Chapter 3: The Heart of the Special Ability Zone

Takanashi Sirou left the door of his room open while he fell asleep—he’d set the timer of his coffee maker to trigger that morning the night before.

There was thus no need for him to set an alarm—the wafting fragrance that would come upon the coffee’s completion would be an adequate replacement.

However, such a habitual process had its differences when someone else was living with him.

Sirou’s eyes fluttered open as he detected the scent of coffee that day, as usual. However—

“Um…Takanashi-kun, are you awake?”

Someone called out to him, wondering if he was still asleep—Yui was checking on Sirou from the entrance of his bedroom as he remained inside.

“I’m awake. Good morning, Chairwoman. Sleep well last night?”

“Y-Yeah, I did, thanks to you. I appreciate the thought,” She replied, nodding as her cheeks took on a mild hint of red, perhaps due to the fact that Sirou was half naked at the moment. He lightly smiled in response as Yui then changed the subject.

“Um, Takanashi-kun…your coffee’s ready, but…are you going to drink it on your bed?” She asked.

Sirou carefully administered Yui’s question; he would usually head into the living room and drink it on the sofa, but—

“That’s right. I suppose if you want to enter, though, Chariwoman, perhaps I could drink it here?”

“I understand. Please wait just a moment; I’ll go get it for you now.”

“I made enough for two, so please, do have some too, Chairwoman,” Sirou called out to Yui as she left the room with her back turned away from him.

“Thank you…I’m much obliged,” She replied from the kitchen, and before long, she returned to the room holding a mug in each of her hands, her bare feet walking across the wooden flooring as she reached the bed Sirou was on.

“Here, Takanashi-kun,” She said, handing over one of the mugs, and Sirou gave his thanks as he collected the mug meant for him, the fragrance of the coffee wafting from it.

“Well then, I—” Yui began, preparing to leave the room.

“Perhaps we should share it together. It tastes really good, after all. Besides, I believe it’s for the best that we learn to properly communicate with one another as we slowly get used to living under the same roof, yes?”

Yui paused momentarily at his suggestion.

“Yes, that’s true…well, if you’ll excuse me, then,” Yui then sat down on the bed next to Sirou, and the two began to drink their coffee together.

…Now this is pretty nice, Sirou thought, eyeing the adorable sight of Yui sipping her coffee with her hands holding her mug.

The way the morning sunshine slit through the window and through the filters of the lace curtains and gently shone upon Yui brought out the lines of her limbs as she stood wearing his shirt in place of pajamas; Sirou secretly admired how a girl wearing only a dress shirt made for a really captivating sight.

It all started when she was known as an outstanding student with the moniker of “A Once-in-a-millennium Chairwoman”.

Kōsaki Yui became a famous individual—chances were that the average person at school knew about her.

However, Sirou was likely the only one that knew the other side of her—the coquettish side of Yui that laid bare her intoxication from her own lustful instincts, such that she almost seemed like a different person entirely—back at the safehouse.

That alone suggested that Yui herself had been innocently unaware that she had this side of her all along.

As Sirou delved into the thought that he was the only one who had the luxury of seeing Yui’s true self—

“…—What is it, Takanashi-kun?” Perhaps having noticed him staring at her, Yui brushed aside a lock of hair on her ear, staring at him attentively. The way she was looking at him with her upturned eyes and at such close range possessed quite an ample amount of destructive power.

“If I may, Chairwoman…it’s best you don’t make a face like that around others. It’s quite dangerous.”

“Hmm…? I don’t really get what you mean if you’re going to put it like that, Takanashi-kun…” As Yui decided to brush off the thought despite her puzzlement, Sirou finished his mug of morning coffee. He then stood up from the bed, and—

“Wait. Please, let me clean that up. If you’re alright with it, I’d like to clean up the room and do the laundry afterwards, too.”

“Hmm? Are you saying that something’s bothering you?”

“Oh no. It’s just…I know cleaning up alone may not mean much, but…given that you’re already taking such good care of me, I thought that I’d least do the housework in return.”

There was no need for her to mind such things at all…they were simply living together momentarily.

Nevertheless, perhaps it was best to grant her such a request if she felt guilty about doing nothing during her stay.

“I see…I’ll leave it to you, then,”

“Alright. Please do let me know if there’s anything else you’d like me to do.”

Sirou handed her his empty mug, and Yui let out a delighted smile in return as she returned to the kitchen. He then went into the living room as he watched her move into the kitchen, withdrawing his mobile device. Sitting on the sofa, he then activated it from its sleep mode and began to carefully examine the new intel he’d received.

After scrolling through seemingly countless messages, he finally stumbled upon a particular piece of intel he’d received from someone from a particular organization.

It was related to the Pinky Promise Case.

“…So that’s how it is, huh.” He murmured as he finished reading the new intel he’d received, understanding the situation.

“Is something the matter…?” Yui asked, having arrived after she finished washing the dishes.

“Yes. I’m about to head out in a bit, and I was wondering if you are willing to come with me,” Sirou said, with a smile.

“I want to show you around—give you a glimpse of just what kind of a city Neo Kichijōji is.”

Part 2

Kichijōji City was the world’s first officially sanctioned supernatural ability city.

The designated area where supernatural abilities could be used within its vicinity was a grand magnification of the original Kichijōji City, with its effective range spanning a four-kilometre radius around Inokashira Park—this encompassed the four cities within it which included Musashino, Mikata, Nishitokyo and Chofu, as well as the three wards within its range: Suginami, Setagaya and Nerima.

Such an arrangement meant that were changes in the names of several regions and stations, and with it also the means for transportation around the city; Nishi-Ogukibo Station and Mikata Station, that made the west-most and east-most stations surrounding the supernatural ability city, were renamed to West Kichijōji Station and East Kichijōji Station, respectively.

The Inokashira line, which initially ended at Kichijōji, was extended toward the north; the New Kichijōji Station was built at the end of the line, a station that provided a monorail that could be directly accessed from the Inokashira line via automated train track switches.

Even the station buildings in the city had been upgraded on a large scale, having been remodelled into high-rise buildings dubbed the Kichijōji Eight.

This caused many people outside of the supernatural ability zone to visit the city, and there had also been a massive influx of foreign tourists in the city since the implementation. They had become such prominent landmarks that they were even incorporated into the everyday slang of the people, who nicknamed the Kichijōji Eight “Keito” or “Keito” (ケイト and 毛糸, which translates to yarn in JP with the same pronunciation) after the logos of the buildings that had been designed with the letters “KEIGHT” on them.

Kōsaki Yui was currently following Sirou into the northern entrance of the New Kichijōji Station.

“What an amazing amount of people…” She exclaimed, in awe of the massive wave of people going back and forth even on an everyday morning.

“I suppose. Though this isn’t exactly the place to start if I am to introduce you to Neo Kichijōji. I simply thought it would be best that I first briefed you on the places we’d be visiting today before we start going around the city, Chairwoman.”

Although it was similar to Shinjuku’s Kabukicho in that it was an entertainment district, Neo Kichijōji was different in that it was not eponymously named; Neo Kichijōji was a name that originated from the remarkable development of the entertainment districts surrounding New Kichijōji Station.

That said, many enterprising companies and research institutes did not relocate to venues surrounding the station, but instead farther away toward the four cardinal directions; this caused the composition of the city to be afflicted with the doughnut effect (an effect where the city centre becomes hollow as business and more enterprising activities distance itself from the middle of the city).

“By the way, Chairwoman, are you hungry?”

“Yeah, I suppose…” Yui nodded. Having left Sirou’s home after sharing coffee with him in his room, she hadn’t exactly taken a proper breakfast.

“Let’s go have something light to fill us up, then. The best bakery in the city just happens to be nearby,” Sirou said with a smile, and he then took her to a queue that ended at the bus roundabout.

The queue led up to stall that was set up within a trailer; display cases were set up in its rear space, within them a diverse assortment of baked goods including everyday loaves of bread, French bread, Sozai bread (a category of bread that uses miscellaneous toppings on top of the base pastry, such as cheese bread and sausage bread) and pastries. Additionally, the trailer seemed to sell freshly prepared sandwiches of which customers could order bread and ingredients of their choosing on the spot.

The light fragrance of baked wheat wafted in the air, a telltale sign that the bread that was being sold there was definitely as delicious as it smelled.

A total of five staff members were operating the business within the vehicle, with two being in charge of accounting while three others were responsible for preparing the sandwiches. A series of foldable tables and seats were prepared beside the trailer, and one could see a beautiful female staff member serving freshly made sandwiches and beverages with a bright smile on her face.

It was this particular staff member that Sirou approached as she returned to the trailer after she finished serving her portion of orders.

“Morning, Asumi. Things look delicious today too, I see,” He said, greeting her.

“Sirou! To what do I owe the pleasure? It’s rare to see you up and about at a time like this,” Noticing her unusual customer, the woman approached him with a smile that signified that she was genuinely pleased at his arrival.

She then noticed Yui directly behind him, her interest piqued.

“Hmm…skipping school to take such a lovely girl out on a date, now, are we?” The girl whom Sirou called Asumi wore a malicious smile on her face as she said so.

The sudden mention of “date” meant that Yui could flush red and lower her head to greet her.

“This is Kōsaki Yui-san. She’s a guest that the Hungry Wolf Brigade’s taking care of for the time being. I wanted to show her around Neo Kichijōji today, and I figured I’d start with introducing her to the abode of the best bread seller in the city.”

“Ahahaha, oh, you do flatter me,” Asumi’s smile spread across her face at Sirou’s praise. “Well, what’ll it be? The usual, I take it?”

