"You will meet with Tohka first at 10:00 and head to the aquarium. At around 10:20, you will make up a reason to slip out and the Fraxinus will pick you up once you get outside. You will then meet Kurumi at the station at 10:30, go somewhere, get back to the plaza by 11:00, and link up with Origami Tobiichi.
"At that point, you'll have left Tohka alone for half an hour, so get back to her right away. Afterwards, we will have to break it down into intervals and arrange it so that none of them are alone too long. We'll handle the timetable on our end, you just keep up the sweet talk so they don't get angry.
"Our top priority is making Kurumi fall head over heels and getting all the way to a fuck close, but we can't have Tohka going hysterical because you backed out of the date, or have Origami getting any more suspicious. Things may seem hopeless, but we will make ourselves useful and offer you as much support as possible. Any questions?"
"This is basically two-timing, but with three girls. Three-timing. What's next, am I gonna be asked to date Yoshino, too?"
Having listened to all this, Shidou only had one thing to say.
"Would you like to? Because that can be arranged."
Before Shidou could ask what on earth Kotori meant by this, he heard a gentle voice followed by an excited one.
"P-Please, do your best... Shidou..."
"Yeah, try not to get burned out there!"
"Oh? I didn't know you two were here. Thank you, by the way."
Honestly, he was just grumbling because he was annoyed at himself for getting in this situation and he knew Kotori was a big enough person not to take it to heart.
Currently, Shidou stood in front of the dog statue by Tengu Station's east exit, holding his blank terminal against his head as his earpiece relayed Kotori's instructions.
He glanced at his watch one more time and saw that the time read 9:56 a.m.
Ten in the morning was the time they'd settled on for Tohka's date after she'd realized she hadn't set up a time.
"Also, for this set, we're changing the frame," Kotori added. "Instead of being the one seducing Kurumi, you'll be the one being seduced."
"So we're going with that strategy, huh?"
"Kurumi's already set her sights on you, so there's no point trying to win her over. If we change the settings so that she's trying to win you over, we just might be able to do this."
That made sense. He was not going to beat Kurumi on dominance, so taking the more submissive role was likely the better option.
"If we're going to go that far, I guess it doesn't matter whether I cum first, huh?"
Shidou didn't exactly remember getting an explanation on whether that mattered or not, so he asked a leading question likely to get correction.
Reine was the first to respond to his probing.
"Unfortunately, that's no good, Chin. If you orgasm before a spirit, not only will you fail to seal her, but she will gain the powers of all the spirits you have sealed."
It took a second for Shidou to process this and when he did, he could only throw his head back and let out a deep sigh.
"Great. Even more pressure..."
Not only was seducing spirits already hard enough, but this meant that the stakes of sealing one were only going to get higher and higher.
"...G-Good luck...!" Yoshino quietly cheered him on.
"Of course." He nodded unnecessarily. "I'll be sure to do my best."
"There ya go! Men just can't resist showing off in front of the ladies!"
That got a wry smirk out of Shidou. He'd thought this for a while now, but if Yoshinon was just a puppet, that meant Yoshino had some rather interesting views about things...
"Right. Don't forget, we've got your back." Kotori joined in. "We'll do everything in our power to make sure things go smoothly."
At his sister's encouragement, Shidou steeled his nerves.
He was about to start a date. Better to put such thoughts out of his head for the time being.
"Now then, let us begin our conquest."
And as if on cue, a voice cut through the sea of people.
"Shidou!"
He turned to none other than Tohka rushing over to him, beaming brightly as she skid to a stop just before crashing into him. Shidou couldn't help a double take as he got a good look at the girl.
"Tohka... your clothes..."
"Oh, this? Reine helped me pick it out!"
So saying, Tohka did a twirl to show off her outfit.
She wore a stylish pendant atop a light pink crop top that hung loosely from her chest, tastefully revealing the top of her hips and toned stomach, framed at the bottom by a pair of (unbuttoned) denim shorts so short that Shidou could just make out the exposed curves of her ass and left her shapely thighs totally bare.
In other words, she was the very picture of a modern girl, and the arresting sight had him at a loss for words.
Steadying her purse, Tohka came to a stop and smiled.
"How is it, Shidou?"
He blinked before speaking.
"Um, wow. You look... really good in that."
His earpiece blared to life, Kotori following suit soon after.
"Shidou, you say an outfit looks good on a girl! Saying it the other way around makes it sound like she only looks good in that!"
That struck him as splitting hairs. Either way, Tohka didn't seem to take offense, judging by the way she happily sidled up to him.
"Okay, let's go!"
With that hearty shout, she began marching with Shidou in tow. For about three seconds before she came to a stop.
"Hmm? Aren't we going to the aquarium?"
Tohka tilted her head in thought for a moment before asking, "Where is the aquarium?"
This girl...
With a smile, Shidou began fishing through his pockets for the ticket, Tohka searching for her own a moment later.
"...Oh, it's the other way."
So saying, Shidou dropped an arm around Tohka's waist before heading off. He hadn't expected it, but her top was so short that he ended up resting on her bare skin.
