“Alright~!”

 

Aika smiled proudly as she looked at her private messages with Yuuji after sending the naked selfie she took just now. It wasn’t as sexy as she would’ve liked it to be since Miyuki is also with her, but it’d have to do for now. 

 

If Miyuki wasn’t here, she would’ve sat down on the floor, spread her legs wide, and spread it with her fingers while looking at the camera lewdly to taunt Yuuji into “attacking” her. 

 

“Aika, come on. Let’s get in.”

 

“Yes~”

 

She locked her phone, put it under her clothes that she had neatly folded into the cloth basket, and followed Miyuki to the showers before entering the artificial hot spring.

 

The sound of running water filled the room as the two took their shower. They had taken a bath before coming here, but as per tradition, they had to clean their body first before entering the hot spring. So now, they’re simply rinsing their bodies without letting much of the water from hitting their hair by tying it up. 

 

“What were you doing just now?”

 

“Hm~? Ah, I was messaging Yuuji~”

 

Miyuki froze for a moment before peeking out of her shower stall into Aika’s and looked at her with a stern gaze.

 

“... You didn’t take any photo of me or any of our friends and send it to him, right?”

 

“Of course not~! I only took one of myself and sent it to him~”

 

“...”

 

Miyuki let out a sigh as Aika’s beautiful humming accompanied by the sound of rushing water from the shower echoed throughout the shower room. 

 

She… She wanted to tell her that it’s inappropriate to do so, but she also knew how… intimate her relationship was with Yuuji. In fact, she probably heard a lot more details than she wanted to from Aika herself when she “complained” about how ferocious Yuuij was in bed that she had to use her magic to heal herself to be able to go to school. 

 

Being so open with the intimacy in one’s relationship with their partner might seem strange to Miyuki, but after knowing Aika, she had… gotten used to it for better or for worse. In fact, there are a lot of things about Aika that surprised her after becoming closer to her. 

 

One that she’s extremely perverted, not only towards Yuuji but also towards other girls. She would express her sexual interest in their mutual friends openly, but she wouldn’t cross any line or disrespect them in anyway. In fact, she’s extremely respectful and kind to others if they were also respectful and kind towards her.

 

Second, she didn’t mind Yuuji having another girlfriend aside from her. Miyuki was extremely surprised when Yuuji and Aika told her and her brother that Erika has become Yuuji’s girlfriend as well, and she was even more surprised when Aika told her that she was the one who encouraged Yuuji to pursue Erika.

 

When she asked why Aika would encourage it, Aika unfortunately didn’t answer since it’s a really private matter between her and Yuuji. So even to this day, Miyuki still couldn’t understand why and how Aika could encourage her beloved to be in a relationship with another girl at the same time. 

 

She couldn’t even begin to imagine trying to encourage her beloved brother to pursue another woman romantically… Just the thought of it made the steam from the hot shower she was under turn to mist before she regained her control over her magic. 

 

Miyuki shook her head tiredly and lifted her face up, letting the hot water hit her face, and let out a sigh.

 

Even disregarding Aika’s personality and character, Yuuji and Aika have been an enigma in her mind, even with all the explanations her brother gave her. 

 

It felt like they just… appeared in this world all of a sudden with all this tremendous power that rivaled even her brother. With such power, background, and relationship with her brother, she couldn’t believe she didn’t know of them before…

 

“...Yuki. Miyuki… Oooiii~ Miyuki-chan?”

 

“Hm? Ah, I’m sorry. What is it, Aika?”

 

“You were dozing off, are you tired?”

 

“Ah, no I'm not.”

 

“Is that so? Then have you finished showering? If you have, let’s enter the hot spring already~! It’s been a while since I entered one!”

 

“Y-Yes.”

 

Miyuki quickly turned off her shower and put on a thin, white robe as she exited her stall. 

 

Meanwhile, already outside her shower stall, Aika waited for her clad in the same thin, white robe. But in contrast to Miyuki, whose robe seemed loose, hers hugged her figure tightly. 

 

Most of the fabric was forcefully raised to accommodate her large breasts, causing it to be much shorter than Miyuki’s and displaying her beautiful, white, milky thighs and slender legs to the world. And since she had to tie the belt around her waist to hold everything together, the robe simply served to further accentuate her large breasts, slim waist, and wide hips. 

 

“Fufu~ You look so cute, Miyuki~ You’re just like a fairy~”

“T-Thank you. Y-You look beautiful as well.”

 

“Ehehehe~ Thank you~”

 

As they walked towards the hot spring area, they began to hear girls’ shrieks and giggles. But what caught their attention the most was Honoka’s troubled voice.

 

When they arrived, they saw Eimi looming over Honoka. Her fingers moved pervertedly in a squeezing motion as she slowly approached Honoka. 

