“So, in conclusion. The succubus is the more common feminine form of the incubus, both of which are known to be incredibly beautiful, and have the ability to charm and seduce humans before killing them. Keep in mind, while young men are often the most targeted by succubi, they are known to prey on people of all ages and genders, so don’t lower your guard.”

Ending out a particularly uncomfortable but necessary lesson in demonology, Mr Pierce rapped his knuckle on the desk - a particular habit of his for grabbing the attention of anyone who had begun to doze off in his explanations.

“Their features can vary but are most commonly a pointed spade tail, horns, bat wings and sometimes cloven hooves. Force of will is your greatest strength against their charm, but if that doesn’t work, make sure to face them in groups, and don’t isolate yourself. Others can snap you out of an induced stupor in a pinch.”

*Ring!*

“That’ll be it for today then. Hibiki, Yuuji, you two stay behind. Everyone else can go.”
“Ooh~! Someone’s in trouble~!”
“Shut up Mitra.”
“Aye, sir!”

Mitra gave an exaggerated salute as he laughed cheerfully, before waving them off and heading out with the others. After only a few moments, the once bustling classroom had only three figures remaining.

Yuuji gave a quizzical glance towards the girl sitting beside him, to which she returned a wide smile, her cheeks faintly red. He was the only one left out of the loop, it would seem.

“Of course, I’m not here to scold either of you. This has to do with Hibiki’s health checks.”
“...”

Yuuji raised an eyebrow once more, trying to scry some hidden details from their facial expressions. It wasn’t a sombre mood by any means, but he wasn’t a big fan of not knowing what would come next.

“Don’t give me that look. We aren’t going to share any of the specifics, it’s all confidential. I wanted you here because Dr Natsumi is going through the paperwork to give the green light for Hibiki to join expeditions.”
“...What?”

Yuuji’s eyes sharpened somewhat, and the girl beside him shrunk back slightly at his cold tone.

“You seem less enthusiastic than I expected. This is at her request, and I’m looking to approve it under one condition - you two look after each other in the field.”
“...”
“Yuuji… I want to help.”

Finally, Hibiki broke her silence. Her glossy lilac eyes bore into his soul, and the pure feelings behind her words shook his resolve.

Seeing this, Mr Pierce sighed, leaning back on his desk.

“This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. I have no intentions of sending anyone on missions I don’t believe they’re capable of.”
“...I see.”
“Do you? Because it looks to me like you still have your doubts.”
“...”

His silence spoke more than anything. Hibiki looked between them as an uneasy air hung in the vacant classroom - she had been excited for this moment at first, but the mood had soured, and she wasn’t sure what to do.

“You’re more than capable of taking on solo operations, but your teamwork leaves something to be desired. When I deem it appropriate, you’ll be entering the field together.”
“Understood.”
“Hibiki?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good. You are dismissed.”

Mr Pierce cracked a slight smile. The two newest students came with their own share of problems, but he was pleased to see the growth they’d shown in just a few months - one more than the other.

Yuuji and Hibiki gave a slight bow before gathering the last of their things and exiting the room.

******

“Yuuji-nii, you better look after Hibiki-nee!”
“Mmm~, don’t worry Mimi, Yuu is strong!”
“Yes! He’s super strong!”
“...That aside, how the hell did you two get in my room?”

Yuuji massaged his brows as he looked at the girls who had been lounging freely in his room while he was away.

Ayumi had taken a seat in the lap of his giant stuffed bear, her petite stature seeming fitting for her childish choice of cushion. Ji-Hye meanwhile, was sprawled out over a large bean bag, her glossy copper hair ruffled by her frighteningly bad posture.

“I came to see you after finishing for the day and it was already unlocked.”
“...Mmm. Me too.”
“Liar! I don’t even own a bean bag, you absolutely snuck in to take a nap!”
“The workshop is too noisy… so I had Pajeon override the electronic lock on your door.”
“That’s a total abuse of power and privacy!”

His cries were in vain, as Hibiki soon took a seat and chatted merrily with the home invaders as if it were entirely natural. Letting free a quiet sigh, he made himself a hot drink while dutifully ignoring the cries of ‘Yuu! Coffee!’ and perched on his bed.