In the past, doing that kind of thing in public would have been too much for Shidou, but spending a month or two with a touchy-feely sort like Tohka really changed a man. How quickly things could change.
"Oh, look at you, keeping yourself between her and the road. Guess all that training wasn't for nothing, after all."
"Don't need the color commentary. Just make commands, commander."
A laugh.
"Alright! Jackass..."
Beside him, Tohka spoke up.
"Oh, that reminds me, Shidou!"
"Mm? What's that?"
"What's an aquarium, anyway?"
He glanced at the girl with a curious, confused stare.
"Didn't you...? I mean, I thought you wanted to go?"
"Well, it's not like I wanted to go to the aquarium. I just wanted to do a date with you."
Somehow, that line felt backwards, but Shidou decided not to dwell on it as he answered Tohka's question.
"An aquarium... It's basically just a place with lots of fish and other sea life."
"What?!" Tohka's eyes went wide. "Like, grilled in sea salt?"
"Um, no..."
"Then acqua pazza?"
"No, no, no."
"Then qing zheng yu?!"
"No! They're live fish, Tohka."
...
"So we prepare them ourselves...?"
"You don't eat them!" Shidou laughed. "You'll see when we get there."
Where had this girl picked up such specific culinary knowledge? If he hadn't known a thing or two about cooking himself, he would have been totally lost just now.
Though, come to think of it, had she even seen fish that weren't cooked? Well, a picture was worth a thousand words. She'd find out that fish had more going for them than mere tastiness once they reached their destination.
Tengu Quintet was a newly build mixed-use commercial facility completed the previous year, featuring a first-class hotel, indoor amusement park, shopping mall, and many other amenities that made the area a very popular tourist spot, to say nothing of the locals.
The aquarium was just one of these hot spots, boasting a wide collection of ocean life and exhibits. It apparently even housed some endangered species, as well as marine biologists performing research.
Or so Shidou had read on the pamphlet near the entrance kiosk.
Either way, the aquarium certainly lived up to the hype.
Tohka let out an amazed "Whoa..." as she followed a large manta ray lazily gliding above them across the massive exhibit tunnel that served as the building's entrance.
"So this is an aquarium!"
"Yeah, you have fun watching them swim and do their thing. No eating, though."
She pressed herself flat against the glass as if trying to pass through it, studying a school of fish passing before her.
"Shidou, I wonder if any are having sex..."
"It-It's mating, Tohka." Shidou paled. "I do not want the image of two fish having sex in my head."
"Hmm? What's the difference?"
Before he could answer, Kotori interrupted with a status report.
"Shidou, it's about time for your date with Kurumi. The Fraxinus will pick you up, just find some place out of sight."
But we just started!
Shidou checked his watch to see it had barely been twenty minutes. But Kurumi's date was at half past the hour. They'd be lucky if he made it even with the Fraxinus' teleporter.
"Agh! My stomach!"
In either case, he needed to get out of here pronto.
Shidou made a show of clutching his stomach, hunching over as if in extreme agony.
Tohka immediately rushed over to his side.
"Wh-what's wrong, Shido?!"
"Oh... ugh... my stomach's a little... I need to go to the bathroom."
"Wha—?! If it's really bad, we could call Kotori—"
"N-No! It's not that serious, Tohka. Don't worry!"
His words didn't look like they'd done much to ease her concerns, but Tohka seemed to relent, at least a little.
"Hmm... You're not dying, are you?"
"What? No, it's just... the steak last night didn't sit well with me." He handed her the pamphlet. "Anyway, I'll text you when I'm out, so don't wait up for me!"
An incredible wave of guilt washing over him like ocean surf, Shidou fled the aquarium.
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"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
"Not at all. I've only just arrived myself."
Strolling up to Kurumi like he hadn't just sprinted here from the street the Fraxinus had dropped him off at, Shidou casually greeted the girl.
She wore a Lolita-style blouse and skirt as black as her hair, along with a pair of equally dark boots. Against her pale skin, her roomy outfit struck a decidedly stunning balance between cutesy excess and refined elegance.
Latching onto his arm, Kurumi graced him with a bewitching gaze.
"Now then, where are we headed first?"
15,000 meters above, the crew of the Fraxinus was already hard at work considering the options presented by the ship's AI.
1. Go on a casual shopping date at the mall
2. View a sweet romantic film together
3. Take her to an adult store to try on lingerie
"This situation clearly calls for option two." Kawagoe clasped his palms together like a blushing school girl. "Together in a dark space, the two of them place their hands on each other's and hold them tightly. Hah... ahh..."
Shiizaki raised a finger, as if admonishing a misbehaving student.
"Number one is the only possible option. Girls love shopping!"
At the bridge, Kotori twirled the lollipop in her mouth as she considered the stalemate before her.
"Neither one can be ruled out..."
"Except, they are both attached to the station, and the aquarium is attached as well." Kannazuki joined in beside her. "It's unlikely for the girls to run into each other, but there's no reason to risk it."
He had a point. All three choices were located in the Tengu Quintet, but neither the shopping mall or theater were far enough away from the aquarium for Kotori's comfort. She doubted Tohka would go wondering off without Shidou, but there was no point introducing more variables...
