you’re a girl. Fufu, let’s climb the steps of adulthood… no, the stairs to heaven together, Ryousuke-kun♡”

Like a snake, Mina’s body wound itself tighter and tighter around him.

Ryousuke’s right hand slid up from Mina’s rear along her side, reaching toward her breasts.

Her left hand caressed his lower belly and below with tender affection.

Her breasts, pressed tightly against his leg, burned hot.

Her face rubbed against his side, nuzzling.

“Ahhh, it’s Ryousuke-kun… maybe I’ll lick you♡♡♡”

“S-Stop…”

The tip of her tongue flicked between her lips.

She was serious.

‘Crap, my chastity is in dangerrrrr! Ahhh, to think I’d lose my maidenhood before my virginity… Excalibur, damn it! This half-baked arousal is torture. If I just gave in and learned a girl’s pleasure, maybe it’d be easier…’

As he was lost in such pathetic conflict—

“Alright, that’s enough. This is poison to a middle schooler’s eyes.”

“Wan!”

Kyuru and Caesar were standing behind Mina.

“Ohh, Kyuru-chan, you’re getting in the way too?”

“As your friend, I’m only stopping you because you’re not acting normal.”

“Right, she’s not normal, is she! She’s being controlled by him!”

“Well, I’ll leave that judgment to you, Ryousuke-san.”

Kyuru gave a bitter smile. Mina leaned close to her ear.

It was the same Adult Word Attack that had taken Lisara down.

“And what of it?”

Kyuru stood unfazed.

“Ah, I see! You’re too much of a kid, so it doesn’t feel real to you!”

“I’m just serious, that’s all. Now then, Mina-san, time for you to rest… 《Captive Chains》. Bind this girl’s heart.”

“Ah—”

Mina collapsed on the spot.

It wasn’t like she had simply fallen asleep—her consciousness had been completely blown away.

“Will she be alright?”

“As long as the heart doesn’t move, the body won’t either. But with Kyuru’s spell, she’ll return to normal in about an hour, so it’s fine.”

“If you say so…”

“No, it’s not fine.”

Galdabroeg’s voice rang out.

At that sound, Lisara, Iria and even Tamano snapped back to reality.

From the classroom entrance, Galdabroeg strode in confidently.

“Thanks to Igarashi Ikue and Okura Mina, my spiritual energy replenishment and experiments are nearly complete. But I also wanted data on how much spiritual power Okura Mina could recover once her life force acted freely. And you’ve gone and interfered.”

He clicked his tongue beneath the mask.

“In any case, you’re all about to be eliminated by me. That you would hinder my grand undertaking… disgraceful, unworthy of Shinigami. Once my research is complete, Shinigami will no longer have to grovel to humans for Life Jewels. No—human women will be livestock, and everyone will be able to draw pure spiritual energy from their breasts. Stored in this tank. Yes, the rightful age shall return, where Shinigami rule over and control human spiritual power!”

At last, perhaps carried away by his own excitement, Galdabroeg began to speak in a languid, indulgent tone.

“A rightful age, or whatever you call it—what I cannot abide is how you’ve interfered with the festival break every year at finals time.”

Tamano, reckless as always, stepped up to Galdabroeg.

“What are you supposed to be?”

“The handsomest man of Momozono Academy. Boxing club captain, the 《Pink Boxer》—Tamano Hika—gyan!”

He was shoved aside and knocked out instantly.

“Tamano-senpai, what the hell are you doing… Wait, what happened to Malbec-san!?”

Seeing Tamano fall, Ryousuke suddenly thought of Malbec.

To his surprise, Galdabroeg raised his voice.

“Oh? A human worrying about a Shinigami?”

“Of course! Shinigami or not, a girl is still a girl! …Well, okay, maybe calling Malbec-san a girl is a stretch…”

“If she heard that, she’d probably cry” 

Iria said, stepping in front of Ryousuke.

“Hoh, so the Shinigami who abandoned her companion has something to say?”

“Abandoned? Don’t be ridiculous. I just loaned her out temporarily. She’d better return herself with interest.”

The moment she spoke in that cute, sing-song voice, Iria raised both hands and shouted the spell to don her Shinigami battle attire.

“《Binding Attire Disirard》!”

Dust swirled in a vortex, spinning around Iria.

Even her school uniform broke apart, recomposing into another substance that began to cover her body.

A thin, black material with the sheen of leather spread across nearly her entire figure.

From her forehead, with a dull gleam, a single horn thrust forth.

Galdabroeg, without raising a hand, simply watched.

No, in the end he even gave a few rounds of applause.

“Impressive, a fine 《Binding Attire Disurard》. You’re still a young Shinigami, so I expected little. But this is first-class and quite high-ranking at that. Truly splendid.”

“Heh. In that case, you’re not ready to be surprised just yet, old man.”

“Oh?”

“ 《Binding Attire Disurard》.”

This time, it was Lisara.

Unlike Iria’s emphatic cry, Lisara’s voice was quiet, composed, as her uniform unraveled, taking in the surrounding dust and covering her body.

Her outfit too was black, glimmering, wrapping almost her entire form.

But unlike Iria’s, two horns twisted and grew with a creak from the sides of her head, trembling with power.

“Two horns at your age… You’re no mere house daughter, are you?”

“Araa, says the one who wears three.”

“You cannot possibly understand…the years of research and refinement that led me to earn these three horns.”

“If it’s hardship stories you want to tell, Iria would love to hear them.”

“Eh, well, I do want to know—no, that’s not what I meant!”

“Fufu. Kyuru, hurry up and do yours too!”

Lisara brushed aside Iria’s protest with a laugh and turned to Kyuru.

Kyuru’s face twisted openly with distaste, but under the stares of both Lisara and Iria, she reluctantly raised her hand.

“Uuuh… in this kind of setup, to show Kyuru’s outfit, and even horns… haaah, I’ll definitely get glared at later…  《Binding Attire Disurard》”

The flow of dust surged and swirled, a little less orderly than Lisara’s or Iria’s, but still forming an outfit that covered Kyuru’s body.

Compared to Lisara and Iria, hers revealed a bit more skin. The skirt portion even had frills.

Crack, crack—two horns sprouted from the sides of her head like Lisara’s, though not twisted or massive, but small and neat.

