"Say, Miyabi, do you think people are looking at me differently?"

"It'd be weirder if they weren't, right?"

It was now the second day of Ginsei Academy's second term. Obviously, once I arrived at school, Miyabi and I walked together to our class.

But on the way, I noticed something strange. A number of people, both students and teachers, were looking our way and sometimes even whispering something with each other.

Miyabi is very beautiful, so this is hardly the first time this has happened, but this feels different. It's like people are looking at me rather than Miyabi.

That's why I asked her that, and now that she told me, I think I get it.

Basically, yesterday, on the first day of the second term, we had the Labyrinth Battle Royale. I heard that the normal students and teachers who didn't participate got to watch, and it seems it'll even be broadcasted to all devils soon.

I'm just a normal human and my Arcana is Lovers, considered the weakest, so obviously no one expected anything from me. But, not to sing my own praises, I did some pretty impressive stuff in the Labyrinth Battle Royale. I managed to fight off Lost pretty well, who at that point was about as strong as one of the Triumph Candidates, and I even held my own against an opponent that took the Devil King to beat.

So is this… respect? At the very least, people are looking at me differently.

"Hehe, everyone's finally noticing Yuuto's charm. But too bad, I was here first~"

Miyabi said, at the same time she tightly hugged my arm, making sure to press her breasts against it.

As good as this felt, why do I feel like some of the male students and teachers are sending their killing intent towards me? Well, I'm not naive, I know why. If they want her, or any of my girls, they better be ready to go over my dead body.

Leaving that aside, the walk towards the classroom suddenly became a lot more enjoyable, despite all the gazes, so we took our time getting there. We still arrived before class started though.

"If it isn't Yuuto. The hell man, I didn't know you were so strong."

The guy who came up to me as soon as I entered class was Geld Shinkamaishi. He was the first foe I fought literally as soon as I stepped into Ginsei Academy and he's Aspite's former Card, but now I consider him a good friend.

Despite his delinquent-like appearance, he's actually a good buy. And he's actually a noble devil, though that's the case for all Ginsei Academy students except me.

"I wasn't always this strong, but I still have to get stronger."

"Damn, that's the Devil King War. Good thing I jumped out when I did, or I would have just become another victim in that game. Anyway, good luck, man."

Geld returned to his seat. Miyabi also went for hers. I was going to sit on mine, but then I saw someone I wanted to talk to.

It was a black haired girl. She was pretty beautiful, but otherwise didn't look too special. But she's actually Hierophant's Queen Card, and her name is…

"Hey, Hinata, I didn't have time to check after everything that happened, but you're fine, right?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you for helping me then."

Being Hierophant's Queen, Hinata was technically on the enemy team in the Labyrinth Battle Royale, but I didn't care about any of that when I tried to save everyone I could from the black swamp Disaster that took over the fake Ginsei Academy.

Well, it is true I came to check on that, but there's also another reason. That is, to really confirm it is her.

How should I put it? Imagine there's 2 people, they look exactly alike, the only difference between them is their height, one is short the other is tall. I wanted to know if this wasn't what was happening.

No, that doesn't really explain it properly, so I guess I have to be direct. It's her breasts. They're too small… or too big, I'm not sure.

Right now, they look… normal, not especially big or small. But during the Labyrinth Battle Royale, Hinata was wearing some tight clothes and her breasts looked humongous there. Like completely unproportional big. It's to the point I have to wonder if there aren't 2 Hinatas that look alike and their only difference is the breast size.

This one reacted to me saying I had saved her, but the one I saved was the one with big breasts. Could they be twins switching with each other? No, but even then…

"Oh, Yuuto, are you already well enough to attend class? Your battle yesterday seemed really tough."

"A-ah, yeah, I'm already all good."

As soon as she arrived, Nagasawa-sensei asked me that. It's always embarrassing to be called out by the teacher, no matter what situation, but I'm sure she was legitimately concerned about me.

Nagasawa-sensei is a beautiful adult woman. She wears glasses, which gives her a serious vibe, but she also looks rather young without them. I know because I spent some time in her place before summer vacation started.