“Yeah. Though I’d like to have another serving for her as well, if you would?”

Confirming his order, Asumi then received two folded thousand-yen bills from Sirou.

“Understood. Well, please take your seats over there and wait for your order to arrive,” Asumi said, gesturing them towards one of the empty tables before returning to the stall within the trailer. She then seemed to tell the staff members inside something before she began to work with her own hands in the kitchen.

She held a serious, completely different expression when speaking to her colleagues, one that was befitting of her role as a vendor of her craft,  

“When you mentioned the best bread seller in the city, did you mean…?”

“Yup, that would be Asumi. I don’t know a single boulangerie that’s better than hers.”

They didn’t wait at their seats for too long, as Asumi soon returned with a tray in her hands.

“Alright, here’s your order! Two BLT sandwich sets, ready to go!”

Two sets of sandwiches made from French bread with a side of onion soup were served on the table; the scent of freshly baked bread wafted in the air. A generous portion of vivid vegetables was stuffed between the cavity of the loaf that had been partially sliced on the side, and strips of bacon were sticking out from the cavity as well.

The stunning presentation could cause the irresistible urge to take a picture.

“Wow…”

“It makes me happy that you’re surprised at how they turned out. Oh, but Yui-chan? I’d advise you to be careful.”

Naturally, the food was still hot given that it was freshly made. However, Asumi instead placed her lips near Yui’s ear, whispering:

“That Sirou’s known for being the Walking Dick for a reason. Let your guard down around him and you’ll suddenly find yourself on a bed before you know it and he’ll strip your underwear off you.”

“…!”

Her warning had already been far too late by then, though it still managed to cause Yui to glow a bright red.

“Now that’s just harsh, Asumi. Why don’t you come over here for a little while and let me prove to you that what you said isn’t the case?”

“Hehe, oh, not now…I’m still at work, you know. If you’d like to strip me, perhaps you can wait until after we’re closed.”

Asumi’s response to Sirou’s attempt to make light banter was another smile—a coquettish smile.

“Well, please enjoy your food. I hope we meet again, Yui-chan.” The last smile that Yui saw was a genuinely bright smile before Asumi went back to work. She then stared at Sirou’s profile, who sent Asumi off as she wore the same smile.

“Takanashi-kun…you really are a perverted person, aren’t you?” Yui let out a sigh, and she then took her first bite of the cooled sandwiches Asumi had served them.

“…! This is great!” She exclaimed, surprised and impressed at what she was experiencing. Sirou smiled, replying with “Right?” before taking a bite off his own serving of sandwiches.

The crust of many types of French bread was difficult to bite and chew into due to their unique thickness and hardness, even those in places such as Paris.

However, the French bread that Asumi’s stall was selling was easy on the mouth, and the texture of the bread was pleasant to bite into. The vegetables of the sandwich—quintessentially based on lettuce and tomato—were as fresh as they could be, and the dressing and Parmesan cheese were robust without any excessively rich aftertaste, not overpowering the delicate taste of the vegetables.

With the acidity came the slightly salty umami flavor of the bacon; a sheet of lettuce divided a thin, crispy layer from another thick, juicy layer, and biting into the two different textures and flavors together sent a delight spreading through their taste buds.

…But above all…

There was the amazing fact that the bread itself was not inferior in quality to the excellent ingredients within the sandwich; nevertheless, perhaps whether or not such a statement was apt due to the slightly strong taste of wheat in the bread was questionable. 

Chewing into the sandwich, she knew that the clear star was neither the vegetables nor the bacon served, but the bread.

“The other breads they sell here all taste great too, so you could come over again and get some more during morning opening hours when you have the chance. Some of the stuff is only available during morning hours, anyway, and they’re really popular among the folks here, so I guess you’d have to wake up early if you want any.”

Yui nodded wholeheartedly in response to Sirou’s statement.

The sandwiches and onion soup had been exquisite, such that the two had couldn’t help but let out elated sighs with every mouthful.

After satisfying not only their stomachs but also their hearts, the duo’s real tour around Neo Kichijōji had begun.

Having offered to be her guide for the day, Sirou had taken Yui to visit various places and shops all over the city.

The two visited a VR hammock café that provided one with the experience of floating in outer space; they were astonished by the collection of frog-based items assembled from all over the world in a particular specialist shop. They’d enjoyed music and coffee together at a coffee house with massive speakers at its counters; they had watched in awe the magnificent works of art on the walls of massive buildings. They’d licked their lips upon helping themselves to a famous menchikatsu (a Japanese based cake of minced meat) they had to line up for in a long-standing butcher’s shop; and they’d visited an animal café where the adorable animals present were soothing to the heart.

All the places Sirou had brought Yui to had a particular similarity; women that Sirou was acquainted with were always present within every spot and venue, and the ratio of beautiful women and cute girls near his age was surprisingly high. What caught her attention was that said girls paid more attention to Sirou himself rather than the Hungry Wolf Brigade—it was as if all the rumors about said brigade being the strongest among Neo Kichijōji were false and nothing more.

…I’m sure of it.

Sirou and the rest of the members must’ve garnered the trust of many around Neo Kichijōji.

Still, the thought itself spurred another question within her mind as they walked opposite a department store.

“Hey, Takanashi-kun…is the Hungry Wolf Brigade famous among Neo Kichijōji?”

“Well, I suppose that’s how most people that do know of us think of us…but why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering why none of the teachers and students know that there are members of the Hungry Wolf Brigade at school if the brigade is as famous as you say.”

Many faces were up and about in the city, and there was the possibility of information related to him being leaked out one way or another.

Surely people were bound to recognize him as he walked around the streets like this.

“Ah, it’s because of this mark, you see,” Sirou clarified. “The Mark of Sin now activates along with the magic that our brigade leader’s imbued into it. Bar direct conversation, the only people who can harbor concern or interest in us as such members are people who already know us or people who possess supernatural abilities of a particular level. Otherwise, any others outside of these conditions are limited by a recognition mechanism, meaning they won’t really have any business with us,” Sirou said, “We’re technically forced to reveal our names and appearances to other organizations as far as affairs relating to the Hungry Wolf Brigade are involved, but it’s actually really inconvenient for us to reveal our history beyond what’s necessary, regardless of who it may be.”

“I see…but what about Midou-kun’s popularity with all the girls at school, then? Does that mean…”

“Yeah. This also applies to situations such as when we make agreements with other organizations. We don’t apply this ability in schools, hospitals, or any other public facilities. That being said, the recognition mechanism is dispelled while we’re at school.”

“So that’s how the Mark of Sin operates…if it really does work as you’ve described, Takanashi-kun, Ogami-san is truly an amazing person, isn’t she?”

“That can be interpreted in more ways than one, actually…”

Yui let out a giggle as she eyed the way Sirou peculiarly sighed as he made that statement, and a thought surfaced within her mind.

…What was the last time that I’d…?

The last time she’d been able to smile so freely like this.

Yui had always been alone ever since her mother passed away; of course, she’d had her moments where she’d managed to smile while being around her classmates—though she had simply been considerate, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere that came with being around them.

It was neither truth nor lie—having lost her everyday life due to the Kagurazaka family, Yui had forgotten what it felt like to smile properly—how to smile properly.

…Even so…

She had genuinely enjoyed the time she’d spent by Sirou’s side, even though it had been the first time she was spending time alone with another guy.

…And he’d also made a mess of me.

Even though he’d done such obscene things to her—with her. 

Yui let out a small, wry smile at the fact that she was going on her first date with someone.

“…”

Takanashi Sirou. An otherwise normal classmate that simply held a slight bit of her interest—at least, up until the day before yesterday.

Things were different since then.

A series of events unfolded that led Yui to kiss him, and she’d even had many things done to her by his hand—much more extreme things.

And things could only continue to get more extreme as she continued to spend time with him, more extreme than even what happened yesterday.

What exactly would she do when such a situation were to arrive? She did not know the answer.

However, and for now…she simply wanted to enjoy the moment where she was walking by Sirou’s side, watching him. And as such as thought entered her mind—

“—Don’t get so full of yourself, you damn brat!”

A throat, angry voice of a man echoed from the opposite side of the road.

Part 3

Sirou eyed the slight commotion that was unfolding in the street ahead of him; it seemed to be unfolding near a series of coffee houses that was commonly used as meet-up spots.

Customers within an open terrace deck appeared to be running for their lives; the reason being the group of men in black suits that were surrounding a young man sitting on one of the tables provided at said terrace deck.

Two among the three men were armed with pistols, holding the young man at gunpoint.

“Takanashi-kun…”

“It’s alright. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Noticing Yui’s worry, Sirou put her arm around her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. His gaze then returned to the young man who was being threatened by the men with pistols.

“…Don’t get full of yourself? That’s something I should be saying, don’t you think?” The young man said, remaining seated on the terrace as he glared at the gangsters surrounding him.

The young man appeared to be a high school student; he was dressed roughly, wearing a draped turtleneck sweater with a military vest on top of it, along with loose cargo pants and a pair of sneakers.

Above all, the broad, trademark headband he wore on his head stood out.

The young man appeared to be irritated as he slammed his right index finger on top of the table, causing a knocking sound.

“This turf belongs to our boss. It’s you guys that suddenly decided to walk in and act on your own without notice, and I only told you lot to cut it out.”

Moreover—

“You didn’t even consult our boss when you decided to drop by for information. You think we’re just going to keep our mouths shut over such a damn uncourteous act?”

“We can’t leave a place like this to you young’uns. That’s why we’re here on an official business trip.”

“We can earn ten times more than you lot working out here than what you and your lousy group’s doing,” The young man laughed scornfully.