“Oh? Even this little girl has two horns. That must be quite the bloodline. More than that, despite your immaturity, that is an excellent 《Binding Attire Disurard》. Already on par with third-class.”

Galdabroeg’s manner was like that of a teacher appraising his students.

“But if you possess such power, you should also understand that you cannot hope to defeat me.”

“The difference in weapons… let’s see about that.”

Lisara raised her chin, eyes locked on Galdabroeg. Beside her, Iria gave a defiant smile. Ryousuke knew it was a bluff. They hadn’t been able to come up with any real strategy.

“H-Hey—”

“Shh. Please just stay quiet and listen?”

Kyuru’s voice reached him without her turning back, a few steps behind.

“I’m going to hide you with an illusion now. Judging from past years, humans don’t seem to get killed. If you stay quiet and hidden, you should be safe.”

“Don’t be ridiculous—”

“Quiet. This is Lisara-oneesama’s request. Don’t you think you should honor it?”

“Lisara’s…”

“《Giant of Illusions, Utgarza Loki》. By my wish, conceal this one from those who see, and show him only to those who should.”

She murmured softly.

There was a faint distortion—then Ryousuke’s body turned transparent.

Even when he looked at his own hand, it was see-through.

He could even see through himself.

‘Huh, if I had sex like this, it’d be fun to watch everything see-through while groping…’ 

A terribly out-of-place thought popped into his head, but Kyuru’s serious whisper crushed it at once.

“Since it’s my spell, it’ll wear off soon enough. So don’t worry.”

With that, Kyuru returned to Lisara’s side.

“…Then, I shall show you my weapon first.”

It was as if he had been waiting for this. No—he had. Galdabroeg slowly extended both hands.

“O bringer of ruin, along with glory!”

“What—!?”

At his words, Lisara shouted in shock.

“Come, 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》!”

The ground split open as if forced up by rock, and from within, a sword appeared—its hilt golden, its size immense. Galdabroeg drew it easily, slinging it onto his shoulder.

“…So. You’re the one holding it.”

Lisara’s glare fixed on the greatsword, as though measuring it.

“Oh? You know this weapon?”

“It’s a treasure passed down in the Restall family. One of the 《Ancient Five》, relics from the age before the world was remade. The treasures that remain from twilight times. And the one you stole from the Restall family—《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》—that’s one of them.”

“Correct. This 《Tyrfing》 is a cursed blade that grants its wielder both desire and misfortune. It was sealed away by the Restall family. But I—I can wield it.”

“So what! Iria has a treasure too! 《Flotti-chan》, come out♡”

Piercing through space itself, a golden sword materialized into Iria’s hands.

“Fufu, you’re as lively as ever today.”

Then, without warning, she charged straight at Galdabroeg.

Brilliant sparks scattered through the classroom.

“Ha ha ha! Excellent! To think you wield such a weapon. Even if it is of lesser rank, it is not often one sees such a blade!”

“And what’s that supposed to mean, calling Iria’s 《Flotti-chan》 inferior!?”

“Wait, Iria! 《Flotti》—!”

Ignoring Lisara’s attempt to stop her, Iria slammed 《Flotti》 down with brute force.

But 《Tyrfing》 absorbed it with ease—then, casually, in total defiance of physics, lifted it and hurled Iria herself into the air.

“Wh-Whaaaaat!?”

With《Flotti》still in her grasp, Iria’s body was slammed against the ceiling. Barely managing to land like a cat—though upside down—she caught her feet on the ceiling before falling back down.

But as she descended, Galdabroeg swung 《Tyrfing》 at her.

“I won’t let myself be cut in half! 《Shield Astaltzv》!”

A barrier of light flared between Iria and Galdabroeg—

“… … …”

—and was immediately sliced apart.

“Gyah!”

The aftershock of the slash threw Iria off balance, and she smacked into the floor face-first with a wet splat.

“ 《Flotti》may not be one of the 《Ancient Five》, but it is still a treasured weapon. Yet you wield it so poorly. A true waste. One could almost pity 《Flotti》 itself.”

He tightened his grip on《Tyrfing》once more.

“Caesar!”

Kyuru cried out as she ran.

“Ooooooon! (Protect, 《Ridill》!!)”

Caesar let out a howl so fierce it could be mistaken for a wolf’s roar and leapt.

His body blazed with golden light as he passed Kyuru.

“To think he can truly let it be drawn of his own will… as expected of Kyuru’s partner.”

Kyuru reached out, grasped, and drew it forth. From Caesar emerged a sword bound with a long golden chain—its blade engraved with dragon motifs along both edges, its hilt gleaming.

The 《Dragon-Slaying Sword Ridill》.

Without breaking stride, Kyuru charged.

“Eyaaaaaaaaah!”

She thrust 《Ridill》 straight at Galdabroeg.

“—!”

Galdabroeg caught his breath and swept《Tyrfing》 upward, deflecting the thrust.

Unlike with Iria, he couldn’t simply fling Kyuru to the ceiling.

But he did parry her.

“We’re not done yet!”

“On!”

Kyuru and Caesar roared together.

Flames coiled around the tip of 《Ridill》.

“Flames of Fafnir!”

When Kyuru thrust again, the fire speared out, a blazing lance aimed straight at Galdabroeg.

He caught it—with his bare left hand, the one not holding 《Tyrfing》.

“Wha—”

His hand did not char, did not even blister. He simply crushed the flame into nothing.

Looking at his palm once, Galdabroeg then fixed his gaze on 《Ridill》.

“…Hmph. To think I would lay eyes on another of the 《Ancient Five》 here. That radiance—unmistakable. The 《Dragon-Slaying Sword Ridill》. The very same 《Ridill》 that slew Fafnir in the old world.”

Driving 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》 into the floor with a heavy thud, he licked his lips in delight.

It was the certainty that he could make《Dragon-Slaying Sword Ridill》 his as well.

“Heh, then you don’t need Iria’s 《Flotti》.”

Iria suddenly sprang up and slashed at Galdabroeg’s shin—only to have blade and all kicked away.

“Gyan!”

《Flotti》 was knocked from Iria’s hand and—perhaps calculated—dropped straight down to stick upright behind Galdabroeg.

