Shido was currently facing a predicament he never even imagined.

He and the girls from the Spirit Team had just met up with Mio to get their first task as a team. As most of the team members were rookies, their first task would be being taught the basics by the veteran members.

That was all well and good. The problem came after that.

They were going to use the special practice CR-Units to train. But one can't simply put on a CR-Unit, after all, their clothes might get caught up on something, and that's not to mention that simply wearing clothes already lowers the compatibility.

But obviously, Mio couldn't just send people naked to explore the Neighboring World. Special clothing to be worn along with the CR-Units was developed, those were called plugsuits. Those plugsuits are made from a special material that inferes very little with the compatibility and also presents no problems during missions.

Well, to call it clothing might give the wrong impression. The female version is very flattering on the body and it's curves, like a bodysuit or a one-piece swimsuit. As for the male version… well, since there are few men in the NWETs across the world, the plugsuit and the equipment is usually turned into one single thing in an attempt to increase the compatibility as much as possible, making for something like a full-body equipment.

That's what Shido was expecting to wear, but it's not what he found. Instead, he found something like boxer briefs. There was no way it wasn't meant for him, but, at the same time, is his mother really telling him to wear this in front of a bunch of girls? It covered very little.

But he wouldn't just do nothing like this forever. There was only one changing room for the Spirit Team, so Shido was told to go first because he'd be faster. Ultimately, he had to go back to the room where Mio and the others were waiting wearing only his boxer briefs-like plugsuit.

"I-I'm done."

Shido decided that, if he acted like everything was normal and fine, then everything would be normal and fine. Yes, although these clothes were quite tight-fitting, it wasn't much different from wearing a swimsuit in a pool. As long as he thought like that, everything would be fine.

"..."

There were two types of reactions once the girls saw Shido's new outfit. Some got bright red faces and turned their eyes away, others exclaimed some surprise but did not avert their eyes (more specifically, they were looking at the bulge on Shido's crotch. As mentioned before, there was very little coverage). Who reacted in which way shall remain confidential for preserving the girls' reputations.

Shido noticed that his "fake it till you make it" plan did not work as intended. He also started getting embarrassed, so he tried to come up with an excuse to leave.

"I-I think I forgot to put part of my clothes on. I-I'll be right back."

"Ah, no, it is just that. How should I put it? You already have perfect compatibility, so the idea is to get as little in your way as possible, which means as little clothing as possible. Plus, the girls' plugsuits are also very revealing, right? So I figured it was only fair if yours were as well, Shin."

Mio said with a face as if she was commenting on something really simple. Her comment of "I see I made the right choice, since they can't keep their eyes off your bulge. My son is all grown up it seems" also made Shido unable to react.

After a few seconds that felt like hours, Mio finally told the girls to go change. A few seconds after they left, she told Shido to come closer to her. She then gave him a tablet.

"What is this?"

"Despite you being new here, you are the centerpiece of the Spirit Team, so I'm making you the captain. All the captains have tablets like this to help them do their job, though yours is a bit special. I'll let them explain it."

"Them?"

As if to answer Shido's question, two chibi girls suddenly appeared on the tablet's screen.

[Nice to meet you, my name is Maria. We're your AI assistants.]

[Same here. I'm Marina, by the way.]

The two AI girls, one with white hair and wearing mostly white clothes, Maria, and another with black hair and mostly black clothing, Marina, presented themselves to Shido.

While Shido had obviously heard of AI assistants before, he himself had never used one. Still, he couldn't deny he was excited about the idea. He was like a child with a new toy.

[Allow us to explain your role as team captain, and also show the functionalities of this tablet.]

[Your role as a captain is pretty straightforward. You have to make sure your team is ready for action. That means making sure that they are training properly and taking the mission seriously, but also taking care of them as people.]

[But you can't forget your most important role, using your ability to increase their compatibility levels. Well, making the right decisions during the missions is also part of your job as captain, but we will assist you with that.]

[Yeah, you can leave it to us. We'll keep an eye out, so anything you need, just ask us and we'll do our best to help.]

Maria and Marina explained. Although he already had some idea of it, being a captain really was a lot of responsibility. While he would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid after suddenly being given such a big responsibility, he also understood why he was chosen, so he decided to try his best.

[Now for the tablet, if you press this icon here, you'll get to check on data on all members of the Spirit Team.]

Shido touched the icon Maria pointed. A list with names and photos appeared. Shido decided to check his own profile first.

It was about what you'd expect. It had his name, photo, current CR-Unit, which was blank, compatibility score, and his history of Neighboring World Exploration Team missions.

Since his profile wasn't much to look at, he decided to check one that should be more filled. He picked Origami. It was similar to Shido's profile, except that the current CR-Unit section had an identifier, and the history section was… quite filled. It was honestly quite impressive. He could understand why Origami would be picked for this special team, despite her low compatibility.

[We plan to add more data over time. Like their three sizes and stuff.]