"We go with option three."
"I concur," Reine agreed. "Kurumi didn't hesitate when Shidou asked to see her panties the other day, so this kind of activity should appeal to her."
Did he hear that right? Shidou had half a mind to start fiddling with his earpiece like it was malfunctioning.
"Oh, don't be that way. What point is there beating around the bush now? You'll be doing plenty of that later, after all~"
Hilarious.
Why couldn't it have been the romantic film...
Well, they were both clearly over the age of sixteen, so the shop staff weren't going to object, and he doubted Kurumi would either.
"Why don't we head to Tanaka's Adult Store? I heard that place has all kinds of crazy stuff."
"Tanaka's? Oh, their selection is always just to die for!"
"Hmm, you've been there before?"
At the question, a surprisingly genuine smile graced Kurumi's face.
"It's been far too long, but yes I have..."
"Well then, I guess you'll have to show me the ropes."
Now, in his head, Shidou had been imagining Tanaka's Adult Store as a small, hole in the wall style shop in some out of the way corner. Before him, however, was a proper store store, right off the main street, complete with its own building, logo, and everything.
Casually holding the door to that behemoth open, Kurumi regarded him with an amused expression.
"Not what you expected, I take it?"
"It's certainly a little bigger than I thought it'd be..."
"Why yes it is. Does that make you nervous?"
"Of course not. I mean, if things go well, w-we're gonna have sex, right?"
Shit, why did my voice crack there!?
Trying to quickly move past that, Shidou followed his date into the store and was immediately blasted by an assault to the senses.
The first thing he noticed was how colorful the place was.
Dildos, pocket pussies, vibrators, cock rings, harnesses. There was an incredible assortment of sex toys lining the aisles, each in every color of the rainbow.
Not only were there toys, but erotic books, manga, games, and videos of every genre, catering to every fetish imaginable, all immaculately ordered and categorized for ease of locating. It was honestly impressive.
And of course, there was no shortage of lingerie.
"My, the selection is excellent as always!"
Beside him, Kurumi sauntered up to a display showcasing a sex doll torso sporting massive boobs and a sizable, erect horse cock.
"Look at this, Shidou! I could ride the doll while you penetrated me from behind. The penis even has a duct for ejaculating fake semen!"
Standing motionless at the entrance, Shidou was too dumbfounded to respond as he took everything in.
...The world's a much bigger place than I expected.
Here he'd been, thinking himself some kind of experienced in the world of sex simply because he'd had two partners and a threesome a few times. Seems he'd been the frog in a well, indeed.
Unaware of Shidou's revelation, Kurumi moved on to the lingerie and surveyed the clothing with a remarkable air of ease and comfort.
"So, anything catch your eye?"
"W-What do you mean?"
"We're here to pick out some lingerie for me to wear, no? Unless we're actually here to pick out some for you? I wouldn't mind that..."
Kurumi's eyes flickered to a nearby set of male lingerie, a decidedly mirthful gleam in her gaze.
"...Uh, no, let's stick to lingerie for you." He perused through a rack of clothes. "How about this one? I think it would look good on you."
Kurumi studied the black number for a moment, glancing up at him.
"So this is what you like... Then, I will try it on."
Saying this, she took the outfit and headed for the nearby changing rooms, leaving Shidou to his own devices.
That girl was playing him like a damn fiddle, and enjoying every second of it, too.
Well, this dynamic was the frame they had decided on for today's set.
With Tohka, the seduction had been a more equal affair. With Yoshino it had been Shidou doing most of the work. With Kurumi though, it seemed taking a more passive approach would be the winning bet, a decision that he would soon come to regret.
But before that could happen, Shidou noticed a butt plug that someone had dropped and failed to put back on the rack.
Tutting at the carelessness, as well as desperately searching for anything to do, he returned the butt plug to its stand, studying the packaging once he did so.
A silicone plug, huh...
He had no direct experience with sex toys of any kind, but he had read a romance or two featuring them, fondly recalling one in particular.
It featured a witty merchant and a gutsy aristocrat ending up in a fake marriage (it was a long story). They needed to look like they had an active sex life, so at one point they ended up using a butt plug to hilarious, and disastrous, effect. In the end, the story turned out to be a really beautiful exploration of trauma and healing through the means of sex.
It was an incredible read, and it was what had convinced Shidou that explicit, sexual content could actually add something to a story, not just be mindless titillation. Was that why he'd been able to accept this outlandish mission of sealing spirits via sex?
Well, maybe not. Reading about sex in books didn't really compare to the real deal, and he honestly doubted anything could have prepared him for these past few months.
But, looking around the shop, he felt oddly at ease.
Just in the aisle over, he sighted an elderly couple who couldn't seem to keep their hands to themselves, by the adult games section a lone college-age woman perusing the shelves, and a pair of boys from Raizen High— in their senior year, if he recalled correctly.
Perhaps he was just revealing his prejudice here, but it surprised him how normal the clientèle were.
Guess it shouldn't be so unexpected. Who doesn't like sex, after all...
