Trapped in a classroom, caught in a relentless hail of bullets. Here, Itsuka Shido found himself conversing face-to-face with a beautiful girl who wielded superhuman powers. Such a scenario felt less like reality and more like a scene plucked directly from a light novel.
Indeed, Shido was currently living out this improbable scenario.
Thanks to the abilities of two Spirits, Shido was shielded by a pair of protective barriers, crafted from their Spirit energy. These shields carved out a secure space, allowing him to converse with the Spirits even as bullets rained down around them.
Even so, Shido had never, in his ordinary life, experienced bullets dangerously whizzing past him. Convinced that even a slight shift of his body could result in a fatal shot, he remained pressed to the ground, conversing with them from his prone position.
Their conversation revolved around the most trivial of matters.
Tohka posed questions she had never dared to ask anyone before, and Shido patiently provided answers. Despite the utter simplicity of these exchanges, Tohka’s face lit up with a genuinely satisfied smile.
Shido, however, found himself in a far less comfortable predicament.
For it wasn’t merely Tohka, the Spirit, who occupied the space. Qianye, clad in her Astral Dress, stood beside them, occasionally teasing Shido with the subtle allure of her black stockings.
Her presence couldn’t help but stir memories within Shido of a certain eventful day.
Such subtle provocations inevitably elicited a reaction from Shido.
There was nothing strange about it; Shido was, after all, a physically normal high school boy. Such reactions were entirely natural.
Yet, Shido was simultaneously a ‘herbivore’ male protagonist, compelling him to suppress these very reactions.
This created a peculiar situation: Tohka spoke with a radiant smile, while Shido had to force his responses, struggling to suppress his involuntary reactions.
“Shido, what’s wrong with you?”
Tohka, sensing that Shido’s reactions were amiss, took the initiative to inquire.
“It’s nothing, Tohka.”
Shido managed a strained smile, hoping to put Tohka at ease.
“That’s wonderful, then!”
A smile of pure relief blossomed on Tohka’s face.
“Are you truly alright, Shido?!”
Suddenly, a familiar, silken touch brushed against Shido’s neck. The reactions he had been so desperately suppressing instantly surged back to the forefront.
“Hehehe, I’ve heard that when people’s lives are threatened, they instinctively desire to leave behind offspring. So, why don’t you give it a try, right here, amidst this storm of bullets?”
Qianye’s voice was laced with a seductive charm, like a devil whispering temptations to a mortal.
“After all, Tohka is as pure as a blank sheet of paper right now. Even if you were to do it, she wouldn’t even comprehend what was happening.”
‘…’ Shido instinctively wanted to agree, but his rational mind screamed at him to resist.
“What were you two just secretly discussing? Were you, by any chance, still plotting how to kill me?”
As she spoke, Tohka’s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint, and orbs of shimmering light began to coalesce at her fingertips.
“No, no, no, you’ve misunderstood!” Shido exclaimed, flustered, as he saw Tohka preparing to attack him.
“That’s right, Tohka, you’ve got it all wrong! Shido and I were just about to give you a surprise.”
Qianye stepped gracefully between Tohka and Shido, a charming smile gracing her lips as she spoke.
“A surprise? What kind of surprise?”
Tohka’s expression remained guarded, poised to erupt at any given moment.
“Here, take a sniff!”
Qianye produced a torn package, and a delicate fragrance immediately wafted from its contents.
“Ooh, what is that? It smells absolutely delicious!”
Tohka’s eyes glittered with golden light as she promptly snatched the package from Qianye’s grasp.
“So, so yummy.”
Tohka’s cheeks puffed out like a hamster’s, and her words came out slightly slurred.
Even after devouring it, Tohka remained captivated by the flavor, her desire for more still lingering.
“Qianye, what was that? Do you have any more?”
“You mean this? It’s called Kinako Bread, a type of food. As for whether there’s more…” Qianye gestured towards Shido. “Ask him!”
‘I…’ Sweat beaded on Shido’s cheek. He hadn’t brought any food at all; why would she tell Tohka to ask him?
But Tohka was oblivious. Her eyes sparkling with golden hunger, she pounced on Shido. “Shido, do you have any more of that Kinako Bread? I want more!”
“I never would have guessed the Princess was such a gluttonous Spirit,” Kotori’s mocking voice crackled through the earpiece.
“In that case, Shido, why don’t you ask her out on a date? Go and eat Kinako Bread with her!”
“Date! Date!”
