"Shichen, who exactly is she?" Tohka asked again.
"Her name is Kyouno Natsumi. Same as you all—she's a Spirit~" Shichen answered honestly.
"I knew it. Of course whoever Onii-chan brings back wouldn't be normal," Kotori nodded in understanding.
"Another Spirit… how many Spirits are there, anyway?" Miku asked, puzzled.
"I don't know either," Nia shook her head.
"She's so little…" Kaguya couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
"Reminder. Kaguya, you seem to have forgotten—once we become Spirits our outward appearance is basically fixed," Yuzuru pointed out.
"Ah! I almost forgot…"
"Even so, Natsumi became a Spirit when she was this tiny," Tamae said with a pained look.
"What is the First Spirit even trying to do?" Kurumi frowned.
Because her history had been changed, her head was now full of "saving the world" and "upholding justice"; she'd never really gone digging into the First Spirit. Only now did curiosity catch up.
"I'd like to know too…" Tohka pressed her lips together.
Of everyone here, only she was a pureborn Spirit. She very much wanted to understand the First Spirit's motives.
"Shichen-nii, you don't know either?" Origami asked him.
"I haven't figured it out," Shichen shook his head.
"But now's not the time to worry about that. Shouldn't you be welcoming a new family member?"
"Knew it," Miku sighed.
"Shichen, you really won't let any Spirit slip by, huh…"
"What do you mean 'won't let any slip by'? Natsumi was just pitiful on her own."
"I-I'm not pitiful!" Natsumi immediately protested.
"Don't be so stubborn. Look—there are so many comrades around you. Still worried I'm going to sell you off?" Shichen asked with a laugh.
"I… are they really all Spirits?" Natsumi looked at Tohka and the others, unable to stop herself from asking.
"Don't believe it? Then why don't you girls show her?" Shichen suggested.
"Fufufu~ Be honest, Shichen—you just want to see it yourself, right?" Kurumi teased.
"After all, Shichen's got a uniform kink~" Nia piled on.
She knew that better than anyone—once she'd put on her Spirit attire, Shichen had been way too excited.
She'd cried herself out so badly that she'd passed out, her body feeling like it had fallen apart when she woke up—even with a Spirit's recovery speed. That was how lethal "uniforms" were.
"Shichen-nii likes uniforms? Got it. Astral Dress, First Form."
Holy light flooded the room; Origami's body was wrapped in radiance, then a dress like a wedding gown appeared around her.
It was mostly pure white and gold, a crown on her head, the collar open wide, exposing a generous expanse of snow-white skin and the soft curves at the sides of her chest.
"Shichen-nii, I'll wear my Spirit outfit next time I come over," Origami said, eyes Shichening.
"…We'll talk about it next time."
He knew exactly what she meant, but this was not the time to say it out loud. There were still girls here who had no idea what was going on.
"Then me too. Astral Dress, Second Form."
Nia's clothes also flashed into a Spirit outfit—a nun-like dress that showed off her white legs.
"My turn. Astral Dress, Third Form."
"Astral Dress, Fifth Form."
"Astral Dress, Eighth Form." ×2
"Astral Dress, Ninth Form."
"Astral Dress, Tenth Form."
"Astral Dress, Fourth Form."
One after another, everyone transformed into their Spirit forms; a dozen different, gorgeous costumes filled the room, dazzling to look at.
But they weren't gaudy—just beautifully designed, each one making its wearer look like a storybook princess or a magical girl.
Faced with that kind of Spirit line-up, it would be hard for any normal guy not to become a uniform maniac.
Who doesn't like princesses and magical girls?
That said, aside from Yoshino's outfit, pretty much all the others were at least a little bit on the risqué side.
Even conservative Tohka, Kurumi, and Miku had their upper curves subtly highlighted into round, full shapes.
Natsumi's Spirit gear was an orange cloak just barely covering her underwear, with exposed collarbones and stomach—a half-exposed witch getup.
As for Kaguya and Yuzuru… better not even mention it. Their gear was basically on the same level as fetish outfits.
