"Elf, what are you and Onii-chan doing?!"
Sagiri was both angry and anxious.
"I..."
Elf opened her mouth to explain, but the next second, Izumi Sora pinched the most sore part of her calf, causing her to tear up and beg for mercy in distress.
"N-No more... it hurts so much... it's going to break ahhhhh!"
Sagiri: "!!!"
What happened to the night climb of Mount Fuji? This is clearly not the sound of mountain climbing!
"Sagiri, don't misunderstand." Yanami hurriedly stepped forward, wanting to explain. "Actually, it's... Ouch!"
Yanami rushed over, but accidentally stubbed her toe on the corner of the sofa, instantly tearing up in pain.
"W-What?" Sagiri's voice trembled slightly, and she felt completely overwhelmed. "The Gluttonous Sea Otter is there too?"
Yanami: "..."
Meow meow meow? Who is the Gluttonous Sea Otter talking about? That nickname is too terrible!
"You guys... you three are actually doing that kind of terrible thing together!"
Yanami: "..."
Although they hadn't eaten pork, they had seen pigs run. They naturally knew what Sagiri was talking about. Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed, and she hurriedly explained softly:
"Sagiri, you've misunderstood..."
Sagiri was shocked: "It's actually the bad woman's voice?"
Mahiru widened her beautiful eyes in shock: "B-Bad woman?"
Although the angel mask is just a disguise, and my true personality of wanting to act spoiled and being easily jealous is becoming harder to hide, I shouldn't be a bad woman, right?
Sagiri cried out aggrievedly:
"With so many people together... Onii-chan will be squeezed dry like sugarcane residue!"
Izumi Sora slightly twitched the corner of his mouth:
"Don't speak nonsense. I'm just massaging Elf's calves. We've already returned from Mount Fuji and are currently at Elf's house, which is why the lights are on."
"Liar." Sagiri's voice was aggrieved. "Such a terrible sound, it definitely isn't a massage."
Then you'll have to ask Elf why she can't stop making those sounds just from having her calves pinched!
Yanami snapped back to reality and hurriedly took out her phone:
"He really is just massaging her. I'll turn on the video, Sagiri will believe it when she sees it with her own eyes."
The video call quickly connected. The silver-haired loli in pajamas appeared on the phone screen.
After seeing the situation in the living room clearly, Sagiri finally breathed a sigh of relief, then puffed up her small face:
"It's just a leg massage, why is Elf making sounds that cause misunderstandings?"
"B-Because I really can't help it..." Yamada Elf's small face was crimson. She tightly covered her pink lips with the back of her hand, her voice intermittent and trembling constantly. "It's all Sora's fault... he used t-too much force..."
He used very little force, it's clearly because you have a delicate and weak body and can't withstand even a bit of pressure, alright!
"Wait a minute." Sagiri quickly realized. "Why didn't Onii-chan tell me he was coming back?"
Izumi Sora thought quickly on his feet: "I wanted to give you a surprise."
"Hmph, no surprise, I was almost scared to death..." Sagiri muttered softly. "Onii-chan, hurry up and come home."
"Wait a moment, I'll be back soon."
"..."
A moment later. The leg massage command ended. Izumi Sora, half-kneeling on the ground, entered the 'standby' state again.
"Sora-kun, get up and sit on the chair." Shiina Mahiru said softly. "Once you're seated, don't move around."
For a moment, all the girls were careful, not daring to issue commands recklessly. The reason was simple. Elf's voice just now was too terrible; it was practically a public execution.
It's one thing when they are alone in private, but making those sounds in front of others, one would definitely die of shame.
And so, Izumi Sora safely passed the next ten minutes.
"The side effect is over." Izumi Sora rolled his neck, stood up, and then looked at Kuroneko. "Let's go, I'll take Ruri home first."
Long-distance teleportation triggers side effects, but short-distance teleportation is fine. It was already 8:00 PM, and he couldn't help but worry about Kuroneko going home alone, so teleporting her back was the most convenient.
Gokou Ruri crossed her arms over her chest. In front of everyone, she could only avert her small face and say in a low voice:
"...I'll leave it to you, Sora."
Izumi Sora stepped beside Kuroneko, grasped the girl's soft, slightly cool small hand, and then looked at 'Inmate Eight':
"Wait for me to come back, then I'll take Yanami home."
"Okay." Yanami nodded obediently, agreeing. "Come back soon, Sora."
Izumi Sora nodded slightly, took a step, and teleported away with Kuroneko.
The next second. The figures of the two quietly appeared in Kuroneko's room.