"I-is that necessary?"

[The job is to get you excited, is it not?]

Shido hadn't thought about it that way, but Marina had a point. Still, he decided to simply keep quiet, as he felt that whatever he said could be later used against him.

The AI girls then introduced the remaining functions to Shido. Such as the function to check and schedule training sessions. How to check on other teams (which was not something every captain could do). And all other functions.

[There's just one last thing. If you could please tap this icon, Shido.]

Shido did as Marina said. The next thing he saw almost made him jump in surprise.

What the tablet screen showed was the changing room. Shido hadn't noticed a camera there, but apparently, there was one, or rather, multiple.

Needless to say, the girls were changing there. Some were already putting their plugsuit on, others were still in their underwear, and there were some who were still naked. The angle wasn't particularly good, so it's not as if Shido could see much of anything in particular detail, but it still surprised him.

After the shock, Shido quickly closed the camera app Marina had made him open. His face was a little red from embarrassment.

"A-are these AI really fine?"

"Well, they're also meant to help you with your ability, so I think they're doing just fine. Also, Maria, what were the results of the experiments just now?"

[Yes. While sexual arousal was detected on Shido, there was no change in the girls' compatibility levels.]

"So physical contact really is necessary. Oh well, just more excuses to have fun, isn't that right, Shin?"

Shido was surprised at how his mother seemed to just be having fun. He had been told that there would be further experiments with his ability, since there was much they still didn't know about it, but he didn't expect something like this.

As the AI assistants quickly went from fun new toys Shido was excited to try out to something he became scared of, Shido turned off the tablet and tried to regain his composure, since he heard footsteps outside the door.

The next moment, the 10 girls of the Spirit Team entered the room.

In a weird sense of deja-vu, Shido felt like, much like he had done before, the girls were pretending they were wearing swimsuits and telling themselves that there was nothing wrong with what they were wearing. Shido was left alone to take on the 10 girls' roles of looking and then averting his eyes (the perverted side of him wanted to look, but part of him felt he should be considerate with the girls).

That was no wonder though, after all, the girls' clothes were nearly transparent, only the parts covering the private bits were slightly darker, but still, Shido felt like he could make out shapes if he looked hard enough. He knew that the plugsuits the women of the NWET wore were quite flattering on the female figure, but he had never realized they looked this… erotic without a CR-Unit equipped.

"W-we can't stay near your son wearing this!"

Apparently, Shido wasn't the only one who thought so, if Miku's complaint was any indication.

"Even if you say that… it was decided to make these thinner so that we could settle for 20% compatibility. With the normal version, you would need at least 30%. Maybe you girls haven't realized it yet, but a 10% difference is quite a lot."

Mio said it so casually that it was hard to believe she understood what they were talking about. Thankfully, the CR-Units would provide more coverage, otherwise Shido would have a hard time finding where to look during the missions.

"Well, just make do with these for now. We'll also make personalized plugsuits for you girls as you get your Spirit CR-Units. Since it's just you girls and Shin, consider it your chance to make an appeal."

It didn't seem like Mio had an intention of backing down on this. Rather, she even had Shido take a proper look at the girls and told him to complement their appearance.

Then, she told them about making Shido the team's captain and also introduced Maria and Marina to them. After that, she told them to go to the training room to practice.

As the girls were closest to the door, they would be the ones on the lead, which left Shido at the back. Yet, for whatever reason, the girls weren't moving, and only started going when Mio told them to go. Shido didn't think much about it at first, but he soon realized his naivety.

Again, what the girls were currently wearing looked like a bodysuit or a one-piece swimsuit, meaning it left a lot exposed. A good chunk of their backs were uncovered, which looked very erotic to Shido, and that's not to mention their butts. The suits passed right between their buttcheeks, meaning that they were mainly exposed and there was nothing to hold them. As the girls walked, the bigger butts bounced lightly, and while there was no movement to be observed on the smaller ones, they all looked incredibly arousing to Shido.

As much as he felt like he was looking at something he shouldn't, Shido couldn't walk without looking ahead. Taking the lead was an option, but then he remembered his mother making the girls go first, so this was likely her objective. He decided to do his best to not stare, or at least to hopefully not get caught.

After a few minutes, Shido and the girls arrived at the training room. Origami, Kurumi, Miku and Maya gave them a general explanation of how things work and told everyone to equip the practice CR-Units. They weren't veterans for nothing it seems.

Shido walked up to an indentation on the wall. He stood in the indicated position, and then mechanical arms started to build the mech suit around him. That is how the practice CR-Unit is put on, though the standard CR-Units are also put on in a similar way.

After everything was finished, Shido walked off the wall indentation. You'd think such a mech suit would weigh quite a lot, and it did, but the Realizer made it feel as light as air.

"Everyone, please listen. The first thing you need to know about using a CR-Unit is how to manipulate your Territory. We'll work on this today, so please stand about 1 to 1.5 meters from each other."