It was just as he was thinking this, that Shidou heard the jingling of the front door opening and the cashier greeting the latest batch of customers. And he would have thought nothing of it, if he hadn't realized who those customers were.
The Ai-Mai-Mii Trio casually headed for the lingerie section, chatting amongst themselves.
"...Yeah, my old one's just not fitting like it used to anymore."
"That's because your boobs have gotten even bigger, Ai."
"Seriously? Ugh, I don't need these puppies to get any bigger."
"And yet my chest refuses to grow even a single millimeter. Talk about a truly sick world..."
A laugh.
"Don't be like that, Mii!"
Cold sweat running down his spine, Shidou tried desperately to erase his presence while the trio of girls combed through the clothing racks.
"Oooh, check this one out, Mai. Pretty flashy, right~?"
"I don't know... Doesn't it leave a little too much to the imagination? What do you think, Mii?"
"It's sick."
"Well there ya have it. Why don't you give it a try in the changing room? You'll totally love it once you see how it looks on you."
With that, the Ai-Mai-Mii Trio approached the changing rooms. Shidou was found out immediately.
"Oh, Shidou? What are you doing here?"
This was not good.
If these three found out he'd gone on a date with a girl other than Tohka, after having her do that elaborate routine to invite him out? Oh, he'd never hear the end of it.
He'd just have to play it cool, let them enter the changing rooms before they could see Kurumi, and then high-tail it out of here. Somehow.
"I'm just... shopping for lingerie with Tohka."
His lie seemed to pass the sniff test, from the way Ai smirked at him.
"Ufu~ Giving her a proper apology for neglecting her, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that..."
Never before had he felt so scummy than right then. A lightning bolt could have crashed through the ceiling and struck him off the face of the earth, and he'd still feel that was a lenient punishment.
The three of them marched right up to him, intent on giving him a piece of their minds.
"If you're lying, we'll come for you. My mom's a dominatrix. I'll get her to school you until you thank her through tears."
"Know that not even your bones will remain. For real. My uncle is a hitman overseas. I'll use the kill-one-get-one-free coupon he gave me for my birthday."
"Yeah. We won't let you get away with making Tohka cry. My dad's a big shot at a black magic company. I can get him to curse you so that your life gets a year shorter every time you touch a girl."
In the face of these frankly bizarre threats, Shidou could only bow his head as he answered them.
"...I promise, I would never do anything to make Tohka sad."
"Hmm..." Ai narrowed her eyes at those earnest words. "Alright, if that's the case, then we—"
"Oh, Shidou~"
No.
The three girls stared daggers at him.
"...Who was that?"
No no no.
"That doesn't sound like Tohka..."
This wasn't happening.
"This is so sick."
With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Shidou turned around and was greeted to quite the sight.
It was Kurumi, of course, and she was wearing nothing but the lingerie— a black set of tight stockings that squeezed the supple flesh of her thighs, crotchless panties that framed her neatly trimmed pubic hair, and cupless brassieres that exposed her prominent nipples which commanded attention.
"How do I look?"
A part of him felt like he should have made a bigger ideal out of her casually violating public decency laws by wearing lingerie out in the open like this, but Shidou was too shell-shocked to care at the moment.
It was right then that his earpiece mercifully came to life.
"Origami's date is about to begin. It'd be better if we could focus on Kurumi, but if we ignore her, she'll just go looking for you and ruin everything."
Kotori wasn't gonna hear any complaining from him. This was the perfect excuse to get out of this situation.
"Agh! Ow... My stomach's killing me! I'll be in the bathroom, so just wait here! Also, that lingerie looks great on you!"
With those parting words, Shidou fled that wicked girl and her ruinous allure.
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When Shidou caught sight of Origami, she was standing like the Buddha enlightened. Or a soldier standing stoically at their post. Either/or.
And just like a King's Guard, a group of pigeons had apparently mistaken her for a statue, summarily flying off as he came to a stop before her.
"Hey there, hope I'm not too late."
"It's no problem." Origami shook her head. "I just got here."
That was definitely a lie. According to Fraxinus intel, this girl had been standing here for the past hour, at least.
But whatever. Shidou had already accepted that Origami was just ridiculously committed to everything she did, something that seemed to apply even to her choice of outfit.
She wore an outfit showing off her athletic arms and legs— an elegant necklace atop a smart, sleeveless turtleneck, a simple, blue skirt beneath it.
Now, due to several high-profile protests and social movements, bras were no longer considered essential womenswear. The choice to wear one was nowadays left up to personal preference or individual comfort.
In light of this, Shidou chose not to read too much into things as Origami wedged the strap of her black purse squarely between her breasts, pulling the fabric of her top taut and causing her erect nipples to stand out rather conspicuously.
Yep, must have just been completely unintentional.
"So, uh... Anywhere you wanna go?"
"The movie theater."
Origami's answer was customarily prompt and deadpan, and it gave Shidou customary unease and stress.
"Maybe we could... not do that...?"
The movie theater was smack dab in the middle of the Tengu Quintet. The chances of running into Tohka were far too high for comfort.
Seemingly deaf to his objections, Origami handed him one of a pair of movie tickets to Lovey-dovey Heart 2: the Heartening— the very movie he'd had the option to watch with Kurumi.
