New Game, New life

by Adudefromthesea

Self insert, Gamer Powers, Magic, Yokais, Hentai Ninjas, Gangs, Over Dramatic Teenage Gang Warfare, Gender-bender Martial Artists, Bitter rivals, Crazy suitors, Good deeds, Mad Profits, Waifus, Madness, More Waifus, Gods, Demons, Politics, Supernatural Politics, Mayhem, Even more Waifus, And copious amounts of funny tasting breads, Oh my! [Self-Insert] [Gamer Powers] [Multicross]

18. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

---

I never liked hospitals; I don't think anybody really does. Sure, people can feel an affinity to the place, or like some particular aspect of it, but I think everyone at some point in their lives inevitably develops at least some level of distaste towards it, too many bad memories.

My dislike has grown into outright hate now that I'm dealing with anime hospitals. Initially, they have a very big plus in the form of the impractical but sexy-as-hell uniform every nurse was wearing, and the female doctors wearing open labcoats with vast cleavages were a very nice bonus. But this does not change the fact that hospitals are the place where people are hurting, where they desperately need help.

If a leisure stroll through the streets of Nerima gets me a surprising number of quests, a brief walk through the corridors of a hospital completely blocked off my vision with layers upon layers upon more layers of quest notifications. From the banalest stuff like helping a doctor find his lost stethoscope to the real, heart-wrenching stuff like helping an old lady find peace in her very last moments.

And it wasn't just the quests; the place was making my Spiritual Senses skill go haywire. It was almost like being inside an Illusion Barrier but instead of feeling one overwhelming entity all around me thus producing a constant, unified hum that could easily be ignored, there were hundreds of little 'pings' and 'tingles' that continuously pulled my senses in every direction imaginable, making it really hard to concentrate.

Plus, there were freaking ghosts! Or at least, 'blurred figures that appear at the corner of my vision but always disappear when I try to focus on them'. I'mma call them ghosts until I see one proper.

Coming here by myself on any other day would be an exercise in frustration, but today, all these distractions and impediments were easily swept aside in favor of something more important.

"You know, just because you're under observation doesn't mean you can simply wander off. There's a team of nurses looking for you and I'm pretty sure they want your head by now."

In line with every protagonist in the history of anime, Saotome Ranma gravitated towards the roof, I found him sitting over the shed-like construction that housed the roof entrance – no idea what they are called – looking over the wider Nerima skyline, and considering that Hikarigaoka Hospital towers over most of the other building in the area, he could see practically everything.

With a casual push of my right leg, I propelled myself over the roof access to join him on the tallest point. A flip of my wrist sent a freshly baked curry bread flying in his direction, which he promptly caught without even looking.

"Something to ward off the tasteless grub they give here," I said.

He... didn't immediately wolf down the bread, he just brought it to his lap and just... held it with his two hands. I think this is the longest I've ever seen Ranma holding food without eating.

"Your family's here, your father and the Tendos, I mean. I'm pretty sure they're half the reason why the nurses are so annoyed." I continued. "Akane had… some choice words to say to me." Her distress was clear to see, even through the shouting.

Still no reaction.

"Haruka's been here early but you were sleeping." I tried again. "Yuka still hasn't woken up… There is a friend of hers in the room, I had to tell her what happened, it was awkward… Hm, Azusa and Shiratori-obasan were taken to another hospital…"

Nothing.

I sighed, turned back, and sat down facing the opposite direction, our backs not quite touching. Figure the guy didn't need me watching his every move, he was tense enough as it is.

Silence stretched between us, broken only by the symphony of the early morning, the rustling of the wind, the chirping of the passing birds, the quiet urban noises rumbling beneath and around us. I focused on that as I tried to work on what to say.

'I'm sorry' feels cheap, disingenuous, and it doesn't really fit because this whole situation wasn't really my fault, no matter what I feel like. 'It will get better', 'hang in there', and 'It wasn't a big deal' are even worse. In the end, I couldn't formulate anything meaningful or deep and decided to just go with what felt natural.

"What can I do for you, Ranma?"

There were a few more beats of tense silence before I felt his attention turn to me.

"… Tell me everything. What am I missing?"

Tilting my head up to look up at the clear sky, I pulled a long breath and let it out slowly. "Ok, I'd felt that there was something wrong from the moment I stepped inside the house, and when that guy arrived… I told you a bit about how my powers work right? that I can superficially appraise someone with a glance. Yeah, about that, I found out he was a demon with a single glance…"

From here, I retold the entire story to Ranma, everything that had happened from my perspective. Every action I took, every conclusion I made, the background information I had that helped me reach these conclusions, my feelings and emotions at the time, the panic the demon's sudden appearance caused me, my fuck ups during the fight. I spared him no details and left nothing hidden. It was all I could do to help give him some peace.

"NOMAD?" Ranma muttered under his breath after I finished, not low enough for me not to hear.

I gave a brief nod that went unseen. "I know about them from Rin. They're the main enemy of the Taimanin corps or something like that. A secret organization run by demons involved in all sorts of carnal crimes; kidnapping, prostitution, and so on… Shiratori-obasan was one of their victims."

"… So, you wouldn't leave it alone even if frogface hadn't turned up," Ranma concluded.

"No, I wouldn't… I couldn't."

There wasn't any other answer.

"Good."

It never ceases to amaze me how much weeks of intense anime martial art has honed my senses. With my earing alone I could practically picture Ranma shaking off his shoulder and relaxing his body. His back finally touched mine.

I ignored the way he shivered and tensed again, at least he didn't back off.

"… I'm going to take them down."

It was so sudden that it took a moment for me to process the declaration. A rueful smile crossed my lips.

"A secret organization backed by an army of demons, that an entire ninja corps' been warring against for generations. You're gonna take them down?"

"Yeah."

It was a simple response… but there was something dark in there, darker than anything Ranma had ever displayed. And I completely understand his response, considering what happened to him.

Ranma's curse was still a fairly recent development in his life. He's annoyed by it, he's certainly uncomfortable with it, and he's still learning to deal with it. Because of his personality, he could take a lot of what it brought in stride, particularly if he focus on concrete actions and objectives; he wouldn't care if he turned into a girl in the middle of a fight, for example, because he'd care more about winning the fight, but it was clear that, beyond some natural, superficial curiosity, he didn't like to sit down and ruminate about having a female body, he only just started to get comfortable and confident enough to even attempt to do that, as it showed in our last talk.

But NOMAD's drugs, the demon's groping tentacles, forced him to deal with a very intimate aspect of being a girl, aspects that he was a hundred percent not comfortable with. I can't even imagine what it's like for a guy with his beliefs and upbringing to suddenly be locked in the body of a hyper horny teenager girl, the drugs of a genuine rape demon slowly eroding your mind, forcing thoughts and emotions that someone only gets when you're too turned on to think properly… the only comfort I have was the fact that the demon hadn't been able to go all the way, I don't even what to think about the effect this would have on him.

"I see," I said, finally. There wasn't really any use in dwelling on that. "You can count on me for backup."

Again, there wasn't any other answer.

-0-0-0-

"Senpai!" Haruka gasped when she saw me standing by her door. "What happened!?"

"Hoh, it's been a while since I've seen you in your school uniform, you look good, kohai." I made a show of checking her over.

"Senpai!"

"Right, right, sorry." I kept my smile as I raised a placating hand. "I'll explain while we walk."

We didn't really have a direction in mind but so we just followed our jogging route. Along the way, I once again relay my perspective of the events of the previous night, finishing, by a happy coincidence, just as we reach one of the many small, neighborly parks that dotted the area.

"A real demon," Haruka muttered to herself from her place on the wooden bench. She absentmindedly clutched the melon bread I'd given her. "It sounds unbelievable, but Ranma-senpai can change genders and that tiger monster..." She shook her head and looked at me. "You said Ranma-senpai woke up, I should—"

"Don't bother." I chuckled. After I got Ranma out of the roof, there was a touching scene with a tearful Akane which I respectfully stayed out of, but then. "He got into this over-the-top fight with his father, it escalated until the head nurse burst inside the room, kicked us all out, and revoked his visiting privileges. Just wait till he gets out tomorrow to talk to him, he won't mind."

"Oh." The girl leaned back into the bench and looked at the ambrosia in her hands. "Well, I'm glad he's alright."

I nodded, respectfully offering money to the vending machine on the side to get a random drink. Alright, here we go. "Actually, hm, Haruka, I could use your help with something."

The girl blinked, her mouth still adorably biting on the melon-shaped treat. She quickly swallowed to get back her cool image. "G-Guk.— Sure, senpai, what do you need?"

"I need to find my gang of delinquents; do you know where they are?"

The girl blinked slowly as she considered what I asked.

"You need to… and you came to me for that!?"

Aha, I came prepared for this exact response.

"Look at this from my perspective." I raised a finger. "Second time we met, delinquents. You, me, and Ranma hang out, delinquents. We go out jogging across the neighborhood, delinquents. I go on a quick trip to the edge of the Ward, I come back to find you with delinquents. Sooo..."

The girl, who was getting progressively paler as I went along, was openly gaping by the end.

"What- You mean- You think I attract them!? That's absurd!" She paused and then looked at me, I mean, really looked at me. "… Oh no."

I patted her on the shoulder.

"If it helps, I didn't consider myself a delinquent until I met you."

"That does not help at all!"

Turns out Haruka did know where they are ("See!" I said, "Shut up!" She responded), and she did have a good reason for it too. My gang had apparently decided to claim a vacant lot a few blocks down her house as their headquarters/primary hang-out spot, so she bumps into them practically every day when she walks home.

Of course, this being Nerima, our relatively short walk toward the place didn't go without incident.

Should I name this phenomenon? God knows it happens often enough. I should call it 'Nerima Factor' or something.

The wild delinquent that popped off from around the corner not even a block away from the place tripped over his own feet and fell face-first into the dirt. When he raised his head and saw me and Haruka, I swear it was like watching a devout catholic seeing the messiah reborn.

"ANIKI!" He cried out in adoration.

I sighed. "What is it?" Heh, I almost added 'my child' at the end.

"T-T-The Cobalt Lord is attacking!"

Who?

"Delinquent scum! How dare you pollute my family's ancestral lands with your presence! I shall punish you all!"

Oh, it's Kuno.

"Ohohohohoho! Not so fast brother mine! I have witnessed these men's will and morals with my own eyes and have judged them worthy!"

And there is another Kuno.

Joy.

The battle of Kunos was happening in the vacant lot Haruka had talked about. The place showed clear signs of long-term delinquent habitation and made me want to give Kuno-senpai a point. God, so many porn mags…

As for the delinquents themselves, the ones who didn't flee were huddling around the corner loudly cheering for the female Kuno while throwing insults and the occasional empty can at the male one.

"I-is that Kodachi-senpai?" Haruka mumbled in shock. "But who…"

"Meet her brother. As you can see, she's the better looking of the two." I helpfully added.

"Yeah…" The closet lesbian agreed with me and immediately started stammering. "Guh! I-I m-mean, I—"

I just chuckled at the brightly blushing girl and stepped into the terrain, raising my voice as I did.

"OI, everybody, STOP!"

That, of course, drew all the attention to me.

"YOU!?"

"""ANIKI!"""

"The Bat-wielding Prince~"

That last one made my eyebrow twitch.

"Alright people, let's us all calm down and talk about—"

"DIE, EVIL WIZARD!"

My attempt to make peace went as well as I was expecting. But at this point, Kuno-senpai would attack me on sight no matter what I do, so it didn't matter anyway.

After five minutes of action my kendōka senpai – with his head full of comically large bumps – dropped to the ground, completely unconscious. I rested my baseball bat on my shoulder and wiped the sweat from my brows.

Damn, I think he's actually getting better.

Then turned to face my adoring crowd.

"WOOOH! Aniki is the strongest!"

"Did you see that!? He demolished The Blue Sword Saint like it was nothing!"

"Sasuga Dandii battō."

"HAHA! Nobody can mess with us now!"

"ANIKI! ANIKI! ANIKI!"

Their endearing enthusiasm does give me a bit of a rush, not gonna lie.

"Oh, Bat-wielding Prince~!"

Ugh, most of them.

Suddenly, I found myself with my arms full as Kodachi bodily pressed herself against me.

"Such strength! Such boldness! Such ferocity!" She gushed passionately like I hadn't just used that strength, boldness, and ferocity to beat her brother up. "The attributes of the perfect man embodied so openly! I, Kuno Kodachi, The Black Rose, am positively wooed!"

Now, don't get me wrong, Kodachi is an extremely attractive girl with a purry, sexy voice and a leotard-clad ass that should be framed and displayed in some art gallery, but I'm a staunch follower of a golden rule that had accompanied me from my old world to this next one, one that is more pertinent than ever now that yanderes and over-the-top anime hijinks are a thing.

Do. Not. Stick. Your. Dick. In. Crazy.