“T-This Iria can’t even make a dent… no way…”

She stared blankly at her now-empty gripping hand.

“Iria!”

“Heh… Ryousuke-sa?”

By the time Iria blankly lifted her face, Galdabroeg’s leg was already upon her.

“Kyaaaaaaaa!”

She barely got her arms up to cover her face, but was blown away.

Unconscious, her limp body flew spinning, head down, legs flung toward the ceiling.

‘There!’

Ryousuke leapt.

Even a girl like that is still a girl.

A treasure.

‘Even with fake boobs!!’

Like a goalkeeper diving sideways for a ball, he caught Iria around the torso in midair.

Still holding her, he crashed into the pile of trash left from remodeling the school for the test of courage.

“M-mugyu…”

Ryousuke’s consciousness faded as he watched Iria’s bust deflate before his eyes…

“Now then, next is 《Ridill》. But first—《Captive Chains》.”

Activating the spell to snatch away Iria’s consciousness, Galdabroeg stepped toward Kyuru.

“Hiu!”

Kyuru recoiled at the hips.

“Wan!”

Caesar barked, as if to scold and spur her on.

In that moment he seemed almost like her guardian.

To begin with, Kyuru’s 《Ridill》 is lodged deep within Caesar’s soul—his life force—the very paragon of dogs, a canine hero—so that she can draw the spiritual power she needs to remain in the human world.

Just like 《Gram》 is for Ryousuke.

Though it’s not quite the same—Ryousuke is under Lisara’s thumb, while Caesar acts as Kyuru’s guardian.

“B-but…”

“Hm… what’s this, linked to that dog? I see—you use 《Ridill》 as a contract medium to draw spiritual power from life force. Kuku, how nostalgic a technique.”

After studying with interest the chain connecting Caesar and 《Ridill》, Galdabroeg casually brought 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》 down.

Kyuru was still three meters away.

But the slash from《Tyrfing》glided toward her without so much as scratching the classroom floor.

Kyuru caught it with《Ridill》and was blasted backward.

“No way!?”

She staggered a few steps and somehow regained her footing—only for it to already be too late.

Three more of those sliding slashes spawned by《Tyrfing》were already before her in rapid succession.

There wasn’t even time to resign herself.

They were cut.

Not Kyuru—the slashes themselves.

Lisara, having summoned《Carnun Pladur》, sliced the oncoming slashes apart one after another with the tip of that red-black Shinigami scythe.

“Do not just stand there spacing out!”

“Onee-sama!!”

“Iria and you both just charge in however you like. I was stupid to expect something like the three of us combining our strength or any sort of teamwork…”

Hoisting the scythe onto her shoulder, Lisara tossed off a weary quip.

“《Carnun Pladur》… the Shinigami scythe the Restall family once forged from the finest of its secret arts. Why is it here?”

“If you are going to say that, your 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》 and 《Flotti》 and 《Dragon-Slaying Sword Ridill》 are not supposed to be here either. Compared to those, this child, 《Carnun Pladur》, is practically cute.”

《Carnun Pladur》 was an old Restall scythe that had been given to Lisara along with 《Gram》 when she passed the first-class Shinigami exam. With a long red-black shaft and a great red-black blade, it was a scythe worthy of a Shinigami.

“That is certainly true. Yet last year the ones sneaking and sniffing around me were Shinigami from some small fry organization called Melro, as I recall.”

“My condolences. As of this year, this territory belongs to Restall.”

“I see. That would make you Restall Shinigami, and fairly high ranking at that. Your actual ability may still be lacking, but judging by the weapons you carry.”

Galdabroeg put a hand to his chin and studied Lisara.

“I have heard within the circles. The young lady who is heir candidate of Restall is a prodigy with genuine red hair for the first time in ages. And with a chest so flat it could serve as the baseline of the horizon. How many centimeters above the horizon is it, I wonder.”

“I will have you know it has several centimeters of elevation!!!”

Lisara shouted before she knew it. It defended the pride of her bust size and at the same time was practically a declaration that she was the Restall heir apparent.

“Oh, so it is as I thought. If I recall, Naimune Restall…”

[TL: Get it? No breast Restrall. Naiない-no 胸/むね-chest]

“Pfft.”

“Lisara. Lisara Restall!”

“I see, Lisara Restall. Then the little girl behind you is your retainer or maid, perhaps.”

“How rude. Kyuru is properly of Restall blood as well. Kyuru Zeria, the woman who will kick Onee-sama down and inherit Restall!”

“Hey, do not say that so boldly when I am right here…”

“I will say it even when you are not, so do not worry.”

“Haah…”

“I see. Certainly one would not hand 《Dragon-Slaying Sword Ridill》 to anyone outside the bloodline. Yet if it is being given to a mere branch line, then there is something I must say to the young lady of Restall, Lisara Restall, with due respect.”

“If it is to tell me to send you back to the Shinigami Realm, I will not comply.”

“Do not be absurd. I will return only when I set the world right.”

He leveled the tip of 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》 at Lisara.

“《Carnun Pladur》is insufficient. Draw your true weapon. Entertain me.”

“…!”

Lisara’s face twisted.

Of course. Her weapon at present was inside Ryousuke, who was transparent in the corner of the classroom.

And Ryousuke, as is normal, could not awaken 《Gram》 by himself. In other words, as a weapon, 《Gram》 could not normally be used.

It became possible only when Ryousuke’s lewd soul was more than sufficiently filled and aroused, whipped up into a frenzy.

Moreover, thanks to Iria’s idiocy he had been turned into a girl, and 《Gram》 had fallen into a complete sleep. She could not even access it.

And in the first place, Lisara could not bring herself to do various things to Ryousuke for that purpose.

It was embarrassing.

Doing it with that aim felt wrong.

No no, what was she even thinking. For Lisara Restall of all people to give Ryousuke erotic stimulation was not something she should be doing.

And yet, if circumstances demanded it, perhaps there was no choice…

“…Kyuru, was it. May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Why is Lisara blushing. I told her to bring out her true weapon, but I did not mean she should bare that how-many-centimeters-above-the-horizon chest, or even take off her panties…”

“Uh, well…there are various complicated circumstances.”

Sensing as much, Kyuru poked Lisara on the back.

