Usagi glanced at her teammates; after a quick exchange of looks they filed into the seats before Ryuji, brimming with tension and suspicion. Their eyes fixed on him, just as curious about his identity and power as he was about them.
They had stumbled into their transformation jewels by accident, met each other through a string of coincidences, and then found themselves constantly harassed by monsters, forced to fight as Sailor Moons.
But they had never met anyone else with powers like theirs. Ryuji was the first.
So, although he had treated them harshly earlier, now that they had a chance to sit face-to-face, the questions naturally poured out.
"Let me introduce myself," Ryuji said bluntly. "My name is Ryuji, I hunt the kinds of monsters you ran into last time."
Direct, clean, no hesitation. His composure seemed to embolden the blonde with twin tails.
"I'm Sailor Moon! Tsukino Usagi! I'm..."
"Usagi!"
Rei clapped a hand over her teammate's mouth, cutting her off before she blurted out her school, home address, and every other personal detail. Given the starry look in Usagi's eyes, Rei had every reason to worry... this idiot would absolutely do it if left unchecked.
"I'm not that stupid!" Usagi shot her a look before fixing her gaze back on Ryuji, her tone brimming with childish righteousness.
"Anyway, I'm Tsukino Usagi... a Sailor Moon! A warrior of justice!"
Ryuji's lips twitched. He couldn't resist.
He lifted a hand, signaling her to stop.
"Hold it right there."
He looked each of them over. "First off—yes, you're all beautiful girls. No doubt about that."
The five of them reacted in different ways. Ami Mizuno, Makoto Kino, and Rei Hino gave faint, polite smiles. Usagi and Minako, the two blondes, lit up like someone had handed them candy. Especially Usagi, whose grin stretched ear to ear.
"But you can't seriously call yourselves 'warriors,' can you?"
His blunt words silenced the room.
"No matter how you look at it, your teamwork is terrible. You barely use your abilities coherently. Despite having strong powers, you can't overcome an evenly matched opponent. And let's be honest—you're still students. It doesn't add up that you'd be called 'warriors.'"
It came out harsher than he intended. He'd already sensed their power each of them carried energy that registered differently to him but their execution was another matter. If he wanted to kill or capture them, he estimated, counting their transformation times, it would take him less than three minutes.
They lacked combat experience, their coordination actively hindered them, and their combat instincts were nonexistent. They fought on nothing but raw instinct, never training, never refining themselves and crucially they didn't know how to use their powers.
Ryuji sighed. He wasn't even trying to be cruel it was simply the truth.
His own power had grown terrifyingly fast, but every step of control had come from practice, blood, and constant pushing. He wasn't the best, but he knew his limits, his strength, how to channel his energy when it mattered.
These girls? They didn't even know how hard to punch without shattering something. They had no idea what their bodies could truly do. Pure beginners.
Naturally, Usagi bristled at his critique. She hadn't asked for this. She had been dragged into the role by monsters attacking her, forced to transform. If not for that, she wouldn't even bother.
She'd missed homework a dozen times because she kept running off to fight monsters.
"You think I wanted this?!" she snapped. "If I could throw these stupid jewels away, I would! You think I like transforming and fighting?!"
The others nodded in agreement, frustration etched across their faces.
Ryuji hadn't watched Sailor Moon religiously, but he knew the magical-girl setup: pretty girls, a cute mascot, glittering outfits, showy transformation poses. It was all part of the package.
Still… there should usually be a mentor, right?
He couldn't shake it... it was classic. Beautiful girls, a mascot, flashy clothes, heroic poses: the whole magical-girl blueprint.
"You don't have someone guiding you?" Ryuji asked.
At his question the five girls exchanged looks and, one after another, nodded. Makoto spoke up.
"So you think," she asked seriously, "that from your perspective we ought to have a mentor?"
Ryuji's expression grew grave. "Think about it. You can punch through a main battle tank. Power like that isn't handed out for fun. So it has to have a source. If it's an experiment, you wouldn't just be allowed to run around. Have any of you tried to find out who gave you those powers? Whether there are side effects? Whether someone's watching you? Have you even thought about reporting it to the police?"
He covered his face with a hand. If he didn't pay attention to these Sailor Moons, he had a nasty feeling their storyline would blow up into a gigantic problem later on. He kept that to himself.
"Um…" Rei blinked. She and the others had had similar suspicions at times, but nobody had ever approached it from a military or regulatory angle. As for calling the police…
The five girls looked at one another and then hung their heads. Embarrassed, ashamed... the thought had never really stuck. They hadn't followed through, and now they felt foolish. It stung especially for Ami and Makoto... they were supposed to be the smart ones of the group.