"Oh, Bat-wielding Prince, take me!"

"Name's Hiroshi, by the way, feel free to use it."

"Bat-wielding Prince~!"

Of course.

"Hum, senpai?" I shifted my attention away from the girl trying to capture my lips and turned to Haruka, who, being unfamiliar with Kuno-senpai's cockroach qualities, was looking at his twitching body with worry in her eyes. "Should we help? I mean, is he going to be alright?"

I was about to answer when Kodachi suddenly jolted in my arms.

"That voice! Could it be!?" Then she slipped away. Materializing in front of Haruka. "Tenou Haruka-sama!"

"A-ah ha ha, hey there Kuno-senpai." The blonde girl said nervously as she started backing off.

"Oh, this blessed day~ To see you even after the school reopening ceremony." Kodachi clutched Haruka's hand with her own, preventing any further retreat. "It must be destiny!"

What an amazing whiplash!

My kohai, probably not used to this kind of attention from another girl, instantly blushed at the touch.

"I really don't think it is, but, err, n-nice seeing you too?"

Bless her heart, she's trying to deal with hurricane Kuno with politeness and understanding. Much to learn she has, this little padawan.

Deciding to leave Haruka to her trial by fire, I turned my attention to the gang of delinquents, my gang of delinquents.

The bunch had been whistling and throwing dirty comments when Kodachi was on my arm, but now that she was over Haruka they stopped and started to watch the pair of girls with eyes wide with discovery and fascination.

"Oi, Touji, come here!" I called out, snapping them to attention.

A middle school student that looked like a middle-aged thug – admittedly, that doesn't narrow down much, but I learn to recognize him from the sideburns – broke off from the group and quickly approached me.

"Heya Aniki, good one!" Sakamoto Touji, my self-appointed second in command congratulated me. On exactly what, he left vague.

I nodded, "First things first." I leaned close to him and lowered my tone. "Are you alright with Kodachi being here?"

"What do you mean, Aniki?" He blinked, totally confused.

The fuck?

"Didn't she send your little sister to the hospital!?" It was the thing that got me involved with delinquents in the first place!

"Oh, that!" He smiled cheerfully. "Kuno-nee replaced Hitomi-chan's entire wardrobe, so she retracted her undying grudge and loves her now."

W-What the- Wait, Kuno-nee!?

You know what? Fuck it, at least that matter is done with.

"Ok, so next up." I took a deep breath, "I need to speak to you, I need to speak with you all. Is the entire gang here?"

Touji's eyes grew several sizes.

"Y-You mean—" He sharply whipped his head around and counted. "No, Aniki, some are still missing."

"Get them here, I need everyone for this."

"Yes, Aniki! Right away, Aniki!" He quickly whirled around and addressed the others with a commanding tone. "ALL RIGHT LADIES, LISTEN UP! WE'RE GONNA RUN AROUND TO GET THE LAZY FUCKS THAT AREN'T HERE AND REGROUP, ANIKI CALLED A MEETING!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!"

The boom of their collective yell spread across the entire area.

… Oh dear, it seems like I stumble in some obscure delinquent tradition.

"Senpai." Haruka was suddenly by my side, she looked even cooler and more in control than she normally does. Hehe, Kodachi was making her nervous. "What is this about?"

"You'll see, this… this involves you too."

Noticing my change of tone, Haruka nodded firmly. "Ok, so we wait?"

"We wait," I confirmed it, then started to look around. "This is the 'headquarters', after all. Let me see if I can find a place for us to sit."

"Why, I never!" I looked down to find Kodachi standing between us, her whole body ruffing with indignation, which, considering that she was wearing a leotard that was practically glued to her form, was a very interesting sight. "Have my ears deceive me!? Have I gone mad!? This place, this place is the headquarters of my Bat-wielding Prince and his noble subordinates!? No! I, Kuno Kodachi, refuse to believe it!"

A black rose appeared in her hands and she whip it around to produce a tornado of petals. At the same time, she leaped, artistically flying through the air and landing on top of a lamppost. That earned her a few impressed claps from some of the remaining delinquents.

She theatrically raised the rose high and then brought it to her lips, the petals still somehow rotating around her.

"Tenou Haruka-sama, Bat-wielding Prince… Follow me! This black rose will bring you to a place worthy of her future husband and wife!"

And with a resonant 'Ohohohohoho!' She was gone. Leaping from building to building like the accomplished gymnasts she was, all while conveniently leaving a trail of black petals behind for us to follow.

"She really shoots for the moon, doesn't she?" I commented.

"I-indeed." Haruka tried to sound cool, but she wasn't used to Kuno's craziness enough to succeed this time around. "What do we do?"

I didn't even have to think about it; living in an anime world already made me too damn curious for my own good, plus it sounds interesting as hell, even if it comes from Kodachi's craziness.

Besides, I'm probably highly resistant to conventional drugs and poisons now that I dealt with what NOMAD could offer and have no qualms about breaking all her teeth if she tries anything.

-0-0-0-

Twenty-something thug-looking teenagers Oooo'ing and Aaaa'ing as they ran around in a building like a bunch of excited monkeys wasn't a particularly pleasant sight, but it was an amusing one.

Their reaction wasn't completely unfounded. The building Kodachi had taken us is pretty damn awesome. A huge open studio standing three stories tall, fully equipped with a kitchen, a lodging area, large bathrooms, several offices, and, for some ungodly reason, a gym.

I think this place was a recording studio of some kind, giving the… well, recording equipment we found in the storage and the sound-proof booths. But I can't even begin to imagine why the hell would a recording studio need a fucking gym attached to it.

… But then again, some bands are pretty crazy, and this place did come from a Kuno.

Speaking of Kunos.

"Alright, I admit this surpasses all my expectations."

Kodachi just loudly laughed that raunchy laughter of hers.

"Ohohohoho! This is nothing, darling, only the best for my Bat-wielding Prince."

I winced; I swear I will never get used to this nickname. "Are you sure we can use it?"

"Please, darling, you can keep it, the place was only accumulating dust anyway, I'll have Sasuke deliver the paperwork later." She sashayed to my side and very deliberately draped herself over me, pulling my arm between her breasts while her finger went up and began drawing lines over my pectorals. "You can consider that a small preview of my dowry~."

My Poker Face skill helped me hide how much her body was affecting me, so, appearance-wise, I just nonchalantly glanced at her and sighed.

"You do not want to go on that route with me girl. I'm not a man that can be satisfied with a single woman."

She's possessive as hell in the anime, right? Might as well try that.

"O-Oh!" Kodachi flinched back as if she was struck, separating from me almost completely. But before I could start mentally celebrating, she started vigorously fanning herself, her face fully red. "S-So cool~~!"

… I won't be getting rid of her this easy, aren't I?

I sighed, "Alright assholes, gather around! We have to have an important talk!"

"Ah, senpai!" Haruka interrupted me from close by. "Takato-san and Gojiro-san found you a place to sit if you want."

Wait what? She knows their names and can pick them up in a crowd!? Even I can't do that without relying on their game tags!

And, of course, because Haruka has reminded her of her presence, Kodachi pounced.

"Tenou Haruka-sama!" Kodachi called out, practically shoving her cleavage into the poor lesbian's face. "Don't you think I forgot about you, oh no! I, Kuno Kodachi, have the perfect establishment in mind to gift to you!"

"Err." The blushing blonde blinked rapidly and quickly swept her eyes across the room until they fell on me. she then looked back at Kodachi and cleared her throat, her blush subsiding almost immediately.

"I'm sorry Kuno-senpai, but I'm not a woman that can be satisfied with a single woman." She said in a husky tone that would leave world-class hosts green with envy.

D-Did she just copy me!? C-Cute! Haruka-chan is cute!

Seeing Kodachi once again being wooed to the point of near-unconsciousness, I decided that was enough dilly-dallying and herded the group of starstruck delinquents who were watching the interaction into the designated space.

I—

…

Alright whose idea, was it?

I nearly vocalized that as I looked at the monstrosity in front of me. Placed on a raised dais that overlooked the entire room was what once was a tall couch before it was covered by a long crimson robe, embroidered with complex lines of gold and silver, and framed by what appear to be two large Moai statues replicas, a small coconut tree, a golden bald eagle with its wing spread wide, a taxidermic preserved Egyptian looking cat, and more weird, worrying objects they found in the storage – again, what the fuck was this studio used for!?

The abomination was so gaudy that it took me several seconds to realize what it was.

A throne, these motherfuckers built me a throne.

But why in the name of anime Jesus was it so garish! Do these people have any taste— Oh no, no, wait, I've seen what delinquents do to poor, innocent bikes; the style matches, as annoying as it is.

I turned to the sea of shinning puppy eyes eagerly watching me. Haruka snigged somewhere close by, the bitch knew.

Fuck, alright.

There were several cheers as I dropped my ass on the throne of tacky garishness. Maybe I could start collecting the weapons of my fallen enemies and put them here, it's not like it can get more garish.

It was a good position though; I could see the entire gang from here.

"… There is a lot more of you now." I started with something easy.

Touji loudly coughed into his fist to draw attention. He had positioned himself on my right side, but not close enough to step on the dais. "We have a lot of refugees among us, Ragnarok has stepped up their pace, and a lot of the groups around Suginami-Ku and Toshima-Ku have been assimilated or destroyed. Plus, Aniki, word of your deeds and strength are spreading further each day."

There was some nodding among the group, I could see dark looks crossing the faces of some, presumably the ones from these destroyed gangs.

"Ragnarok…" The super delinquent gang that keeps popping up. I've been very dismissive of them in the past, because, frankly, a bunch of kids with attitude problems trying to larp that they're in the Sengoku Jidai are nothing compared to what I deal with daily. But now I actually did a bit of research.

They're far from being a threat, of course, the only way I can see them holding their own against me or Ranma is if they are led by a secret cabal of martial artists of something like that, but they are trouble. The problem, by what I could find, is that there are a lot of them and they are very diverse in their tactics; their initial move is the good ol' zerg rush invasion, meaning they try to drown their opponents' fodder under the weight of their vastly superior fodder. Most gangs just fall at that stage, but to those that don't, they open their fan of multiple tactics from the hundreds of different gangs they have assimilated, everything from honor duels to guerrilla runs are used against their enemies.

The worst part, and what made them trouble, is that the fights do not stay isolated to the idiots throwing the punches, the sheer number of them means that the action commonly spilled to the innocent people around them; Stores got trashed, schools got vandalized, people who weren't fast enough to run away got drag along and sent to the hospital.

Imagining that happening throughout Nerima made my skin crawl.

"How long do we have until they come here?" I could see some noticeably perking up at my question.

"Well, Takeda The Puncher seems to have honored his side of the deal. Ragnarok is ignoring Nerima for now and focusing heavily on Shibuya." A satisfied grin spread across Touji's face. "Word is that they've encountered a lot of resistance from the Suzuran boys."

This caused loud reactions from the rest.

"Aha! As expected from the crazy crows!"

"Maybe they'll get destroyed there."

"Nonsense! Only Aniki or previous Aniki can defeat Ragnarok!"

"Yeah, Aniki and previous Aniki rule!"

"That Serizawa guy sounds pretty tough…"

"Who cares! We have Dandy Bat!"

"Quiet!" I cried out, bringing back the silence.

Alright, here we go.

"To tell the truth, Ragnarok isn't why I called you today."

Funny, I'd spent hours rethinking and reanalyzing my decisions this past month and coming out with plans for the future - a sleepless night will do that - this conversation was something I focused heavily on, but now the words were failing me. It didn't matter, though, I had to get my point across.

"If we boil it down; you guys are here because of me." I started slowly. "Because I helped you out, because I rescued you, or simply because you heard I was stupidly strong. You all decided to bow down to me and call yourself my subordinate, I won't pretend to know the exact reasons for everyone here but I'm pretty sure most involve a desire for future fights, or to lord over a large territory, just plain revenge against Ragnarok."

Heads were nodded and grins were spreading, so I was mostly correct.

"But we never had a chance to sit down and talk, to communicate, I never bothered to try."

It's been a few days now since this little group came together, and I never once treated them seriously. They were just another comical sight of Nerima, a bunch of passing delinquents that could pull aside and throw on my many sidequests.

This cannot continue, not after yesterday.

"So, I'm going to do that now, clear the air, so to speak." Act like a fucking leader for once.

I honestly don't know if there would be any left after this, so this might be my only chance.

"… If you guys expect whatever this is to become like every other delinquent gang or expect this to be your chance to push back against Ragnarok… then get the fuck out now. You don't belong here."

"""EH!""" Whatever my audience was expecting, it wasn't that. So, these words were like a sucker punch that left most of them stunned.

Fucking anime delinquents are like open books when they're in a group, I swear.

"I do not care about reputation." I continued. "I do not care about holding a turf, or posturing around like I'm the strongest, I like fighting, but I won't go around looking for it like an idiot. I have better things to do, more important things to do."