"Take this," she said.
"Well that's that, then," Kotori declared. "We'll send Yoshino out in the field. She'll help ensure you don't run into any problems."
Well, that was... sort of a relief. Knowing he'd be so close to Tohka was not doing his heart any favors, but he'd take what he could get.
"Alright then. Let's get moving."
Shidou turned, his arm naturally swaying from the momentum, until Origami snatched his hand, snaked her arm around his, and yanked him in against her side.
Shidou gingerly tried to extract his hand from her grasp, but the girl had a vice grip. His efforts steadily increased in intensity until he was swinging his arm in a desperate, futile attempt to escape.
"Shidou..."
Origami, of course, was too lost in intoxicated bliss to notice any of this.
Not long after Shidou had acquired learned helplessness like a dog trapped in an unethical science experiment, they came to a stop before a chic little eatery rather than a movie theater.
He glanced down at Origami in relieved confusion.
"...I thought we were going to the theater?"
"There's time before the movie starts, and a new diner just opened. I need to determine its ranking."
"Oh, I heard about that one. Do you do this kind of thing often?"
Origami gave an affirmative grunt.
"It's a hobby of mine."
They entered the restaurant and started searching for seats.
It was common for couples to sit across from each other on first dates, but this could create a business-like atmosphere stunting the development of intimacy. So instead, Shidou opted for a corner table, where the two of them could more easily touch each other and—
Wait, why am I treating this like a seduction?!
He shook his head free of such useless thoughts.
This was just a hangout between friends, nothing more. He'd make sure of it.
"So, Origami, why'd you invite me out?"
"I didn't want you to be alone."
"Hmm?"
"After the movie, I want you to come to my place, and stay over for the time being."
"Well, that seems a little... sudden and out of—"
"I'm serious." She pulled out her terminal, pushing it across the table. "I've already prepared everything for you."
He peered over at the screen to see a bedroom replete with sex pillows, a sex swing, a sex lounger, and a Saint Andrew's cross.
"Ain't that a little much!?"
15,000 feet above, Kotori ran a palm down her face as the rest of the crew looked on in shocked amusement.
"I see she's as pushy as ever..."
Beside her, Kannazuki stiffened.
"Commander, Tohka is...!"
On the main monitor appeared a feed of Tohka charging through the sliding doors of the aquarium.
"Get Yoshino on her, stat!"
Back in the field, Shidou had learned a surprising amount about
Origami's leisure habits.
Apparently, she was something of a food critic power user online, boasting an extensive backlog of thorough and engaging reviews of various restaurants under the handle Shedough_lover69. If he recalled correctly, the restaurant he'd taken Tohka to on their first date was one he'd picked specifically because of the glowing review that user had given it.
Her dedication and passion to this community service was honestly impressive. It was nice to see a side of her that wasn't hunting spirits or... him, frankly.
By now, they had already started eating their meal— two plates of bucatini all'amatriciana. Shidou glanced Origami's way as she finished another bite.
"So, does it merit the Origami Seal of Approval?"
She shut her eyes, seriously considering his teasing for several moments before answering.
"Just barely. This pasta is made of durum wheat. There's a shortage of that wheat right now, so the fact that they even have any is impressive."
"Oh yeah, I heard about that. The shortage is in the States, right?"
"Yes, that's right. For the past decade or so, the pest control AI the big companies use have been trained off their own output, and it's causing them to..."
The two chatted about current affairs, and Shidou found their conversation unexpectedly smooth and effortless. Well, save for the occasional hiccup whenever Origami casually disclosed some intimately personal detail about him that she could have only found out through questionably legal means.
But other than that, it was smooth and effortless.
Really, he wouldn't mind talking with her more often if it was like this.
He was just about to say as much when he saw something that made his eyes bug out of their sockets.
Tohka, through the picture windows of the restaurant, looking gravely concerned as she searched the streets for him.
Shidou threw himself down like a soldier in the trenches, hoping against hope that Tohka hadn't seen him. As he crouched behind cover, he noticed something very unexpected (and somehow very expected).
"Origami... are you... are you not wearing underwear?"
At his uneasy words, the girl casually spread her legs wide open.
"Like I said, I am fine with freeuse."
"Even in public?!"
"Even in public."
"Duly noted!" his voice came out in a squeak.
At that moment, he received a lifeline.
"Shidou, Tohka has left the aquarium. Yoshino is holding her off, but it's only a matter of time until she goes off on her own."
Gratefully tapping the earpiece, Shidou clutched his stomach while bending over the table."
"S-Sorry, my stomach's... killing me...!"
Deploying what was quickly becoming his go-to tactic, Shidou made a break for it to meet up with Tohka.
15,000 feet above, Kotori studied the movements of the Ai-Mai-Mii Trio, who had just exited Tanaka's Adult Shop, shopping bags in tow.
"Hmm... Tohka was taken care of, but those three are the real cockblockers..." Kotori mulled it over for a moment before glancing back at a returned Yoshino. "Think you can do it?"
Squaring her shoulders, the girl solemnly nodded as Yoshinon saluted on her hand.