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Oh my~ Are you stripping Honoka~? I’ll help~!”

Eimi, Kazumi, Subaru, and Honoka all turned to the sound of Aika’s voice and immediately froze at the sight of two otherworldly beauties before them. 

 

With every move filled with elegance and grace, Miyuki slowly sat down at the edge of the bath and put her white, slender legs into the bath. 

 

Aika also sat at the edge of the bath first and leaned forward, causing her massive chest to jiggle and threatening to burst out of the confines of her thin robes.

 

Even though they were girls who were interested in the opposite sex, the sight of these two extremely beautiful women made their heart waver and question their sexual orientation…

 

“Hm? What’s wrong? All of you just suddenly freeze.”

 

“E-Eh?! A-Ah, it’s nothing!”

 

“W-We were just stunned by your beauty!”

 

“U-Uhn! Y-You two looked so beautiful…”

 

“Y-Yeah… Somehow… Looking at you two… I’m starting to think gender doesn’t matter…”

 

“Ahahaha~ Thank you~”

 

Aika let out a cute giggle and sat down, entering the bath fully. And fully submerged in water, her thin bathing robe became slightly transparent, displaying her beautiful skin underneath it. Her chest began to rise afloat on the water surface, and as she stretched her arms and body up, Eimi, Honoka, and the girls all stared at the two floating breasts in all its glory. 

 

“Nnnnghhh~ It feels so good~ By the way, what were you guys talking about?”

 

The girls immediately snapped out of their daze in a fluster. Their cheeks blushing furiously for reasons other than the hot bath.

 

“Eh? I-I forgot! A-Anyway, let’s talk about something else!”

“U-Uhn! C-Come to think of it, did you see the Prince of Third High School? The Ichijou family’s heir was at the banquet!”

 

“Ooooh! I saw him! He’s pretty handsome! And I swear I saw him checking out Miyuki~”

 

“Oh, really?! Could it be… love at first sight~? Or perhaps, they’ve known each other before~?”

 

“Hey, Aika-chan! Do you know anything about this?”

 

Eimi asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement, along with the other girls. 

 

“Hm? I don’t know~ I didn’t even see this prince~ How about it, Miyuki-chan?”

 

“Hm, I think I’ve only seen him from a distance at parties. Other than that, I’ve only ever seen him in pictures…”

 

Eimi and the others all sighed in disappointment. 

 

Considering how the famous heir of the Ichijou clan came to talk to Miyuki himself, they’re sure they had some kind of juicy or romantic history. Alas, fiction doesn’t always mimic real life. 

 

“Well, I guess that’s to be expected. But, what do you guys think of him? For me, after seeing the prince in person, I have to say that he still pales in comparison to our king, Tsubakihara Yuuji!”

 

Eimi turned to Kazumi, Subaru, and Honoka. 

 

“Mm, I agree! He’s quite handsome, but isn’t Tsubakihara-kun’s looks just unfair? I mean, I couldn’t help but stare at him whenever I saw him passing by!”

 

“E-Eh?! U-Uhm… Aaahh… I-I agree as well…

 

Kazumi replied in excitement, while Honoka became flustered, like a spooked little animal. She immediately looked down to her knees, unable to meet anyone’s gaze, as her face blushed redly.

 

“T-That is true… Speaking of which, Kiryuu-san, you’re always with Tsubakihara-kun. Are you perhaps…”

 

Subaru, the bespectacled girl with short hair and fellow athlete that would be representing the First High School’s rookie division, slowly turned towards Aika. 

 

What she was insinuating was something even the second and third years had been speculating about, including everyone in this bath. And of course, everyone immediately perked up their ears and turned their gazes towards Aika in curiosity.

 

"Hehe~ We're just that close~! We're inseparable! Even if we're separated by worlds, we'd find a way to find each other!!! Ah, but don't worry! I won't get in the way if you wanna try to seduce him~"

 

Eimi and the others looked confused by her answer. She said they’re inseparable, so that would mean they have an extremely long history together. Perhaps childhood friends. 

 

But if she said she won’t get in the way if they tried to seduce him, does that mean she’s not interested in him romantically? Does that mean they’re not dating? 

 

The answer to their question was still unclear. But seeing how Aika answered it so confidently, it did give them a small sigh of relief. 

 

After all, if Aika was truly dating Yuuji, then they knew none of them would be able to stand a chance… Especially since they’ve seen her body now.

 

"You say that, Aika. But Tsubakihara-kun is known to be an iron fortress, you know? He has rejected an amazing amount of confessions that girls started becoming satisfied just watching him from a distance!"