I would like to reminisce about perverted events, but there weren't any. Looking back at it now, I can't help but feel that was a wasted opportunity.

"That's good. Then please take your seat. Also, please stop staring at your classmate's breasts so much."

"A-ah, sorry."

Well, that's even more embarrassing than just being called out by the teacher. Everyone saying stuff like "so he actually is Lovers' Candidate" doesn't really help.

[Regardless of the reputation I have built over the years, Yuuto can no longer escape your label.]

I guess you're right, Sein.

By the way, Sein is my Arcana's name. Not every Candidate can talk with their Arcana, and being able to talk to Sein has been a big advantage for me.

Anyway, now I took my seat. It was time to begin the first lesson of the second term.

During the entire first term, I had a lot of difficulties. Because my memories were sealed, I basically had to relearn everything from the start. But now my memories are released and things went much better.

I already knew Nagasawa-sensei was a good teacher, but I'm discovering that all over again. Despite everything, I feel like it was a very productive day.

The hours passed and classes eventually came to their end. Now's the time when the students go to their club activities or any extracurricular stuff. I suppose it's the same for me.

"Ready, Yuuto?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Miyabi and I headed for the Palace. No one really commented on it yesterday, but everyone knew we'd have to meet up today.

After all, we have to decide how we'll handle things from now on.

Miyabi and I arrived at the Palace. Neith and Lizel were already there. Stella arrived soon after with Rinne and Hisoka, since they had spent the night in her Palace. Hisoka still seemed sleepy. The one who came last was Reina.

After waiting a little bit, we began our meeting.

"I'm sure everyone has the same question on their minds. Let's not beat around the bush and get to it."

Lizel said. Even though I'm the Candidate, Lizel is basically the brains of this whole thing, so it's only fair she takes the lead.

"Well, to be frank, it's not prudent to pick any fights at the moment. The only opponents left are the Triumph, and while I think we could put up a good fight, except for Priestess and Emperor that is, there's no need to go headfirst into that. We should build up our forces and solidify our alliances. Hopefully, in the meantime, some of our enemies will defeat themselves."

Unlike Lovers' Group or even Death's Group before, the only thing that makes Triumph into a group is that these are the 6 most powerful Arcanas. But the Candidates themselves have no reason to work together.

So there's no need for me to fight all 6 Triumph Candidates. In the best case scenario, I'll be able to avoid fighting most if not all of them.

Everyone nodded in agreement. What Lizel was saying was perfectly reasonable.

"So in summary, for now, we work on becoming stronger, amongst other things, such as recruiting more Cards. Also, since it seems it's already known, there's no need to try to keep things hidden. Yuuto should try to recruit all the remaining female Candidates. That is, Judgement, Strength, Justice, Empress and Priestess. If nothing else, Yuuto must definitely get Priestess, as that would be a troublesome opponent taken care of and she would be able to help us if a fight against Emperor ever came up."

Well, that's sudden, but I can see the logic in it. Since I can make Candidates into Cards, why not make the most of it? And getting Fleminar's help would definitely be reassuring. She would be a scary enemy but a reassuring ally.

… And she's also really beautiful, so I'd love to do Healing Lovers with her, but that's a bonus. Or should it be the main objective?

Ultimately though, it'll depend on the girl. If they don't want to, I won't force them. At the very least, I don't mind giving it a try.

"About Strength and Justice, I don't know if you should count on them. Lost attacked them a few days before yesterday's event. It seems they managed to escape with their lives, but I don't know if they're in fighting shape."

So that's what happened to Seigi and Rikimaru. I should try to see where they are to see if they need assistance.

"Could you do something with your Characteristic Magic?"

"I could try. But it's been a while, so it would be… rather gruesome."

"... What do you mean by that?"

"To use Revival, my Characteristic Magic, I'd have to deal damage to myself. The more I want to heal and the more time has passed since the injury, the more I have to hurt myself. Oh, but I'm not complaining, I'm just saying because it's not pretty to look at."