"Leave it to us...!"
"Alright!"
Fire burning in her eyes, Kotori pumped her fist.
"Ya hear that, Shidou? This is where the real game begins!"
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And so began a romantic comedy of errors.
The girl he was trying to seduce. The girl he had already seduced. And the girl he wasn't trying to seduce at all.
Shidou spun between them all, like a seasoned plate spinner. All the while, Yoshino ran an impressive defense, keeping the Ai-Mai-Mii Trio distracted with her preternatural cuteness.
But even with that aid, the three girls still presented challenge after challenge.
Tohka's bottomless stomach proved a not-unexpected obstacle, threatening to eat several small restaurants out of business. Origami continually tried to coerce him into entering the Dream Park love hotel. And of course, Kurumi never let up on her relentless teasing for a single second.
It took every PUA trick and skill Shidou had learned up till now, but somehow he managed to keep everything under control. And in the end, he became a master at faking stomachaches.
At the moment, Shidou was sitting on a park bench with Kurumi, a surreptitious effort to sneak some rest in the guise of a quiet park respite. It had been about five hours since their date had technically started and they had only spent about an hour together.
Kurumi smoothed her skirt as she sat down at his side.
"I daresay you've spent more time in the bathroom than with me."
"Uh, sorry about that. I haven't been a very good date today, have I?"
"I suppose I can overlook it this one time. In exchange, however, I have one request."
Shidou couldn't help a chuckle at that.
"You can't just overlook it out of the kindness of your heart?"
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not that easy a woman." Saying this with that teasing smirk of hers, Kurumi sent him a sly look. "I'm not asking much, really. Just take me to a hotel at the end of the day."
"That all?"
"Well, I figured there's no point beating around the bush. We both know why we're doing this, don't we?"
He supposed that wasn't wrong.
A hotel could only mean love hotel, and Kurumi was likely well aware of how sealing worked.
She was probably tired of being targeted by the AST— of being killed by Mana. Lord, when he thought about it like that, her situation sounded miserable.
Was that why she had come to him? Just to have her powers sealed?
It wasn't like he was about to begrudge her for having a utilitarian reason like that, but he did wonder if that was really all there was between them.
"So, Kurumi, what are you going to do after this? I imagine you didn't come here just to enjoy the sights."
"Oh, I have my little schemes to return to. Your... assistance will honestly be a big help."
Man, did she have to say everything like there was some double entendre behind her words? It was reminding him way too much of Kotori.
"So I take it you're not sticking around after this?"
"Hmm, do I detect a hint of dissatisfaction with my answer?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just realizing how different people can be."
It was only to be expected, really. Not every spirit would be like Tohka or Yoshino, where they actually developed a relationship together. Some just needed a way to neutralize their spirit powers so that they could get on with their lives. Romance didn't need to factor into it at all.
"Are you disappointed that we won't become partners after this? Like some storybook romance?"
Those words accompanied by her teasing tone were definitely unwelcome, but Shidou decided to ignore it, if only because he couldn't entirely refute them.
"Well, I am a romantic. But yeah, I understand if you're not interested in that kind of thing. It's just... this whole situation isn't exactly where I expected my life to be going, I guess."
"Oh? And where would that be, exactly?"
Shidou leaned back, letting the sky above swallow up his vision.
There were a few clouds, lazily drifting by. When he was a kid, the sky had always seemed so far away and out of reach. He thought things might have changed now that he was older, but he supposed a couple centimeters didn't make much difference.
"...I just want to live an ordinary life. Meet the love of my life. Settle down and get married. Have kids and grow old together. You know, just ordinary things that everyone wants."
...Yeah, thinking about it, today had really pushed his boundaries to their limits. Polyamory he could accept, but this was just a hair's breadth away from two-timing. Just going behind girls' backs.
He was really going to have to ask Kotori to look for guys who could take his place after sealing Kurumi's powers, before things went too far. He was sure decent men existed in the world besides him who could take up the mantle, or whatever.
"Everyone, you say? Is that really true?"
Beside him, Kurumi responded with a tone that was hard to read.
"I don't think it's that uncommon."
Non-monogamy may have become more mainstream, but even polyamorous people eventually settled down, had children, and raised families. Shidou didn't think it at all a stretch to claim that was something most people wanted.
But Kurumi just tutted to herself.
"Do you honestly believe that?"
Belatedly, he realized her hand was dangerously close to his crotch.
When had that happened?
His gaze snapped back to Kurumi, who drew nearer and nearer as she spoke, all the while massaging his thigh, until her breath was at his ear.
"Oh, humans are such foolish creatures. They jump through hoops to clothe their naked desires in talks of love and romance. But you're no fool. You know that stuff's all fake. Stripping off all that nonsense... Giving into our desires... Enjoying everything life has to offer... What's so wrong about that?"
Kurumi let those words hang in the air for a moment, then flicked his ear with her tongue before withdrawing, her lips parted in that teasing smile of hers.
A surge of arousal washed over him, and it took everything Shidou had in that moment to not give in to the raw desire that Kurumi incited within him.