Following Kotori’s lead, the crew members aboard the Fraxinus began to chime in. A thunderous chorus of ‘Date! Date!’ chants erupted through Shido’s earpiece.
“Date! Date!”
“Date! Date!”
“Date! Date!”
“Date! Date!”
“Alright, alright, I understand!”
Shido, as if resigned to his fate, slowly raised his head to meet Tohka’s expectant gaze. He spoke softly.
“Tohka… if there’s a chance… next time… would you… go on a date with me?”
“If I agree to go on a date with you, will there be Kinako Bread?”
“Yes!”
“That’s wonderful! Then I accept!”
Tohka leapt up in delight, agreeing with an almost overwhelming enthusiasm.
“By the way, what exactly is a date?” Tohka asked, her face a picture of pure innocence as she gazed at Shido and Qianye. “Is it an event where you can eat Kinako Bread for free?”
“Well, that’s… complicated,” Qianye offered with an awkward chuckle.
Though she had previously initiated a date with Shido, he hadn’t accepted the invitation, and the encounter had ultimately devolved into a fierce battle.
In essence, Qianye had no actual dating experience. If asked to define what a date truly was, she would be at a loss for words.
Shido’s situation mirrored Qianye’s exactly, leaving him utterly speechless as he gazed at Tohka.
“Well… I can’t quite explain it right now. You’ll understand once you experience it for yourself. When that day comes, I’ll treat you to anything you want to eat, to your heart’s content.”
“Oh, alright, alright!” Tohka nodded, then added, “Will Qianye come with me too?”
“Uh…” Shido glanced awkwardly at Qianye, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Qianye, for her part, appeared completely unconcerned.
“I have no objections, as long as Shido agrees. After all, I’ve yet to have an official date with a boy.”
To clarify, she hadn’t dated a girl either.
Shido hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Uh… wouldn’t it be a bit strange for Qianye to come along too? After all, a date is usually just one boy and one girl going out together. Who goes on a date with three people?”
“Is that how it is?” Tohka’s head drooped, as if all the air had gone out of her. She spoke sadly.
Simultaneously, inside the Fraxinus, alarms blared once more. The mood indicator on the screen plummeted dramatically.
“Shido, shut your mouth! Who told you to spout such nonsense?!” Kotori snapped at Shido, then let out a helpless sigh.
“Shido, quickly agree to let Qianye come along! With Tohka’s current mood and her affection for Qianye, you won’t be able to seal her without Qianye there.”
“But…”
“No ‘buts’! Can’t you handle two girls on your own? How do you expect to keep saving Spirits in the future, you good-for-nothing?!”
“I understand!” Shido, once again resigned, turned his gaze to Qianye.
“Qianye… you… you should come on the date with us.”
Having said that, Shido’s head slumped, as if all his energy had drained away.
“No problem!”
“Yay! That’s wonderful!” Tohka’s face lit up with excitement, her mood and affection levels soaring to an impressive height.
“Congratulations, Shido!” Qianye gently stroked Shido’s head with her exquisite hand, adorned with a black silk glove.
“You’ve taken a huge step forward on the path to becoming a Harem King!”
“Harem King? What’s that?”
Tohka looked at Qianye with innocent curiosity.
“A Harem King is, of course, someone who possesses a harem!”
“Then what’s a harem?”
“A harem is where the emperor’s consorts reside. Within the harem, the emperor can date whoever they wish!”
“So, is Shido an emperor?”
“In a sense, yes. After all, Shido’s alternate-dimension counterpart is known as the Chaldea Emperor.”
“What in the world is that?!” Shido couldn’t help but interject. “What’s all this talk about harems, emperors, and alternate-dimension counterparts? I just asked a girl out on a date for the first time; how did I suddenly become a Harem King?!”
“Hehehe, don’t rush, Shido. Your great harem endeavor has only just begun. Your future is boundless,” Qianye chuckled softly, teasing Shido.
“By the way, Qianye, are you really looking forward to dating Shido?”
Tohka’s innocent, loud voice came from behind Qianye.
“How could I be?” Qianye quickly denied. “Shido’s dates… I’ve seen them many times. I’m already used to them.”
“But this is my first time on a date!” Shido quickly retorted.
“I was talking about something else entirely.”
“But, Qianye, your tail has been wagging non-stop.”
Tohka said, gently stroking the tail that had appeared from beneath Qianye’s skirt at some point.
“Eeek, don’t touch my tail!”