Sajyou Rei wasn't lying.
To use Summoning Magecraft on par with Naoki, she needed to adjust her body's structure to resemble that of a fairy and spirit. For her, originally a Logos React Replica, this wasn't impossible.
However, it required a template.
Thus, she needed to fully analyze Naoki's current physical structure.
The second goal was similar: besides the body, Mana was also key to the effectiveness of Summoning Magecraft. With Rei and Naoki's current magical circuits, endurance issues would arise later, so they needed to expand the circuits' capacity.
And so—
"Ugh… Haah…"
Rei withdrew her slightly moist tongue from Naoki's mouth, wiping her lips with a faintly flushed cheek. "That should be enough. Thank you for your cooperation, Master."
"That's it?"
"Yes, through that kiss, I've fully understood your current condition. Additionally, the Mana I just absorbed has been entirely used to enhance the magical circuits. You should now feel that the amount of Mana you're losing has increased significantly, right?"
As Rei said, if the Mana loss was previously one unit, it was now about five.
Rei rubbed her stomach. "With this, using Summoning Magecraft won't be an issue. However, the burden on you might be a bit heavy. Are you okay, Master?"
"Losing this much Mana? I can recover it just by breathing. Don't underestimate a fairy's connection to the world." Naoki said with a smile. "But… your actions were really suggestive. Are you sure you're storing Mana there?"
"No, it's just a feeling of fullness. You rub your stomach when you're full too, don't you? Same thing."
Of course, what kind of fullness was hard to say.
Rei could sense a sound like a door slamming shut in her mind.
Though she knew the other party was doing this for her own goals, seeing her other self make such close contact with Naoki still infuriated Manaka!
She had given permission, but not for something this blatant!
On the bed, Merry, who had been skillfully hiding her presence, quietly observed the two, her small hands slightly gripping the blanket.
(Rei… I didn't expect you to be the most dangerous one, satisfying yourself with such an excuse… Compared to you, Aoko and Riddell have no hidden motives, and even Morgan pales in comparison.)
Master and puppet—this relationship made it too easy for Rei to act. She also perfectly understood the boundaries created by this relationship, ensuring her actions wouldn't provoke discomfort or rejection from Naoki.
(Your tactics are clever, Rei.)
Noticing a subtle glance from behind, Rei looked at Merry on the bed without a trace, the corner of her lips slightly curling.
(Mutual, Merry… Hmm, let's add a bit more spice here, as a favor to my other self.)
With that thought, Rei smiled and asked Naoki, "By the way, there's something I'm curious about… Master, how did it feel to kiss me? Was it comfortable?"
"Eh? Huh?"
[What are you asking, my other self!]
(Rei, you're playing too many wild cards!)
Manaka and Merry were both overwhelmed with shock. They never expected Rei to suddenly ask such a question.
Naoki, of course, was equally caught off guard.
"W-why are you suddenly asking this?"
"Because I'm your puppet, Master. Every action I take must be for your benefit. If my kiss made you uncomfortable, I need to adjust my body's structure to achieve a model that makes you feel comfortable. So please answer honestly, Master."
"Was there anything uncomfortable during the process just now?"
As if eagerly awaiting an answer, Rei stepped forward, almost pinning Naoki against the wall.
Quickly pushing Rei back to give himself some space, Naoki let out an awkward sigh and shook his head. "You put it that way… I was so focused on cooperating with you that I didn't really feel anything. It was the same when I transferred Mana to you before."
"I see… That makes sense. Our kisses have always been for a specific purpose, so it's true you couldn't fully feel it."
Rei frowned slightly.
At that moment, a strong sense of foreboding surged in Manaka and Merry's hearts, enveloping their minds like an impending storm.
A storm was coming.
"So, Master, want to… try again?" Rei raised her arms, wrapping them around Naoki's neck. "This time, no need to think about Mana transfer—just a normal kiss, so you can feel it fully."
The impact, like Mars colliding with Earth, made Manaka and Merry's heads buzz for a moment.
This was truly a finishing blow!
(I have to admit, I miscalculated, giving you the chance to act so brazenly, Rei… But seeing Manaka's sad face later won't be so bad.)
[MY OTHER SELF!]
Manaka gritted her teeth, glaring at Rei. If she could manifest, she'd start a full-on Type-Moon showdown right now!
Seeing Rei's proactive move, Naoki took a deep breath, then wrapped his arms around her waist—
"Big Brother, Sister Rei, are you up there?"
Gray's voice suddenly came from outside the door.
In an instant, the two who had been embracing separated. A few seconds later, when Gray opened the door, she saw them sitting on opposite sides of Merry's bed, tending to her.
"You're here. Brother, Sister Aoko and Miss Touko said they have something to discuss with you. They're waiting downstairs. They also said Sister Rei should come along."
"I'll head down right away. Let's go, Rei."
"Alright, Master."
Rei nodded.
"Oh, Gray, could you look after Merry later? We might be busy for the next two days. I'm worried Riddell might cause trouble while taking care of her."
"Sure, I'll take good care of Sister Merry, Brother."
After waving to Gray, Naoki and Rei left the room. Right after closing the door—
Rei lowered her voice and chuckled. "Kind of a shame, Master. Shall we continue later? Or… right here? Though it might be overheard."
"Don't tease me like that, Rei. My self-control isn't as strong as you think." Naoki said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "Let's focus on the important stuff first. Aoko and Sensei are looking for me, probably about the fight with King Solomon. Let's deal with that first."
"Understood, my Master."