I let out a long breath; here is the critical point. "… I'm getting involved with things you guys wouldn't believe, dangerous things, things that could do more than beat you up and break your bones. If you need context; I'm the strongest, toughest guy in this room, but I almost failed yesterday… And if I had, then a dozen of innocent women would probably be getting raped at this instant."

For the first time since I started, was no reaction, just dead, heavy silence. I could see the crowd struggling to process the information, none of them had imagined I would get this serious, this real when they saw me sitting down in the silly little joke throne, none of them were prepared.

"The reason I'm telling you that is because if you continue to follow me, if you insist on being my subordinate, then you will eventually be involved too. I won't be able to shield you, hell, I won't even try." I made sure to look at every single one of them in the eyes. "The fact is, I could use you, I could use your strength, I could use your numbers, having you by my side would make it easier to get what I want with your help. But this, and I want to make this really clear, would mean risking crippling injuries, or even death for my sake. Can you do that? Can you put your lives in my hand just so you can follow me through a path I'm purposefully leaving vague? If you can't do that, then get out now."

I am not blind to the effect anime tropes have on this world. I'd spent a good part of the night thinking about each one that could and would affect my gang depending on my approach. Having a 'banchou' asking his band of delinquents if they are willing to give their lives for him would normally be met with immediate and enthusiastic acceptance. That is why I went about it the way I had, that is why instead of getting riled up, standing up among the crowd with my fist raised high and shouting passionately at the end, I remained seated, my fingers clasped tightly before me, and coldly and firmly stated the facts in the bluntest way possible. I need these bastards to understand, not getting swept in anime hijinks.

I can't even begin to describe my relief when I saw honest doubt crossing their faces.

Sakamoto Touji, perhaps to no one surprise, was the one who broke the silence.

"What…" He swallowed. His internal conflict was clear for any to see. "What do you want? What's the objective?"

What's the thing, isn't it?

I'm glad that Touji – who could be argued to be the most loyal of the bunch – asked me that. But it doesn't make it any easier to answer.

The very core of it, the thing you get when you reach my deepest part and pull it out, is that I'm a selfish bastard. Waking up in anime wonderland was the best thing that ever happened to me, it's barely been a month and a half but I already do not regret losing my friends, my family, and everything I'd built for it. If you give me a choice right now of going back or staying, I will stay every time, I wouldn't even need to think about it. In here, I formed some of the deepest connections of my life, had some of the greatest sex I ever had, improved my very self to heights I don't even think were possible, weren't possible.

I just… found myself living inside something I deeply, truly love, and did my best to become part of it. This was more than worth the tremendous amount of physical agony that came with it.

But there are these… stains that I can't ignore, this fucking darkness underneath it all, causing nasty cracks in what was essentially my perfect anime life, threatening to end it all, to pull everything I love into this grimdark pit of rape and despair. Last night wasn't even the first time I've been reminded of it, it was just the more direct, most lasting reminder I received till now, the one I couldn't easily shrug off.

Fucking hell, this is so fucking childish, but I just want to have fun and be happy. I want everybody I came to love to have fun and be happy.

"What I want..." There were… various reactions around me, I think I forgot to use my Poker Face skill, too late now. "Is to help who I want to help, protect everyone within my reach." Ranma, Haruka, Rin, even my classmates… "And break anything or anyone that causes them harm."

+ 1 Cha.

+ 1 Cha.

+ 1 Cha.

… Ok, that threw me right off, didn't know that could happen.

I quickly shifted my attention away from the notifications and focused back on the crowd, this wasn't the time to get distracted.

The fuck!? Why most of them have fallen to their asses!? Took all the gravitas from the scene!

The bastards!

"…I…I…" One of the ugliest, most thug-looking of the bunch started. He lowered his shark-like, beady eyes to his sweaty palms. "That little brat… Takeo-kun… boss ordered me to scare off his bullies… I thought it was stupid but… he called me cool… Nobody has ever called me cool before." Rugged hands big enough to close over a man's cranium balled onto tight fists. "I-I'll do it! I'll protect them!"

"Yeah!" Came the voice of a mouse-like little delinquent as he picked himself off the ground. "Maeda-baba baked me a cake, can you believe that!? I asked my mother for that once and got a sake bottle to the head. Hell yeah, I'll help them out! They give me cake!

Slowly, a wave started to spread across the group, the crescendo steadily growing.

"Old man Tojiro is a manly dude, I'll gladly help him out!"

"Kana-chan is tutoring me! I'll break anyone that messes with her!"

"That Tofu guy helped out me mum when she threw her back; I pity the fool that tries anything in his clinic!"

"None of you assholes are good enough to finish painting Madari-baba's house! I'll do it!"

"Kaori-san said I could come back any time! Me! They said I was welcomed in their shop!"

"Kasumi-san petted my head! I'll protect her with my life!"

"Tejiro-san gave me free ramen; I was happy I could cry!"

"Koji-san introduced me to his daughter! She was cute!"

"What did you say!? Bastard!"

And that went on and on, for a surprisingly long while. Shouted declarations and statements about the shitty tasks I sent them to do all over the place, mostly to get the bastards busy and not causing any trouble, and how the Nerima community had embraced them for doing it.

I…

I didn't even plan for this to happen; I was just being efficient.

By the end, the collection of voices was booming across the studio.

"WOOOOOHHHHH! LET'S DO IT I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

"ANIKI! I'll FOLLOW YOU TO THE END!"

"HELP, PROTECT, AND BREAK!"

"ANIKI!"

"ANIKI!"

"ANIKI!"

I let these idiots' chanting wash over me as I leaned forward and placed a hand over my eyes.

Hell, when they get like that it's impossible to not get emotional.

"ALRIGHT, FUCK, I GOT IT!" I shouted over the noise, getting to my feet. "But you better not regret this cuz you're mine now fuckers, there is no backing off!"

I was met only with eager expressions of raw determination.

"Aniki! Aniki!" A practically vibrating Touji drew my attention. "What should we call ourselves!? I've been trying to ask this for days!"

"Ah." Once again I was thrown off, I definitely wasn't prepared for that.

Crap, I'm shit with names, Mana Bolt is a testament to that, heck, my Gamer System itself is shit with names, considering the number of generic sounds or just plain badly named skill I had.

Shit! Now everybody's waiting for the answer, don't put me in the spot like that!

"N-Nerima Wrecking Crew!" I burled out, the fandom name for the Ranma1/2's main cast was iconic enough, and it's not like anybody was using it. Plus it sounded good.

Silence, complete silence, every previously cheering delinquent was now looking at me with expressions of pure shock.

Ah hell, I just realized now that name doesn't mean a lick of sense to the context we have here—

"""YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"""

The following, deafening sound nearly knocked me out of my feet.

"NERIMA WERCKINGLYN COWRU!"

"SO COOOOOOLLLLLL!"

"NERIMA WER-err CREWRO!"

"NO IDIOT! IT'S NERIMA WRECORU CREW!"

"NWC!"

"Nwc? NWC!"

"NWC!"

"NWC!"

"NWC!"

Right, this is Japan, the land where even broken English was considered peak coolness.

Let's just move on before I get sidetracked again.

"Alright people, shut up, SHUT UP!" I shouted down these excitable monkeys until they focused, "Here is what you need to know, and what we are going to do. Pay attention!" Then, I theatrically raised my hand and snapped my fingers, pulling everybody inside the studio into a newly created Illusion Barrier.

The changes were immediately noticeable. The lights dimmed, all background color bled away into muted versions of their former self, a thick mist suddenly enveloped the room, and the clear, sightly stagnated air changed into a musky, swampy thang that left your nose warm and itchy.

The abrupt change of environment produced a series of startled gasps of the band of delinquents, but I wasn't done. Raising an open hand to the sky I began to gather mana for a Mana Bolt, forming a brilliant, beach-ball-sized orb of pure energy over my palm, and pushing it to grow even further beyond. It wasn't until I was sure all eyes were on me that I released the spell.

The roof above us was obliterated, opening up the space for the sunlight – not much cuz the mist was a bitch – to fall down upon us.

Everybody not familiar with my abilities was on the floor, their eyes nearly bulging out their sockets and mouths dangling open. "D-Dragon Ball?" I hear Touji muttering from his place on the ground and almost broke down laughing.

But it was time to put the serious face on.

"This is what I was trying to keep vague. The things you see in anime and video games? They are all real, everything you can imagine. Ki, magic, yokai—"

I swear in the names of all the gods of all the anime religions out there that I did not plan the next part. But by the powers of anime tropes or narrative conventions, a sneaking Kappa chose that exact moment to leap for an attack.

Without even looking at it, I snatched it by the neck midair and presented it to the onlookers. "Monsters."

If the passage into another dimension caused them to gasp, the sight of the monster nearly made them scream. Some of them did scream, but they were all too shocked to look away.

Because their design is so marketable, Japan has done a lot to infantilize Kappa. This was true both in my old world and here in nineties anime japan. We see the critters everywhere, postcards, construction signs, restaurant banners, parks, public bathhouses, even in official government documents you can occasionally find a drawing or two depending on the occasion. They all, however, share the same traits; they are cute and friendly.

The Kappa I was showing them was the original Kappa, what they are meant to be. A scaled monster with dark, murderous eyes, and unnerving, shrill shrieks that will echo in your nightmares.

"Look at it, look!" I insisted, my voice not as cold as before, but just as severe. "Look at this serrated beak that would give geese a run for their money. Look at these ten centimeters-long claws and just imagine how sharp they are. Look at the way it moves while it tries to claw my arm off, do you see how flexible and agile it is!? These things, these things!" I shook the creature yanking some louder, more terrifying noises from it. "Can kill you. They can open your guts with a sweep, they can get to your face and bury their beaks into your eye, and fucking believe me when I say that they will aim for your anus first! And do you know what else!?" I threw the Kappa to the floor and stomped over it, producing a grotesque, wet squelch as my shoe messily flatted its torso before it puffed from existence.

"… These things are nothing compared to what I'm going against, to what we are going against."

I straightened my back, piercing them with my glare. "This, gentlemen, is what I want you to know. We live in a world of monsters, where things like that hide in the shadows and prey upon the innocent… Do, you understand what I'm saying?"

I patiently waited for each and every single one of them to pick themselves off the floor, carefully watching as they struggled to progress the information I'd delivered. Some trembled in place as their worldview shattered under them, some acquired haunted looks as the full realization of what I was going to drag them into finally hit them, or others tried to stifle their sobs, or stoically clamped down their feelings.

They all eventually looked up.

A wave of affirmations, not as enthusiastic as before but just as determined echoed over.

I smiled at that.

"And this is what we are going to do about it."

Renewed worried glances were thrown to the area at my side, where I activated another skill and made the floor lit up with an ominous glow.

I paid no mind to it.

"Starting tomorrow we will draft patrol routes, no longer you will mindlessly dick around when you have nothing to do. If you aren't working on a sidequest, you are going to be on the street, and you are going to be attentive to everything around you. Any rumor, any conversation, any weird sight, bad feeling, odd sensation, or just plain craziness you encounter you will take notes, and you will write a fucking report at the end of the day. We will create a system for it, oh believe me on that, we will be ironing out a lot of details on these following days. So, congratulations, you guys are now my eyes and ears and you better prepare yourself because I plan to cover all of Nerima."

Barging through the nascent protests I continued. "Now, when shit gets real, like, anything more than a group of idiot delinquents from another area, and you're not with a dozen others to back you up? You run away, you get me or one of the executives. You will not try to tackle any supernatural problem alone or in a small group, better yet, you will not try to tackle any supernatural problem at all."

"You are not ready. I know you know how to fight and have experience with violence, but this doesn't matter, none of you are ready to fight monsters!" I enunciated.

And then I smiled, "And this is what we are here to fix." Opening my arms wide, I gestured towards the open space. "This pocket dimension is infested with monsters just like the one from before. They are dangerous, mean, and want to kill you more than anything in this world."

"Unfortunately, you cannot gain tangible strength by killing monsters and leveling up like a video game character." Heh, casuals. "What you can do is gain experience fighting them, you can get used to fighting monstrous opponents or just opponents that genuinely want to kill you, there are valuable lessons in there. Furthermore!" I thumped my fist on my chest. "I'll be personally helping you. I'm not qualified to teach you any extraordinary martial arts, but a genius martial artist had personally deemed me 'good enough' on several dozen conventional styles so I can show you some mean tricks. And, well, I won't be the only one helping." My smile widened as the progress bar only I could see filled completely.

Bright purple light erupted across the area.

"WOOOOOOWWWWWWW, MINON IS FINALLY BACK! MINONNNNNNN!"

And there she was, in all her bronze-skinned, bikini-armored glory.

Summon Cardian leveled up!

With a grin nearly spilling my face in two, but I pushed aside my reaction and just gestured towards her.