 

Eimi let out a helpless sigh as the other girls nodded in agreement, including Honoka. Yuuji receiving a confession was no longer news now. It has become a regular event that happened in their school, just like any other class. At this point, those who had the courage to confess had been rejected, while those who didn't were either gathering their courage or had become satisfied by just watching him. 

 

And the males, who were upset and envious, had started to ignore the fact that these confessions are happening for the sake of their sanity and feelings. 

 

"Well, with a beauty on the level of Aika and Miyuki by his side, it makes sense why he won't budge to other girls."

 

Kazumi shrugged and tilted her head towards Aika and Miyuki. 

 

"That's true... Oh, I have a question about Tsubakihara-kun! Is it true that he's rich? Is he a young master of a conglomerate?"

 

Eimi raised her hand excitedly to ask Aika a question.

 

"Hehe~ He's not a young master, but he's suuuuuper rich! He's a super skilled trader and investor! And he could get thousands of american dollars in a few hours if he wanted to! He even lives in a mansion! I've been to it!"

 

"Eh?! A mansion?! Really?!"

 

"Uhn! Miyuki had also been there, riiiight~?"

 

"U-Uhn, I had. I visited it along with my brother when he invited us."

 

"Heeeeh, how amazing~ He's becoming more and more of a charming prince~!"

 

Eimi and the other girls began to chat amongst themselves, lost in their fantasy about Yuuji. And as they did, Miyuki glanced to her side to see how Aika was reacting when her beloved boyfriend she’s so intimate with is being talked about like that. 

 

But to her surprise and confusion, she was giggling mischievously like a child planning a prank.

 

"Aika... Is this okay?"

 

"Hm~? Of course~ They're free to fantasize after all~"

 

"Aren't you... Jealous?"

 

"Hm... I've been encouraging him to get a harem so being jealous now is a bit too late, right? And also... I know he'll always love me no matter what, so I don't feel insecure or jealous~!"

 

“...How about Erika?”

 

Aika cutely pouted her lips and tapped her chin with her finger as she looked up, thinking.

 

“Hm… She might be okay if it’s not just a random girl, though she might need time to accept it. Well, I don’t think it’d be a problem since Yuuji wouldn’t accept just any random girl~”

She winked playfully, stumping Miyuki who was now looking at her speechless.

 

"...Well, I… I’ll be supporting you tw-... you three."

 

"Uhn~ If you want any advice on how to seduce “you know who”, just come to me, okay~?"

 

“I-I don’t need your perverted advice!!!”

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

 

The next morning. 

 

Mayumi, Juumonji Kaito, and Mari gathered in one of the meeting rooms their school had reserved for their students to hold strategy meetings regarding the upcoming Nine Schools Competition. 

 

The room was quite large and spacious even with the rows and rows of tables and chairs, and a single long table at the front for the leader or leaders of the meeting, where they were currently seated.  

 

It was the room the three had been frequenting a lot since they arrived in this hotel for various discussions. But this morning, their presence was curiously requested by Yuuji, who was currently standing before them. 

 

“So? What did you call us for, in the morning? You must have some kind of reason to call the three of us here, right?”

 

Mari asked, crossing her arms, as they all looked at Yuuji with solemn expressions. 

 

“Yes, I believe it is urgent news that Juumonji-senpai, Watanabe-senpai, and Saegusa-senpai need to know.”

 

He had told Tatsuya about his decision to tell these three about his encounter last night and his reason for doing so, which he agreed to. Tatsuya also told Yuuji to tell them about the three infiltrators he and Mikihiko took down when he reported this to the three. 

 

Their eyes all sharpened at his words and they waited for him to continue. 

 

“Last night, during my walk outside in search of a breather, I sensed multiple hostile presence within the woods outside of our accommodation.”

 

Yuuji then proceeded to tell his encounter with the infiltrators as well as Tatsuya and Mikihiko’s encounter, while omitting his invisibility magic and his meeting with Captain Yanagi Muraji. 

 

And as he did, all of their eyes began to open wider and wider at the shocking revelation.

 

“What…? W-Why didn’t you tell us sooner, Yuuji-kun?”

“It was extremely late at night, Saegusa-senpai. And since they were completely and utterly silenced, I judged that the mastermind wouldn't enact any other acts of hostility before they could at least know what happened to their men.”

 

“B-But…”

 

Mayumi clenched her hands on her chest. Yuuji’s logic made sense. Even if he told them last night, they wouldn’t be able to do anything. 

 

But the fact that he was in danger last night made her heart tightened…

 

“Hah… You’re still as reckless as ever, huh?”

 

Mari shook her head tiredly and let out a sigh once again. 

 

“...Are they the same one as the one behind the car accident, Tsubakihara?”

“...I believe so, chairman Juumonji. Though, I have no evidence.”