“Onee-sama, do not go all maiden during a serious moment…”

“Eh, uh… ah, ahahaha.”

After a bout of embarrassed laughter, Lisara set a crisp, serious face, leveled the tip of《Carnun Pladur》a bit higher than her shoulder, dropped her hips, and twisted her upper body back.

“If you want my true weapon, first prove you can overcome my《Carnun Pladur》. I, Lisara Restall, will not lose to some criminal in the name of Restall.”

“Bold words at this stage. Either your nerves are thick, you have a hidden trump card, or you are simply a fool.”

He raised 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》 and with a large, casual step hewed down in a diagonal cut.

“《Shield Astaltzv》!”

Letting go with her left hand, she thrust it toward 《Tyrfing》 and triggered the spell at the same time.

“Useless.”

“I know that!”

The moment 《Shield Astaltzv》 was sliced like paper, she jammed the butt of 《Carnun Pradure》 against the floor with her right hand and sprang back on a slant behind herself.

“That will not—”

“Flames of Fafnir!”

As Galdabroeg moved to pursue the retreating Lisara, Kyuru, who had been behind Lisara to begin with, leveled the tip of 《Ridill》 and loosed a lance of flame.

“Tch.”

Releasing his right hand from the hilt, he batted the flaming spear down.

“《Shield Astaltzv》!”

A membrane of light sprang up before Galdabroeg once more, conjured by Lisara.

“I told you it is useless.”

With only his left hand he swept 《Tyrfing》 upward and split 《Shield Astaltzv》.

“I said I know. 《Carnun Pladur》, reap.”

Onto Galdabroeg’s left arm, fully extended from the up-cut of 《Tyrfing》, the scythe blade of《Carnun Pladur》 came slashing down.

“────────!”

A gasp of shock escaped him.

He could not believe what he was seeing.

It did not cut.

It simply broke.

“Such a thing…”

The scythe blade of 《Carnun Pladur》 had snapped clean through.

“That is why I told you it was useless.”

Galdabroeg gave a bitter smile as he lightly shook his left arm.

“It did sting a little. Not a toy to play with.”

“P… pain… only pain, you say?”

“Indeed. Which means that scythe had more power than I expected. To misjudge even this much shows I am still immature.”

“Onee-sama!”

“The little girl’s turn is over.”

Matching blades with Kyuru’s 《Ridill》 as she stepped in, Galdabroeg pressed down from above.

“U… uuuhhh!”

The instant Kyuru braced herself, face flushing red, Galdabroeg sprang back.

“Eh!?”

She pitched forward and lost her balance. Onto the blade of 《Ridill》 he smashed 《Tyrfing》.

Giiiiiiiiiiiiiin.

With a dull, trembling metallic note, 《Ridill》 fell to the floor.

“Ah…”

“Too slow. 《Captive Chains》… what!?”

“Vvvvvv, WON!”

Caesar, clamping 《Ridill》 in his jaws where the chain extended from his own chest, slashed at Galdabroeg’s arm just as he was about to cast the spell on Kyuru.

“Tchhhh, do you think you are Fenrir or something!”

He hastily gripped 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》, set the tip skimming the floor, and slashed in a spinning arc.

“Wooon!”

“!”

Golden sparks burst several times.

“Kyaiiiin!”

The instant the fireworks ended, Caesar crashed into the classroom wall.

“Tch, you refuse to let go even to the end.”

Still biting 《Ridill》, Caesar dropped to the floor.

“Caesar, n… no way?”

At Lisara’s voice, Caesar tried to rise on trembling legs and collapsed.

He let out only a faint yet steady bark,『wan…』

“Caesar, are you alright!?”

As Kyuru started to run to him, Galdabroeg seized her head.

“Sleep. 《Captive Chains》.”

“…”

This time Kyuru truly lost consciousness and crumpled.

“Kyuru!?”

“Since she is connected to Restall, she will be useful in many ways. I intend to give her not too poor a treatment.”

“You think I would trust that?”

Lisara reset her stance with the broken《Carnun Pladur》.

“Hm, what is this. You will not repair it?”

“W… we have our circumstances too.”

Lisara groaned.

She had been running《Binding Attire Disurard》at full power and casting spells one after another.

The spiritual energy she had replenished from Ryousuke three days ago was already nearly exhausted.

In this state, to repair《Carnun Pladur》she would have to draw from the Shinigami attire created by《Binding Attire Disurard》, which was essentially a mass of spiritual power.

That would mean a drop in physical ability, and more than anything—

It would mean the outfit would be chipped away and become more and more embarrassing.

A wry smile three parts and a gentle smile seven parts slipped out, and Lisara glanced toward the trash heap where Iria and Ryousuke had been blown.

‘I hope they are safe…’

This time she could not ask for help in the first place.

More than that, she had dragged Ryousuke into far too many messes already. With that guilt, Lisara did not want to approve of asking him for help.

For now, she could only pray he would remain unconscious until this uproar ended, and that the man before her would overlook them.

As for the feminization, it was unquestionably a treaty violation, and if they lodged a complaint some Shinigami organization would surely restore him.

“Fuu.”

She let out a light breath.

Once she set her mind on handling this alone, her body felt lighter somehow.

“Then keep me company a little longer, my cute《Carnun Pladur》.”

Aiming at Galdabroeg’s exasperated face, Lisara let out a war cry and rushed to strike.

※ ※ ※

It was a strange dream.

Ryousuke, who had been fantasizing about girls all the time, was turned into a girl as punishment, and on top of that had his breast kneaded by a flat-chested bishoujo.

And no matter how excited he got, the Excalibur he ought to be handling was not there.

Even if he decided, fine then, the pleasure of a girl would be okay, the partner was a girl too, so she did not have an Excalibur either. Ah, come on, what am I even supposed to do!

It was a hellish dream.

Please, if this is a dream, let me wake up quickly…

“Gya… su!?”

The gods seemed a bit rough. To wake him up, they suddenly slammed something into him.

Something big.

It was an impact that felt like it would crush him along with Iria on top.

Then a hand suddenly reached out and kneaded Ryousuke’s breasts.

“A-ahn, not there… wait, how long are you going to keep kneading someone else’s breast. Groping is my job.”