I don't like that answer of Rinne's. Even if she doesn't mind hurting herself, I do.

"I don't want that. Don't use your Characteristic Magic unless I tell you to."

"... Alright?"

I sounded a bit forceful there, like I was her boss or something, but I think she got what I meant. I'll visit Rikimaru and Seigi and work something out without needing Rinne to hurt herself.

"Well, this brings us to the last topic: what to do with you two? There's no need to pretend anything, so I'll just say it, Yuuto probably plans to help you regardless of anything, but I would still like you both to decide."

"Decide?"

"... What do you mean?"

Ooh, that marked the first time Hisoka talked today. Despite everything, I think she's opening up to us.

Or rather, I should say at least she's not hiding behind Rinne.

"Do you still want any involvement with the Devil King War? What do you plan to do with your lives? Will you become Yuuto's Card? I won't press for an answer now, but please answer within a week or so. Like I said, Yuuto probably plans to help regardless, but I trust you understand the difference between these choices."

Both Rinne and Hisoka nodded.

Even though the Devil King technically gave them to me, they're not my Cards or anything. It's more like they have to obey me, since I won and they lost. But in reality, I don't really care about that, and if they want to just walk out I won't stand in their way. And like Lizel said, I plan to help with whatever trouble they're facing regardless of them being my Cards or not.

I suppose I'll just have to wait and see what their answer is. If they want to become my Cards that's fine, or if they still want to fight in the Devil King War it doesn't mean we have to become enemies. There are many ways this can go depending on how they answer, so for now I should wait.

After that was said, Lizel ended the meeting. I was wondering what to do now. Should I train? Maybe get a head start on studies so I have some leeway in case of an emergency?

As I was thinking about that, Miyabi grabbed my hand.

"Yuuto, can you come with me for a date?"

I had no reason to refuse to begin with, but there's no way I can refuse if her cheeks blush like that. That's foul play.

Anyway, I guess my schedule for this afternoon is settled. A date with Miyabi it is.

We left Ginsei Academy and continued walking. Ginsei Academy is quite far from… everything, so it took a while before we finally reached civilization again.

But it's not like all that time was wasted. Well, can't really call it productive, but Miyabi and I kept chatting all the way. Sometimes, things like this are enough. It's these small moments that really let us enjoy each other's company.

"Say, Yuuto, do you remember when I told you about how I learned about gal fashion?"

"Wasn't that when we were still fighting Ibiza? I remember parts of it though. You were going home, but your family's car broke down, so you decided to walk the rest of the way."

"So Yuuto does remember! That day, Maki and Rebecca weren't with me, so I was all alone when I saw gals for the first time. I was amazed with how free they looked. After that, I began to look stuff up on the internet and eventually I became this."

I'm not really too into fashion and stuff, so I'm probably making a mistake somewhere, but if I had to describe how Miyabi dresses and acts it would be: gal.

I'd be lying if I said it doesn't bother me one bit. I mean, because of all the exposure on her clothes, lots of men look at her with lustful eyes. But I know Miyabi likes to dress like that, so I won't tell her to stop. And besides, Miyabi is so beautiful men would still look at her like that even without clothes with high exposure.

"Speaking of, how are Maki and Rebecca?"

"They're much better. They're completely healed physically and mostly healed mentally. The Devil King really kept his promise. But Yuuto can see for yourself next time you meet."

Maki and Rebecca are the names of Miyabi's friends. They were captured and abused by Ibiza for a long time, but their nightmare ended when I killed him. Well, it would have been good if it was like that, but it's not that easy to deal with trauma.

To make a long story short, I had gotten the right to make a wish to the Devil King, and I used it to make him help Ibiza's victims, which obviously includes Maki and Rebecca.

If not for what Ibiza did to them, they would have become my Cards along with Miyabi. Well, I'm glad to hear that they're mostly alright now. I'll talk to them in person when I get the chance.

