Chapter: 50. Are you trying to conquer me?
“About the recent incidents on campus… I hope you won’t get involved any further, Tianyu.”
“… Brother, do you know who caused this series of events?”
Tianyu recalled the night Nayin just enrolled at Ark Academy; she actually met him wearing that red and white shrine maiden outfit in response to his invitation.
This realization made Tianyu understand that everything in front of him seemed to make sense.
“Could it be that you actually knew from the very beginning?”
So Nayin’s outfit that day was actually meant to meet that person.
“I’m sorry; it was my oversight that led to Fuzui’s current situation,” Nayin admitted honestly. She indeed did not expect that person would suddenly launch an attack in Ark Academy, disregarding those around her.
“…” Tianyu silently stepped forward.
In front of Nayin, whose expression was somber, she reached out with her slender finger and flicked Nayin’s forehead.
“Ow—”
“Brother, you idiot! Since this isn’t your fault, you don’t need to apologize!”
“T-Tianyu…?” Nayin gently pressed her hands against her slightly red forehead and said cautiously, “Could it be that you want to… conquer me? Sorry, but we siblings cannot have—”
“—That’s not it!? Why has it turned into an explanation like that!?”
“Because you just said one of the top 20 lines I’ve practiced for conquering…”
“Forget about whatever this suspicious list of conquest lines is,” Tianyu retorted with a frown, “Are you planning to use lines like that to conquer someone else? There’s no way that would work!”
“Eh!?”
“Why are you, of all people, surprised?!”
“But, but, this is a plan that I devised after meticulously analyzing and investigating with Garuda, you know?” Nayin said as she looked at Garuda beside her, who kept nodding in confirmation.
“Brother, you and Garuda-sama even did that kind of thing… Just one question: why do you think those lines would be effective?”
“Because—” Nayin and Garuda locked eyes, and they simultaneously nodded and looked at Tianyu, saying in unison:
““Such unconditional, doting statements will definitely make the other person feel that they are being trusted and loved unconditionally, right!?””
“Not at all—!” Tianyu immediately retorted:
“Could it be that the line I just said to you was something you and Garuda-sama view as that kind of statement!?”
““Hmm. (Is there any other explanation?)”” both replied immediately.
And at that moment, Tianyu’s adorable face was turning increasingly red at a visible speed, and she turned away with an incredibly shy expression.
Nayin found it tremendously fresh to see this shy side of Tianyu for the first time.
“Hey~ Hey~ Tianyu, could it be that you’re shy~?” Nayin’s lips curved into a slight smile.
“Really, really! You idiot brother!”
“A tsundere little sister… This kind of character hasn’t been in vogue recently—Ouch?!” Nayin, who was teasing Tianyu, was ambushed again as Tianyu flicked her forehead.
“A violent, tsundere little sister!? Such an outdated character—Wow! I’m sorry; I oppose violence! I oppose DV!”
Garuda quietly watched the playful sisters from the railing, covering her forehead with a wing in a very human-like manner.
Although they had been separated for two and a half years after recognizing each other, even Garuda hadn’t expected their relationship to quickly grow closer after reuniting.
Perhaps—
“It’s because both of them long for the existence of ‘family’.”
Even though Nayin indeed had loving family members in her life, it was only in front of her and this “younger sister” that she could show her more genuine self.
“A more genuine self… Could it be that one day the master will show a lascivious side in front of her younger sister—”
“Hey! Garuda! What have you been muttering to yourself about since a while ago!?” Nayin suddenly interrupted Garuda, having caught onto a certain keyword.
“Lascivious… What? Garuda-sama, what were you just saying about my brother’s true self?”
“Uwaaa—! Nothing at all!”
“Sounds suspicious~~~”
“Cough, cough, cough, let’s get back on topic; in any case, this matter will be handled by Garuda and me—” Nayin forced a calm tone and steered the conversation back.
“Do I… still not have the right to be involved?”
“… Although it pains me to say this—yes, if it’s the current Tianyu, it would be very dangerous.” Nayin nodded seriously.
“… I understand.” However, Tianyu’s reaction surprised Nayin.
She had thought Tianyu would resist her arrangement and insist on being involved no matter what.
“What’s wrong, brother? That expression—could it be you think I wouldn’t agree with your plan?” Tianyu seemed to sense Nayin’s unusual expression and gave a slightly lonely, bitter smile.
“Ah, no…”
“After all, since you’d say that, you must have your own considerations, right? So as your sister, I naturally have to trust you and not hold you back.”
“… So you really want to conquer me, don’t you?”
“Aren’t the lines that trigger ‘conquering brother’ too many!?” After complaining, Tianyu added: “However, I feel the need to apologize in advance.”
“Apologize?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.”
“Because—if I discover my brother is really in danger, I will definitely go against our agreement and get involved. This, I will definitely do.”
“… So you really—”
“—Not at all!”
—————–
In the class where Kanade is located.
After the class meeting ended.
The atmosphere among the students began to turn unusual.
They learned from their homeroom teacher, Maria, that Ark Academy would soon implement strict management.
Although classes would go on as usual, after school, they must immediately return to the dormitory under the guidance of a teacher or the discipline committee’s students.
For high school students at this age, who enjoy having fun, this was undoubtedly a heavy blow.
And although Kanade’s expression also showed a level of heaviness, the reason was somewhat different from everyone else.
So during the break, he secretly approached Ryuemon’s seat, intending to discuss something he was very concerned about.
“You’re saying… you can use extraordinary power even though you don’t have any supernatural ability?” Ryuemon lowered his voice and asked in confusion.
“Yeah… What do you think about this matter, Ryuemon?” Kanade felt that Ryuemon was one of the few people he could trust since coming to Ark Academy, so he decided to ask him about this issue.
Despite Ryuemon often talking about “chubby girls,”
He actually knows much more about the world of the extraordinary than the average person.
“… Even if you, Tsukimi, say so.” After pondering for a moment, Ryuemon extended three fingers.
“Listen carefully, the general types of extraordinary powers can be classified into three categories.”
“The first type is our innate supernatural ability, which you probably know about, Tsukimi?”
“Ah, ah…”
“However, if you believe you haven’t awakened it, then the second possibility is—forming a contract with fantasy monsters and gaining their powers.”
Hearing this, Kanade involuntarily recalled his middle school days.
“… So, after canceling a contract with a contracted beast, can you still retain its abilities?”
“No, according to the information, you can only use its supernatural ability while the contract is active.”
“That makes sense…” Kanade nodded, acknowledging Ryuemon’s statement.
Even if he could really use a contracted beast’s power after the contract was dissolved, he remembered that DD-chan, with whom he had a contract, did not demonstrate any powers related to that “pure white space.”
So it was highly unlikely to be her.
“Now, the last type is—”
“Extraordinary items. Do you possess any items containing extraordinary power, Tsukimi?”