“Shh!”

It was Lisara’s voice.

Looking closely, the hand Lisara had on Ryousuke’s breasts was not to knead them; it had just poked there by accident as she pushed herself up.

“Quiet. If we leave it like this, Ryousuke might be able to get through it.”

Murmuring very softly, Lisara wobbled to her feet.

“What do you mean, get through it.”

He shoved the sprawled Iria off him, and saw it.

Lisara’s jiggly perky butt.

“Naaaaa!?”

Ryousuke reflexively covered his face with his hands.

But but, he could still see!

‘Right. Kyuru cast that spell to make me transparent!’

When he looked at his own body there was nothing to see. He was completely transparent.

‘More importantly… what is with Lisara’s butt!’

The problem was Lisara’s current Shinigami attire.

The already short skirt had been cut away until her butt was half bare.

Around her torso there was no fabric left, and as for her bust… it was a micro bikini that barely covered the important parts at the tips of her breast.

When she raised《Carnun Pladur》and twisted her body, even the faint yoko-chichi, her sideboob, was plain to see.

He could see her butt go jiggle.

“Is that supposed to be a honey trap?”

Galdabroeg, looking disconcerted, lopped《Carnun Pladur》aside with 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》.

In the aftershock, Lisara was blown away.

Yes, straight toward Ryousuke again.

“Damn it!”

He threw out both arms.

“Kyaaa!?”

Supon, Lisara’s light body slipped neatly into the arms of the invisible Ryousuke.

“Haa, haa haa…”

Held straight on, Lisara panted on his shoulder, her breath brushing from Ryousuke’s ear down his neck. Looking at her, probably from exhaustion, her face was flushed and her body was drenched in sweat.

After all, Ryousuke’s body was transparent.

He could see even the parts pressed together, seeing right through his own body clearly.

He could see the thin, micro-bikini-level breasts flattening against his chest, thin as they were still being crushed.

He could see the navel with sweat dripping.

He could see the damp armpits.

It was alluring.

It was sexual.

It was erotical.

“Ry… Ryousuke, that is no good… if you do not keep quiet, we will be found out…”

Gasping for breath as she said it, Lisara stood up again.

“H-hey, even《Carnun Pladur》is half cut off and gone, this is definitely reckless!”

“Oh my, I can still fix it by shaving off more of my Shinigami attire… haa haa… nn, and besides I can see a chance of victory… right?”

It was an obvious lie.

No matter who looked, there was no chance of winning.

“Good grief, I do not understand what you are thinking. Because you have shaved away your Shinigami attire, your physical ability is now on par with a human. I cannot understand why you go that far and still refuse to bring out your true weapon.”

Galdabroeg shook his head.

“M-maybe I do not have it, you know?”

“No, that is not so. I have not lived long for nothing. You have it. And for some reason you are hiding it. Honestly, if only I understood that intent, I would not need to go along with this farce…”

“A farce, you say… haa haa… I do have a chance… I do!”

The scythe blade of《Carnun Pladur》returned to shape.

And as the price, even more of Lisara’s butt came into view. Any more and from the front the important parts would be visible.

‘No, wait…’

It hit him.

If her butt is showing this much and there are no panties to be seen…

“That idiot. She converted her panties into spiritual power first. She is going commando!”

That was bad.

Any more and Lisara’s red prairie would be seen by that bastard Galdabroeg.

“Damn it, that prairie… at least until we find the Singular One, I want to be the only one who has seen that red prairie.”

[TL:a large open area of grassland]

He banged the floor with a thud.

Boys have possessiveness.

Yes, at least for now, the one contracted with Lisara is Ryousuke.

He wanted her to be Ryousuke’s Lisara.

Including the hair.

“Damn it, 《Gram》, you are a boy too, right? Are you fine with having the Lisara you are contracted with taken from you!”

Even as he pounded his chest, 《Gram》 gave no response at all.

Then Ryousuke’s leg was licked.

It was Caesar. Laying《Ridill》 on the floor, he looked up at Ryousuke, his supposedly invisible leg trembling slightly.

“Caesar, I am impressed you figured it out.”

“On (I can at least tell my partner’s scent. How many years do you think we have been together?)”

Three years.

“Wan (So, are you planning to live as a woman for the rest of your life?)”

“I want to stand too, I want it to stand. But it will not respond at all… damn it!”

“…Wan (Good grief, you will not be popular even if you get your male body back like that.)”

“Caesar?”

“Wan (Partner. A popularity lesson.)”

“Y-yes, Master!”

“Bau (Women fall for a man who stands up on his own rather than one who is propped up.)”

“Stand up…”

“Vuuuuuu, VON! (A woman is waiting. If you do not make it stand, you are no man!)”

With a great bark, Caesar clamped the hilt of 《Ridill》 in his jaws and took off running.

“Caesar!?”

“You again!”

“Uoooooon! (Young lady, here we go!)”

Shoving Lisara aside, Caesar rushed in slashing.

“Eeh!”

Lisara slashed in at the same time.

Her modest breast somehow jiggle.

Her butt goes jiggling and perky.

Even seeing this, Ryousuke can only get excited.

That sensation of heat bubbling up from the depths of his soul, magma rampaging, does not come.

It will not explode to the point of turning his mind blank.

“Damn it, what is wrong with me… am I already done for, Master. No!”

He lifts his face.

Even if he is done for as a man, his heart is still that of a boy.

Right.

There is only one thing to do.

To protect the girl fighting in such an embarrassing outfit—Lisara.

If you cannot protect a girl, how are you a man.

He steps forward—he does not.

“Ah, huh?”

Only now, as Ryousuke resolves to fight and finally steps into the ring, does it reach him for the first time—the baleful, oppressive power of Galdabroeg and the 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》 he holds.

That is not something a human can stand blade to blade against—no, not something a human should try to face at all. It is a man-eating existence.

“Damn it, but still… my Master, Caesar is over there too.”

Even so, he does not move. As if roots had grown, no, in truth roots named fear sprouted from his soul into the floor.

“Shut up. A dog is protecting a woman he cannot get ecchi with. If I do not protect the woman I can get ecchi with, how can I call myself Erosuke!”

Don!

Like pulling free from a bog, he lifts his right foot and steps forward.