 

“I see… Were you injured? Did you make sure that all of them had been silenced, Tsubakihara?”

 

“No, I am not injured. And yes, chairman Juumonji. I patrolled the woods around this hotel after leaving the bodies to the officials and found no other hostiles.”

 

“Mm…”

 

Juumonji took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a few moments, before turning his gaze to Yuuji again. 

 

“You did well. But next time, do not act on your own. Just like the terrorists from Blanche, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill you given how heavily they are armed.”

“Yes. I understand.”

 

“Good.”

 

Mari let out a heavy sigh once again and leaned back to her chair, tired. She couldn’t believe she’d received this kind of news this early in the morning.

 

“So? What are you planning on doing now that you’ve told us? Don’t tell me you’re going to go find their hideout and destroy them, right?

 

“No. We don’t know who we are dealing with right now, so all I wish is a rise in the level of security for the athletes. Especially during the events”

 

“The athletes?”

“Yes. Although we could not be sure what their aim was, we could assume it was related to the Nine Schools’ Competition or the nine schools themselves. And if their aim was our school, which was quite probable given the previous car accident, it would be best if we could increase the number of personnel guarding our athletes and engineers, as well as the CADs that will be used, during and outside of the events.”

 

“Mm… That makes sense. I’ll request the security detail of this event to lend us more guards. I’ll also tell the the athletes to be more careful and be on alert for dangerous individuals-”

 

“No, if possible, please keep this as much a secret as possible and simply increase the level of security around the athletes, Watanabe-senpai.”

 

“Hm? Why?”

 

“The enemies are slippery. If they knew that we'd become alerted to their presence, then it would be even more difficult to recognize and thwart their plans.”

 

“Nngh… That’s true…”

 

Mari stood up from her seat and turned towards Juumonji and Mayumi, who was still looking at Yuuji worriedly. 

 

“Alright. Then, are we going with this plan?”

 

“Mm. I agree with Tsubakihara’s suggestion. We’ll increase the security for our athletes and engineers without making much of a fuss. I wouldn’t want to chase those rats away before grabbing their tail.”

 

“Y-Yes. I think that would be the best option. But… How awful. Who would do such a thing to a competition between schools…?”

 

“...”

 

Yuuji kept his silence and chose not to reveal his knowledge to them. 

 

Because if they were to know, they would certainly be agitated, and their actions would be obvious. What they need now is subtlety as to not let the enemy know about what they know. 

 

Right now, Yuuji knows all the threats they’ll be facing during the competition. But if the enemy knew that they’re aware and actively thwarting their plan, they might change their plans into something Yuuji didn’t know of. And it might be even more dangerous than what they did in the anime.

 

If it came to that, it’d be even more difficult for him to predict what will happen and protect everyone.

 

“Alright. Then, I’ll begin my preparations. Mayumi, Juumonji, I will be counting on your help.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Of course, Mari.”

 

The three nodded to each other. 

 

“Then, we’ll continue our discussion about this some other time. But before that…”

 

She turned towards Yuuji and began walking towards him. 

 

And when she arrived right before him, she tiptoed and knocked his head with her knuckle.

 

“You little brat… I know you’re powerful, but how could you still be that reckless?! Taking on ten men armed with rifles, are you actually an idiot?! Hah?!”

 

More than the hit, Mari’s words shocked him speechless as he stared wordlessly at her with widened eyes.

 

“That’s right, Yuuji-kun! Even if you can restrain them with your magic, you never know if they could have some counter magic to defend against your spells!

 

Mayumi also slammed the table and rose to her feet. Her countenance filled with a mix of anger, worry, and anxiousness.

 

“I-I’m sorry…”

 

He mumbled, unable to find any other words to say. 

 

“Hah… Don’t do any reckless things like that ever again. What if you got injured? Even magicians aren’t invulnerable to bullets, you know?”

 

“Yes…”

 

Mari sighed and shook her head tiredly. This must be how it feels to have a little brother, she thought to herself.

 

“Hah… You can return now. Thank you for informing us.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Yuuji-kun.”

 

“Yes, president?”

 

Mayumi began walking around the table and moved towards him. And when she arrived in front of him, she began patting around his body.

 

“P-President?”

“Quiet. I need to check if you’re truly uninjured.”

 

Yuuji had no choice but to shut his mouth as Mayumi, despite her redly blushing face, continued to check his entire body for any sort of injuries. 

 

“...If you feel unwell, go to the medical bay. Understand?”

 

His lips curled into a soft smile at the concern Mayumi showed.

 

“Yes, president.”

 

“Good… Then you can go now.”

 

“Then, please excuse me.”

 

 

 

 

AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!

Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr.eon.com/verglasx ~!!