"This is Minon." The minotauress placed her gauntleted hands on her thong-clad hips and pushed her gigantic breasts up, obviously delighted for being formally introduced. "She's a precious minion of mine." A long, muffed squeal echoed from the back of her throat, but she didn't move from her dramatic pose, nor did her expression change. "She's kinda like a corporeal spirit of alien origins, or a summon, if you played Final Fantasy. She'll be helping in your training today… well, she'll mostly make sure you guys don't die or get permanently injured."

The cowgirl Cardian, catching on surprisingly fast, bumped her first together – doing magical things to her breasts in the process – and nodded excitingly. "I'll teach you how to fight! Minon!"

I open my mouth to keep going, but what she just said gave me a bit of a pause. For the first time in a while, I took my attention completely away from the gang and looked at my cowgirl.

"Can you teach someone to fight?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, master! Every Cardian is capable of training emergency troops! I am qualified! Minon!"

That's… very good to know. Now that I think about it, Minon did not fight randomly, or just relied on her monstrous strength for everything… not completely at least. There was purpose behind most of her swings and the way she moved, but it never occurred to me to ask what style she was using, or if she could teach it to someone else.

In fact, there was a lot of things I could have asked her, about the Cardian, what they are, where they came from, fucking hell I had her for all this time and this didn't even cross my mind, I even remember forcing information out of her once— god fucking damn it, I had a source of information about the Cardian all along!

No, nope, I will not get bummed out here, not after all of this, just add that to the list of 'things I stupidly halfassed, but plan to immediately rectify in the very near future' and move on.

Shaking my head, I focused back on my crew. "Well that's basically it, you're all armed, I'm sure." I have yet to see a delinquent that didn't carry at least one brass knuckles. "So, over the next few hours I want you to kill the monsters here and familiarize yourself with the feeling and process, just stay close to each other, stay within Minon's sight, and do what she says."

"You'll be smashing like grown-ups when I'm done with you." Minon helpfully added. I had no idea if the double meaning was intentional or not and, frankly, I'm afraid to ask.

Silence.

More Silence.

"… Any questions?" I asked to break the silence but only got even more silence.

I sighed. The avalanche of information and impossible events must have overwhelmed their brains. They'd probably been in the 'just roll with it' mode for a while. Honestly, I don't blame them.

"Ok," I sighed regretfully and then looked at my minion. "Minon?"

"Yes, master?"

"Educate them."

"Yes, master!"

Let me tell you, nothing get you going quite like having a three meters tall cow woman built like a brickshithouse bull-rushing at you while waving a Warhammer and screaming at the top of her lungs.

There were curses thrown about, there were crashes, and mild explosions, and finally, my troop of merry delinquents spilled out into the misty world like a bunch of retarded chicks falling off the nest.

Majestic.

When everybody was gone, I dropped my ass back down the throne of garishness slumped into it, letting a heavy sigh escape my lips. God, this was more tiring than I'd imagined.

… And you know what? This thing is remarkably comfortable for something so.

It was then, from my new position, that I managed to catch a glimpse of bluish-green on my left side.

"Eep!" I didn't squeak, I let out a sound of concentrated manliness that put chest hair on everyone that heard it, miss me with this girly squeak talk. "K-Kodachi!"

I completely forgot she was here!

The better-looking Kuno was standing on the left side of the throne, still as a statue, like, I don't think she was even breathing, she just looked at me with a blank expression… and rives of tears running down her stoic face.

"… I'd thought my dear brother a fool when he spoke about the terrible wizard with cursed black magic haunting the halls of Furinkan. Never in my life have I been more wrong." A trembling black rose was brought to her cherry red lips, and I could practically see reality being remade behind those terribly obsessed gray eyes, forming patterns and frequencies only she could make sense of. "NO! My brother redefines the word fool, to call him that would be an insult to every fool out there!"

With a gesture, she set off the hurricane of dark petals once again. "To mistake a dark wizard terrorizing a school with a golden-hearted mage attempting to build a noble order of knights akin to an Arthurian legend, laughable!" In the next instant, I had a hand being clutched by a kneeling Kodachi. "My Bat-wielding Magic Prince." Dear lord, the nickname got worse! "My heart was stolen once again, and your words have inspired me to action!"

She dramatically laid down a kiss over my ring finger leaving a perfect lipstick mark, before dutifully raising her shining eyes to me. "For that, I pledge you my love and my service!"

It was then that she leaped, pirouetting across the air until she stood over a still-standing wall.

I think she just likes high places, perhaps it had something to do with how her laughter resonated.

"Ohohohohoho! Rejoice, my beloved! For I, Kuno Kodachi, The Black Rose, shall assist you in forging the greatest fighting force Japan has ever seen! Of this, I promise!"

After a few more seconds showing off her impressive set of lungs, she jumped up and away, presumably to help train the gang, but who really knows with Kunos.

I was too drained to care about her, so I didn't. I just pushed my shoulders up and rose from my seat. The day wasn't over after all.

"Ah, hm." And Haruka has been at my right side all along, of course. "That's… Wow… I don't even know what to say…"

With an exasperated sigh, I nodded. "Kunos be like that. Don't worry about it."

"About, everything."

… Ah.

I can see it now, the cocktail of raw emotions flashing in her eyes, the way her shoulders were shaking.

"It's silly… I don't know where this is coming from… But you kept speaking and it kept hitting me and I just…" She dropped her head on her hand, fingers futilely wiping her eyes.

I-I was at a complete and utter loss. I'd never seen Haruka like this before, I had no idea what I'd said that caused this outcome. Even hastily replaying the words in my head I couldn't find anything.

"I'm sorry." I tried in the end.

She harshly shook her head, still keeping her face hidden. "Don't apologize, idiot!" Her breathing was intermixed with the little sobs she tried to hold back as she fought for control.

"You just… everything so obvious now… so, so right…" She tried to explain even through it all, her words slurred together in the effort to get them out. "Do you have any idea what it was like before… before you… I was just so aimless and… a-and those damn dreams!?" She choked noisily, her body shaking violently.

I couldn't take this anymore and pulled her into a hug, to hell with all those idiotic Japanese social conventions, I wasn't about to leave someone I care about without a shoulder to cry on because it wasn't 'proper'. She went stiff at first but nearly instantly relaxed, so I just held her in my arms, my hand drawing circles over her back until her sobbing subsided.

"… Thank you. I'm… I'm ok now." She eventually mumbled from her place against my shoulder, finally managing to wipe the tears completely. I let her pull herself off and watched her inhale and exhale a long breath.

There was a glowing symbol in the center of her forehead.

"Hiroshi-sempai, I have a feeling that if I stick by you. You'll take me to where I need to go."

"Gah!?" What should I do!? Should I point it out!? I have this indescribable desire to poke it with my finger and— And her game tag is glitching again.

"… I don't know where that came from either, so don't even ask." She shook her head, a cute blush illuminating her normally cool face.

Then the mark vanished and her level and title stopped glitching at the same time, I relaxed back with an annoyed sigh.

"You wanna know something, Haruka? You have a hidden power within you that someday we'll have to sit down and scoop it out."

She blinked and then tilted her head with a lopsided grin. "That would actually explain a few things." She said jokingly.

A loud yet distant crash echoed in another part of the Barrier, both of us looked in the direction the sound came.

"Great, they started without me." Haruka sighed.

"Without you?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Of course. I'm still at the physical conditioning stage at the dojo, but I can't stay out of the action forever, and this is as close as a controlled space as I going to get." She stepped out and shot two punches to the air that looked… honestly pretty good in my opinion, she had the right footwork and everything. "And you… You have somewhere to be, am I right? I got that from the way you worded…"

"Yeah," I confirmed, my hand unconsciously slipping into my right pocket to touch the business card Shiori had given me. "It's not something I can put off any longer."

I also needed to step up, can't let everybody leave me behind.

Haruka nodded, then, she struck a cheeky pose as if showing off her biceps and sent me a charming smile, the girlish one I've seen from her. "I'm going to do my best senpai, make sure you do the same."

"You betcha," I murmured under my breath for she had already taken off running. Looking at her retreating back, I casually raised a hand to my mouth, yelled. "Make sure you don't get frisky with Kodachi, you hear!"

The image of her squawking and tumbling to the ground at the distance sent me rolling in laughter.

Cute Kohai is Cute.

-0-0-0-

In the far off, futuristic utopia of the late 2010's I could just take my phone out of my pocket and check the address on the business card ahead of time. I could have gotten pictures, general information, the best route to get there, the nearest restaurants, the most visited tourist traps, and much, much more without taking a single step. But right now, in the sweet and innocent '90s, things are different. Phones here are indestructible bricks that you could probably use to kill someone and the idea of using them for anything more than making and receiving calls was laughable.

Computers weren't much different. Sure, you could get more information there, but the slowness and disorganization of cute little baby internet made that the work of many hours even if you knew what you were doing, which I didn't.

So, the best way to get there was to simply go there – thought my naïve past self, completely unaware of the multiple station changes, bus riding, mad rooftop dashing, and bothering of bystanders for information he would have to endure.

Still, the long and convoluted journey wasn't all bad, considering that it did help to put some things into perspective.

"I COULD COUNT IN ONE HAND THE NUMBER OF TIMES I GOT INTO A FIGHT BEFORE COMING TO NERIMA!" I shouted to the crimson-uniform wearing delinquent I had in a headlock, pausing only to kick his buddy into the metro seats. "ONE HAND!"

"WE'RE NOT IN NERIMA!" Cried the terrified delinquent.

"DETAILS!" I pontificated before I threw him into the air, grabbed his legs, and used his body to batter the rest of his gang.

It's one thing to hear about a delinquent war in the quiet -heh- corner of Nerima-Ku, it's another to get out of the area and experience it in the flesh. I don't know if it was just me, but wherever I went there seems to be signs of delinquent presence or delinquents themselves hanging around; multiple graffiti on the walls depicting gang symbols or other profanities, familiar piles of a very specific kind of trash filling every corner, sound of fighting echoing inside dark alleyways, thug-looking teens wearing various school uniforms snarling at each other on the streets, my eyes just seem to be drawn to these details.

There isn't to say, of course, that I spent the whole journey fighting people left and right. I didn't care if a group of delinquents was squatting together in front of a convenient store like a bunch of vodkaless gopnik (The saddest kind of gopnik) or made supposedly-intimidating-but-actually-ridiculous faces at me as I walked past. I only intervened when they were being genuine menaces to the people around them, like trying to grope a cute store clerk, or loudly screaming at each other in front of a hospital, or due to the occasional quick sidequest— So only sixty, seventy percent of the journey at most.

Best fight by far was against two, honest-to-God, female delinquents. Sure, they didn't look like delinquents with their tailor-made, color-coded uniforms, but their titles said they're from 'The Valkyries corps' associated with, surprise, surprise; Ragnarok, and they even did the typical delinquent babble: "something, something, taking me down to prove their strength for their female version of Aniki". Usami Reo and Igarashi Yōko were their names, I committed that to memory mostly because the two were around Akane's level, so they managed to rough me up a bit before I took them down.

As the sky started to turn into a deep shade of orange… and after being pointed the wrong way no less than three fucking times by three different people, I finally managed to arrive at the general location of the address.

Forested areas and open fields stretched on both sides of the streets, but this wasn't because this was the city's outskirts like Ōizumichō district, this place was a 'developing area' as indicated by the high numbers of ongoing construction around me. This place probably used to be a relatively low-valued area with a lot of old, run-down buildings, so the city decided to demolish it all to build something better, or just sell the land for some construction company whatever works the best. I think in a few years' time after every construction has concluded this will possibly become a fairly high-end neighborhood, but right now it was only a plain area with few functional houses too far apart from each other and other establishments.

The Japanese part of my brain was telling me that it's too late now and I should come back tomorrow but fuck that noise. Another part was… drawing parallels to recent events, and that one I couldn't exactly tell it to fuck off.

But I can't leave. Not because of the trip back or anything. It's just… This is the place.

I could feel it with my Spiritual Senses, it wasn't like anything I ever felt before, it wasn't even a 'thing', not really, I couldn't even point at a defined location, the best I could do was point at the general direction and say there was something over there. It was the first time my senses gave me such vague responses.

My magic teacher, someone who could finally give me some guidance on the subject after weeks of hitting my head against a wall. They were around there somewhere.

I realized my feet were rooted in place for a while now and forced myself to take a step.

I simply can't walk away now, not when I got this far.

… However.

Fuck, there is logic in the argument. It is way past the reasonable hours for an unannounced visit, especially considering that I'm a complete stranger specifically seeking their aid. Shiori did say I had to earn the apprenticeship by myself, right? Good first impressions are literally the first step for that, and every single one of my Japanese bones is telling me that if I arrive now I'm going to come off as extremely rude.