"Eh, eh... why are Tamaki and Hinata in the room?!"
Seeing the two small figures in the room clearly, Kuroneko was instantly startled.
"What's that noise..." Gokou Tamaki instinctively turned her head, looking behind her.
"O-Oh no..." Kuroneko's heart tightened. She hurriedly looked up, casting a pleading look at Izumi Sora.
Izumi Sora understood implicitly and quietly snapped his fingers.
Snap. Time Stop activated. The entire world was abruptly paused.
After resolving the crisis of exposure, Izumi Sora reached out and gathered Kuroneko directly into his embrace. Then he swiftly left the room and went to the bathroom at the end of the hallway.
Time resumed flowing. Realizing she was in the bathroom, Gokou Ruri instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Looking up at Izumi Sora, her small face tensed:
"Pervert Sora, you can go back now."
Izumi Sora looked down:
"I worked so hard to rescue Lord Ruri, is there no reward?"
"Hah?" Gokou Ruri crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes holding murderous intent: "You actually still want a reward? We haven't even settled the score from that night yet!"
Izumi Sora raised his hands: "How about we call it even?"
"No!" Kuroneko refused flatly. Wanting to easily call it even, don't even think about it. I'll remember this grudge for the rest of my life!
After chatting for a bit, Izumi Sora reached into his pocket and took out a princess figurine:
"This is for you."
The figurine girl wore a simple white dress and a small tiara highlighting her princess identity; it was impressively Princess Zelda.
"Eh?" Gokou Ruri's eyes lit up, a flash of pleasant surprise appearing on her small face: "Is this the Zelda figurine from the Tanuki Teahouse?"
"That's right, it's her." Izumi Sora handed the figurine over. "At the shop, Lord Ruri seemed to really like her, so I bought it."
Kuroneko was a master gamer and seemed to super like The Legend of Zelda. When buying souvenirs earlier, she hovered in front of the figurine for quite a while, so Izumi Sora secretly bought it.
"Hmph~" Hearing this, Gokou Ruri gave a tsundere hum. "I just thought her outfit was a bit similar to my dress, it's not like I like it."
"Yes, yes." Izumi Sora didn't argue. "Do you want the figurine or not?"
"No."
"Then I'll give it to someone else?"
"..."
Gokou Ruri's pretty face instantly tensed. She grabbed the figurine and mercilessly unleashed her sharp tongue:
"Don't think I don't know what you're scheming... trying to farm affection with a mere figurine, you really are full of yourself."
Kuroneko narrowed her eyes, pointedly saying:
"People who are too greedy often end up with nothing."
Very clearly. Kuroneko had already perceived Izumi Sora's little scheme to build a harem.
Izumi Sora's expression remained normal: "Between tomorrow and an accident, anyone can come first. Mount Fuji might erupt tomorrow, World War III could start at any time. I just want to protect the people important to me, that's all."
"I don't need that kind of thing." Gokou Ruri averted her small face, her voice slightly lowered. "However... I'll reluctantly accept the figurine."
"I'm leaving, see you at school." Izumi Sora waved his hand and teleported away.
Catching a glimpse of Izumi Sora disappearing through the mirror, Kuroneko quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked down at the princess figurine, the corners of her pink lips curling up slightly.
No matter what. Everyone's destinies are already entangled together, unable to be separated. As for Pervert Sora's little scheme to build a harem... unless it's the end of the world, I definitely won't agree easily!
"Sora, you're back." Returning to Elf's house, Yanami's crisp voice instantly rang out.
"I was delayed for two minutes just now because of something..." Izumi Sora briefly explained, then grasped Yanami's right hand and looked at Elf: "I'll head straight home later."
Angel-sama nodded gently: "I'm going back to shower and rest too."
Teleporting Yanami home, her auntie had already returned, so Izumi Sora didn't stay long and teleported away again.
"I'm back." Izumi Sora opened the door and entered the house.
Thump thump thump. The sound of footsteps quickly came from upstairs. Sagiri, wearing pajamas and revealing two snow-white calves, ran down from upstairs, puffing her cheeks:
"Why did Onii-chan take so long to come back?"
"Elf wouldn't let me leave..." Izumi Sora's expression was normal as he explained while opening his backpack, taking out the souvenirs he bought for Sagiri.
"Sniff sniff~" Sagiri leaned in, sniffing around.
Izumi Sora proactively raised his arm and leaned in:
"Here, smell this, it's all sweat."
"Eww~" Sagiri quickly took a half-step back, raising her hand to cover her nose: "It smells, Idiot Onii-chan hurry up and go take a shower."