“The President’s really gone senile leaving this city to a damn brat like Katagiri,” It was the man in the red suit who sat opposite the young boy who spoke, spitting as he did; he appeared to be the leader of the group.

“Hey…”

The boy slowly stood up, realizing that he was now in danger; suddenly, the sound of two gunshots rang across the vicinity.

The two armed yakuza had fired at the boy without warning.

“———!?”

They were the ones who’d ended up being astonished, however—their target had disappeared right before their very eyes.

Another young man had suddenly appeared in mid-air behind the man who stood on the right; initiating a roundhouse kick, the attack knocked the man on the side of his head.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!?”

The man was blown away as he tumbled on the deck and mowed over a series of tables and chairs, finally crashing onto a power pole and passing out.

“Tch, this brat…!”

Noticing this, the man who had stood on the left immediately fired with his gun; it was an apt decision, given that he knew he was dealing with a supernatural ability user—and there was no need for any flashy supernatural abilities to kill.

None of the bullets the man on the left fired managed to hit the young man, though; having disappeared from the gun’s line of fire, he suddenly appeared in a crouching position beneath the armed man.

Initiating a backward somersault, he then kicked the man’s chin from directly below him.

“Gah!?”

The man was sent flying into the air, flinching backwards as his jaw was smashed upward forcefully, knocking out teeth in the process; with the two servient men subdued, only the leader remained.

However—

“Hah! You fool!”

Withdrawing a gun from his pocket, the yakuza leader smiled as he aimed at the young man who was leaping backward in a slanting motion in mid-air. It would be impossible for him to move fast enough to dodge.

The leader relentlessly fired at him. The bullets would strike him on the temple—or so he thought.

“Wha—!”

The fired bullets only struck the wall of the coffee house.

“Ah, yes, a fool indeed—you are, that is.”

There was a cold voice, and the young man suddenly appeared in mid-air where the man’s neck was, clasping the man’s head between his legs; twisting his body in a slanting, swirling motion, he slammed the tip of the leader’s hand onto the deck with a deafening crash.

The man’s head pierced through and got stuck within the wooden floor; the last movement of his unsightly state ended with a moment’s twitching.

“Geez. And they happened to drop by the day before yesterday, too. Humph.”

As the young man stood up and straightened himself, Sirou suddenly called out to him from behind.

“Hey, Chintama. I suppose I should give you props for holding your ground.”

“Huh!? Who exactly are you calling Chintama…wait, Sirou-san!?”

“Oh my. What’s the matter, Chintama. You look like you’ve just seen a monster.”

“Well, you are a monster, aren’t you!” The young man cried, shakily pointing his finger at Sirou.

“Now that’s just sad. Despite how things are, I still am like an older brother to you, you know.”

“I…please don’t talk about our sacred oath of sake exchange as some cheap ritual or something! Even then, didn’t you exchange your cups with that Katagiri-aniki (aniki usually signifies an older man, but not necessarily brother by blood) instead of me?”

“And Kyousuke’s like an older brother to you, now, isn’t he? Then that makes us much like brothers as well, just as I’ve said, Chintama.”

“Taknashi-kun…do you know this person?”

Sirou nodded in reply toward her question, placing his arm around the young man’s shoulder.

“This is Chintama, one of the yakuza within the supernatural ability zone. And as you can see, we get along quite well.”

“Hey, who let you introduce us on your own accord like that!?” As he cried out in protest, his gaze suddenly turned toward Yui.

“Um…Chintama…?”

“His real name’s Chindou Tamaki. I just call him Chintama for short. It’s good that we managed to meet up here, though. I was actually planning to head over to your group’s office.”

“Huh…you want to head over to our place, Sirou?”

“You don’t seem too happy about it. I just want to have a word with Kyousuke, that’s all.”

“Our boss? If I remember correctly, he was supposed to be present at the office today, but…what do you want?”

“I actually have a few things I’d like to confirm about the Pinky Promise Case,” Sirou’s voice then took on a more composed tone after that statement. “And I was wondering if I could have an official meeting—not with him alone, but with the rest of the organization as well.”

Part 4

The name of a particular yakuza alliance held the power to shake the entirety of Japan—The Rokugami (Six Gods) Group, its headquarters established in the Minato Ward within the metropolis.

Led by President Ise Ryuji, its executives comprised the leaders of various other yakuza groups, including the Atsuta Group, the Ishigami Group, the Kunikakasu Group, the Hikokuma Group, the Kashima Group and the Katori Group.

A segment of the Rokugami Group—the Kashima Group—was entrusted with the affairs within Neo Kichijōji, its office on one of the highest floors of one of the newer buildings a stone’s throw away from Neo Kichijōji station.

The heavily furnished floor suggested that the place was involved in an IT business, and Sirou smiled as he sat down beside Yui on one of the sofas provided within its spacious reception office.

“Sorry about that, Kyousuke…I didn’t want to take up your time while you’re so busy. I imagine you were busy with a conference or something.”

“I was, but…business with you takes priority, of course,” The one who replied to him in a low voice was a young man dressed in a business suit, sitting on the sofa opposite Sirou, a table present between them.

The man was tall, and gave the impression of being listless; his curly hair that naturally fettered near the back was clear of any roughness or messiness, and the entirety of his suit and vest, from the dress shirt, necktie and even his shoes, was of a top-grade brand.

His neat features and tall, slender figure would cause one to assume that he was a model from a foreign agency.

He was Katagiri Kyousuke—a man approximately in his twenties, he was now the young boss of the Kashima group, having succeeded the title from the previous boss due to old age. The Katagiri family was also considered to be at the top among the yakuza within the supernatural ability zone.

Sirou had once consulted Katagiri on a particular matter and had joined forces with him to solve it—an incident that led to them sharing a personal, brotherly allegiance over exchanged sake cups (exchanging sake cups is like a traditional ritual that signifies good relation among yakuza).

“I heard from him that you wanted to discuss the Pinky Promise Case, but…who’s this girl?” Katagiri asked, momentarily glancing at Douchin who was standing by behind him.

“Pardon the late introduction. Allow me to introduce Kōsaki Yui-san. She’s a guest that our group’s currently looking after.”

“Hello…it’s nice to meet you,” Unaware of the reason why she was present herself, Yui could only lower her yet awkwardly in response.

“She has no business listening in to our affairs if she’s merely a guest. What are you planning?”

“I did say she was merely a guest, yes…” Sirou said, “But the girl’s also a potential new member of our brigade.”

“Huh…are you serious about that?” Douchin, who had been silent up until that moment, suddenly exclaimed that in surprise.

All members of the Hungry Wolf Brigade were factored under their senior leadership; even a new member was allowed information of any kind related to the brigade, and Katagiri himself was no exception.

“I see…so you’re providing an introduction. And what of this news?”

“Let it spread—I don’t mind it at all. I’ve already taken her around Neo Kichijōji this morning, after all.”

The recent guest of the Hungry Wolf Brigade was also a potential new member—the fact that such news could be spread around to ensure Yui’s safety within Neo Kichijōji was a testament to the strength and influence the brigade possessed.  

Mika, the brigade leader, had told Sirou to take her throughout the streets for that very reason.

“I understand…now, let’s move onto our real business, shall we?”

The moment Katagiri said so, a series of digital images appeared on the screen fixed upon the white wall of the reception office. Each of them was the picture of a young man, a foreigner who appeared to be from the west.

“Antonio Fabbroni—the eldest son of the boss of the Fabbroni Union, a mafia organization based in Europe. The Union has plans to expand into Neo Kichijōji, and so he’d arrived in Japan with an intelligence group dispatched here. While in his home country, he appears to be a man who uses his position as the next heir to do as he pleases.”

The pictures of the man displayed one by one on the screen depicted him as someone who was rather ill-mannered.

“A self-proclaimed womanizer, he indiscriminately kidnaps local and foreign women alike and uses them as sex slaves, selling any women he gets tired of on the dark web. I imagine he’s trying to play the same game even as he’s arrived here.”

“The only thing is that he can’t really establish a network of slave trade unlike back in his homeland. That’s why he just cuts off the pinkies of women he’s had his fill and murders them instead.”

“So, this man is—” Yui gasped, looking toward Sirou.

“Yup,” Sirou nodded. “That’s the guy—the criminal of the Pinky Promise Case.”

All eyes suddenly darted to the young man on the screen at Sirou’s statement.

“That bastard…so where exactly is this piece of shit right now!?”

“The European Embassy. It seems he arrived in Neo Kichijōji by travelling incognito in the middle of the night. And it seems that his favorite spot is a club hosted by the Aqua Resort, the Heaven’s Ocean Club, which he went to last year.”

“The idiot’s got extremely poor taste for a choice of sex parlors, I’ll tell you that. He pretty much sings the praises about some night pools being paradise.”

“At any rate, it seems his father is quite close with a government official of the Union…”

A picture of Antonio boarding a black automobile appeared on the display at Sirou’s words; another window opened that magnified the image to display the car plate on the vehicle.

The white font and blue background indicated that it was a diplomatic number.

“As you can see, he seems to possess diplomatic immunity, so the local police force can’t really lay a finger on him,” Sirou sighed, but he quickly recovered and smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Though that has nothing to do with us, now, does it?”

It didn’t matter that the police could not intervene; it didn’t matter that the case might evolve into an international incident.

The Hungry Wolf Brigade would not tolerate a murderer who lures girls to satisfying their own sadistic desires in their city.

Such a parasite needed to be squashed. 

“However, we did happen to receive fresh intel this morning. It seems that there’s a group providing Antonio Fabbroni with all the playgrounds and women he wants within Neo Kichijōji.”