"Say, Yuuto, I know I've said this a few times already, but I'll say it again. I love you. At first, I joined you because you seemed interesting and I wanted to see if Ibiza would give up. Then, when you began fighting him for me, I really began to love you and after that… we'll I already said it. I know Yuuto has already said you also love me, but… I want to know if nothing's changed."

Ah, I think I get it.

Basically, Miyabi is feeling a bit insecure after I regained my memories and remembered my whole history with Lizel.

Again, to make a long story short, Lizel and I have known each other for years, and we both risked our lives for each other, in various ways. Compared to that, I've only known Miyabi and the others since the start of the school year.

That said, I don't think my feelings for Miyabi or the other girls are any less than what I feel for Lizel. Hell, I know it for a fact thanks to Cutting Connect, the Bloodline Magic Miyabi gave to me. The difference is, simply, the amount of time we've spent together.

So it's time to confirm what I've already said before. I step closer to Miyabi, take her hands in mine and look into her eyes.

"I may not have years of history with Miyabi, but I know I still love you all the same. Don't you remember Cutting Connect? I couldn't mistake this even if I wanted to. I promise to love you, Lizel, Reina, and everyone else all the same. And if you feel like I'm not doing a good enough job, you know you can Galactic Strike me right in the face."

"Hehe, I knew Yuuto would say that, but I still feel relieved hearing it."

Miyabi hugged me. I can't know what exactly is going through her head, but I don't think she was lying when she said she was relieved. So I hugged her back.

We stayed like that for about a minute. A few people shot us some weird looks but it didn't matter.

"Say, Yuuto, do you want to stay at my house tonight?"

"Is it what I think it is?"

"Yup."

"Then, as long as you're fine with it, I'd love to."

"Great. Then, before that, let's walk around a bit more."

For the next hour or so, Miyabi kept taking me all around the place, showing me various stores and clothes she liked to wear or telling me stories about her past. It was like a museum tour, Miyabi edition. But I can't say it wasn't fun.

In the meantime, I called Reina and told her I'd be staying at Miyabi's, so I asked her to tell our parents.

Once it started to get dark, we headed for the Yuugaoze mansion. We arrived about on time for dinner. Miyabi told her mother, Miyako, that I'd be staying over, but I'm pretty sure she understood everything from just that.

Dinner was… stuff I'd call stamina food. And there was something weird on the taste. For some reason Miyabi was really embarrassed during all of dinner, and Miyako had a look as if the most amazing adult film was playing on her head.

Once dinner was over, Miyabi went to take a bath. I did the same, though obviously I didn't go to the same one as Miyabi, as much as I wish I could. Once I was done, I returned to the living room where Miyako was waiting.

"Took longer than I expected. Dark chocolate?"

"I don't really like it, but I suppose I'll take it."

It's probably more food Miyako had ready for this situation. Miyabi was still in the bath, so I had nothing to do while I waited.

Still tasted weird though.

"Just to confirm, Yuuto, Miyabi won't be your first, right?"

"Ah, no. Should I apologize?"

"No, it's fine. But I won't accept any excuses if you mess up. I expect Miyabi to be unable to sit right for the next week."

"Isn't that a bit much?!"

Well, I get Miyako's intentions though, she's trying to lighten the mood. I doubt it would happen, but I'd die of embarrassment if I got too nervous when it was go time.

So, for a while, she just kept things to some light talking. Until Miyako said something a little more serious.

"By the way, Yuuto, I'll just get this out of the way now, but there are a few traditions in the Yuugaoze family on this matter. I won't go into details because frankly I can't be bothered with a lot of them, but I'll just give you a heads up that Miyabi decided to keep just 1 of the traditions, so there will be a bit of an opening event before the main thing."

"What's with that? If you're that cryptic you'll only make me curious."

"I could tell you what it is, but it'll probably be funnier if I don't. But we can discuss it tomorrow if you want."

That doesn't really tell me anything, but it doesn't seem like I'll get anything else out of Miyako.

Eventually, Miyako got a call and then guided me to a room, Miyabi's room. She told me to just take a seat and wait for a bit and then left the room.

It wasn't long before I figured out what was the opening act Miyako talked about.