But after all that trouble I went through getting here, heck, all that effort to even find the right way when it seem nobody could point me in the right direction. It was like giving up on a marathon at the edge of the finish line, I can already imagine the whirlwind of frustration I'd have to deal with later if I turn tails now.

The number on the business card! Fucking hell, I didn't call first, in my haste to get things going, to start steeping up I forgot the most basic thing I should have done! Shit, I can't show up like that; if this is a bad time for a stranger's visit, I can't even begin to describe what it is for an unannounced stranger's visit. I could kiss it goodbye to any chance of a good impression.

But would I even be able to live with myself if I turn now!? After all that big talk with the gang!? That emotional moment with Haruka!? The entire reason I'm isn't there with them now is because I needed to be here, if I turned away and just… dick around before going to bed would be like spitting in the face of their determination.

But this isn't something I can screw up, Shiori went through all that trouble to find a famous Mage to teach me, one that she specifically chose to match my style. It also felt wrong to just not do everything I could to make that happen, including making a great first impression, it could really make a difference when dealing with…

I blinked and found myself facing the opposite direction to my destination… This has been the fourth time I retraced my steps; I was literally walking in a circle on the sidewalk like a crazy person.

Looking back, I could see the same road ahead, the road I was supposed to be heading but failed to do so each time.

My genre savviness is tingling…

After thinking for a moment, I swapped my title from 'Shounen Protector' to 'Determinator' and then turned back to where I was supposed to go and forced myself to walk.

… Christ it must have looked so silly! A pompous delinquent squaring off his shoulders like it was about to go into a grand ordeal and just start powerwalking into absolutely nowhere; a classic example of looking way cooler in your head. Fucking hell, what am I even doing here? I should go home and clean my head because I'm clearly going insane.

Ridiculous as it may look, I have to keep walking, I tried to focus on what was ahead instead of my feeling of emotions. No matter how stupid it felt, no matter the complete lack of any resistance, and how it feels like I was making all of this into something way bigger than it actually was, and how I should probably go home and come back with an actual strategy.

Focusing on the spiritual side of my senses helped immensely, and at the same time, it didn't. I was inside whatever was causing the weird feeling now. It was all around me. Not bearing down, or looming over, or anything like that, just there, like water, like being the inside of the ocean. It was unnerving, it made me want to go home and crawl inside my bed and stay there.

One foot after another. Match forward, man. Keep going. Ignore the thoughts. Push away the… the growing fear…. The gawking apprehension… T-The physical effects on the body.

Just.

Keep.

Walking.

And suddenly, it was over. I was left standing on the sidewalk, barely 10 meters away from where I first started, my baseball bat clenched in a bone-breaking grip, my heart racing in my chest, sweat dripping from my bow, and lungs nearly bursting from the among of air I was pulling in each breath.

Spiritual Senses leveled up!

Right. Yeah. Ok…

After taking a minute to calm down, and put my baseball bat back into storage, I looked back to the path I'd walked. The vagueness was now there, right behind me.

I took a step back in curiosity and— there it fucking was again; the ominous presence, the almost physical fear worming its way over my stomach— I stepped forwards again and it all abruptly stop.

… Some kind of anti-muggle barrier, I reckon? One that grows stronger the further you force yourself into it. Neat, and a very good sign.

I'm going to consider that my first test, I decided as I made my way forwards. This time there was no resistance.

Normally, that would have been the time for me to pick up the business card and start comparing the address to the houses by the street, but that became unnecessary. I only needed to crest the following hill to know exactly where I needed to go.

The place tiptoed the line between a big house and a small mansion, standing twice as wide as it was tall, displaying clear European influences in its design, someone more knowledgeable than I was could have waxed poetry about the collection of woods used in its construction and how its contrasting colors worked to guide the eye along where they needed to go, the only thing I can say was that it looked nice.

But the house itself wasn't what drew my attention; there were two other houses constructed in a similar manner on this side of the street alone. No, what drew my attention was the giant red balloon on the empty terrain beside it. The thing was easily three times the size of the house and set off a procession of fireworks all over my senses. Honestly, even if I hadn't a reason for being there, I would have gone directly towards it by principle alone.

You don't leave this kind of shit alone in Nerima, what if it explodes?

My curiosity quickly transformed into concern as I got closer and realized the thing was an Illusion Barrier.

Crap.

I have a feeling I'll be the one dealing with it. Still, it doesn't mean I would jump right in at the first sight of an Illusion Barrier. For all, I know the barrier is related to the mage, so it would be impolite at the very least.

The thing was on the way through, so as I approached the house it was inevitable that I would get closer… to it…

… Ah.

The Illusion Barrier has not been left unattended. Technological equipment straight out of a sci-fi novel was spread all around the terrain letting out loud beeping noises and electronic humming. A large field camp had been erected close by, where a central line of computers was receiving and projecting a complex series of graphics and reading. Mixed in with this wondrous display of technology obviously way too advanced for this time period, was the very distinct presence of magic. Earth totems and small stone statues have been suspiciously erected along with the machines, a series of runes and scripts occasionally glowed over their metal plating, and now that I had a close look, the enormous number of cables and lines stretched across the area were looked to have been deliberated placed rather than dragged over any available space, what exactly did they formed was too vast to see from my position.

And standing over this theater of magic and technology, with arms crossed under a buxom chest and legs spread apart, was a beautiful, orange-haired woman in her early twenties, wearing a combination of waist-high jeans and knot shirt. Her glassy purple eyes lazily focused on me, clearly expecting my arrival.

Lucretia Zola
Witch of Sardinia
Scholar of the Gods
Level: ?

Fuuuuuuc-.

…

Under the comforting blanket of my Poker Face skill. I struggled against the urge to slap myself.

I remember this woman. She's a Campione character, I'm sure of it. The sexy lady with a badass name that appeared in the first episode— Wait, wait! Wasn't she supposed to be a giant deal!?

Right, she was the—

…

I… I don't know what to feel. Elation for my luck? Dread for suddenly realizing the weight of expectation Shiori has placed on me? Just sheer dumbfoundedness? I mean, I was told she would be a big shot, but I wasn't prepared to meet the world's strongest witch… or the woman who's going to become the world's strongest witch… Or the woman that is supposed to be the world's strongest witch… whichever it is.

"… Alright, I'm officially confused."

She's telling me that!

Poker Face was quickly becoming my favorite skill. "Excuse me?"

"Brazenly walking through the barrier like that pretty much negated the possibility of an attack, no one would be this stupid against me. So for a moment there I thought it'd be one of the big-wigs trying to cause trouble for the foreigner girl. But, nope! instead I got—" She made a gesture in my general direction. "What's the word again? Del…Delinquent. A genuine Japanese delinquent just walked inside my barrier. So either my skills have degraded a whole lot without me noticing, or this is the start of some dumb joke."

"Ah." And just like that, I came to the obvious realization that barriers are meant to keep people out and that I wasn't called ahead to let her know I'd be visiting. My hand snaked up to scratch my nape, "I… I sincerely apologize for the intrusion."

"And he's polite too, a polite delinquent. Never thought I'd see the day. Ugh!" She swayed a bit, transferring one hand to her hips while the other pinched the bridge of her nose. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could make out any words she added. "What the hell do you want, boy? Are you lost or something?"

I-Okay, I need to get my shit together now, she clearly doesn't want me here.

I almost went full shounen and directly replied with my full intentions. But I have the impression that will only get me a flat rejection, especially with how… snappy she sounded.

Best way to go about it is the Japanese way, the indirect way.

"I'm Ōe Hiroshi, ma'am." The witch frowned when I didn't immediately answer her question, but I quickly went on. "I'm here under Seishuuin Shiori's recommendation. She said she talked with you about the subject."

"Shio- How does somebody like you know Seishuuin Shiori!?" Now she's just being rude. "Do you even know who she- Wait… oh, Oh, I remember that! Merde!" What followed next was a series of sentences in Italian, presumably with quite a few curse words and imaginative torture scenarios. That wasn't a good sign.

"That woman!" She gritted out by the end, shaking her head before looking at me. "Look, kid, I don't know what she told you, but what I told her was that I don't want anything to do with this mentorship business. I have no time for that, I have things to do and the last thing I need is—" She bit back her words, then pulled a deep breath and drew herself upwards. "Sorry kid, but my answer remains the same, no. And that's not an invitation to change my mind, or a hidden challenge, or anything like that. You make sure to—" There she nearly growled. "Tell that to Shiori next time you see her. Now, if that's everything, can you please get out of my property?"

I know, on an intellectual level, that I was unlucky enough to catch her in a bad time. It was either that, or she's a very different person than the older version of her portrayed in the Campione anime. Still, it… hurts, being outright rejected like that.

And it didn't make any sense! Had Shiori lied to me? I mean, I have no doubt she omits things from me, just as I do to her, but outright lie? It doesn't fit her image, heck, what could she even gain from lying besides losing my trust, no, I couldn't picture it, she had said she talked things with her beforehand…

… No, she didn't, she said she got me a meeting, and that getting an apprenticeship was up to me. But still, a meeting would imply… the business card doesn't fit, if Lucrezia had rejected her outright, then she would not have left a business card. Unless just informing me of the address was the 'meeting' Shiori talked about. No, that doesn't track either… how hidden is this place?

I looked up at the giant, abnormal Illusion Barrier surrounded by mysterious equipment and then down at the frowning, world-class witch keeping guard.

… Milf Miko is playing games again.

"You're having trouble with that barrier," I stated.

The witch has been getting visibly tenser in the short couple of seconds I spent considering my options and not leaving her properly. But my words gave her pause.

"You…" She narrowed her eyes. "You can see it."

My heart thrummed inside my chest, but I ignored it and raised one finger. "If I can get inside, would you consider making me your apprentice?"

"If you can get inside…" The witch carefully repeated.

The change was so sudden I couldn't even tell when exactly it took place. Before Lucretia Zola was… gesturing, postulating, displaying general emotions - mostly frustration - but now she just… closed up. Her body stopped, all the little twitches and movements that say someone is alive simply halted, her expression melted into one of pure neutrality. She just stood there, looking uncanny as fuck, long enough for me to question if taking things in this direction was a good idea.

"… if you can get inside. We'll talk." The witch finally promised.

I nearly slumped in relief, both for the opportunity she gave me and, well, for the chance to get the fuck out of her scrutinizing gaze. Casting aside my growing nervousness, I hurried towards the Barrier.

It truly was unlike any Illusion Barrier I've ever seen. All others had this transparent quality to them even when they were tinted with colors, this one was just solid red, almost glowing under the late afternoon light. Placing my hand on it, I noticed that this solidity spread to more than just sight. With every other barrier, it was like touching jelly, with noticeable ripples waving from every point of contact, this one's like a rock, like a giant crimson boulder.

It was so different than what I was used to, that for a moment I thought my senses were playing tricks on me.

Normally this would be enough to make me hesitate, but I could feel Lucretia's gaze on my back, and I could tell with absolute certainty that wasting her time would not end up well for me. So, I pulled forth the same peculiar sensation I get each time I used my Illusion Barrier-related skills and tried to break in.

Skill created: Illusion Barrier Invade lvl 01.
Allow you to invade Illusion Barriers regardless of the level of the monsters inside.

Heh, I can't believe I didn't have something like this already, considering the ease the gamer system gives me skills related to this particular topic.

Activating my new skill made the previously unyielding barrier literally crack under my fingers. Without further ado, I forced my way inside, only the slight touch on my shoulder telling me Lucretia had capitalized on the opportunity and came with me.

-0-0-0-

It wasn't pitch black and that somehow made it worse.

Saying it was dark somehow didn't do it justice, it didn't really convey the state of it. No, it wasn't that it was dark, it wasn't the lack of light, it was darkness, blackness, splattered over everything like rotting ink on a white canvas and left there to fester.

The illumination was like mockery; a sparse series of paper lanterns flaming with not darkness, giving shape to the world just enough to tell you are surrounded, that there is no escape, that it was all suffocating and around you. A dirt road carpeted by dead earth spread under all, colorless walls rose on the right and on the left, made in a traditional Japanese style. All else, everything else, anything else, was nothing but the dark. It encroached in a steady rhythm, slowly circling this ten-meter pocket made by two pathetic little lanterns like it wasn't all around already.

I stood at the center of it all, tightly gripping my baseball bat, trying to not acknowledge the dark, for every moment staring to it felt like something in me was about to slip out and fall, whirling away into nothingness, forever and ever— I turned around to where I felt Lucretia touching me but found no one there.

I was alone in the dark, with the dark.

"Screw that," I said out loud as a general principle and pulled a large, industrial flashlight out of my storage.

As satisfying it would be to say I penetrated this corpse of darkness with my huge 'fuck you' shaft of light. What came from the flashlight was a dinky little glow barely bigger than the one from the paper lanterns.

I looked at my equipment like it has betrayed me.

Before I could think. A noise! My neck snapped to the side as I turned around to look for the source and found myself staring into the dark. A soft, barely audible clip-clop of something coming closer somehow moaning from its bowels.