Don!

This time the left.

As if trudging through a muddy swamp, he pulls free and stamps down.

It is such a sluggish advance.

Even so, somehow, he draws closer—

“Kyaiiiin!”

“Kyaaaaaaa!”

Caesar and Lisara were blown away.

Galdabroeg blasted both of their simultaneous slashes away together with 《Tyrfing, Bringer of Misfortune》.

“Lisara!”

Lisara hurtled toward him.

“Damn it!”

He hastily thrust out both hands, trying somehow to catch her.

Gok!

Unable to fully catch her, Ryousuke rolled and slammed the back of his head hard against the floor.

“Owwwwww!”

“Ry… Ryousuke, the spell has come undone…”

Ryousuke’s body had returned to normal.

No longer transparent, plainly visible.

Lisara was clinging to him from the front, pressed tight against him as she lay on top.

She tried to get up, but whether from complete exhaustion or not, she could not even break free of Ryousuke’s arms in a girl’s body. On the contrary, half-limp, she let her body rest against his.

“On… On! (Make it stand.)”

At their side, Caesar staggered to his feet, 《Ridill》 in his jaws, and started walking.

“C-Caesar!”

Lisara stirred.

“N-ah!?”

Ryousuke let out a sound.

“W-What is it?”

“…Th-this is, fungooooooo!?”

On top of Ryousuke’s ample breasts were Lisara’s breasts.

From the impact when he caught her, the chest buttons of Ryousuke’s uniform had popped off…

Breasts fully out.

And Lisara’s micro bikini, the surviving bit of her Shinigami attire, had ridden up, to about seven centimeters above her collarbone.

As a result, nipple and nipple said hello.

Girl and girl bonked together.

“T-To think I would get to behold one of the supreme forms of yuri in a place like this…”

“D-Do not spout nonsense, let go already!”

Lisara squirmed.

Their nipples rubbed together too, and

“A-aahn♡”

Already at her physical limit, Lisara could not endure it and let out a very honest breathy moan.

He felt it.

No, Lisara definitely felt it.

But Ryousuke felt it too.

Not like how a girl feels it.

He felt, if only for a moment, the pain a boy gets when watching an ecchi scene and his pants turn painfully tight.

“Could it be…”

Ryousuke moved his own body, rubbing against Lisara’s nipples.

“H-hey, stop… ahhaaaaan♡”

Unable to resist, Lisara let out hot, hot breaths.

And yes, he felt it: even though 《Gram》 was fully roused, it was cramped deep in his soul.

“I see… so that is it…”

Rubbing nipples with Lisara, Ryousuke pondered seriously with a goofy grin.

“Stop, aahn♡ hin♡ I said… aahn♡ n-no, nn, ahaaan♡”

Why was underwear-thief Galdabroeg an underwear thief.

Right, to free a girl’s life force by taking her bra and milk it from her breasts.

But boys do not wear bras. Some do, but ignore that for now.

Anyway, what is the analog act by which a boy without a bra releases his life force.

That is it.

Pants.

Taking off your pants.

A man takes off his pants and returns to a wild male.

“A-aahn♡ hey, what are you doing, fidgeting around!”

“Mm. I realized it. The time a man returns to being a man is when he takes off his pants.”

Ryousuke answered with a crisp, very dandy, manly face.

“Haaaaaaaaa?”

“Underwear is a shackle civilization has placed on humans. A man must sometimes return to the wild. Therefore a man must take off his pants. A man who cannot take off his pants is no man. Why? Because the essence of man is a beast.”

“I do not get it, ya, yaaa, no matter what, I do not want my first time in a place like this!”

Somehow Lisara seemed to be badly misunderstood, but Ryousuke took off his pants without caring.

It was for Lisara’s sake.

Caesar had said,『Being disliked by women is also one form of a man’s kindness』.

“Besides, protecting girls is always the job of a man in his prime. To be manly means to be a beast!”

And so, he scooted his hips and deftly took off his panties without using his hands.

“I-Iyaaah, do it properly on a bed…!”

Crying out, Lisara somehow summoned maidenly strength, wrenched herself free of Ryousuke and pushed herself up.

As the finishing touch, Ryousuke lifted his body, trying to peel off his panties using his butt and the floor.

Suton.

While pulling the panties off, Lisara plopped down on her butt between Ryousuke’s legs.

“Fue?”

Lisara gaped blankly.

Beneath that skirt, now little more than a waistcloth… he could see.

“Buhooo! Li-Lisara, that… that has more destructive power than going commando!”

Lisara was not going without panties.

It was a string-thin himopan pared down to the limit.

[string bikini, g-string, thong]

The part covering the front was maybe five centimeters.

“W-well, I did proper grooming for swim class so it wouldn’t peek out and… what are you making me say…!!”

Yanking at the scraps of skirt she barely had left, face blazing red, Lisara desperately covered her crotch. Teary-eyed, she covered it.

“O-Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”

He roared.

A man roared.

Dokun dokun, it welled up.

Despite being in a girl’s body, something definitely rose to attention from deep inside his body.

Sturdy, thick, hard, it thrust up from the depths of Ryousuke’s soul.

With a battle cry, the male wildness howled.

A wall broke inside Ryousuke.

Manhood surged.

He could hear it groaning, let me out, let me out.

“Wait for me.”

Ryousuke stood and placed both hands before his chest.

But there was nothing there.

In Ryousuke’s body, turned into that of a girl, there was nothing to grab.

“What are you doing. I had heard you were Erosuke, but I truly cannot tell what you intend. What do you plan to do by placing your hands on nothing.”

“Nothing there, huh. Is that so.”

Ryousuke sneered.

“Looks like you can’t see this thing called a man’s resolve.”

“Less and less do I understand you.”

“Then I’ll make you understand. I will protect Lisara.”

“What are you even saying.”

Galdabroeg grew irritated.

“《Gram》. I’m dragging you out now. In return, hand over the power to protect Lisara!”

“《Gram》, you say. Do you mean to claim you possess 《Broken Sword Gram》, said to be the most savage among the 《Ancient Five》!?”

Ryousuke clutched at the empty air.

【Ryousuke, can you really break the spell.】

《Gram》’s voice resonated in his heart.

