"One, ten, hundred, thousand... a billion yen!"
Even with Kuzeha Yuu's sharp eyes, he had to count several times to be sure with that many zeroes.
"Nakano-sensei is really generous. Worth taking the train all the way out here."
Kuzeha Yuu smiled in satisfaction as he pulled out the bank card.
Shizuka Hiratsuka, beside him, sighed softly.
"Rena-sensei spent a lot of her fortune on medical treatment these past years. That sum might not seem like much, but it's no small amount for her right now… But she's always been someone who repays kindness tenfold. You saved her life—this money is probably just the beginning of her gratitude."
Kuzeha Yuu pocketed the card and shrugged casually.
"I'm already more than satisfied with this much."
At the very least, for the next year, he wouldn't have to copy novels for a living.
At that moment, Shizuka cheerfully slung an arm over Kuzeha Yuu's shoulder.
"Yuu~ As your teacher and guide, don't you think I deserve a little something?"
"Mm, how about I treat today's MVP—Shizuka-cute—to a giant bowl of beef ramen? Unlimited beef!"
"Beef ramen?"
"Beef ramen!"
Shizuka rolled her eyes, then held up a single finger."And one beer."
.....
Evening.
Kuzeha Yuu returned home.
He'd picked up a pile of snacks on the way.
But when he opened the door, the first person he saw wasn't Kasugano Sora—It was Suou Yuki, lounging on the sofa in shorts and a T-shirt, reading manga.
"Welcome back, bro!"
"What're you doing here?"
"I felt like crashing here for the night, so I came over."
Her snow-white legs, soft like polished jade, kicked lazily in the air as she spoke.
Her tone was relaxed, casual.
Totally unlike the dignified heiress of the Suou family she was at school.
She turned around and spotted the mountain of snacks Kuzeha Yuu was carrying.
"Whoa, big bro, did you hit the jackpot or something? What's with all the snacks?"
"Uh, something like that."
Kuzeha Yuu didn't bother explaining.
Honestly, even robbing a bank wouldn't get money as fast as today.
"Is Sakura not back? And Sora's not here either?"
"They're at the dojo, training with Suguha and Kanae."
Yuki unwrapped a lollipop and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm, this flavor's pretty good…"
Before she could finish her sentence, the voices of the girls returning echoed from the hallway.
"Bro, try this candy, it's really good!"
A lollipop suddenly appeared at his lips, and Kuzeha Yuu instinctively opened his mouth and accepted it.
"Hey, I already tried that one! Geez, bro…"
Kuzeha Yuu blinked, confused—only now realizing Yuki was holding a second candy in her fingers.
This scene, of course, was perfectly caught by the just-returned Kasugano Sora.
Kuzeha Yuu clearly saw the sly glint in Yuki's eyes—and the clenched little fists forming at Sora's sides.
"Well? Doesn't the imported candy from your cute little sister taste even sweeter?"
Yuki continued her attack.
Sora's face puffed up in frustration.
But she didn't strike back recklessly.
She had learned the hard way—many, many times—that she could never beat Suou Yuki head-on.
Time and again she'd lost… and yet she kept charging into the same wall.
Not this time.
If she wanted to defeat this little devil, she had to play it smart.
"In terms of status and time spent with Yuu, I've still got the advantage. No need to rush…"
Sora suppressed the urge to retaliate, gave a light hum, and sat down beside Kuzeha Yuu.
She tore open a snack bag and started munching with visible determination.
Yuki pouted slightly in disappointment.
She had hoped to rile Sora up again today.
Kuzeha Yuu just sighed.
He didn't join in the mess, and instead headed off to the dojo to train with Suguha and Kanae.
Perfect timing to test the new trait he gained from Shizuka earlier.
Suguha and Kanae already had impressive talent in kendo.
With him—someone who could be called a true kendo master—guiding and sparring with them, and now with the added effect of Preach & Teach tripling their growth rate…
The results were astounding.
In just a few hours, the progress was nothing short of miraculous.
"Kuze-nii, I feel like I'm a different person today…"
"Moves I could never get right before are now so smooth and accurate!"
Suguha stared at her hands in disbelief.
She never expected such dramatic improvement on the very first day.
"Kuze-nii, you're amazing. If we keep this up, winning the championship feels inevitable!"
Even Kuzeha Yuu himself was impressed by how effective the triple speed boost was.
This far exceeded his expectations.
"Winning won't be that easy. Kanae's your rival too, remember?"
He ruffled Kanae's hair with a smile.
The two girls exchanged confident glances.
Their faces shone with determination.
.....
Next morning.
While still asleep, Kuzeha Yuu suddenly heard the system's voice.
[Trait Ability Activated!]
[Congratulations, Host has acquired Purple Trait: Undying Grasp!]
[Undying Grasp]: When the host attacks with both hands and maintains contact for three seconds, they gain the ability to adjust the target's five senses and emotional states.
Was it a dream?
Kuzeha Yuu stirred, half-asleep—but the very real physical sensation jolted him fully awake.
Nope. Not a dream.
He opened his eyes and saw Suou Yuki in her pajamas, straddling him.
Apparently not expecting him to wake up so quickly, Yuki flinched and quickly hid her hands behind her back.
"Yo, big bro~ This is your little sister's human alarm clock wake-up service!"
She said, trying to act calm.
Kuzeha Yuu stared at her darting gaze and already had a pretty good guess what happened.
So it was Undying Grasp…
This girl was getting bolder by the day!