After a moment of confusion, I readied my baseball bat and focused, preparing to meet the monsters of this obviously overpowered Illusion Barrier for the first time.

The dark bulged and burbled and began to stretch before me, a shape formed on its surface and started to stretch inside the pocked of illumination. The dark was spread taut like a grotesque, latex mold, and then slowly started dripping off the moving figure, splashing on the ground like bloated, squirming worms. Little by little the threads of dark fell off, and the figure was revealed to my eyes as it walked towards me.

It was… a short guy wearing a brown, utilitarian kimono, his warry face petrified into an expression of pure exhaustion, his thin limbs moving in lethargic movements, his feet dragging on the ground with each step, his head bobbing like he was about to pass out at any second.

I blinked at him and immediately realized he did not have a 'monster style' game tag. This guy was human.

Kotaro
Skillful Shoemaker
Temporal Prisoner
Embraced by Yomi
Level: 06

… B-Boy, this just opened a whole lot of horrible implications, isn't it? Still, I didn't have time to consider all the details as the guy walked - more like shambled really - right up to my face. I quickly sidestepped out of his way, just in case.

"… Hey," I called out when he didn't react to my presence at all, and just continued to slowly step forwards. "Hey, you. Can you hear me?"

Nothing. Another step forwards. This time I nudged him a bit with my bat, keeping a solid distance.

His terrified yelp was so loud and unexpected that I nearly jumped back. His whole body flinched as he turned and look directly at me. It was then I realized something I somehow completely missed. His eyes were completely black.

"D-D-Demon! NO! NO!" He screamed stumbling over his feet and tumbling to the ground, where he continued to blindly kick away from me. Bloody tears were suddenly pouring from his pitch-black eyes. "GET AWAY! GET AWAY!"

"Hey, hey, calm down— wait!" I cried out and even lunged forwards, but it was too late, his kicks pushed him far enough to reach the edge, and his whole body was… I want to say slurped black into the dark. His frenzy screams fade away instantly.

I looked at the dark, the dark looked at me.

This… might be a bit complicated.

I barely finished this thought, then again, I heard a second noise. This time a soft 'tap' coming from behind me almost like— almostlikeRanmalandingfromtheroof!

I was already swinging my bat when I turned— A pale blade shrieked through the stagnant air— There was a sudden pull on my shoulder on the exact spot—

And my whole world violently crumped into a single point.

-0-0-0-

With a sharp 'snap' and a POP! that left my ears ringing, my whole world came back into the frame.

A strangled yelp escaped my throat just as the new centimeters of distance between my feet and the ground disappeared, making me trip over my own ankles. Gravity did its work and saw me falling over the soft grass and the hard lumps of the cables spread throughout the terrain.

"Ouch…" I mumbled absentmindedly, too busy staring at the last, feeble rays of sunlight as they were swallowed by the starry night. My mind working on something completely different.

Man… that experience's going to stick for a while.

Sometime during my musings, Lucretia Zola appeared in my vision, looking fantastic under the glow of the artificial lights that began to activate somewhere around the area. Shame she wasn't wearing a skirt, we could have done an anime skit about her panties…

"Are you alright?" There was a hint of concern in her voice, but she sounded mostly analytical as if 'scientist taking notes' analytical, not the uncanny, every-inch-of-her-being-obsessively-dedicated-to-the-task analytical from before. So I'll take that as an improvement.

"Mostly, yeah. It ain't my first time dealing with this kind of stuff."

"I see." She nodded, I got an odd feeling like she just took a note on a clipboard that wasn't there, but she didn't actually do anything. "Never do that again. There are ways to scan an Illusion Barrier to know the level of danger inside. Going in without proper reconnaissance will get you killed."

I noticed she used the proper, gamer term for it rather than the Oumagatoki the Shiori used. "… Couldn't you have said something before I tried to get inside?"

"I was confident that you would fail." She sighed tiredly "Joke's on me, I guess, once again underestimating Japan's weirdness."

Saying that she pulled back, giving me space to get to my feet, which I promptly did. My eyes trailed after her back while I dusted myself off. She walked two steps and raised her head to look at the giant Illusion Barrier, or maybe look at its general direction.

"How did you get inside?" She asked without looking at me.

"How did you get me out?" I countered.

She let out a peal of amused laughter. "Very good."

There was a beat of silence before her shoulder dropped. "I'm going to guess you have some unique ability related to the barriers… and that's why Shiori sent you to me."

That last part came more like a grumble.

"That's pretty much the conclusion I reached, yes." I rested my baseball bat on my shoulder. "So where does that leave us, ma'am?"

It would be very easy to gloat right now, to rub my victory all over her face, and, I'm not gonna lie, part of me really wants to. But she clearly had a bad day, and now is visibly going through some shit - maybe trying to process how a delinquent brat just blasted through all her work without any warning – as satisfying as it would be, I want our relationship to start on a good note, that means not antagonizing her.

If she doesn't become unreasonably stubborn and continue rejecting me, that is, then I would antagonize the fuck out of her.

I can be a petty teenager when the need arises, it would be therapeutic even.

Thankfully, she didn't look angry or frustrated when she turned. In fact, I'd say she looked a bit chirpy, but it was quickly concealed.

"Hiroshi, wasn't it? … I'm sorry, but I cannot make you my apprentice right now, I already have an apprentice you see and there are… forces at play that keep me from having more than one."

"Oh." My grip squelched the leather on the handle of my bat.

That wasn't what I was hoping for.

"Buuut." She intoned, raising a finger. "While I can't make you my apprentice, I can give you a few lessons, teach you some tricks that will give you a solid foundation, purely as payment for opening the door for the barrier, of course, nothing more than a transactional relationship… And who knows, maybe we can come to a future agreement related to that ability of yours." She winked, her attitude suddenly doing a one-eighty from while her fingers formed a very Nabiki-like ok sign.

Ah, of course, the most marketable thing about me, apparently. I relaxed my shoulders with a mildly theatrical sigh. "I already have a deal with Shiori about it, you know?"

"Arg, ok! When she's not using you." The witch huffed. "So, what do you say?"

It was still not what I was hoping for, but it was something.

Ok, a very significant something. This was Lucretia Zola, after all, I can't even begin to imagine how much lessons from the best witch in the world would be worth, so yeah.

"That's something I can agree with, ma'am if you would have me."

I failed to get a full apprenticeship, but at least I can finally, finally start closing the gap on my magical abilities.

"Ok, show me what you can do!"

"What-Now!?"

I guess it's time for night classes then.

-0-0-0-

Sometimes, I wish my gamer system gave me skills and perks just as easily as some of the gamer fanfics I used to read. Sure, I'd be, most likely, annoyed and overwhelmed with the amount of trivial and useless skills like 'walking' or 'doing the dishes' that would keep popping up. But it would be nice to have a way to upgrade some of my mundane abilities without putting much effort.

I once again lamented the lack of a cooking skill to help me with the act. The extent of my expertise consisted of three or four dishes I could confidently keep from burning, in this particular case, it was burger, or hamborger! For the Japanese. Simply season the minced meat, throw an egg there, shape it into a ball and then put it in the frying pan. Bam! Done, just make sure it doesn't burn and you have yourself a burger.

That's about the most complicated thing I can make. I keep telling myself to absorb a cookbook to fix this, but I keep forgetting.

Placed a plate of two American-sized burgers on my tiny low table together with two cold drinks from the cheerful-looking vending machine that appeared across the street, and I had my dinner. I lounged down beside the table and turned on the small tv on the corner. Just like every other electrical device in this apartment, it was brand new.

Television in anime Japan was an interesting experience. It was mostly fast-talking game shows where people went through insane challenges for what usually was a meager prize or big flashy advertisement display where the viewers can call the host and buy things live. Anime was also very interesting, and there is something deliciously ironic about watching anime in anime world, even if they were, save for Dragon Ball, completely new shows that I never even heard about.

So, I watched television while I ate dinner, and completely failed to pay attention to it.

That's usually how it goes nowadays, it's rather odd considering I was practically a tv junkie the first time I was a teenager. Every day here is packed with so much stuff happening that tv doesn't do shit for me anymore, today, for example, was memorable in a way tv can never match.

I'd stop to let out the gang – Nerima Wrecking Crew, can you fucking believe it? I don't know if I should be geeking out or dying of cringe – on my way home. They were in surprisingly high spirits for a bunch of minor thugs who spent their entire afternoon fighting monsters. From what I gathered, finding out the monster dropped actual, usable money when they died combined with the rough guidance of two hot babes wearing a leotard and a bikini armor respectively kept them going even after the many scraps and injures they'd acquired. And it seems Haruka managed to stand out once again even though she was the one with less combat experience there.

Apparently, she suplexed a kappa into another kappa, which was a sight I deeply regret missing.

And then there was Lucretia's lesson. Well, it wasn't really a lesson, not really, it was an assessment test, a section to show her everything I knew so she would know where I was and build the future lessons according to it. But it was still one of the most illuminating hours of my life.

Turns out I was getting a completely wrong impression of what I was doing with magic, according to Lucretia, I wasn't even casting spells – through the gamer system disagreed with this assessment – everything I did from the very first moment I tried to work on magic was all been merely an intense form of mana manipulation. She actually laughed at my face when I explain the thought progress of binding a 'concept' into a spell to get the result. Apparently, working with concepts was so far beyond my league that it was practically a joke in and on itself, like a country bumpkin folding paper planes and honestly thinking that's how actual planes are made.

But the session wasn't about tearing through everything I've accomplished and throwing it at my face, far from it. Apparently, I took a page out of Emiya Shirou and achieved something amazing out of pure ignorance. The stuff I do with my mana? How easily I can detect it within my body, how I could manifest it outside my body and still be able to manipulate it even then; That's advanced stuff, like high-level, master-grade, oh-my-God-how-the-fuck-did-you-stumble-into-this, advanced stuff.

Add that to what I was doing, not manipulating concepts but apparently willing the gathered mana to manifest the effects, creating what could only be called a not-spell or a proto-spell. And we had a near salivating Lucretian looking at me like a hungry dog would look a butcher shop, which was as scary as it was arousing.

Plus, my experience creating 'Proto spells' gave me a solid foundation in actively using my willpower for arcane formation, which was one of the first steps a mage apprentice must learn to cast western-style magic.

Needless to say; I left the place very happy.

… Which gave me a few bumps when my thoughts inevitably stray towards Ranma. As stupid, cliché, and unfounded as it was, I couldn't help but feel guilty for having a good time while Ranma is going through what he is.

I had a crude theory that actually made things worse. It's related to the mechanics of this world and how they work in reality. At this point, there have been too many signs and scenarios to say my insistence that anime tropes have an active effect on this world is merely confirmation bias. Saying that, and considering that the Taimanin Series is also of this world, it is safe to assume the same is true for Hentai tropes. So, this is a world where things like girls falling in love with their rapist, fucking a girl so hard little hearts appears in her eyes, or breaking women's minds until they can only think of dick, are very much possible, which leads me to theorize that either every lewd action practiced here is backed by a healthy number of erotic tropes… or that anime girls are much more sexually sensitive than anime guys.

The latter is more farfetched, I admit. Even if I'm not familiar with it, I know yaoi hentai exist and that the male bottoms are submitted to the same tropes as women in normal hentai, but my terrible mind couldn't help but assume that my friend not only had to deal with all the differences in his body in a highly uncomfortable situation, but also the fact he went from a normal timid guy to a hypersensitive anime girl and had to deal with all the sensations this brought him. It's like what I was imagining he's going through but ten times worse!

I forced my mind out of the subject before it had me breaking stuff and tried to focus on not being an idiot. Regardless of the situation, Ranma has already made visible progress towards recovery, when I left him this morning he wasn't 'alright' but he was focused, aware, and far from being miserable. He's made of tough stuff and doesn't need me woeing about how bad he had when he's already moving past it.

The last notable subject of the day is what worries me the most, that Illusion Barrier. To have someone with the title Temporal Prisoner had some pretty clear implications; the thing's been going around capturing people throughout the eras and keeping them alive inside somehow. Well, it might not be it; I didn't have enough clues to make that assumption, and the clothes that man was wearing could put him anywhere from the Sengoku period to today. But I got the general feeling I was dealing with time bullshit, and I've grown to trust my feeling quite a lot.

And then there was the Embraced by Yomi title, this also bring some pretty clear, and way more terrifying, implications. Yomi is the Japanese underworld, thinking about it immediately carries my thoughts to the most famous figure associated with it, which is Izanami-no-Mikoto, which is a fucking goddess, which in Campione terms means Laughably-Above-Everyone-But-Fucking-Crazy-People's-League.

I don't want to fight a goddess, I don't want to even get close to a goddess, especially one that lives in that terrifying place… but the thought of more people in that place revolts me to my very core.