At those words, Ryousuke laughed.

“I decided to fight to protect a girl, to protect Lisara. That makes me a man already, right. All that’s left is to raise what ought to be there, to return to the beast.”

【To the beast, in this age full of weaklings… can you return.】

“They don’t call me Erosuke for nothing. Being ero just means I’m that much of a beast.”

【Is that all.】

“You get it, partner. Yeah, my resolve to treasure girls is the real thing. I won’t abandon Lisara like I did Mina… I won’t.”

He shouted and grasped.

He pictured what ought to be there clearly and for real.

Zuru-zuru, zuru-zuru, it slid out.

He felt it without a doubt.

And as it slid free, the spell began to break apart.

Ryousuke’s body was turning back into a man.

“Oryaa!”

When Ryousuke swung up his hand, 《Broken Sword》… no, 《War God Sword Gram》 was clutched firmly in his grasp.

“Ryousuke, no. 《Gram》 is dangerous. It is not something you should draw.”

Seeing the 《War God Sword Gram》, Lisara cried out, almost a scream.

“I have already talked it over with 《Gram》. Lisara, keep quiet and watch.”

“But…”

“This is a man’s resolve. Accept it.”

“Ryousuke…”

Smiling faintly at Lisara’s murmur, Ryousuke glared at Galdabroeg.

“You get it now, even you, empty man with not a single conviction about how to squeeze breasts.”

He flaunted the 《War God Sword Gram》.

“Ridiculous. To think you actually pulled out 《Gram》. And not as 《Broken Sword Gram》, but in its true form, 《War God Sword Gram》…”

Galdabroeg’s voice trembled.

“That a mere human like you could manage such a feat. According to my investigation you are not a Singular One at all, in fact you have less spiritual power than an average person, Erosuke.”

“Surprised?”

“Yes, I am honestly surprised. But I do not believe for a moment that you can wield the 《War God Sword Gram》. That would be the very definition of wasting a treasure.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You know, you say?”

Ignoring Galdabroeg, Ryousuke gazed at 《Gram》’s blade.

It was a long sword, its blade long, thick, and robust.

It looked hard at a glance, and had no ornamentation.

There was nothing on the hilt either, only deep grooves carved to strengthen the grip.

It existed for one purpose, to cut.

It was born for one purpose, to fight.

And from the hilt a chain extended to Ryousuke’s chest, the chain itself pulsing as if in time with his heart.

“《Gram》. You have been pent up a lot, haven’t you.”

【Of course. How long do you think I have been suppressed.】

“Then go on a rampage as you please. However, protect.”

【I know. I am to protect Lisara Restall, that accursed master of mine, correct.】

Ryousuke gave 《Gram》 a wry smile and nodded.

“Yeah, protect Lisara. I protect girls, I will do anything for girls. That is the deepest root of me.”

【I know. That is why you are a lech, a beast. You love women so much you cannot stand it.】

《Gram》 laughed, amused.

‘Counting on you, partner.’

【Hah, leave it to me. For the sake of the soul that roused me this far, I will keep my promise.】

Through that chain, Ryousuke’s soul that had been held down and down was poured into the blade, to express 《Gram》’s long-suppressed feral frustration as violence.

It was the 《War God Sword Gram》.

A mood so ferocious it was almost refreshing.

This anger at having manhood sealed away wanted to crash into something, anything.

More than women right now, it wanted destruction.

So thought 《Gram》.

He picked up a shirt from the floor and tied it around his waist.

It was not out of shame, nor to restrain himself.

The groin was simply an encumbrance in battle and a weak point, so he covered it.

“Letting the 《War God Sword Gram》 possess your body… fool, your own mind might vanish.”

The man called Galdabroeg groaned.

“What a fool. To make that kind of resolve just to protect a single girl. It is not like you even did it with her.”

《Gram》 gave a wry smile.

After all, even at this very moment it could feel Ryousuke’s consciousness.

Within 《Gram》’s ferocious power, it clearly felt Ryousuke glaring at 《Gram》 as if to say he would not forgive it if it failed to protect his『treasure』.

“A stubborn idiot, honestly.”

With a tone of exasperation, 《Gram》 looked to its side.

There lay a dog holding 《Ridill》, sprawled as if all the wind had gone out of him.

“So 《Ridill》 has no will to fight…”

Even if it was going to protect Lisara, it wanted a bit more of a playmate to vent the pent-up irritation from being restrained.

It looked around.

That little girl called Kyuru would not even qualify as a playmate. And if she did, Ryousuke would get angry. It had no interest in the fake-breast woman named Iria.

In the end, it would have to be satisfied with the man—Galdabroeg.

“Well, I suppose that one might be unexpectedly satisfying. 《Tyrfing》 was prattling about how once drawn it cannot be sheathed until someone is killed, so keep me satisfied to the very end!”

Letting the blade hang casually, it closed the distance.

“Hah, hahahahaha, 《Gram》. 《Gram》 is going to take me on!”

Galdabroeg leveled 《Tyrfing》.

“Taste the edge of 《Tyrfing》, said to have wounded even Odin!”

《Tyrfing》 exulted.

The air of the dim classroom shuddered.

Even so, 《Gram》 kept closing in with a careless gait.

A few more steps and they would be within each other’s reach.

《Gram》 suddenly stopped and dropped its hips.

Galdabroeg and 《Tyrfing》 exhaled.

—It leaped.

《Gram》 kicked off the floor without a sound and sprang upward.

“Nimble!”

Galdabroeg shouted.

He decided to crush that. Not to cut, but to press down and destroy the very existence, 《Gram》 raised the blade high over the crown of its head and slammed it down between its spread legs.

“Hold, 《Tyrfing》!”

Galdabroeg gripped the hilt with his right hand and braced the blade with his left.

Giiiiiiiiiiiiiin!

With an ear-scraping metallic shriek, it rebounded.

“ORAAAAAA!”

“Guh, guh, GOOOOOOOO!!”

Mishiri.

The entire building groaned.

Doko.

The floor cracked.

Bishibishibishibishi.

Fissures raced one after another—

Bokooooooon.

The reinforced concrete floor of the school building gave way…

※ ※ ※

“Tch, what a flimsy structure.”

《Gram》 spat, annoyed.