"..."
After dealing with Sagiri, Izumi Sora took a change of clothes and went to wash up. After a refreshing shower, he came out and chatted with Sagiri for a while. Unknowingly, it was already past 10:00 PM. Izumi Sora went upstairs, returned to his room, and began to rest.
Meanwhile. On the other side. In Mahiru's house.
The bathroom door was gently pulled open. Mahiru, with a towel wrapped around her head, her skin delicate and rosy, stepped out. She had clearly just finished her shower.
For a creature like a girl, if she doesn't wash her hair, she can finish showering in half an hour. But once she washes her hair, the shower time is calculated in hours.
"I'll pour a glass of water first..." Shiina Mahiru pursed her pink, moist lips, poured a glass of water and placed it on the table, then began to dry her hair.
Feeling her hair was almost dry, Shiina Mahiru reached out to grab the water glass, but accidentally knocked it over.
"Mmm..." Seeing the water about to spill on the floor, Shiina Mahiru hurriedly activated Time Stop.
Time abruptly froze. The water splashing in mid-air was actually quite beautiful. Shiina Mahiru quietly breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the glass from the table, and carefully caught the clear water in mid-air.
"Done..." After catching it all and making sure the floor wouldn't get wet, Shiina Mahiru quietly ended the Time Stop.
However, the next second. The world before Shiina Mahiru's eyes suddenly went black.
"A power outage?" Shiina Mahiru hurriedly looked around. "No, even with a power outage, there should be light outside... So, did I use Time Stop too much today and temporarily lose my vision?"
Shiina Mahiru bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, quickly assessing the situation.
"Sora-kun..." Encountering a side effect, Shiina Mahiru's first instinct was to seek help from Izumi Sora.
"I remember my phone is charging..." Unable to see, Shiina Mahiru could only rely on memory to fumble for her phone. But after taking just two steps, her foot suddenly found empty air, as if she had accidentally missed a step on the stairs.
The next second. Thump. Shiina Mahiru only felt herself falling onto some soft and elastic object.
"W-What's the situation?" Shiina Mahiru nervously held her breath. (I was clearly in the living room, how could I step into empty space...)
Fortunately, the next second, an incredibly familiar voice sounded in her ear:
"Mahiru?"
Hearing the familiar voice, the tension and worry in Shiina Mahiru's heart vanished instantly:
"Sora-kun...?!"
Looking at Angel-sama who had fallen from the sky into his arms, Izumi Sora quickly understood:
"Mahiru suddenly fell from the sky... Did the teleportation side effect occur again?"
When absorbing magic power in the alternate space back then, the girls probably had conflicting affinities and failed to acquire spatial magic. Unfortunately, they couldn't escape the side effects and would occasionally teleport. Thankfully, they always teleported to Izumi Sora's side, so there was no major danger.
"I just finished drying my hair, and I indeed stepped into empty air, feeling a sense of weightlessness..." Shiina Mahiru paused slightly, feeling a bit shy. "Also... I can't see anything again."
"Hmm?" Izumi Sora's gaze sharpened slightly, looking at Mahiru.
Angel-sama had just finished her shower, her skin delicate and rosy. However, her usually clear and bright eyes were currently slightly unfocused.
No wonder you obediently lay there without moving instead of getting up immediately. So you couldn't see clearly?
Izumi Sora pondered:
"Used Time Stop too much?"
Hearing this, Shiina Mahiru lightly bit her lower lip, a look of shyness appearing on her pretty face. Why did I use Time Stop back then? Sora-kun knows better than anyone!
"It feels a bit stuffy..." Unable to see, Shiina Mahiru could only ask softly. "Sora-kun, let me go first."
"No."
"Eh?"
"This is my room. I just turned off the lights and was getting ready to sleep. Mahiru appeared directly inside the covers." Izumi Sora described the surrounding environment in a low voice. "The AC is set very low... So Mahiru, lie down for a while, be careful not to catch a cold. Once your magic is purified, I'll send you back."
Hearing this, Shiina Mahiru held her breath, the crimson flush on her pretty face rapidly spreading like a drop of red ink in clear water. (S-So we're under the covers, no wonder it felt oppressive...) (Is this what they call sharing a bed?) (Even though we aren't even dating yet...)
Seeing Mahiru blushing and not speaking, Izumi Sora naturally wouldn't force her:
"Then I'll get up and turn off the AC."
"N-No need..."
Shiina Mahiru's voice was shy, her small head shrinking down, her voice faint but enough to make one's heart race and flutter:
"If it's Sora-kun... it's okay..."
"..."