The words she'd just said, something about them bothered him on a core level. As that feeling gradually overcame the lust inside him, he gazed into those eyes of hers, and the ruinous allure held within them— and for the first time only saw ruin.
It was almost frightening, how sexy this girl was.
But that was all she was, wasn't she?
Easy, meaningless pleasure without a trace of romance at all.
That was what Kurumi was offering him.
Over these past few months with Tohka and Yoshino, he'd been exposed to all sorts of things, and learned to accept all sorts of things he never would have imagined accepting.
But he would never accept that.
"Sorry... I'm feeling thirsty." Shidou got to his feet. "Would you like something from the vending machine?"
Kurumi's hand was still on his thigh, and she kept it there even as he rose, releasing Shidou only when he was finally out of her reach.
"Aw~ I suppose that's enough. For now... I'd like a milk tea then, thank you very much."
As he left, he was beset by the sense that he was retreating again.
But this time, he was not retreating in defeat.
Watching Shidou disappear around a corner, Kurumi reviewed her recent actions.
Had she overplayed her hand?
She'd thought him just another horny boy, but it seemed he was more idealistic than she had anticipated.
Well, no matter. Now that she had more information, she need only recalibrate her approach.
This time around, Kurumi had been employing a more aggressive strategy, trying to overwhelm Shidou in a blitzkrieg of confident sexuality, but perhaps a more subtle seduction was in order? Less shameless vamp, more playful nymph? Gradually nip away at those high-minded ideals of his until there was nothing left but decadent self-indulgence...
Yes, that was the ticket.
In all the world, there was not a man alive who could resist her charms. Kurumi needed only to be patient— she would have him soon enough, and then the power of two spirits would be hers.
Ah, what she could do with that power...
Kurumi indulged in such idle thoughts until they were interrupted by sudden snapping sounds in the distance.
As if... someone were popping fireworks?
"How odd..."
Standing, Kurumi strode into the nearby bit of woods, where she quickly discovered the source of the noise.
Four young men, their faces hidden behind bandanas and goggles— a peashooter model gun in each of their hands. Through their legs, she noticed a kitten, one of its hind limbs dragging on the dirt, cowering as the men fired at its paws.
"Hah! Take this! And this!"
"Come on, run away like a li'l bitch!"
With narrowed eyes, Kurumi watched this sight play out for several moments before opening her mouth.
"My my. It seems you boys are involved in something quite intriguing!"
At her saccharine tone, the group of young men rounded on her, immediately wary of the intruder.
"The hell?! Don't creep up on us like that!"
Flashing her perfectly crafted bewitching smile, Kurumi began pacing towards the group.
"Oh, please don't mind me. I do know a thing or two about handling guns myself, though. Would you mind if I joined?"
The ringleader of the group — a taller man with black hair and a green bandana over his face — finally seemed to realize that he was speaking to a gorgeous girl. He looked her up and down, his eyes smiling.
"...Wait, really? You wanna try, too?"
"What should we do...?"
"Guess we have no choice, hehe..."
"Thank you so much!" Kurumi eyed them sharply. "However, I'd like to suggest a slight change to the rules..."
"Rules? Whad'ya mean?"
She clasped her palms together and tilted her head, her smile growing more and more bloodthirsty as she spoke.
"Oh, it's really nothing complicated. All I'm suggesting is a simple change of targets..."
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Shidou was returning from the vending machine, cans of chamomile and milk tea in hand.
He'd had some time to think.
About Kurumi, about her outlook on sex and romance, and about how he felt about her.
And now that he'd had some time to think, he was ready to approach her once again— this time with a clearer head.
But when Shidou returned to the bench, he was surprised to find the girl missing. He was glancing around the area in confusion when a crashing sound in the distance caught his attention.
He stared in the direction of the noise before noticing a kitten with a limp scurrying out of the woods, away from the commotion.
Slowly, Shidou set the drinks down on the bench and approached the animal, which flinched away from his hand until he started scratching the underside of its chin.
"What happened to you..."
Did it get hurt by that crashing sound? Maybe a branch it was perched on fell? No, it sounded too far away...
He turned his attention back to the trees when he heard muffled screaming. Standing cautiously, Shidou put a finger to his earpiece.
"Hey, uh, is something going on?"
"We're trying to figure that out ourselves..." Kotori sounded distracted. "Apparently, the drone we had observing Kurumi just cut out all of a sudden."
"Huh... well that's not ominous."
"Right? And those things ain't cheap, either... What's that?"
"Hmm? What's going on?"
"...Apparently, we're detecting some of Kurumi's spirit signals. Shidou, you mind heading over there?"
A chuckle.
"Sure, this doesn't sound like the start of a horror movie at all."
"Hey now, don't go suddenly changing your shtick from romance tropes to horror."
With more than a little trepidation, Shidou made his way through the dense bit of thicket beside the park, and very quickly found the source of the disturbance.
What the hell... was he looking at?
It was a clearing in the middle of the woods, and it looked like... someone had spilled red paint everywhere... and there were chunks of something glistening scattered all over the ground.
Shidou ran this image through his mind three times before he realized he was looking at the bloody remains of human beings.
This time, his stomach turned for real.