Battles were best on the open wilds. Boring through mountains, leveling forests, changing the course of rivers. That kind of battle was battle.

“Hey, 《Tyrfing》 bastard. You are not going to break from just this, are you.”

Kicking away rubble that had fallen from the upper floor, 《Gram》 searched the surroundings.

There was no presence.

After countless battles and surviving the Twilight Wars, for it to be unable to sense the enemy on the field would be unthinkable.

“There was not even any feeling of resistance. So the bastard ran, did he.”

It clicked its tongue.

“What a simple-minded creature you are.”

“Wha—!”

A shock ran through its chest.

“The thing that kept Kaga Ryousuke transparent earlier was the power of 《Giant of Illusions, Utgarza Loki》, was it not. Thanks to that I was able to think of this on the spur of the moment. I should thank that little girl.”

Little by little, Galdabroeg’s figure appeared.

His hand was buried in 《Gram》’s—no, Ryousuke’s chest.

That hand had reached the depths of Ryousuke’s soul.

It could not move.

He had a grip on Ryousuke’s very life force, and on the place where 《Gram》 was embedded. There was no way it could move.

“I will admit it was a little dangerous, honestly. 《War God Sword Gram》, its power is as reputed. Or perhaps I should be praising the awakened Kaga Ryousuke.”

He grinned.

“You—ah, 《Gram》—are bound to Kaga Ryousuke. Unlike 《Tyrfing》.”

“T-that has nothing to do with the fight!”

It forced its mouth to move.

“I, unlike a base being who fights without meaning like you, have a proper purpose. And for that, this man, Kaga Ryousuke, seems likely to be useful.”

“W-what are you going to do.”

“Ah, you would be better off not thrashing about. The process has already begun.”

“P-process?”

“Yes. There are far too many things about this man’s spiritual power that even I do not understand. If I draw spiritual power from his life force, I can certainly obtain enough for a Shinigami to operate. However, there is no way that would awaken 《Broken Sword Gram》. As it stands, 《Ridill》 can hardly be said to be awakened. Perhaps because it is exceptionally compatible with that dog, it is only showing itself as a bonus.”

“S-so then, what are you doing.”

“Hm, do you not understand. Kaga Ryousuke will be useful both as a subject of my research and as a source to replenish my spiritual power. However, unfortunately the contractor of 《Gram》 is Lisara Restall. Lisara is obtaining spiritual power from this Kaga Ryousuke, correct. In that case…”

Galdabroeg let a meaningful silence hang.

“Heh heh heh, if I become your contractor, Kaga Ryousuke will be as good as mine. And yes, for me forcibly switching contractors is a trivial matter.”

“Kuh, guuuu.”

“Heh, it is useless to resist. Admittedly, for reasons I do not yet grasp, Kaga Ryousuke’s soul is somewhat complicated and giving me trouble. Well, that too is worth studying. Either way, I have already finished releasing the protections in the depths of his soul and can now reach your core. Fuhahahahaha, 《Gram》, from today I am your contractor.”

He laughed loudly in triumph.

“N-no… no…”

“What is this, that even 《Gram》 would be so fixated on that flat-chested girl. But accept it. I am going to overwrite it now. You will be bound by contract to me, the man named Meiz Galdabroeg.”

Those words were the finisher.

Because it was detestable.

Of course he hated it.

If this man’s words were to be taken literally.

‘Am I not about to be joined with a man. That is…’

‘【Exactly. I like women. Contract with a man is…】’

Ryousuke and 《Gram》 made their wills one.

Because being joined to a man

“It is like marrying a man, absolutely n-no, no waaaaaay.”

“G-guaaaaaaaaaa!?”

As if repelled, his hand popped out of Ryousuke’s chest, and Galdabroeg tumbled into the rubble.

“Nonsense. That just now… was not 《Gram》’s power? Kaga Ryousuke’s… Impossible. It cannot be. I should have placed all of his life force under my control, and in that state he resisted… Could it be it was not all.”

Still sprawled without even righting himself, Galdabroeg stared up at Ryousuke in shock.

“Hah, hah haa…l-listen here, you garter-belt whatever.”

“It is Galdabroeg.”

“Anyway. 《Gram》 and I both love girls. No way in hell are we contracting with a man.”

‘【You can declare that so boldly while stark naked… Kaga Ryousuke, you really are interesting】’

Before he knew it, 《Gram》’s voice, drawn back inside, resonated in his heart.

‘【Be grateful. You are interesting. I will repair the soul that bastard damaged with my power.】’

‘《Gram》… wait, naked?’

Now that he mentioned it, the shirt 《Gram》 had tied around his waist was long gone, and he was stark naked.

Buuran buuran, it was swinging at his crotch.

“O-oh!?”

“Damn… it seems I still lack research to make you mine. Very well, for today I will withdraw.”

Galdabroeg shook his head in frustration.

“But I will not give up, Kaga Ryousuke. I will make you submit, without fail. I will make you mine. Your heart is mine.”

Galdabroeg shouted up at Ryousuke.

“…Is he homo, I wonder.”

“…Saying gay sounds cooler, does it not.”

“…In any case, Ryousuke-san, good for you on being popular.”

Lisara, Iria and Kyuru turned extremely cold eyes toward Galdabroeg, who was looking up at Ryousuke and his fully naked self.

“No, you are wrong, you are wrong, I, I… damn it, remember this. I totally love BREASTS and BUTTS and all that.”

Although he had already said he would leave, Galdabroeg dashed out of the classroom for a somewhat different reason.

“Ah, so he awakened to a new sexuality.”

At Kyuru’s merciless remark, the sound of a hard thud as someone toppled echoed in the hallway.

---

※Note: This is『So, I Can’t Do H. 3.』

I am not a homo.

I simply like women better.

But…

……….

……….

……….

Kaga Ryousuke.

……….

……….

……….

Wait, what am I getting bashful about!

No, that is not it.

If I say it is not, then it is not!

I only thought, ahem, that it might be necessary to research a way to milk spiritual power from a man as well.

If it is a man, it comes not from breasts but from the Excalibur.

Mm.

From Kaga Ryousuke’s Excalibur, huh.

Fuu……………………

※Note: This is by no means a story where a man does H with a man.