Chapter 32
In a room where five people were gathered, a man was being dogpiled by four women. The man, Ichijou Kanda, had spent the night with them.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice from outside.
"Kanda-sama, everyone, good morning. It's already eight o'clock. Please wake up."
"Hmm...?"
Kanda opened his eyes, rubbing them groggily, and responded, "Good morning... Is that you, Maya?"
"Yes, Kanda-sama," the voice confirmed. Maya continued, "I've prepared breakfast for everyone, so I hope you can all wake up soon and eat."
"What about Kio?" Kanda asked.
"He's already waiting for you downstairs. Also, Chaika-sama arrived earlier this morning and she wants you to wake up right away," Maya informed him.
"Alright, Maya. We'll be down soon. Give us fifteen minutes to freshen up," Kanda said with a chuckle.
"Understood, Kanda-sama," Maya replied before the sound of her footsteps faded as she walked away.
Kanda turned to the girls around him and gently shook them. "Eris, Aoi, Melwin, Manami, wake up. It's already morning."
The girls twitched their eyebrows in response before slowly opening their eyes, only to squint them shut again from the sudden brightness. After a moment, they reopened their eyes, yawning and stretching their arms wide.
"Good morning, Kanda," they said sweetly in unison.
"Good morning, Eris, Aoi, Melwin, Manami. Let's get moving—Kio and Chaika are already waiting for us," Kanda replied warmly.
"Alright~," they chimed before heading off to their rooms to change. After getting ready, they regrouped and went downstairs together.
At the dining table, Maya, Kio, and Chaika were already waiting. Chaika, notably, wore an angry expression.
"Hahaha, why do you look so mad, Chaika?" Kanda said with a slight laugh as he and the girls took their seats.
"Hmph! You're so late, Kanda! My stomach is growling from waiting!" Chaika pouted.
"Sorry about that, Chaika. I'll make you my special parfait later to make it up to you," Kanda said apologetically, trying to coax her with food.
"Hmph... Don't think you can bribe me with your parfait," Chaika huffed, arms crossed. However, a small drool was visible at the corner of her lips.
"Chaika, you're drooling. Looks like you've already been tamed by his cooking," Melwin teased, chuckling.
Chaika, flustered, quickly wiped her mouth and protested, "No! I'm not drooling because of him! It's just the food here smells good!"
Everyone laughed at her cute reaction—except for Maya, who remained composed.
After finishing breakfast, Kanda and the girls left for the Mothership with Eris, while Kio stayed behind to visit his club, and Maya went to meet Antonia to report on Kanda's request.
Arriving at the Mothership, they were greeted by Kuune.
"Hello, everyone. Welcome to Catia's Mothership," Kuune said with a warm smile.
"Thank you for having us, Captain Kuune. We truly appreciate the welcome," Aoi replied politely, giving a slight bow.
"No need for formalities, Futaba-san. You and Kinjou-san are both Ichijou-kun's girlfriends, so you're always welcome here," Kuune responded kindly.
After exchanging pleasantries, Eris led the newcomers toward the training room. It took them about ten minutes of walking, during which Eris gave Manami and Aoi a brief overview of the ship, as it was their first time aboard an alien vessel.
When they arrived, they found Durel already waiting.
"Hi, Dr. Durel. How long have you been waiting?" Kanda greeted her.
"Hi, Ichijou. How long? Hmm... about four hours, I think," Durel replied with a shrug.
Everyone stared at her, stunned, until Melwin finally asked, "Why have you been here so long? What were you doing?"
Durel calmly explained, "I was trying to analyze the talismans those robots used. If I can figure out how they work, we might be able to replicate or integrate the technology into our own systems. I also ran some tests on the samples I took from Ichijou's body, but I'm still struggling to make sense of his genetics."
After hearing her explanation, Manami and Aoi eagerly asked Durel about the effectiveness of training inside a gravity-controlled room. Patiently, Durel explained the mechanics, while Melwin, Chaika, and Kanda relaxed and sipped some tea.
Curious, Manami decided to try one of the gravity rooms herself. Inside, she found the room stark white, separated from the others by a large transparent window.
"You can start the demonstration. I'm ready," Manami called out from inside the room.
Eris nodded and began operating the simulation controls.
"Alright, Manami, I'm setting the room to double Earth's gravity now," Eris announced, her fingers deftly tapping several buttons on the console.
Inside the room, Manami immediately felt the change. A heavy sluggishness gripped her body, every movement demanding extra effort. She reached for a nearby chair, her muscles straining. Slowly, steadily, she managed to lift it into the air, though her arms trembled under the increased weight.