Saying that, Sirou presented his mobile device displaying a certain picture on the LCD—it was a picture of middle-aged Japanese man in a suit beside Antonio Fabbroni.

It was a figure Katagiri recognized, and he clicked his tongue in irritation upon seeing the image.

“Atsuta’s old man…so that’s how it is.”

“I heard that the main house is beginning to operate its own private business within Neo Kichijōji without notice…”

“That means the quarrel I had earlier when I met Sirou was with guys from the Atsuta Group! Those bastards…” Douchin cried, seething with anger.

“The Atsuta group used to have the best influence among the Rokugami group…though that all changed when we were assigned to operate within Neo Kichijōji,” Katagiri said. “Although they still occupy a substantial territory, they seem to be worried about their standing, and their voice has since been reduced to being third among the six groups. Meanwhile, they seem to be brazenly marching into Neo Kichijōji, seemingly not caring about our presence here and putting their unwanted noses on affairs here and there as of recent…”

“They intend to join forces with Fabbroni and take Neo Kichijōji by storm,” Sirou said.

Good grief.

“In any case, the Pinky Promise Case will be officially settled by the Hungry Wolf Brigade. I personally don’t intend to neglect this incident either.”

However—

“Kyousuke and I have already exchanged sake cups with one another, albeit informally. If we make a move now, though, there’s a chance that the Atsuta Group will report the disobedience of the Kashima Group toward the Rokugami Group due to forging an alliance with a foreign organization. That’s something I admittedly don’t know how to handle.”

“…I don’t mind.”

There was no wavering in the boss of the Kashima Group as he made his verdict.

“We’re not putting up with the bullshit that Atsuta Group’s throwing at us. More importantly, it’s not good for us or the city that we’d kneel to a group infested by the whims of some spoiled mafia heir.”

A cold smile appeared on his face as he completed his sentence.

“That makes things easier, then. I was intending to strike at dusk with Renya with me, but…are you alright with that?”

“Yeah,” Katagiri nodded. “Leave the Atsuta group to us. Their office is outside of the supernatural ability zone.”

And in addition—

“This is an affair within our circle. It’s only natural that we’d want to take matters into our own hands.”

Part 5

After leaving the Kashima office, Yui followed Sirou to another particular venue—a white fashion-focused mall located northwest of the station.

Many high-grades were offered there that were different to those sold around the Kichijōji Eight, primarily catering to customers in their teens.

Evening had already arrived for that weekday, and many youths were already flooding the main entrance.

“…As I thought, we really shouldn’t do this, Takanashi-kun.” Yui said, her tone hesitant. They had arrived at the building to purchase temporary clothes for Yui, but Yui had brought nothing with her when she fled from the Kagurazaka household.

That said, Sirou was going to be one paying for all of the expenses.

“What are you saying now after coming so far? You currently only have your uniform as well as whatever Mikoto’s prepared for you. It’d be troublesome from tomorrow onward, now, wouldn’t it?”

“Still…I’m already troubling you so much even while I’m staying at your place, so…”

“Well, you could simply concentrate on doing the housework for me in exchange, and if you’re still unsatisfied with that, you could always return the money to me after you’ve managed to earn some of your own.”

And while he was at it—

“The truth is, I actually have a bit of an appointment, and I happen to be a little late already. If you still don’t insist on buying some new clothes, I would’ve asked her to come here for nothing, and that wouldn’t be nice, now would it?”

 “You’ve asked someone over?”

But who? Yui wondered, and as if to answer her question almost immediately—

“Jeez, you’re late, Sirou. I was about to give you a call.”

An unsatisfied voice suddenly called out to them, and Yui turned around to see that Rin was standing there. Having properly gone to school that day, unlike Yui and Sirou, she was wearing the Seikei Middle School uniform rather than her usual maid outfit.

“Rin-chan…? I guess I’ll go with you, then.”

“Best to leave it to another girl to guide you around stores like these, I thought. That’s why I’ve asked Rin for her help.”

“I see…I’m sorry that you had to come all this way just for me, Rin-chan.”

“Oh, no worries. I had something I wanted to check out myself anyway, so please don’t mind it at all.”

“For the time being, I suppose it’d be best to help her pick a change of new clothes that she can put on now?”

“Fair enough. Oh, and if the chairwoman happens to have any lingering odd reservations on the matter, you can simply select clothes for her based on your own sense, Rin. And if she still happens to be so hesitant even after that, I suppose you could ask Mikoto over and give her free reign over the chairwoman’s choice of clothing.”

“I know you can be nice, Takanashi-kun…but you also a little mean sometimes, aren’t you?” Yui pouted. Sirou had seen right through her and had cut off any means of retort.

“You think so? I really don’t think of it that way.”

“Yup—he’s not like that at all in the slightest,” Rin stared at Sirou as he played dumb on the situation, and she suddenly remembered something she needed to tell him. “Ah, by the way, Sirou…I have a message from our leader for you. She asked me to tell you to bring Yui along when you’re settling the Pinky Promise Case tonight.”

“Huh? But why did she suggest something like that…?”

“I mean, the club you’re targeting is quite well known, isn’t it? If you and Renya attempt to walk into the club as just two guys like that, don’t you think it’s likely that you’ll be denied entry? You wouldn’t want to go through the inconvenience of forcing your way in now, would you?”

“It’ll be fine if Yui goes with the two of you. Antonio Fabbroni seems to have an unrivalled love for women and has his own particular fetishes, so we could always buy a nice-looking swimsuit to go along with her new clothes.”

And while she was at it—

“Our leader seems to be intent on recruiting Yui into the brigade. It’s just that she also knows that Yui will have to get exposed to the uglier side of things around the city if she does end up joining us, and she so thinks this would be a good opportunity to demonstrate the extents of it all and make her choice based on how comfortable she is with what she’s exposed to. Of course, she did happen to say that ‘she’ll respect her final decision’.”

“Goodness me. …It seems our brigade leader’s asking something quite forceful of us.”

Ah…

Yui stared at Sirou’s profile from her position; he appeared to be exasperated by the news. She couldn’t resist a gulp as he saw Sirou’s frigid gaze, a contrast to the composed tone he maintained as he continued speaking. 

“…Hey, Rin. Is our leader still at the hideout?”

“I think so. She didn’t seem to be busy with any affairs today.”

“I see. Well, can I leave the chairwoman to you for the time being? You can put the bill on the brigade’s credit card. You can buy whatever you want while you’re at it, Rin.”

“Alright. The two of us will go around and buy all sorts of things, then,” Rin nodded, letting out a sigh.

“Um, Takanashi-kun…” Yui murmured hesitantly as she watched their exchange, but she was met with an apologetic smile by Sirou, his brows furrowed.

“I’m sorry, Chairwoman. But I really must get going.”

Sirou then left the two of them behind as he walked toward the station; Yui could only watch on as he disappeared amidst the crowd with his back facing her.

“I know you’re worried, but it’ll be alright. Sirou knows more than anyone that our brigade leader isn’t someone that would give an order like that without thinking things through. He’s just going to ask her about her rationale behind it.”

“…That’s good to know. Still, does that mean Takanashi-kun joined the Hungry Wolf Brigade because he understands the brigade leader more than anyone?”

“That’s right. It’s notable that the two of them already knew each other before the brigade was even established.”

“I see…”

The relationship between the number one and number two members of the Hungry Wolf Brigade—the relationship between the brigade leader and a senior leader—was extremely valuable to the group as well as the select few organizations related to the brigade. She didn’t want to inconvenience Sirou and the others even further by being the cause of a conflict that was threatening their professional relationship.

“…You’re afraid, aren’t you?” Rin asked, worried. She knew it was natural for Yui to feel that way after knowing that she would be accompanying Sirou and Renya to settle the Pinky Promise Case.

“A little. But I do feel that I need to help the two of them out and be useful if I’m going to come along with them afterwards…I really feel the need to,” She expressed her honest feelings on the matter, “Still…I wonder if I’ll only end up hindering Takanashi-kun if I go along with him.”

“Everything will be fine. After all, Sirou’s going to be working together with Renya. I guaranteed it,” Rin smiled, “I doubt that things will get difficult for the two of them even with you around, Yui.”

“That sounds amazing…” Yui’s eyes widened in amazement at Rin’s words.

“I suppose. Mikoto and I are no slouches at fighting either, but we really can’t handle a candle to the two of them. Ah, they really shouldn’t know about this, however. They’d end up getting too carried away.”

“Oh no, that’s not it…” Yui shook her head. “I just thought how enviable it is for you guys to share such strong faith and trust in one another.”

“Huh…well, I suppose we have been through a lot together, as it stands,” Rin said, feeling somewhat awkward. “Well, in any case, I guess what you should be doing for now is not to worry about these trivialities, but instead worry about what clothes you’re going to be buying. You’d much rather worry about what clothes you’re going to be wearing rather than worrying about whether you’d be following them to that club later, right?”

As Rin forcibly changed the conversation with her cheeks reddened, Yui smiled pleasantly at the sight.

“….Mhm, you’re right.”

“Well, then, Rin-chan, I suppose I can rely on you for the time being?”

“Please, leave it to me,” Rin said as she placed her hand on her chest, a sweet smile on her face.

“After all, that’s exactly why I’m here.”

Part 6

Having returned to the brigade hideout, Sirou stepped into the brigade leader’s room without knocking on the door. Mika was seated at her desk deep within her room, apparently having already expected his arrival beforehand.

“It’s been a while…since I last saw you make an expression like that, that is. Is something bothering you?” She flashed a smile that seemed to be accusatory as she welcomed him.

