Early March in Japan is a period of intense transition. Technically, it marks the final weeks of winter turning into spring—the cold still bites to the bone, yet the sun begins to feel noticeably warmer during the day.
After school, Naoki spent time with his three close friends—Tanaka, Sato, and Ryunosuke—at a fast food restaurant.
On the table sat four milkshakes with colorful straws, several still-sweating cans of soda, three burgers of various varieties, and four towering portions of french fries in red paper holders. Ketchup and mustard packets were scattered across the middle of the table.
"Hey, Naoki." Ryunosuke grinned. "Thanks for the souvenir from Asakusa. The keychain is pretty cool."
Sato nodded in agreement while chewing on french fries. "At least you still remembered us even while you were busy enjoying your vacation."
"Thanks." Tanaka, as usual, kept it short.
Naoki smiled faintly and reached for his chocolate milkshake. "Don't mention it. Least I could do."
Ryunosuke, who had been stirring his soda with a sour expression, suddenly let out a long sigh. "Damn, I'm seriously jealous of you, Naoki. Going to an onsen with your girlfriend... I want a girlfriend too, especially the rich Onee-san type who'd be willing to fund my entire lifestyle."
Sato immediately scoffed. "Ryunosuke, try standing in front of a mirror for a moment. Aside from your slightly-above-average brain, you can't cook, you can't clean, and your face is... well, plain. What Onee-san would ever want that?"
Tanaka nodded in solemn agreement. "Ryunosuke, you need to be more self-aware. Not every guy is as lucky as Naoki."
Ryunosuke wasn't offended in the slightest—he actually burst out laughing at the blunt insults that had long since become a staple of their friendship.
"Alright, alright. But Naoki, you definitely took photos during the vacation, didn't you?" His eyes gleamed mischievously. "You've shown off before—photos of your girlfriend naked after sex. There must be a new collection this time, right?"
"..."
Naoki only smiled faintly. He took out his phone, swiped through a few screens, then slid it to the middle of the table.
The photos showed Tenka in a series of alluring poses. Styled like gravure shots—a beautiful model with captivating poses, minimal clothing, and expressions that hovered between innocent and playful.
Tenka posing at the edge of the hot spring pool, a small towel covering just enough, her wet hair clinging to her skin. A shot inside the room, in a thin, semi-translucent pajama top caught in the glow of the lamp. Another in the garden, her dress lifted by the wind.
Ryunosuke, the most lecherous of the group, grabbed the phone and began studying it with great seriousness—as though he were examining an important document. Tanaka and Sato immediately leaned in from either side, their heads nearly touching, eyes wide and unblinking.
Each time Ryunosuke's finger swiped the screen, their breathing grew heavier. Their hearts pounded at the sight of scenes far too explicit for virgins like themselves. It didn't take long before an awkward bulge became visible beneath each of their trousers.
Naoki watched all of this with an unreadable faint smile. After several minutes—long enough to leave them thoroughly flustered—he reached out and took his phone back.
"Had enough of a look? Don't go fantasizing about my girlfriend when you're having a wank later, understood?"
"Damn you, Naoki! Don't act so smug!" Ryunosuke cried, his face flushed red. "Just you wait! I'll definitely get a girlfriend when we're in university!"
Sato immediately mocked him. "Wow... That's exactly what a small-time villain says right before he loses."
Tanaka let out a dramatic sigh. "Haiz... Whether it's Yuuki or you, Naoki, both of you cheat at life. Your luck in love makes this world feel profoundly unjust."
Naoki just smiled and took a sip of his milkshake.
"By the way. How is Yuuki doing? We barely hear from him anymore now that he's in Mato." Ryunosuke shifted the subject—possibly to cool down his surging excitement.
Naoki shrugged casually. "Don't worry about him. His life is better than you could imagine. Just use the metaphor of a protagonist in an ecchi harem anime. That's more or less what Yuuki's life is like right now."
"Seriously?" Ryunosuke's eyes went wide.
"I heard it from Tenka. You know, she's a Unit Chief in the Anti-Demon Corps."
Of course, it was a lie. In truth, it was Naoki himself who had quietly slipped away to check on Yuuki's situation. But Ryunosuke didn't need to know those details.
"No way..." Sato muttered, full of envy. "So he's surrounded by beautiful women every day?"
Naoki gave a light nod. "More or less."
"That lucky bastard!" Ryunosuke slapped the table lightly. "Here I am struggling to find a single girlfriend, and he gets a whole harem!"
Tanaka sighed once more. "This world really is unfair..."
They grumbled for a moment, their feelings a mixture of envy and jealousy. But in the end, they all laughed together—accepting the fact that their friend was fortunate, and that wasn't such a terrible thing.
The conversation then drifted to other topics—this season's anime, the latest games, a certain terrifyingly fearsome teacher whose anger knew no bounds.
An hour passed quickly, marked by milkshakes reduced to ice and fries leaving nothing but crumbs at the bottom of their paper holders.
At last, they parted ways in front of the restaurant. One by one they headed home, leaving Naoki standing briefly at the side of the road.
The sun had begun to tilt toward the west. An orange sky stretched above Tokyo.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Naoki arrived home at 5:43 in the evening.
The sun was beginning to sink below the western horizon, painting the living room in amber hues that filtered through the window. He slipped off his shoes at the entryway, then walked to his room with a lazy stride.
His school uniform was removed and draped over the chair. He took a loose t-shirt and shorts from the wardrobe, exchanging the formal clothes he'd worn all day. The moment his body sank into the soft mattress, he stretched out with relief.
Naoki lay on his back, staring at the ceiling with an absent gaze.
"«Pandemonium» has eight slots filled. Now, for the remaining two—whose Peach Blossom Blessings should I copy?"
He turned the question over carefully in his mind. The final two slots were his last opportunity to choose abilities before he officially made his existence known to the world.
"Before that, let me analyze Yamashiro Ren's weaknesses. As a fellow multiple-Blessing user, she serves as a useful reference point for me."
He replayed his memories of the *Mato Seihei no Slave* storyline that he knew. As a Reincarnator—someone with foreknowledge of the future—analyzing peak-tier characters was a necessity.
"Ren's extraordinary power is both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Having access to such power has made her arrogant. She tends to underestimate her opponents in battle, viewing herself as undefeatable."
Naoki had long since recognized this. It was precisely why he always reminded himself never to become complacent.
Taking pride in one's own abilities was acceptable—even necessary for confidence. But arrogance, looking down on others, was the road to ruin.
Ren was a perfect example. That woman was a genius, powerful, and had access to numerous Peach Blossom Blessings. But her arrogance was a gap that could be exploited.
"Oh, right!" Something clicked in Naoki's mind. He pushed himself up to a half-sitting position, elbow resting on the mattress. "On top of that, even though Ren is tremendously powerful, she is still just one person. She's in a disadvantageous position when facing opponents who can divert her attention with feints or bait. If something can break her concentration, draw her in the wrong direction, then a window opens—to call for backup, or to disengage from the fight entirely."
Building on that analysis of the Tenth Unit Commander's vulnerabilities, a brilliant idea took shape in Naoki's mind. He already knew precisely whose Peach Blossom Blessing should be his next target to cover that gap.
"Three days left before high school graduation. That's enough."
As for the final slot, Naoki already had an option in mind. But that could be thought through later. What mattered now was executing the plan for the ninth slot.
Naoki lay back down, staring at the ceiling with a satisfied smile.
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