I… I can't do anything about this right away. I did inform what I found to Lucretia though and it's not like I won't have access to the barrier anymore, but if I decide to do this, then I'll have to do this carefully… No, no, that kind of thinking got me within range of a rape demon without a plan. Maybe Lucretia would be the one to deal with it, in any case, she would have my full support.

I dropped the dirty dishes on the sink, looking at with the annoyance only a true teenager could muster, I really should invest in a dishwasher—

And for the umpteenth time today, I let my baseball bat fall out of storage, grabbing it by the pommel and quickly flipping it into a proper grip. In the next instant, I swirled around to greet the new presence.

Knock, the sudden contact against the glass panel leading to my tiny balcony paralyzed me. Knock, Knock… Knock, Knock… Knock, Knock, Knock, it came again, this time in a very specific, coded rhythm.

'You're kidding me.' I had to hold myself by the sink as all my rapidly growing tension deflated from my body.

The panel door opened and closed.

Fuck.

Fucking hell I…

"Waga Aruji-sama, this one has returned."

And she was here, kneeling over one knee like a perfect example of a kunoichi addressing her lord. Wearing the same ridiculous yet sinfully enticing uniform. It was like she never left.

Oh god. I took a deep, long breath, swallowed back the lump of emotion that suddenly rose to my throat, and relaxed my grip on my bat. Leaving it leaning against the kitchen sink.

"Welcome back," I said, crossing the boundary between the tiny kitchen and the living room. "… Hayate said it would be a couple of days."

"Aruji-sama has called. This one would never leave him waiting."

In this tiny apartment, moving to stand right in front of her was a matter of five steps.

"Rise," I commanded.

And she did so, dutifully displaying her awe-inspiring body and impressive curves, and putting us face to face, somewhat; the high heels on her uniform placed her a little above me, yet she kept her tranquil, reddish-brown eyes politely downcast, maintain the air of deference.

Uehara Rin
Ōe Hiroshi's personal kunoichi
Level: ?

I completely disregarded her change in title and the additional '?' in her level. It matters very little to me now.

With one hand snaking around her nape and another circling her ribs. I pulled her close, nearly crushing her in a tight hold.

"I missed you," I mumbled into her neck, letting those emotions for the first time.

It felt like damn years since I last held her in my arms. I've been… distracted by so many things, so many things, dealing with a lot, all at the same time. But in my private moments, usually when I was about to fall asleep, I found myself thinking about her, and feeling guilty for not thinking about her enough. As usual, my dumbass self missed the obvious solution of checking up on her until much later, plus, after yesterday's events, my anxiety has been slowly reaching the boiling point.

"I fought NOMAD." I felt her stiffen at the revelation. "It was worse than what you said. If I'd faltered for even a single moment… I just… T-The thought of you in situations like that just…"

"A-Aruji-sama." Being awkward wasn't far from the norm when it came to Rin, but this is the first time I heard it from her while she was in her Yamato Nadeshiko mode. The gentle hitch in the usual serene cadence of her voice somehow made it more appealing. I felt her hesitant touches on my back, trying to console me. "A-Are you alright?"

"… I am now," I muttered, trying to contain the tremors on my shoulders.

For a time, we just stayed like that while I tried to steady myself. Rin had soon found a good stop and tightly wrapped her arms around me herself. I couldn't even begin to convey how comforting that was.

Eventually, I was able to get things under control, as one must.

"Thank you, Rin," I said gently as I pushed myself away from her, she let out an almost inaudible sigh and looked me in the eye for the first time. "I… Many things happened… but the gist of it is that I'll have to rely on you a bit more for now on."

"Of course, Aruji-sama." She agreed instantly. Clear eagerness flashed in her eyes at the news. "Any task. Any duty. This one is yours to do as you please. Please lean on this kunoichi for whatever you need." She spoke quickly, actually inching closer with every word as the excitement she was keeping underneath the mask of tranquility grew.

Dangerous, this woman is too dangerous when she talks like that. Especially when her body's pressed against mine, especially when I'm close enough to see the color on her cheeks, the shine in her eyes… the pink plushness of her lips.

I have no idea who started the kiss. Probably me? It didn't matter in the least.

I leaned into the soft feeling, our lips parting and my tongue brushing against her own. She let out a trembling sigh as she surrendered herself, her arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me ever closer, before gasping as I suddenly pressed her against the wall.

Soft, wet sounds, draw-out hums, and hitched breaths resonated between us. Our touches grew more daring, always seeking more contact. She had a disadvantage in this case. Her taimanin uniform allow for plenty of access to her hot flesh, something I shamelessly took advantage of as we pressed closer and closer together.

At a time that came way too soon, physical need demanded we separate. So we broke our lips from their wet dance, staying inches apart, drinking from each other's breaths.

"… Ah~" Rin let out a passionate sigh, her hand slowly moving from my neck and shoulder to my chest. "Aruji-sama is pent up." She pushed me away slightly, just enough to give her room to move. "The Minon spirit has been neglectful on her duties while this one was away, this one can see that."

I would have laughed if the extremely bosomy taimanin dragging her curves downwards against my body hadn't elicited another reaction. "Is this the time to be talking about other women?"

"The fulfillment of Aruji-sama's carnal needs are serious matters." It was almost cute, the way she insisted even as she got to her knees before me. "Fear not, this one is more than capable of picking up the slack."

That got a throaty chuckle out of me and I leaned forwards, placing an arm on the wall for support while keeping my vision on the gorgeous example of a woman below me. Metaphorically sitting back and letting her do what she wished was an easy decision to make.

Rin herself just murmured a little. "Please, excuse me." As she unbuckled my belt and pulled my pants down. Then, I had the incredibly affirming sight of her biting her lips and her blush growing brighter while she took in the tent in my boxers.

"… Aruji-sama." She whispered in a heavy breath. "Aruji-sama." I almost grunted at the sensation of her pressing her face against my bulge. "Aruji-sama is bigger." The vibrations of her muffled words sent tinglings up my spine.

It was a subject I cared little about, but yes, maybe it was because of my maturing body, or because of my rapid acquisition of physical stats over these last few days, but I was taller, wider, and generally bigger all around. As I said, I hadn't put much thought to it, but when Rin dragged the waistband of my underwear down and was smacked with something longer than her face, a deep wave of satisfaction washed over me.

"Ah..." The taimanin slowly breathed out as her eyes hazily inspected the throbbing piece of meat looming overhead. "This one might be a bit in danger."

To say that that stroke my fire would be an understatement.

"You're backing down?" I chuckled, my voice carrying a husky weight with it.

"Mm~" In response she leaned forwards and laid a sloppy kiss directly on my balls, making me grunt.

This was the start of a procession of kisses and nibbles delivered all over my shaft and ballsack. As her suckling lips and heated tongue passed over my flesh, leaving wet trails along the pulsing veins, her hands slowly rose on my legs, massaging my twitching muscles on their way.

There was the occasional sound of feminine appreciation as she began to linger more and more, her kisses dragging for longer periods, her tongue lapping more strongly. She made a concerted effort to coat my cock in her saliva, yet left the tip annoyingly unattended. That drew out noises of complaint from me, which left her visibly amused.

The sight of her there, clearly having fun as she drew the sensations for as long as possible - her pink, plump lips practically fused to my skin, her squirmy tongue dragging over my flesh - was part of the reason I didn't demand her to rush. She looked hot as hell, plain and simple, as maddening as her actions were, she knows how to keep me captivated.

"Ah~ look at this, Aruji-sama's truly pent up." She naughty whispered to my dick like she was telling it a secret like she wasn't the one that brought me to the brink in the first place.

Her hands joined the fray. Slender, feminine hands hiding a roughness under their warm skin that could only have come from years of handling deadly weapons. One of them warped her fingers around my base and began to tug, while the other gently, almost reverently, cupped my balls.

Fuck.

"This one shall take care of it." Was what I heard before the tip of my dick was sucked into a warm, eager little mouth.

Double fuck.

I tensed all over, groaning over the electrifying sensations shooting from below. The taimanin sunk herself into my length more and more in each bob, her tongue circling over my spongy head and then to my shaft, lapping away at the abundance of pre cum I was producing, her hand pumped away at the base in almost opposite rhythm, the other delicately massaged my balls, supernaturally knowing where and how much pressure she should apply to stimulate production and draw out some interesting sounds.

I forced my eyes to open, looking at the spectacle beneath. In contrast to the steady yet energetic movements of her tongue, Rin was bobbing her head in an almost lethargic, hypnotic pace, her lips formed a ring of pure pressure over my throbbing length as she pulled away her plump, suckling lips to show the gleaming hot flesh her tongue was working on, before sinking back on, engulfing more and more of me, inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter. All the while her heated gaze stayed locked upwards, somehow pulling me in, drinking all my reactions.

Shit, she wasn't even halfway there, but I knew I wouldn't last long.

"I'm close…" I rasped out more for politeness' sake. It was really obvious by the way the throbbing intensified, my leg muscles tensed, and my girth began to swell in size.

Rin let out a deep hum of appreciation and lunged her head forwards, passing over the halfway mark and lodging my member comfortably into her throat without so much of a gag. Then, she started to swallow, and it was at that point I couldn't hold it anymore.

I grunted and groaned in an almost animalistic way as I subconsciously thrust my hip forwards. Rin's loud swallowing noise echoed as I sent rope after rope of thick, creamy cum down her eager throat. The hums and loud gulps she was letting out only serve to milk me further.

Finally, after some small eternity I spent flowing in whiteness, the flow finally stopped. The taimanin continued her soft ministrations for one more round before pulling away from my softening cock with a satisfied "Guh~" A few bridges of saliva and other fluid still connected her lips to my member for one more second before they fell away.

Even then, the woman didn't let go of my dick, deciding instead to lay her cheek over my crotch close enough to lay little kisses on the base of my manhood while her nose tingled my pubic hair.

There she let out a long, amorous sigh, almost like a high school girl cuddling against her crush. My lips curled at that.

"Looks like I'm not the only one pent up,"

"This one is… very particular… with her duties…" She insisted between long, lazy kisses.

Part of me wished she was wearing lipstick so she could leave even more of a sexy mess all over my cock. Including some progression marks she could then work to surpass. The rest of me applauded that part and enshrined it as a hero.

The images the thought had provoked, naturally, set my blood on fire once more. Now, just to make some things clear; this body of mine could go from horribly mangled to fully recovered in a few minutes of rest, so, my refractory period is more of a suggestion than anything, no matter how big the orgasm.

"Oh my." Rin intoned seeing the pillar of masculine flesh rising to full height once again. "Aruji-sama is not yet satisfied."

Judging by the excited tinge on her calm tone, neither is she.

My taimanin slowly climbed to her feet, this time daring enough to drag my shirt along with her, placing kisses and nibbling all over my revealing torso. Her body was considerably hotter than before.

"This one shall work harder then..." She said under her heavy breath as she laid down on a last kiss on my collarbone. Then, with a smoldering look, she slipped away from my grip.

That taimanin uniform of her looked as complex as it was revealing, but removing it as a deceitfully simple task, as I've come to learn. A collection of hidden latches noisily popped open as she walked, and her heavier equipment fell down along the way.

She hummed softly looking around the room as her hands then peeled the latex-like material from her hot, sweaty form. "This won't do, at all. A mess on a tatami floor is harder to clean."

Naked like the day she was born and utterly dismissive of this fact, illuminated only by the flashy glow of the television screen on the side, the taimanin reached to my futon. And she made a damn show of it. Sashaying hips, dangling tits, arching back, bending over just enough to show a hint of a drenched prize. She somehow made the simple act of spreading a futon over the floor into something that would drive men mad.

"There." She said, spreading the last fold of the sheet before dropping the weight of her plush ass over her ankles as she got into a kneeling position. She opened her mouth to continue but found her back bumping against my chest as I let out a weighted breath. "Oh dear~."

"You." One of my arms snaked around her torso and I made sure to lodge it between the enormous globes of juicy meat that were her breasts as I reached for her face. My other arm went down, hand trailing over her massive ass and reaching from her burning, moist core from under her, making her squawk beneath my palm at the contact. "You've become cheekier in your absence. Teasing me to the breaking point like that."

The possessive hold I had on her cheeks had pitched her cocksucking lips forwards a little, so I felt the pouty little smile forming against my palm very clearly. She offers no verbal comment, however, just ground her hips over my other palm.

"Definitely cheekier." I huffed sternly on her ears, and she jumped a little as my fingers invaded her insides.

She was so wet she offered practically no resistance as my middle and ring finger as they made their way in and out of her. Her hips quivered as I started using the rest of my hand to apply pressure to her mons, moving the base of my attack from left to right, in strong, firm motions that forced her to follow.

My fingers started meeting resistance from her internal walls at that point, but if anything, it only increased the sensations, if the rising shakiness in her upper body and the muffled sounds she was letting out against my hand were any indications.