“…You’re saying that knowing full well that there is, aren’t you, brigade leader?” Sirou sighed, looming over Mika as he stood over her seated position.

“Living together and taking her around the city has gone well. It’s only fair that I took care of her since I’m the reason she’s dragged into this mess.”

However—

“If you’re asking me to do so while working on the Pinky Promise Case, though, that’s a different story. I don’t have to take her along to a place where the repugnant desires of an alliance of stubborn mafia and yakuza are up and about, now do I?”

“Settling the issue concerning Kagurazaka doesn’t mean the girl’s restorative abilities will disappear. Sooner or later, she’ll get involved with the affairs of the other world,” Mika explained.

That being said—

“If she’s going to get involved with the Hungry Wolf Brigade, I personally think it’s safe for her to go the full stretch.”

“I don’t mind if it comes to that. Still, the chairwoman feels very indebted to us for saving her, and her desire to contribute to our affairs however she can is something she’s made out of her own volition.”

That morning, Yui had offered to do Sirou’s housework for him, and she’d even had her reservations when he’d offered to buy spare clothing for her.

And being the pure, genuine girl she was—

“In the end, there’s only one way you can go once you’ve joined the brigade. The chairwoman shouldn’t be asking if she’ll join us—it’s how she’ll be living from now on. And it’s not a question that we should ask her on the heels of yesterday, and then today.”

“You’re right. She does have to carefully consider how she’ll be living from now on, and whatever decision that is made should be respected. You know that full well already, however,” Mika said, her gaze tranquil.

“The situation that Kōsaki Yui is now in…it’s a wall that she has to cross by herself, one way or another.”

“That’s…”

Sirou could find no retort against Mika’s words.

Having unexpectedly acquired the supernatural ability of restoration, Yui now possessed an ability that many desired across the world, an ability only heard in dreams.

Hers was a weight too great to handle alone.

“Few can choose the right path when they’re faced with a burden too heavy for their own hands to carry. Understanding that and still leaving the decision to her own volition would not be kindness—we’d be seeing her off to her own undoing,” Mika said.

Thus—

“When I said whatever decision that is made should be respected, I wasn’t referring to the girl. I’m referring to you, Sirou. Kōsaki Yui cannot live a normal life—such is the fate of one who wields a power too great.”

However—

“Fortunately, she’s right beside someone with the power to protect her—by your side.”

“She’s…incredibly honest, and a really good girl. That being said, I imagine she wants nothing more than to live a normal life.”

“Yeah. Though the power she wields doesn’t belong to her alone.”

“I understand that she has her reservations about entering the brigade. After all, unlike Renya, Rin and Mikoto, her mark was given to her purely by accident…and the nature of the mark manifest itself lust for you.”

The point being—

“I understand that you feel guilty about what you’ve done to her. Nevertheless, backing away from her won’t change the fact that she’s already tainted with what we’re involved with. It’s sad to say, but she’s already crossed the point of no return—she’s walked into the entrance to our other world.” Mika said.

“There can be no denying the fact that you’ve ruined her—ruined her life. And there’s the fact that you’re attempting to turn a blind eye to her affairs after neglecting her.”

However—

“It can be no one else…given that you’re the one responsible for ruining her life, it’s only natural that you should be the one to protect her. And you’re also the only one capable of providing her with the life she desires—and meaningfully, in fact.”

And finally—

“More than anything, you’ve offered her your hand—and she’d taken it willingly. Surely you’re incapable of letting go of that hand on your own accord now, right?”

“…Yes, you’re right. Your words exactly.”

Sirou let out a self-deprecating smile, acknowledging what Mika had just said—everything that she’d told him was true.

“—Well then, I assume you no longer mind Kōsaki Yui’s situation now?” Mika asked, wanting confirmation.

“Yeah,” Sirou nodded, finally convinced at his decision. “Let’s enlist the girl—the chairwoman—into the Hungry Wolf Brigade.”

Part 7

“Sorry about that, leader…though I’m now cooled down thanks to you,” Having finally found a perspective similar to Mika, he made good to apologize to her.

“There’s no need to apologize. It is my role to guide you, after all. Besides, I have my share of benefit, given that I was able to see a cute side of you again,” Mika replied, smiling at him.

“You know…you really need to get that mean side of yours fixed, brigade leader…um…?”

Sirou could see that Mika had suddenly let out an unsatisfied expression; he could only guess what was on her mind as he eyed her.

“How long do you intend to address me that way? You and I are the only ones here, after all,” Mika said, pouting slightly.

It was a face she would let no one else bear witness to—Ogami Mika’s true face, a face only Sirou knew.

“You were the one who ordered me to take on the role of brigade leader when you were the rightful one who was supposed to lead the brigade. I was only ever supposed to be your substitute.”

Mika was talking about a secret regarding the Hungry Wolf Brigade that was only known between the two of them—one that dated back to when they’d first established the brigade within the supernatural ability zone.

Mika was initially supposed to be follow under Sirou as he assumed the role of brigade leader; having known one another long before they’d arrived at the supernatural ability zone, Mika and Sirou shared an absolute relationship where Sirou was her direct superior.

However, Mika’s supernaturally beautiful appearance needed to be taken into account; if such an arrangement were made with Sirou as leader, it would inconvenience Sirou rather than Mika herself given that he’d attract more unwanted attention than necessary, which would make it difficult for him to freely move around.

That said, Mika was asked to assume that role in his place—a request that Mika could not refuse given the actual nature of their relationship.

Such was the reality of the Hungry Wolf Brigade, whereby Mika was the supreme leader of the brigade with Sirou as subordinate leader as they operated within Neo Kichijōji.

However, Mika had placed a condition on Sirou for her willing acceptance for her role as brigade leader.

“We’d promised this properly, haven’t we? That I’d act befitting of my role as leader in front of everyone else. But in exchange, when the two of us are alone, we…” Mika said, approaching Sirou with a seductive gaze as he sat on the sofa.

“My bad, really, but I really didn’t forget about it. It’s just a habit I have whenever we’re at our hideout, that’s all,” He stood up and kissed her on her forehead.

However—

“…Do you intend to finish on my forehead?”

Mika stared at him, dissatisfied yet again.

“—————!”

The pace of Sirou’s heartbeat was hastening, and he was unable to take his eyes off her own wet gaze.

“Now you can’t do that, Mika. You can’t Charm me at a place like this…”

Despite speaking against her use of her magic against him while finally addressing her by name, Sirou was unable to keep his hands from circling around Mika’s waist.

“A fitting punishment for a broken promise. I imagine that you’ll be more considerate of me after something like this, now, wouldn’t you?” She chuckled with a mischievous smile.

She then circled her own arms around his neck, tightly adhering her own body onto his; Sirou could feel the softness and warmth of her body, her womanly fragrance seeping into him.

“If someone happens to come here right now, what do you—” He stammered, driven by Mika to act on his desire onto her.

He couldn’t continue, however; there was a soft, warm sensation on his mouth as Mika’s lips planted themselves onto Sirou’s. With her lips locked onto hers, she pressed Sirou onto a sitting position on the sofa yet again, straddling him on his knees.

In time, their lips slowly parted, leaving Mika staring at him with passion in her eyes.

“I don’t particularly mind if that happens…aren’t you the one who’s being flustered here?” She smiled another coquettish smile, stealing his lips for herself again.

And she wasn’t satisfied with simply their lips touching.

“Haaah…mmmph…haah…Sirou…nnn…muaah ♥”

Intertwining her tongue with his, she directed his right hand toward her chest, forcing him to grope it—his hands felt the overwhelming volume, with a melting softness that could be felt even through her clothes.

Ogami Mika belonged to Takanashi Sirou—a certain incident had made it so. And it was through that particular incident where Mika developed her voluptuous features, from her body to her stunningly large pair of breasts and her shapely butt, all through Sirou’s actions. Her libido was thus so high that it rivalled even Yui’s even without the mark of Lust engraved upon her.

The lightest touch on Mika’s breasts was enough to make her body quiver as she remained atop Sirou’s knees.

“Aaah…mmph…haaah…nnn, yaaah…mmmph…aaah, nnn…!♥”

“…It seems you’ve become quite lewd since then, now, haven’t you?” Sirou said with a wry smile, remembering the time he first met her.

“Hehe…and aren’t you the one who’s made me a woman like that?” She replied, her gaze as sensual as it had always been.

“You know, back then—back in Grandschewlt, when I’d first summoned you and asked you to grant my wish.”

Her true name was Mikael—a goddess that Sirou had once summoned in another world.

“Still, you’re almost near your limit already, aren’t you? The bearers of the individual marks of the supernatural abilities of Sin aren’t the only ones who will have stimulated impulses based on the day of the week. As the original wielder of the Seven Deadly Sins, you’re the one who feels their effects more than anyone else.”

Sirou did not go out of his way to avoid women on Thursdays simply to avoid the risk of bestowing the mark of Lust upon them—he wanted to avoid his lustful impulses going out of control.

Typically, Sirou had the will to resist the impulses of the seven supernatural abilities. However—

“You ended up having to appease Kōsaki Yui’s mark of Lust with your own hands again yesterday, didn’t you? And what a charming girl you’ve ended up corrupting. And I imagine you’ve kept every sensation of her, the softness of her figure and body, and her warmth—all locked up within you.”

Eyeing him with a sexy smile, she then lured him with a sensual temptation.

“You don’t need to hold back anymore, you know. It’s just you and me here.”

The gentle words of the otherworldly goddess took away any last semblance of reason from Sirou.