“Hibiki-nee, are you sure you want to do this? Isn’t it scary?”
“Un! It’s a little scary… But I’ve made friends in class. I don’t want to let them fight alone.”

Hibiki smiled as she played with Pajeon, who had quickly snuggled into the folds of her pleated skirt and rolled around joyfully as she tickled his fluffy underbelly.

“Don’t worry~. Big sis Ji-Hye will look after you~! You can call me ‘Unnie’.”
“Big sis..?”
“Big sis…”
“Aren’t you more like a hopeless little sister?”
“Boo~! Yuu, you’re mean!”

She sulked, receding further into her bean bag cocoon as she pouted towards Yuuji. Pajeon raised his head to give a disapproving glare too, his loyalty to his master only slightly outweighing his love for being pampered.

If she maintained the diligent demeanour she showed while overseeing operations, the role would undoubtedly suit her. Unfortunately for them, even though she was a year older than Yuuji and Hibiki, she spent all of her free time messing around and playing games - often at the expense of the others in the room.

“I trust you… unnie.”
“Hehehe~”
“She really said it…”
“Hibiki-nee…”

Ji-Hye squirmed around in her seat looking pleased with herself, and Yuuji couldn’t help but feel she bore a similar cuteness to when Pajeon got attention of his own. Surely, this was where the loveable ferret got his habits from. When she finally stilled once more, her honey-brown eyes peeked out, and she blinked expectantly in Yuuji’s direction.

“I’m not calling you noona.”
“Boo~! Boo~!”

The sight caused Hibiki and Ayumi to giggle between themselves before the others joined in as well. It was a pleasant atmosphere, and Yuuji had long forgotten his wholly justified grievance with them sneaking in in the first place.

“So Hibiki-nee, what do you do in these health checks? I’m a little curious…”

Sensing a lull, Ayumi raised a point that Yuuji himself had been wondering about for a while too. It was private, so he didn’t want to ask, but that certainly didn’t mean he wasn’t interested.

“Umm… Aoi-san asks me things like, ‘How are you feeling?’ while inspecting my horns and eyes a lot.”
“That’s all? Ah, I didn’t need to worry then!”
“She also says ‘How far have you gone with Yuuji-kun~?’, like that!”
“-Pfft!”
“Wha-!”
“Ahh~”

Yuuji spat out his tea as he coughed and spluttered, while Ayumi leapt onto the bed with a red face.

“Curse you, Aoi-nee! I knew she’d be up to something!”
“Harassment… this is harassment…”
“Aoi-san gives me lots of advice! She can be a bit intimidating sometimes… but she knows a lot about romance!”

The Ishitake siblings held their heads in horror as they looked upon the innocent girl whose mind was being slowly poisoned. Ji-Hye, who found the whole thing very amusing, was chuckling sweetly at the side, silently watching the drama unfold.

“Tonight I’m going to give her a talking to!”
“Why am I always involved…? Give me a break…”
“Un, she says my ‘powers’ will guarantee I can get whoever I want in love. But I don’t think that’s the right way to go…”

Before he had a chance to think, Yuuji’s eyes drifted to the taut buttons atop Hibiki’s chest, which fought to contain her well-endowed figure. She had wide hips and a narrow waist too, with proportions surely worthy of being called ‘pow-

*THUMP*

“-Guah!?”
“Yuuji-nii!!”

A sharp kick pummelled his side, and he clutched his ribs with a groan as he rolled over in agony. Ayumi rested her hands on her hips with a *hmph!*, apathetic to his deserved punishment.

Glancing at the girl who meted out his just desserts, Yuuji wondered just what had happened to the gentle and quiet sister he wished to meet for all those years - as in her place was a vengeful hannya keen to keep him in check.

“Hnn? Ayumi-chan, what’s the matter?”
“Mimi~, don’t be too mean to him! It’s only natural!”
“You’re bad influences on him! This playboy behaviour will not be tolerated!”
“P-Playboy..?”

He mumbled through laboured breaths, but all his efforts did was return his sister’s wrathful gaze in his direction, so he quickly shut his mouth and looked away innocently.

Containing his woes, he sulked to himself as the girls chatted merrily in his room for hours.