It fit Shichen's tastes just fine, but it wasn't exactly suitable for outsiders' eyes.
Looked like he'd have to get them to modify things a bit—add some fabric here, maybe some safety shorts there.
Of course, when it was just him, no such changes were necessary.
"They really are all Spirits…"
Seeing everyone in Spirit form, Natsumi's eyes went wide. Her little face was full of disbelief.
It was her first time meeting other Spirits.
"Natsumi-chan, you're mistaken about one thing—I'm not a Spirit," Tamae corrected with a smile.
"Ah, um… I'm sorry."
"Haha, don't worry about it. I am a little connected to everyone, though. If you like, you can treat me as a comrade too."
"Uh…"
"My name's Yamai Kazuha. Just call me 'Saha.'"
"S-Saha-neesan…"
"Oh my, such a polite child," Saha laughed happily.
Shichen watched her and noticed that her smile looked a little forced.
He could guess why—everyone around her was a Spirit, and she alone was not. It made her feel like she was on the outside.
But he already had an idea. If things worked out, she wouldn't have to feel that way ever again.
"So… still worried you'll drag me down?" he asked gently.
"Eh? How did you…?" Natsumi blurted, turning to look at him.
"It's written all over your face. Who do you think I am?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm your future family," Shichen said.
"Family…"
"Yup. With me here, no one gets to bully you. If anyone does, I'll get your revenge for you. I'll pamper you forever, stay with you forever, and never let you be lonely again."
He remembered Natsumi's tragic past very clearly, and it made him especially soft on her.
She'd grown up raised by her mother alone; her "father" had another family.
In other words, her mother had been "the other woman." Giving birth to her had just been a way to demand child support.
But her mother abused her. She never had enough to eat—not at home, not at school.
She was ostracized at school, ignored by her teachers. She was always alone.
Then in middle school her biological father died, child support stopped, and she became nothing but dead weight.
Her mother hated her even more and beat her half to death—until the First Spirit appeared and gave her a spirit crystal.
She gained power and turned her mother into a frog. All it would've taken was one stomp to kill her.
But she couldn't do it.
Because deep down, she realized she'd endured that abuse and stayed all those years for one thing: the hope of motherly love.
Once she understood that, she laughed and walked away—and then broke down sobbing, wandering the world all by herself.
Back when he learned Natsumi's story, Shichen had been heartbroken. So when he met her again, he'd decided from the start: he was going to be rough and simply take her home.
With someone like her, that was the only way.
He wanted to give her warmth and make sure she was never alone again.
"Shichen…" Natsumi stared blankly at him, dazed.
It was hard not to believe what he said. There was nothing he needed from her, and all the other Spirits were right here too.
They were obviously happy and adored him. That meant being by his side was a good thing.
But she still didn't dare believe she could have that kind of happiness.
"I don't…"
"I won't let you refuse," Shichen cut her off.
"The reason I brought you home was to tell you—you can't escape me anymore. Refusal is useless. Just give up and let yourself be trapped at my side."
"What kind of person says that aloud…" Natsumi couldn't help laughing—and as she laughed, she started to cry.
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, splattering on her Spirit outfit and on Shichen's clothes.
"That's just the kind of man I am—so stop struggling. Be good and listen, or I really will spank you in front of everyone as punishment," Shichen said with a grin.
"No way…"
"So that means you're accepting?"
"I…"
"Don't be scared. Don't overthink it. Just listen to what your heart wants. What do you want? Trust me, okay?" Shichen's voice softened.
"Shichen… am I really allowed to?"
"Of course. The reason we met is so you can be happy."
"I don't deserve it…"
"You do. You're this cute—that's more than enough for me."
"Are you sure you're not a lolicon?" Natsumi sniffled, but laughed.
"Definitely not," Shichen denied, as serious as he could.
"Hehe~ I don't buy it."
"It's the truth!"
"Shichen, let me refuse one more time. Let's play a game. If you win, I'll accept."
~~~
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