“…Much obliged, then.” Sirou said, entrusting his excited, Charmed body to her—initiating another kiss with Mika.

Drowning in the heat of their kissing with their tongues intertwining with one another, Mika remembered the day where she met him for the first time, to a time where many once worshipped a goddess known by the name of Mikael.

Having once resided in the world of Grandschewlt as the overseer of the heavens, she endured and watched the cruel suffering of the humans below them wrought by the conflict of seven evil deities fighting against one another for a long time.

However, despite her status as sovereign of the gods, she was forbidden from lending the humans her aid, and a terrible price would need to be paid if she ever dared to involve herself with the affairs of the beings below her.

In the end, unable to endure her situation any longer, she came to an important decision; to abandon her post as goddess and descend to the mortal world to seal the seven deities away

A contract with Mika meant that one would risk throwing away their own humanity.

The rate of success was extremely slim; that said, she needed a human that was not of the world of Grandschewlt, for a religious human could not be conquered by Mika spiritually.

—Then, having invoked her summoning magic in secret, Mika had come to summon Sirou.

The easiest way for a goddess to fall from her grace was to frolic with a being below her; with her body defiled, she would lose the right to maintain her holy status.

However, such a method would also cause Mika’s powers as a goddess to be lost along with it.

Thus Mika opted for another method—a forbidden method where she would drown in infinite carnal pleasures, a dark ritual that the evil deities had once used in ancient times to bring the former leading goddess down low, a ritual spoken only in legend.

And she’d asked Sirou to be the one to defile her.

Sirou was initially very confused and anxious following his summoning—Mika had asked the impossible of him, especially if he was to engage in that which was taboo for the sake of another world he had no relation to.

Nevertheless, Sirou had been moved by the nobility of her request; he’d shed tears and nodded in agreement at her plea for him to help out however he could.

Following his agreement, Mika then granted Sirou the power he needed to make her submit to him—the power he needed to amplify her pleasures.

This allowed Mika to forget herself and revel in pleasures previously unknown to her without crossing the final line, Sirou engraving her with said pleasure through an infinite, uncountable number of sexual climaxes.

And it had been no one-sided affair—Sirou himself had surrendered himself to her despite her not providing him with the same obscene services she’d requested of him.

…She’s really amazing…

Despite having since established a relationship between one another akin to master and servant, his body shivered at the thought of what happened back then, even now.

Atop the sacred heavens and with the notice of no one, their sexual frolicking had continued day and night without rest. Sirou had demonstrated to Mika just how lewd she was despite her status, developing her body to match the same lewdness day after day. Her already ample breasts—once already the size of Yui’s—had developed into an even larger size, and as she succumbed to a pleasure that broke her spirit almost irreparably, every other nook and cranny of her body from her chest to her butt continued to develop.

It was all still what Mika wanted, of course. Perhaps there was embarrassment, but there was no regret.

She had summoned no mere young man—she’d instead summoned something far exceeding that.

Rather, Sirou had far exceeded her initial expectations of him.

One fateful night, Sirou had professed his desire to learn how to fight in their world—having since become subservient to him, she had no right to refuse, though she asked nevertheless the reason for his pursuit of power.

She then learned from Sirou that he had not managed to acquire any supernatural abilities during the descent of the seraphim onto Neo Kichijōji, despite having been present when it occurred—an odd, hidden anomaly that neither Mika nor Sirou himself knew of how it had come to be at the time.

He simply wanted power—true power— that he could rely on and nothing more. That alone was his reason for wanting it.

And that was when Sirou had truly started to awaken.

The heaven of Grandschewlt was a place of a superior dimension to that of Sirou’s home world.

Under Mika’s guidance, Sirou’s physical abilities and battle skills began to blossom, elevating to heights far beyond the capability of a normal human, and even then, he had elevated his abilities to the extreme; perhaps this potential was spurred by his new relationship with Mika, or something that was sleeping within him had truly started to awaken.

He had become speed itself—he had developed to such an extent due to the change that was occurring within his body, something that provided him with the ultimate rate of nerve transmission.

The average, stable reaction time of a human was a mere 0.2 seconds; those who possessed battle skills could augment their physical abilities and apply haste magic to elevate their reaction time to 0.001 seconds.

The new height of reaction time that Sirou had acquired during his time in the heavens was only heard of in games or dreams—an incredible 0.000000000001 seconds. It was a speed that far exceeded Mika’s own even when she accelerated her mental reaction time.

Afterwards, they had gone to a place within the heavens where sacred treasures were stored, which was where Sirou acquired his Seven-Key Heavenly Wolf Fang—a sacred sword of legend said to have once sealed the seven deities within it. Having slumbered within the storage for a long time, it selected Sirou, who came from another world, as its wielder.

With Sirou and his new weapon, Mika descended from the heavens and defeated the evil deities plaguing mankind one by one.

However, utilizing the sword would only unleash its powers of the Seven Deadly Sins within it, being the source of its power and the core of its existence; this would thus cause the birth of more evil deities.

That said, through the Seven-Key Heavenly Wolf Fang, he absorbed the supernatural abilities of Sin into himself…he had become the vessel for the Seven Deadly Sins, a required quality to wield the blade that had chosen him.

Eventually, the duo had eliminated the last of the remaining deities, and Sirou had absorbed each and every one of the Seven Deadly Sins within him. A miracle was not the apt word for such an ending spoken only in fairy tales.

Of all of the people, and of all the worlds she could’ve summoned a person from, she could’ve found no better person with the ability to fulfil the one wish she desired most.

Naturally, she was unable to stop the wave of emotions that came with such a deed.

Mikael, once the supreme goddess loved by all in Grandschewlt, had become a woman that would love a single young man—Takanashi Sirou.

Having accomplished her desire, responsibility and reason for living, she then decided to live for Sirou’s sake.

A fallen goddess and an anomaly filled with the highest taboo—absorbing the abilities of the Seven Deadly Sins within him—had no place in Grandschewlt. That was why Mika had followed Sirou back to his home world of Neo Kichijōji, where she would help him as he used his newfound power to help the needy around the streets.

It was her way of repaying Sirou for everything he’d done for her.

Part 8

The Seven Deadly Sins were a power too great for Sirou to handle—their mere existence within Sirou’s body would shorten his lifespan.

That said, the first thing they did upon arriving back to Sirou’s world was to sublimate their powers into marks for Sirou’s safety; this would allow the power of the supernatural abilities to be suppressed while also allowing others to utilize their powers alongside him, significantly reducing the burden on Sirou.

 Engraving a mark on another person and sharing its powers meant that the supernatural abilities of Sin needed to change their form, such that the bearer would not share an identical ability; doing so meant that they would also be referred to differently.

Of course, they would be based on Sirou’s original language—Japanese, which possessed a large number of homonyms.

 [Translator Note: The listed JP of the Seven Deadly Sins and their altered counterparts sound exactly the same in JP (eg Greed (Goyoku)強欲 > Divine Suppression 神抑) whereby the characters are different and the meaning is different with the same pronunciation. This is the nuance that the mark mechanic is utilizing.]

First and foremost, Greed was changed to Divine Suppression to keep the power of the evil deities in check.

Next, Lust (Shikiyoku色欲) was displaced into Abstinence (色抑), which successfully prevented Sirou’s sexual urges from going out of hand.

The remaining five had their powers weakened by virtue of the marking process, so Sirou had them supplemented by enabling them to augment particular abilities. These were primarily if not fully applied to combat abilities, more than half of which utilized the same ultimate rate of nerve transmission Sirou possessed.

Wrath (Funnu 憤怒) enabled him to move at speeds so fast that he could transcend the dimension of time itself—Timewinder (分時).

Gluttony (Boshoku 暴食) worked with the concept of speed to provide a defense against others being able to make contact with him—Untouchable (防触).

Envy (Shitto嫉妬) eliminated all traces of dullness and slowness within his very being—Acuity (失鈍).

Sloth (Taida 怠惰)enabled to split whatever stood in his path—Belligerence (対断), which provided a boost to one’s combat abilities.

Sirou had also altered the sin of Pride (Goman 傲慢); the first option that came to mind was after casually thinking about it was Invigorate (強満), which would allow the user to increase their strength.

Eventually, however, he settled on Competence (業満).

Invigorate would merely increase his physical strength and nothing more; Competence, on the other hand, was a word that applied to Sin, which allowed him to focus the sublimation to amplify the effectiveness of the other supernatural abilities of sin.

However, something came to be that neither Sirou nor Mika expected.

Abstinence, which was supposed to have been altered from Lust, allowed him to ascertain the phenomena in their world and respond accordingly—Worldly Eye. It was initially impossible to properly control given the stark original numerical difference.

The combination of his speed-related developments along with his drastically increased reaction speed had his reflexes increased thousand-fold.

The numerical value of his reaction time sat at 0.000000000000001 seconds—a femtosecond.

It was a level that even Mika herself was no longer familiar with.

Afterwards, Mika had asked Sirou to entrust her with the sin of Greed.

Although lust would’ve been the preferred Sin given their relationship, Sirou did not want anyone else to bear the burden of the mark of Lust.

However, Mika’s lust had grown so strong that hers was on the level of Sirou’s augmented sin even without the mark itself engraved into her; although she could revert to her status as a goddess whenever she wanted, she was unsatisfied about being unable to cross the final line with him, and thus brought out the argumentative explanation that he would be able to do whatever he wanted with her without crossing that line.

Sirou had initially thought that Mika was indeed the best candidate for being the bearer of Greed. Since then, he’d met with a lot more people…and then Yui, compatible with the mark of Lust, suddenly appeared in his life, something that convinced Mika that her initial choice back then was not a mistake.