He collapsed to his knees and spilled his lunch all over the forest floor.
"Shidou! Shidou, what's happening!"
He could barely hear Kotori through the violent wrenching of his stomach. It took all he had not to pass out on the spot.
"Oh? You're back already?
Wiping the vomit from his chin, Shidou rolled his eyes up at the sound of that voice.
The first thing he noticed was a man on his ass flat on the ground, backed up against a tree with a bull's eye drawn in blood smeared on his bare chest. Piss stained his pants and the earth beneath him.
And in front of him was Kurumi, but almost unrecognizable.
Her flowing, ebony locks had been replaced by two, uneven twin-tails that fluttered unnaturally like the hands of a clock. In place of her blouse and skirt she now wore a scarlet and black gothic dress— her naked dress.
It bared her shoulders, straps suspending the open-cup bra that framed her breasts. The skirt billowed around her legs, revealing the wide slit in the middle that occasionally exposed her pussy.
The man caught sight of Shidou from the corner of his eyes.
"You-You gotta help me, man! Th-Th-This bitch is crazy!"
"Crazy? Kihi... hihi... Don't you think aiming a weapon at something you don't intend to destroy is crazier? You might just destroy something you'd rather not, you know?"
"I'm sorry! I get it, okay! I'm sorry, so plea—"
She shot him.
Once, twice, and then a third time.
The man's upper body fell on top of his legs.
Something like a smile split Kurumi's face as she watched the blood spill from his corpse onto the dirt.
"Oh my. Seems my finger slipped. See how easy that is."
Shidou just stared stupidly at her.
It was like his brain refused to admit the information.
He'd just... watched someone die.
Kurumi had killed someone. Murdered someone. Right in front of his eyes.
She turned her gaze on him, and Shidou felt his blood run cold.
"How unfortunate. How very unfortunate. I would have loved for our little date to continue a while longer."
She snapped her fingers and from the shadows emerged ghastly, pale hands, gripping his legs. Recoiling from them, Shidou tried to break free only to topple over onto his back.
Before he could even process what was happening, they were upon him, tearing away every last article of clothing until he was utterly naked.
Above him, Kurumi watched the scene play out with a voyeuristic relish.
"My, my, that is a delicious looking body you have, Shidou. How ever should I play with it?"
Massaging her clit, she made a show of thinking as she tapped the barrel of her pistol against her lips.
All the while, the pale hands locking him in place sensually caressed his body. His head, his nipples, his thighs. But nowhere was their touch more attentive than on his cock, which they stroked and fondled until it was rock hard, oozing precum as it twitched, like clockwork, in time with the frantic beating of his heart.
And as those hands laid him bare before her, Shidou finally understood why Kurumi had come to Tengu City.
She wanted his spirit power.
That was why she had transferred to the school. That was why she wanted to seduce him. And that was why she was forcing herself on him right now.
Can I make myself cum now? Will that work? Does she just need my semen?
But even before that, it was impossible to make himself orgasm in this position. Kurumi was already upon him, drinking him in with her eyes as she squatted down at his side and began to toy with his cock.
Still, Shidou strained and struggled.
"No! Kurumi! Don't... do this!"
She regarded him with an amused look, one hand cupping her face as she tugged his foreskin down with an agonizing slowness that made his hips buck and squirm against his will.
"Hmm... your mouth says no, but your body says yes. I wonder... which should I listen to?"
"My-agh-words, obviously!"
Kurumi cackled.
"Oh, you are so funny! It's a shame I'll have to eat you." Luridly, she drew her tongue along her lips. "Kihi, don't make such a face. What I'm about to do to you is far gentler than what I did to those fools over there."
She threw a leg over his waist, straddling him as she planted her palm on his chest and hoisted her skirt up, spreading her thighs so he could see everything. They were taut with exertion as she squatted over him, her sopping pussy drooling, aching, for cock— his cock.
Her lips bore down on him with such teasing slowness, that when his head finally penetrated her, he nearly came.
Above him, Kurumi watched on with bated breath as Shidou lost the battle inch by inch. Her gaze was triumphant, and as a moan escaped her parted lips, Shidou knew he was finished.
He shut his eyes in one final act of desperate, futile concentration.
Fuck! I'm... gonna... cum!
This was it. It was over. He had truly lost against Kurumi.
There was only so much a man could do against basic biology, and Kurumi had utterly overwhelmed such defenses with her relentless advance.
Shidou's hips bucked, his body straining against Kurumi as she let out a gleeful cry.
"Yes! Cum for me, Shidou! Cum for me and let me swallow you whole!"
His body let out an animal sound as cum erupted from the head of his cock, bursting into empty air before landing uselessly on his crotch and stomach.
...Huh?
Through his continuing orgasm, Shidou blinked his eyes open to a puzzling sight.
The arms which had bound him in place up till now had vanished. Some ways away was Kurumi, laid out on her back like she'd just been KO'd.
And above him was Mana, clad in something unfit for public view— the CR unit he'd seen her in from the recording. Her face was hard as she stared down Kurumi's collapsed form. Out of the corner of her eyes, she glanced down at him.
"That was a pretty close call. Big brother."