"Good job," Eris encouraged from behind the glass. "Now, moving on—four times Earth's gravity."
Before Manami could brace herself, the weight pressing down on her body surged. Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the floor with a grunt, her palms catching herself just in time. Gritting her teeth, she slowly pushed herself upright, her entire body trembling with the exertion.
"Manami... Are you okay?" Aoi asked, her voice full of concern as she watched her friend struggle.
Manami didn't trust her voice. She simply nodded, her face pale but determined. She then raised a shaky hand and signaled Eris to increase the gravity further.
"Are you sure, Manami?" Eris called through the intercom, hesitation in her voice.
"Do it," Manami said, her voice barely a whisper but her gaze unwavering.
Eris pressed the button.
The moment the gravity jumped to five times Earth's normal pull, Manami's body slammed against the floor. The sound of her impact echoed through the room.
"MANAMI!" Aoi screamed, rushing to the glass, her hands slamming against it.
"Calm down, Aoi," Kanda said gently, stepping beside her. His hand rested reassuringly on her shoulder. "She's strong. She'll pull through."
Inside the room, Manami gritted her teeth, feeling the crushing force pinning her to the floor. Every fiber of her body screamed in protest, but she refused to give in. Slowly, painfully, she shifted her arms beneath her and pushed herself up.
Then—suddenly—the gravity cut off.
Manami gasped, the sudden lightness almost disorienting. She staggered to her feet and slowly exited the training room, where Aoi rushed to her side, worry etched across her face.
"You idiot," Aoi said, half-crying, half-laughing. "You scared the hell out of me."
Manami smiled weakly and collapsed into a chair, exhaling heavily like a runner who had just crossed a finish line.
Durel, adjusting her glasses, approached her. "How do you feel, Kinjou?"
"It's... eye-opening," Manami said, still panting. "When the gravity doubled, it felt like my body was wrapped in chains. At four times, just standing up felt like lifting a mountain. At five... I couldn't move at all. It was like being crushed."
"You did well," Durel said warmly.
After a short break, Aoi stepped up, determination flashing in her eyes. "My turn."
Manami reached out and grabbed her hand. "Be careful."
"I will," Aoi promised with a confident smile.
Aoi surprised everyone by enduring up to seven times Earth's gravity before reaching her limit. Though she stumbled at the end, she managed to stay on her feet longer than Manami had.
After the session, Durel gathered them together.
"If you both wish to continue training here," Durel began, her tone more serious, "I can design specific programs suited to your current capabilities. Ichijou's training is far more intense—he's already adapted after months of pushing himself."
Aoi raised her hand timidly. "Um, if I may ask... what kind of training did Kanda go through?"
Durel smiled and tapped a few commands into her device. A video flickered to life on the monitor, showing Kanda inside the gravity room. He was lifting massive dumbbells, striking at moving targets that materialized around him, and sprinting on a treadmill at insane speeds—all under crushing gravity.
"He struggled at first too," Durel said, glancing at Kanda, who watched the footage with a nostalgic smirk. "But little by little, he grew stronger."
After the video ended, Durel turned to Manami and Aoi. "So... are you ready to train seriously? Don't worry—I'll adjust the program so that you grow steadily. No need to match Ichijou's madness immediately."
Aoi clenched her fists. "Yes. We have to. Kanda said it himself—Madam J won't stop, and next time... we want to fight by his side."
Kanda, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, his voice soft. "You don't need to push yourselves that hard. I'll protect you."
"Shut up," Manami snapped, surprising everyone. She glared at him, tears of frustration glistening in her eyes. "Don't act like you can handle everything alone! You almost died fighting Madam J last time! Stop being selfish, Kanda!"
Kanda blinked, taken aback. Then, a slow chuckle rumbled from his throat.
"You're right," he said, smiling genuinely. "I'm sorry, Manami. I'll rely on you both from now on."
"You better," Aoi added fiercely, standing beside Manami.
Their shared determination seemed to lift the atmosphere.
Afterward, Manami and Aoi discussed their personalized training plans with Durel, while Kanda and the others waited patiently.
By the time they finished, the group decided to head home. Manami and Aoi were each given a training manual customized to their strengths and weaknesses, and Durel assigned Melwin to assist them once they returned to the ship.
On their way back, they met Kio and Maya, who greeted them warmly.
"I've spoken to Antonia about your request," Maya said, walking up to Kanda. "She'll do her best to locate the materials you need."
Kanda nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Maya. I owe you."
Maya smiled. "Just doing my job."
With that, the group continued toward the ship, a newfound fire burning in their hearts.
END OF THE CHAPTER.