As Miku was the best at handling her Territory among the four veterans, she took the lead on this first class while the other three girls and the two AI acted as her assistants.

Everyone followed her orders. Looking around, no one seemed embarrassed anymore, probably because the CR-Units covered a considerable amount of their bodies. And yet, Shido felt a strange sense of loss in his chest.

"Good Now, I want you to imagine a bubble around you. Imagine that bubble expanding from your chest and growing as big as it can."

Everyone did as told. All around the room, the sound of the Realizer devices activating the Territory could be heard.

Simply put, a Territory is the absolute domain of a CR-Unit. In it, the user can be much stronger than normal, can process information much faster, as well as an array of other abilities. It's also how the CR-Units are made to weigh nothing.

It's not an exaggeration to say that it's the first thing all new recruits learn, and it is a very powerful ally during battle. Depending on how well one handles one's own Territory, they can be designated as a vanguard or support type.

"Natsumi-san's Territory feels like a warm embrace! I like it a lot! You're so cute "

"T-thanks?"

"Kotori-san's Territory feels like a hot summer day! It makes me want to strip!"

"Hahaha?"

"Yoshino-san's Territory feels chilly! I want to hug you and warm you up!"

"I-I'm not cold, but thanks…"

"And Tohka-san's is like a sharp blade! Please cut me up!"

"A-am I doing it right?"

"Yuzuru-san's Territory feels exactly like how I imagine it would feel to hug you! Especially the chest! I want to grope you!"

"Warning. Please don't do it."

"Kaguya-san's Territory… feels similar to Yuzuru-san's, just without the chest part!"

"Hey, I feel like I'm the only one who's different."

The problem of Miku as a teacher was that she was not the least bit impartial. She was ogling the girls harder than Shido had done just before.

Well, she was making her way around all the girls, and Kurumi, Origami and Maya were giving everyone pointers, so it was all working out somehow.

Miku eventually made her way to Shido.

"Huh? I can't feel your Territory. I heard some men have problems deploying it, but I thought mister 100% would be special. I guess you are just a man after all."

Miku seemed strangely happy as she said that. As much as it stung him, Shido couldn't really talk back to her. He really couldn't deploy his Territory.

He felt like he was activating it properly at first, but then it just turned off. Then, no matter how much he tried to activate it again, it just wouldn't.

[About that, this is because Shido ended up triggering the safety mechanism.]

"What?!"

It was no wonder Miku screamed. The practice CR-Units were equipped with a safety device that turned it off in case the output exceeded a certain amount. There might have only been less than 10 recorded cases of it ever triggering. But then again, maybe it was only obvious it would trigger with Shido.

[Should I release the safety?]

"... Yeah."

Miku authorized Marina, so the safety on Shido's practice unit was turned off.

Shido didn't know what to do at first, since he was worried about causing some kind of accident, but Miku told him to hurry up and expand his Territory, so he did.

For most, the Territory only extends to about 1 or 2 meters from them. Even the ones who are the best at handling their Territory can only reach two digits by focusing in one direction.

But, Shido's compatibility was much higher than anyone else's. His Territory easily engulfed the girls and the whole room.

"Ara ara."

"This feeling…"

"This is Shido's Territory…"

"Wow, it feels like I'm hugging onii-chan!"

Kurumi, Maya, Origami and Kotori commented. All the girls were currently processing the feeling of being in Shido's Territory though.

Incidentally, the feeling of being inside a person's Territory can vary a lot from person to person, but it generally feels like being embraced. It's also said that, depending on the power difference, it feels like the embrace is even closer and more intimate. Others say that the difference in power causes a feeling similar to a shock to run down their spine.

In other words, the feeling of being inside Shido's Territory was that of a tight naked embrace, and the girls were all getting the feeling of a pleasant shock on their body. That's why all of them had their cheeks dyed red.

Also, another common thing when one first expanded their Territory as much as they could like this was an overloading of the brain. Shido's brain was currently overloaded from feeling a tight embrace with all 10 girls at once.

"T-turn this off. Hey, control your Territory!"

It was Miku shouting that returned Shido's mind to reality. Since she was so close to him, she seemed to be feeling it the most. Her cheeks were red and her posture was lowered, as if she wasn't feeling well.

With a little bit of effort, he was able to contain his Territory, putting an end to that short-lived but indescribable experience they'd all shared.

"U-unbelievable. Never again remove this safety!"

[You were the one who told me to, but fine.]

"S-sorry."

Shido could do nothing but apologize, even though he felt like he had no fault in it. Marina returned the safety to how it was originally.

Incidentally, Maria had been observing and recorded a small increase in the girls' compatibility levels. She silently informed Marina, and they decided to report this to Mio later.

The rest of the training went on without incidents, mostly thanks to Miku being extra careful when telling Shido to do something.

Now that everyone knew how to handle their Territory, at least to a basic degree, they could start more proper combat training starting tomorrow. For today, they had gone through enough and decided to call it a day.