"So… should we call the police?" Usagi recovered quickly from her shame... being a little dense she was also quick to bounce back.
"Well…" Rei rubbed her temple. She didn't know how to explain to Usagi that contacting the authorities might not be the best move. In truth, it might make things worse.
"Think about where you transform," Ryuji continued. "You're all doing this near home, right?"
They all nodded, a little too quickly.
"So if the police were supposed to know, they would already know," Ryuji said, eyes sweeping over them. "Which means the thing you ought to worry about most is your bodies."
He shrugged. He'd always been baffled by people who took a transformative device at face value. Emergency cases were one thing, but the casual ones were maddening. Drug development takes years from trial to clinic; a device that rewires your body shouldn't be something you slap on and use like a costume.
Usagi's face went white. The first thing her imagination supplied was the nightmare of leukemia: of becoming a burden, of family selling what little they had just to try to save her. She started to tear up, and Minako and Makoto reached for her hands, anxious and helpless.
"Will we die? Will it be cancer—or leukemia? Am I—am I going to die?!" she blurted, terror raw in her voice.
Ryuji didn't even know how to keep from laughing at them, but the urge to mock was strong.
"Uh…"
Usagi's face drained of color in an instant. The first image that popped into her head was of herself being diagnosed with leukemia. She saw her family... already not well-off... burdened with crushing debt because of her, her frail body wasting away on a hospital bed, her mother and friends desperately working, even selling blood just to keep her alive. The thought alone was enough to send a wave of sheer terror through her chest. Tears welled in her eyes as she instinctively grabbed Minako and Makoto's hands, staring pitifully up at Ryuji.
"A-Are we going to die? Will this turn into cancer, into leukemia? Am… am I going to die?!"
Her words carried raw emotion, so much so that even the usually steady Makoto faltered, glancing at her in silent worry. Only Minako, as always, managed to match Usagi's trembling expression, the two of them looking like a pair of frightened rabbits begging Ryuji for reassurance.
And suddenly, he understood why everyone liked to call her "Bunny." Her personality really was like a small rabbit... easily startled, hopelessly innocent, and absurdly cute.
"No wonder you're the team's favorite. Looks like you've got more going for you than just raw energy," Ryuji muttered, unable to resist teasing her.
Rei sighed and spoke up, her voice calm and practical. "If there were side effects, we'd probably have noticed something by now. And if we're worried, a medical check-up will make it clear. Until then, worrying doesn't change anything."
Unlike Usagi, Rei and Ami had already thought through the situation. Whether these powers were dangerous or a gift from some hidden benefactor didn't change the reality: they had them, and monsters kept attacking, forcing them to use them. What mattered was learning to fight better.
That's why Rei suddenly fixed her gaze on Ryuji. "You said we're not real warriors. That our teamwork is sloppy, our power wasted. Are you saying… you know how to fight?"
Though it came out like a question, Rei Hino already knew the answer.
That monster that had given them so much trouble had been forced into self-destruction by Ryuji after only a few exchanges. And when she recalled his movements... his timing, the way he always struck at the crucial points that forced them to scramble for rescues... she realized he had predicted attacks before they even came.
No matter how many times she replayed it in her head, she couldn't find a way to counter him. Even if she could redo the fight, the result wouldn't change.
"I wouldn't say I'm some master, but I'm certainly better than you girls… And don't try that reverse psychology on me, girl."
Ryuji chuckled, leaning close enough to look straight into Rei's beautiful dark eyes. The black-haired beauty flushed just slightly, and only then did he continue:
"If you want me to train you in combat, then you'll have to go on a date with me. One date equals one day of training. If not, then practice on your own and don't bother me."
Rei blinked, thrown completely off balance. She'd considered many possibilities, but hadn't expected him to see straight through her plan. The smile on his face only deepened her sense of defeat.
"So this is what they call… an adult's experience?" she murmured bitterly.
Because of her mature personality, Rei was usually like the big sister of the group, calm and composed. But in front of Ryuji, she felt like a child... her little ploy instantly unraveled.
Of course, she had intended to use provocation to make him agree to help them.
She had already noticed the problem: though they had powers, they didn't know when to use them, or how to make the most of them.
Ryuji had said they had enough strength to take down a main battle tank. Rei couldn't imagine herself capable of that... at best, she could smash a few bricks.
But if someone like him said it was possible, then it meant the flaw lay in their execution. With his guidance, improvement would be inevitable.
Still… going on a date with him?
Rei hesitated, but Usagi suddenly jumped in.