"Who's the one pent up again?" I chuckled darkly into her ears as felt a distinct series of clenches over my fingers. She whined a bit when I remove her favorite fingers out of her. "Bend over. I'll return the favor."

With that, I removed my hand from her face and gave her a tiny little push. She acted as I had bodily thrown her forwards and instantly raised her hips high to meet my demand, and dutifully spread herself before my eyes.

As one would expect, the center of Rin's femininity was just as gorgeous as the rest of her. Framed by wide, childbearing hips and a large, heart-shaped ass, her core consisted of a pair of fat, meaty outer lips that warped over a vividly pink snatch that constantly dripped with liquid, contributing to the flooding of the area. The charming little mole on the right side was like the last stroke of a world-class painting.

The smell of a woman in heat made me want to give in to my instinct and mount her right then and there, but I held myself back. Instead, I contented myself with light ministrations around the area as I pondered over how to go about breaking this bursting dam. A light massage over her inner tights, circling touches on the soft area of her plump limps, dragging the tip of my finger along her slit and teasing her entrance. The growing trembling and increasingly high-pitched moans of pure frustration almost had me prolonging it even further. But I wasn't that cruel.

She would cum no matter what I did, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't give my all. Pulling away for one second to position myself, I suddenly jabbed my index and middle finger deep into her.

Many women find any kind of contact with the entrance of their womb to be greatly uncomfortable. Rin was very much not one of those women. In fact, she was the enthusiastic opposite of that. So, the tip of my middle finger lodging itself into the area right above her cervix was like liquid thunder spreading all throughout her body. Before she could properly register the sensation, I lunged forwards and captured her fat little clit into my mouth, giving it a little sucking.

A bit overkill that last part, but she did get me off with her mouth; it'd be rude not doing the same.

"HIIIIIIII!" A hiss came from her other end as her fingers and palms failed to completely contain the sound. At the same time, a jet of female cum exploded around my hands and mouth, showering me with fluids that anime or hentai tropes had blessedly turned it sweet.

Really, who am I to question the biology of anime women on this occasion. I'm just thankful for the treat.

"Ahn! Ahn! MgnMuah! Ahnn! Mmmm! Ahnn~~!" The sexy taimanin continued to grunt and moan as more and more fluids squirted from her. This time the bucking of her hips became a bit too violent so I released her clit for fear of hurting her. The lodged fingers were more than enough to draw out her orgasms just from being here and endure the crushing grips of her spasming walls.

I didn't want to drag this out for too long, however, so I pulled out and let her big, attractive hips collapse to the side in a twitching heap.

I blinked, just now noticing the notifications I had missed.

Sex Mastery leveled up!

Sex Mastery leveled up!

Ah, well, gamer power for the win, I guess.

"Are you ok, Rin?"

"Waga Aruji-sama"

If I wasn't fully erect and throbbing, Rin's words would have me up by the sheer passion they carried.

"Aruji-sama is not yet satisfied." She whispered, her tone clearly carrying multiple connotations, all of them hot and steamy.

Her eyes gleamed in the dark like a cat's and her body, her deliciously curvy body that could have belonged to a sex goddess undulated over the futon as she got to her back. The television's glow reflected over every patch of skin, every beat of sweat. Light and dark dancing and whirling over the wobbling of her colossal breasts moving and down in the rhythm of her pants. The contrast continued downwards, molding over her abdomen and revealing the deceitfully strong abs that were usually too faint to be seen with naked eyes. The shadows then danced over her legs as spread apart to reveal her needy, abused, infinitely appetizing sex.

"… P-Please… oh please… use your loyal kunoichi to fulfill your carnal desires, Aruji-sama, please, indulge in her sinful body for the time being, please, mark her as yours with your lordly rod, she needs it, please, she needs it so bad, please, please!"

There is not a man alive that would deny her after that.

I leaned into her reaching arms and went directly for her lips, as my tongue cut through her throaty moan, my hands reached up and possessively squeezed her vast tits. Below us, maybe due to my Sex Mastery skill, our sex aligned perfectly.

"Gah-Mmmmmmm~!"

The long, high-pitched gasp she let out as I penetrated her was swallowed by our kiss. Her body twitched and bucked under me for the invasion, and to my regret, I was forced to abandon her left breast and put a hand on the futon to steady myself for my next thrust.

I couldn't fit into her immediately as I could before. I must have grown more than I'd imagined. But at this point, Rin was simply too excited to feel any pain. She relished in the sensation of my invading gift stretching her apart even further than before, pulling her hot, sensitive flesh as far it could possibly go. Her body quaked mightily with each additional centimeter, a bit of her fluids gushing each time.

I tried to pace myself and give her time to adjust, but the moment she noticed I was slowing down she locked her legs behind my hips and simply pulled me all the way.

The results were explosive, to say the least.

Rin gasped away from our kiss, throwing her head upwards as her neck along with her entire back arched so much it almost took her out of the futon. Another outburst of warm fluids washed over our connected bodies, but I was too busy to notice any of that giving the walls of her pussy abruptly tried to crush my dick in the most pleasant way possible.

I grunted a moan myself and passed my left arm underneath her while letting my head slide over her sweaty breast to the valley between them, holding her in a half haphazard hug, while she trembled in the aftershocks.

I endured long enough she settled down a bit, her voice coming back to paint over her panted breaths and her back finally hitting the futon again. Before I began to fuck.

Because, honestly, I couldn't wait anymore.

She gasped in alarm as I pulled away from her molten core as much as I could from my position and then squealed when I came barging back in.

My desire to keep as much contact as possible prevented me from properly pound into her, that is, pulling back almost completely before hammering back down. But even the relatively short thrusts I managed to deliver while keeping my body draped over hers were having noticeable effects. The orchestra of moans she was singing in response to my thrusting was proof enough.

The reason for this was simple enough. Before, I was able to comfortably touch Rin's cervix, and that was enough to slowly drive her crazy over time, but now, with my new size and length, I was pushing her cervix in, practically demanding entrance in her deepest place sometimes, and it also helps that I could angle my thrust to batter precisely the spots she liked the most.

The result spoke for themselves.

"Ah! Aih! GGuah! Ah-AH~!" The glory of the sound Rin was making as she threw her head around was only matched by the wet, slapping, and squelching noises of our hips and sex impacting together. Both were sending jolts of pure electricity down my veins.

Finally finding some semblance of control, I pulled my upper body away just a bit. I just… needed to see her right now, and I wasn't disappointed.

Without my head to anchor them, her mighty breasts bounced up and down, producing their own slapping sounds over her chin and ribs, her arms were spread apart holding on for dear life – with one of these holds being on my biceps, which I only notice now. But her face, her elegant, angelic face of a Yamato Nadeshiko who had simply given up keeping her composure and now was riding deeply in the throes of pleasure was simply majestic.

Somehow, she managed to focus enough to notice me, and I quickly found myself being pulled back down, a dopey little smile pressing against my mouth. Grunting, I promptly dove closer to her once again, and deepened the kiss, even if this kind of broke the rhythm of my thrusts.

Turns out this didn't matter, as just my length being completely buried inside her, putting strong, consistent pressure on the entrance of her womb was enough to set her off again.

"F -Fuck!" Echoed my own gasp amidst her louder moans. There was no enduring this one, every single one of the internal muscles in her orgasming pussy seems determined to milk my length. Pulling back was not an option either, given the way her legs clamped around my hips.

The taimanin have a jutsu for preventing pregnancy, I suddenly remember, and that was the thing that made me let go directly against the mouth of her womb.

A deep shudder passed through us both as the action seems to trigger some buried instincts within. With a long primal groan, I slapped my hands over her hips and almost painfully pulled her even closer, trying to somehow fuse us together. With a happy moan, her legs unfolded like a pair of wings, tremblingly spreading apart from my sides and shaking with the profound impacts of my subconscious thrusts. Her hips bucked with mine as if drinking deeply from the thick, white geyser I was pouring inside her.

It was only when I had filled her to the brim, to the point that some of my seed overflowed from our connected genitals. That our bodies finally, finally calmed down.

Sex Mastery leveled up!

I fell over her, shamelessly using her right breast as a pillow. My weight didn't seem to affect her as she continue to limply pull heavy gulfs of air, raising and lowering her chest, and my head in the process. I was in a similar state, maybe a little less limp, but my mind was wiped clean for the moment, saved maybe for the faint regret I was feeling as I watched the wave of the pale-skinned, sweaty mountain that was her left breast, its beautiful rosy peak standing proudly at the summit.

I should have played with her breasts some more.

For a while, we just stayed here, sharing warmth between our bodies and getting our breaths under control. Just as I was beginning to think again, I felt Rin moving her hand over my head, caressing my dishevel, raven-colored locks.

"That was…" I heard her start, but she trailed off. So I finished for her.

"Intense."

The vibrating purr of pure, feminine satisfaction made me smile a silly little smile, not gonna lie.

Still, best get out of there before I fall asleep and use her nearest nipple as a pacifier, or something. Not that this didn't sound pretty amazing.

Pushing my upper body upwards – With Rin's arms lazily dragging over me with the movement, caressing and massaging whatever they could reach – I finally seat up after what it felt like a while and— Damn.

To say Rin was a mess didn't do it justice, especially not when talking about her lower half. A glistening layer of sweat, skin so pink it practically glowed, bite and scratch marks all over her breasts that I didn't even remember leaving, moist, softly smiling lips, red and swelled, ready for another round of kissing or cocksucking, a curtain of cobalt hair that had long since escaped from her ponytail crowing around her head, arms lazily flopped upwards, somehow drawing even more attention to the majesty that was her torso, and her eyes… hm…

Her eyes were focused on me with a laser-like, burning intensity. Like the rest of the world had suddenly ceased to exist away leaving only me behind… And, err, they were also glowing with tiny hearts.

… Alright.

I leaned forwards and over her, bringing our faces close together. Her smile grew and grew as I approached but otherwise, she didn't move a single muscle.

From up close, I could see that the little hearts were situated inside her pupils, they were uncannily perfect like some machine had precisely cut them from the aether to fit snuggly into Rin's pupils. They also glowed a little bit, but at the same time didn't emit any light? I also couldn't, for the life of me, tell if they were pink or white, and it wasn't the case of the colors fluctuating or anything, I literally couldn't tell.

I…I guess, hentai tropes, confirmed? Or weird biology in anime women, or— I don't know, but you can fuck little hearts into someone's eyes if you try hard enough, I suppose.

"Waga Aruji-sama… you're staring." My taimanin serenely reported, her voice trembling with the underlines of a laughter.

"Ah… Sorry about that."

Her giggles in her Yamato Nadeshiko mode sounded like jigging bells. I quite enjoyed them, I also enjoyed what it did to her breasts.

"Ah!" And of course, that caused her to gasp mid-giggling fit, feeling my member stiffening inside her once again. "Oh my~, still not satisfied, Aruji-sama? Your virility knows no bound, as expected, kukuku."

She placed her hands just beneath her breasts, sensually dragging them downwards over her form, making sure my eyes were following her movements before she stopped over her lower abdomen. There was an impression of my buried member beginning to form there once again, it was nothing like before, but it was getting more and more noticeable. Her massaging the area only accelerated the progress.

"Come on Aruji-sama, don't be shy. Please pour all your needs into this kunoichi's slutty little hole. She shall bear it all, as she should."

Crap she figured out a sure-fire way to get me going. And the little minx knew that too, her heart-shaped eyes were full of mirth.

Oh yeah, the hearts, I… Fuck it, don't care. Whatever it is it can wait for tomorrow when I can think clearly. I was just too fucking horny and euphoric right now, frankly, all I want to do is to rail down this pretty taimanin till she forgets how to walk!

So, I pushed her legs up as far as they could go – pretty damn far, it turned out, taimanin were flexible as hell – steady my feet on the tatami floor and pulled my hips back till I had only my swollen tip inside her, before I piston back into her sloppy, tight insides in the opening move of a long, loud, messy, and very memorable mating press.

Thank God the landlady downstairs was practically deaf and could sleep through an earthquake. Whoever got me this apartment, I applaud your foresight.

---

A/n: So Also yeah, I'm introducing a some hentai tropes into the story, but I won't be going into the classic approach of just mind breaking girls, for Hiroshi is just another set of tropes he can experiment, manipulate, and play around with.

What I mean is that yes, he can fuck hearts into someone, that's actually pretty fucking hard to do, it only happen because there was serveral factors into play here, the main one is that Rin already wanted to submit herself to him, followed by Hiroshing being in the exact size and girth to drive her crazy, knowing the spot she likes, actually driving her fucking crazy, and his Hax gamer system increasing his Sex Mastery midcoitus.

Also I don't intent for the hearts to change Rin's personality, if she seemed a little off to you at the end it wasn't because of the hearts, it was because her brain was swimming in an ocean of Oxytocin and it was making her a bit doppy.