That said, Sirou did not actually help Mika with her sin; at times, he would simply allow her to satisfy her greed for him like he was doing right then and there.

And Mika was utterly ravenous at that moment.

As they continued kissing, they began to strip each other of their clothes—something that took merely an instant given they’d done so many times before.

Mika had made Sirou’s top half bare almost immediately; during that time, Sirou had stripped Mika of her tight skirt and jacket as they fell to the floor. His gaze then fell on her breasts as he stared at Mika, wearing nothing but her leotard-style underwear as well as the garter belt that held up her stockings.

“Hehe…I understand.”

An enchanting smile surfaced on her face as she removed the cords and latches on her chest, slowly unfastening the zipper down to her navel; Mika’s large breasts sprang out at the gesture, now completely exposed. The excitement that Sirou was giving her had already caused her pink nipples to stiffen and puff up in a disgraceful fashion.

“…I see your nipples are already so erect. How shameful.”

Despite being Charmed, Sirou reprimanded Mika intentionally on her current state, though he then proceeded to caress her breasts in a swishing fashion.

However, Mika was not truly feeling what she wanted yet.

“Ahn…! Please, Sirou…it’s about time you unlocked the seal for our sensation…” She pleaded, jiggling her massive breasts, acting spoiled.

Sirou’s Divine Suppression was also usually used to suppress Mika’s sensations; undoing it would provide her with even more extreme womanly pleasures to revel in.

“Alright…how much do you want off?”

“One will do…I just want to make you feel really good today…”

With another seductive smile from Mika, Sirou nodded in understanding and placed his mouth on her left breast.

“…Here goes.”

The next moment, Sirou began to suck on the nipple of her breast, and, as if to indicate the seal on her body being broken, golden particles immediately fluttered about in the air at the gesture.

“—————————~~~~~!”

Her sensations were amplified by 30%; however, that alone was enough to significantly magnify the pleasure she could feel on where her nipple was sucked.

Remaining on Sirou’s lap, Mika let out a sweet moan as she underwent her first, extreme climax of the day.

Sirou watched the result of unlocking the seal of sensational suppression on her body—her voice tore through her throat as she remained intoxicated following her climax, her womanly juices overflowing from deep within her crotch, traces of it trailing down her stockings that ran through her thigh and glistening there.

Sirou continued sucking on her nipple despite that.

“Nnn…aaah…yaaah, haaah…! Aaaah…nnn!”

Mika’s body quivered and trembled with each enraptured expression she made—it was the lascivious side of Mika that no one else but Sirou would expect to see from her, but even then, Sirou was currently under the effects of her Charm magic.

“————! Ahn! ♥ Haaah…hehe…good…do me any way you like…!”

Her gaze wet with carnal pleasures, she allowed Sirou to have his way with her.

“Teach me more—teach me the pleasures of what it means to be your servant…”

And he would spoil his goddess willingly.

Groping her enormous breasts, parts of their ample flesh slid through the crevices of his fingers as he revelled in their soft, unrivalled sensation; pleasure spread across Mika’s nipples as his fingers continued to toy with them.

“Haaaah! ♥Aahn, yaaah…Sirou…haaah, Sirou…fuaaaaah! ♥”

Mika flinched as her waist jumped in the ecstasy of the undone seal, the motion causing the sofa to make a creaking sound—a sight that was undeniably sexy and even more beautiful.

“————!”

Revelling in his sadistic desires, Mika and Sirou began to change their posture.

Releasing his grip on her chest and moving his hands to her waist, he straddled her onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he slowly lowered them to her waist, delightfully caressing the curves of her butt…by forceful invading his hands into the panties of her leotard-style underwear. Feeling a warm, wet sensation within its crevice, Sirou then proceeded to vigorously attack her soft, lewd butt. 

“Haaah…yaaah…nn…aaaah….nnnn…fuaaaaaaaaahn!♥”

Mika clung to him with her arms around his head; every time Mika’s waist writhed in the pleasure she was receiving, Sirou drew an arc around her areola, forcefully rocking her breasts. Mika’s nipples then took on an even more disgraceful shape, as if to invite Sirou to suck them; and Sirou did exactly that, approaching her with his tongue and sucking on her left nipple with all his might, simultaneously pouring all the strength in his hands to grope and squeeze Mika’s butt. 

“Yaaah…aah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh———— ♥!

Letting out a violent moan, a warm liquid filled the spot where Sirou’s hands were assaulting her; having climaxed equally violently, her womanly fluid was spilling from the side of her underwear, a reaction that signified the pleasure she was experiencing was far too much to take in. 

Takanashi Sirou had completely dominated Ogami Mika and made her surrender to him. 

“Nnn…aaah…yaah…aaah…haaah…aaah…nnn… ♥”

She remained entranced as her body shook while remained on Sirou’s laps, even as Sirou let go of her left breast; her inner thigh, slimy from the juices she was pouring out, suddenly felt a hot, warm yet sensation coming from the cloth covering Sirou’s crotch—an effect from her Charm magic.

“What are you going to do now, Mika…it seems I’m already like this,” He said as he stared at her. A certain part of him was bulging under her crotch and pulsating as she was holding it in place.

“Fuaaan♥ Aaah, haah…hehe…I understand, please leave it to me.”

“This time, I’ll be the one to make you feel good.”

Kneeling on the floor like an obedient maiden, she rose to her feet slightly and took off Sirou’s trousers and underwear; this revealed Sirou’s member, erect in a slightly curved way due to being driven to its limit via Mika’s Charm magic. The very sight of its long, hard and aroused shape caused Mika to feel utterly ecstatic. 

“Now…I’ll spoil you plenty with my breasts…”

A coquettish smile surfaced on Mika’s face as she approached his crotch while holding her breasts, before she then sandwiched his member between her cleavage; Sirou felt their elasticity and a pleasurable, warm softness as her ample breasts adhered to him. 

“..————!”

He held his breath at the supremely blissful sensation. Mika felt even more aroused at the lewd deed she was currently performing, happily rubbing her breasts vigorously from both sides, going up and down around his manhood.

“Nnn…haaah…amazing…it’s hotter and bigger…than it usually is…nnn!”

She said with the same coquettish expression, staring at his erect member.

“To think that you’ve become like this…you must’ve really enjoyed yourself when you sank Kōsaki Yui in her own lust.”

“…Well, half of it is because you’re Charming me, Mika,” Sirou retorted with the cursed reason he was in fact like this.

“I see…well, I suppose I’ll have to use it every day from now on.”

With a mischievous smile, Mika began to move her breasts.

“——————…!”

Pouring her strength into his lower abdomen, watery sounds could be heard every time she pressed his member between her breasts; the glans, overwhelmed with pleasure and arousal, began to secrete a sticky, transparent liquid. Gathering saliva within her mouth with a movement of her chin, she then leaked it out, mixing it with the lewd fluids that Sirou was letting out, adding even more obscenity even as her breasts refused to stop serving Sirou and what was raging between them.

“…!”

Sirou’s waist gradually began to shake at the sensation—feeling a warmth opposite his waist, he was nearing his climax, and Mika knew it too.

“Hehe…there’s no need to hold back. Give me what I love and want,”

The seductive smile remained on Mika’s face as she kissed with tip of Sirou’s member with a smooch, her tongue lewdly creeping over it. No longer was the esteemed and respected brigade leader of the Hungry Wolf Brigade there, instead replaced by an obscene woman drowning in pleasure.

Finally, under the service she was giving him with her massive breasts, Sirou could no longer resist.

“!…uuu….aaaaaahhh!”

In one go, he released his semen upon Mika’s breasts.

Ogami Mika would feel a throbbing, pulsating sensation in her chest—though it was not from her own beating heart.

Having climaxed between Mika’s cleavage, Sirou’s member still trembled with pleasure, and the fruits of his ejaculation could not fit within the tight space holding it.

“Nnn…hehe…what an amazing amount…you really were stocking up, after all.”

Apart from her breasts, even her neck and her cheeks had been soiled by the white substance Sirou had let out, causing her to shiver from the delightful sensation. Slowly removing his member from her cleavage, his semen fell onto the floor, taking on a clumpy, slightly solid form rather than dripping onto the floor in a more liquid state.

Mika had to appease Sirou like this sporadically; much like Mikoto and the others who needed to be appeased by Sirou to keep their instinctual impulses in check and prevent the effects of their individual marks from going out of control, the power of Lust that brought about the change that led to the development of Worldly Eye was extremely powerful, and neglecting such an untamed power would cost Sirou his life.

As of now, Sirou’s member, drenched with a mix of semen and Mika’s saliva, remained erect and large.

“You’re still like that…I guess it can’t be helped, then.”

With ecstasy in her gaze, she brought her lips to Sirou’s member yet again—gliding them across its surface, she took him into her throat in a single gulp.

The meaty texture of his manhood and the taste of his thick semen spread across the innards of her mouth.

“Nnn…chuu…Haaah…mmm!”

Swishing her head around as she continued sucking with her tongue, her carnal arousal only continued developing as she attempted to cure him with her mouth.

“——…!”

Lifting his waist slightly, Sirou positioned Mika’s head upon him with his hands. Having acquired his consent, Mika then proceeded to twirl her tongue around his member; wanting to give him new pleasure, she intentionally made noisy sounds with her lips as she continued sucking him with her mouth.

“Nnmph…lick…chuu…nnn…nnn….mmph…haaah…hehe…♥”

Occasionally parting her mouth away and stroking Sirou’s hot rod with her hands, she welcomed its entrance into her mouth with her tongue again, spoiling it with her own sticky saliva. Sirou’s male pheromones began to seep into her nose and her mouth, numbing her with obscene pleasure as her carnal pleasures only continued to escalate further.