"Ugh... you're asking such a stupid demand! If you don't want to help, fine, but why do you have to come up with such shameless conditions?"
Usagi glared at Ryuji, cheeks puffed with indignation. To her, he was just a lecherous bastard! Last time, he had done those things just because she'd said a few careless words, and he still acted like it had been her fault.
Her anger flared up again. She had come here to call him out, after all, and her spirit surged.
But Ryuji only glanced at her coolly.
"Keep talking, and you'd better be careful walking home at night. Better tell your mom now.... you'll be bringing her a grandchild next year."
Ryuji responded to Usagi without any fear, and his calm attitude directly shattered Usagi's false courage and momentum.
Her bravado shattered instantly, leaving her trembling like a rabbit in spotlights. She could feel danger... real danger.
Because in the final analysis...
He would really do it.
He wasn't bluffing.
Every nerve in Usagi's body screamed warning. Her heart pounded with the very real fear of losing her innocence.
But just as she shrank back, Makoto spoke up.
"Then I'll do it. I'll go on a date with you... if you agree to train all of us."
The ponytailed girl, an athlete through and through, looked straight at Ryuji as she said something that shocked the others.
To her, though, the choice wasn't that hard.
The monsters were getting stronger and stronger, but they weren't, their lack of combat experience holding them back. Without help, they'd eventually lose.
They needed guidance from someone stronger.
And a date? That was nothing.
It wasn't like she was marrying him, or sleeping with him. As long as she stayed composed and kept her dignity, there was nothing to worry about.
The most important thing was strength.
Without it, no matter how many times they transformed, no matter how desperately they tried to fight off the monsters that kept coming after them, nothing would be solved.
But if they gained strength, everything would change.
And if there were risks to their bodies from transforming too often, then with greater power they could take turns instead of all transforming at once, drastically reducing that danger.
From a purely practical standpoint, going on a date with Ryuji really wasn't such a big deal.
And yet…
Makoto's eyes lingered on him as memories of their last encounter returned. Her long, beautiful legs pressed together almost reflexively.
He hadn't touched her the way he had Usagi, but the water currents he had conjured had curled around her thighs, brushing against her lower body in ways she couldn't forget.
The risk was real.
Still, for the sake of strength, it was a risk worth taking. If someone had to be unlucky, then better her alone than all of them.
Makoto clenched her fists, ready to accept the burden... until Rei spoke up.
"No. Absolutely not. Neither you nor Usagi can do it."
Her flat refusal stunned both girls, especially Makoto, who had already steeled herself for sacrifice.
"Why not me?!" Usagi huffed, indignant. "Do you think I'm too dumb to handle it? Am I that stupid in your eyes?"
Rei instinctively nodded before realizing how harsh that sounded. She quickly added, "Yes. If you went on a date with that man, chances are you'd end up a mother by the end of the very first date."
Usagi froze, her face going scarlet... not just from embarrassment but from anger.
"So that's what you think of me?!"
"Yes," Rei said calmly, ignoring Usagi's outrage since Ami was already trying to hold her back. Rei's gaze shifted toward Makoto.
"As for you… you wouldn't be tricked. But just now, I felt it... danger. A warning."
She didn't often talk about it, but Rei had a gift for foresight, and the shiver she'd felt was unmistakable. If Makoto went alone with Ryuji, they would all end up in trouble.
Her solution was simple.
"Mr. Ryuji, do you really mean it? You'll only teach us if we agree to go on dates with you?" she asked seriously, wanting to be absolutely certain.
Ryuji nodded. For him, this wasn't just about teasing them... it was also a way to disrupt the original storyline. If he could derail their destined romances, the plot would shift without collapsing entirely. And if he gained something more from them along the way… all the better.
"Yes. That's the only payment I'll accept."
Rei drew in a deep breath. Ignoring Usagi clawing at her side, she looked Ryuji squarely in the eye.
"Then would you accept dating all five of us at once?"
For a moment, Ryuji just stared at her like she'd lost her mind.
"Are you kidding me? A five-girl date? That's not romance... that's a company retreat. And no, two at once isn't acceptable either. One-on-one only. You can take turns if you like, but if you don't agree, then forget it. I've got better things to do."
"..."
Rei bit her lip. She knew five together was unrealistic, but she'd at least hoped for two. Faced with his indifference, all she could do was sigh and convince herself that he wasn't truly a bad person.
After all, aside from some shameless teasing, he hadn't actually crossed the line with them.
"…Fine. We accept."
"Wait, what?!"
Usagi's jaw dropped. She felt completely sold out.
~~~~~~~~~~
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