…Ahh….

Her body quivered in the corrupt pleasure brought about by the absurdity of her actions; anyone in Grandschewlt who worshipped her would faint upon seeing their goddess act in such a way.

She didn’t mind that, however—no longer was she the supreme goddess many knew by the name of Mikael.

Her surname, Ogami, was a name that symbolized her strength, taken after how she managed to retain her divine powers; Mika, on the other hand, was taken after Mikael, which symbolized how her powers were retained even after arriving in that world.

More than anything, it was a name that symbolized her will to live with Sirou, her vow to stay by his side —to satisfy him in and with body and heart.

She lived to provide everything of her being to Takanashi Sirou.

That was her reason for existence and nothing more—the reason for a woman whose greed was rivalled by no one else.

And so she continued with her earnest desire to serve him with all her heart—to serve him in the most obscene of ways.

Ah…

What was being held in Mika’s mouth was beginning to shake, growing ever harder and bigger—the telltale sign of an arriving climax.

Reaching the brink of her own carnal pleasures, she intensified the service her mouth was giving him.

She would make him orgasm right then and there.

“Haaauu…chuu….haaah, nnn….chuu…mmph…fuuu…chuuu…♥”

“!…Ah, Mika!”

The intensity of her fellatio meant that Sirou had reached his limit to climax.

“———————!”

The next moment, with Mika’s tongue atop it, Sirou’s member wildly unleashed a massive amount of semen.

And Mika’s mouth took in all of it.

“Nnn! Nnn~~~~~~~~~~~~!!♥”

Mika’s butt and waist suddenly shivered. The amount of times she’d reached her own pinnacle of pleasure while giving Sirou fellatio was incalculable. Engraving with pleasurable climaxes to her body and soul, she felt like she’d reached the top of her pleasures as she accepted Sirou’s ejaculation within her mouth, her body rumbling with delight.

Her body…her sexual feelings were on a level of obscenity could only be reached with prolonged, exhaustive continuation of what she had done.

Though she thought she could no longer feel any more ecstatic, she gulped Sirou’s gushing white essence down her throat with a watery noise; the combination of Sirou’s hot pulsation as he remained in her mouth along with the warm, viscous and solidifying liquid that was going down her esophagus only sent more pleasurable shivers across her body.

“Nnn…Nnn! ….nnmph, haaah…nnn…gulp…haaah….ah… ♥”

Drinking the last bit of Sirou’s essence, she let out a euphoric sigh.

Mika’s womanly spot was flooding with her own womanly essence, the fluid running down her thigh from her crotch covered by her wet panties.

She couldn’t use her underwear anymore.

That said, Mika brought her zipper down as low as she could, removing her underwear over one leg, leaving her with only her stockings and her garter belt—far sexier than if she were completely naked.

Mika didn’t mind it at all, however.

“…”

Lowering her waist on the table in front of the sofa, Mika slowly spread her legs into an M shape—revealing her obscene, personal spot where the shine of her womanly fluids was listening on its surface.

Lustful instincts remained in Sirou’s gaze as he eyed her, his hot member pulsating in the inability to contain his arousal.

“Come here…I’ll make you feel even better,” She said after a chuckle, smiling seductively as she extended her arms to beckon him. Her voice was sweet and alluring, wanting to tempt Sirou into doing more with her.

She wanted to prove one thing—that her existence was entirely dedicated to satisfying him.

Part 9

There was a Japanese style café where decorative plants furnished the entirety of its interior down to even the wooden table and floors, a pleasant warmth brimming throughout its space.

After finishing their shopping throughout the fashion-focused mall, Yui had followed Rin to this particular café located on the seventh floor.

“We ended up buying a lot, but is this really alright?” Yui asked, taking a sip of the hazelnut latte she ordered, seated upon one of the comfortable sofas provided there.

Yui turned toward the various, multi-colored paper bags they’d brought with them; having went around the mall with Rin to purchase clothes and underwear, they’d ended up buying much more than what was needed for a week, such that it could supply her for longer even without having to wash any of them.

“It’s completely fine for us to buy this much. It was Sirou who told us to buy whatever we wanted earlier, right?” Rin replied calmly, drinking her apple and rosemary tea.

“Well, I suppose that’s true, but…”

“Besides, since you’re going to have to follow them to the club later, we’re going to have to buy some swimsuits afterwards, aren’t we?”

That was true—around the time when they’d finished shopping two hours ago, Rin had received a message from Sirou explaining that he’d be bringing Yui along to infiltrate the Heaven’s Ocean Club.

It meant that he’d finally accepted Mika’s decision after discussing things through with her.

“That, and there’s also the fact that you’re possibly going to be one of us. It won’t do for you to think that way.”

“I personally think it’s rather audacious for you to buy that much clothes over the assumption that it’s going to happen, though…”

Yui let out a troubled smile as she said that; she then noticed Rin staring at her from the seat opposite her own.

“Yui…do you not want to join us?”

There was a hint of loneliness in her gaze, and Yui hastily shook her hands at the sight.

“Oh no, that’s not it at all. Everyone from the Hungry Wolf Brigade is really nice, after all.”

She was certain of that much despite having met the others apart from Sirou and Renya only yesterday.

Sirou had mentioned that she was free and ought to explore her alternative options, but she could see no respite for her plight bar the Hungry Wolf Brigade as of now.

And she was seeking respite from the Kaguarazaka Group, which was plotting to keep Yui’s abilities for their personal gain.

Given that the group wanted to keep Yui’s restorative abilities a secret, it was thus highly unlikely that news regarding Yui’s disappearance would spread—though even then it was not absolutely implausible.

Her best option was to rid herself from her pursuers; one of the options she had was to seek protection from the synthesized supernatural educational institute, which was a national agency.

However, she did not immediately rush toward said institute after escaping the Kagurazaka laboratories due to said institute’s agenda on the research and development of supernatural abilities.

It thus wouldn’t mean anything—the Kagurazaka Group would simply use the institute to alter the country as they see fit, given that the country had also recently shifted to the application of the concepts and science of supernatural abilities for military use.

That said, Yui did indeed consider the idea of entering the Hungry Wolf Brigade if the group would accept her.

…After all…

The brigade’s members were strong, living in the city to their heart’s content and without anything restraining them.

Sirou and the others possessed a power that was far stronger than Yui’s, with Sirou having received his from an ancient deity from another world; nevertheless, they were using their tremendous powers to the aid of other people.

That was the Hungry Wolf Brigade.

They were the strongest in Neo Kichijōji—and Sirou had also arranged non-aggression pacts with other influential organizations within the city.

Allying herself with them would immediately eliminate the risk of her restorative abilities being abused by others.

…Still…

Her involvement with the Hungry Wolf Brigade would only end up causing more trouble than she was worth; she wouldn’t want the free, peaceful lives built up by the five existing members to end up being ruined because of her.

Lost in her own hesitation again, Yui hung her head silently, unable to say anything.

“—You’re worried about weighing us down, aren’t you?” Rin asked, quietly. Yui nodded in response, affirming her.

“You know, I…I think I understand how you feel, Yui,” Her next statement came out in another quiet voice. “After all, I happened to have something like that happen in the past too.”

“Eh…?”

Yui’s head suddenly lifted in response to the unexpected comment, and Rin let out a wry smile in response.

“You’ve heard from Mikoto about the fact that we’re both vampires, right? Still, we used to hide our true identities and tried to go about our lives as humans. The two of us were with our father back then.”

However—

“You see…I happen to be…special among vampires, such that a troublesome group had their eye on me. Mikoto and I tried to escape to the supernatural ability zone, but they never gave up chasing us. It was then that Sirou, Renya and our brigade leader rescued us.”

Rin turned her gaze away from Yui as she stared into space; her eyes were staring not at the present, but at the past memories she was narrating. She then turned toward Yui and met her gaze again.

“With their power, Mikoto and I managed to drive said troublesome group away, but that group still hasn’t given up on pursuing me to this day. In a way, I too feel like I’m burdening the brigade by sticking with them like this,” Rin said.

Still—

“Yet they accepted me despite all that…as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It was then that I was no longer worried about burdening them, instead assuming they had some ulterior motive in mind for keeping me within their ranks. That was why I was eligible for the mark of Envy.”

There was a pause.

“After all…I want nothing more than all of us to be able to stay together,” Her words rang with an assured condition, as if no other choice were available for her.

“Perhaps I really am bothering them by staying with them. Still, I got mad when they told me that it’s simply something that comes with being together; they told me that there’s no relationship without some form of inconvenience between one another and how said conveniences were supposed to be talked through and shared between one another—they told me that that is what it means to be together.”

“Rin-chan…”

Rin was talking about the precious bonds she shared with the other members of the brigade.

Rin initially didn’t think that she would have been able to open up to Yui like this, given that she’d only known her for the past few days; nevertheless, Rin had willingly divulged a part of herself to Yui, signifying that she really did care about her.

“I’m sorry for going off. I just thought that if you still happened to have your reservations just like I once had, Yui, I’d be the best and only person to tell you that they’re not necessary. I didn’t mean it in a proud way when I explained how I was rescued by them, though…”

“Oh, no, I didn’t see it that way at all…” Yui shook her head, “I’m actually grateful you talked to me about this.”

Kōsaki Yui was truly grateful from the bottom of her heart that she’d told her about her past.

And then she spoke again.

“I’ll have to think things through carefully, don’t I? About what I want to do…and what I can do.”