[ Later that afternoon in the dining hall ]
"Ahh... this is the best," Himari muttered, her voice heavy with satisfaction as she held her chopsticks still for a moment, savoring the smell and steam rising from the ramen bowl in front of her.
"You always know exactly what I like. That's a useful skill to have for a slave of mine," she added with a proud grin, placing the bowl gently on the table as she glanced up at the person sitting across from her.
Yuuki was seated in silence, wearing a white apron over a plain shirt, with a cloth tied around his head to keep his hair back. His black bangs were hidden beneath the cloth, and his dull blue eyes looked at her with quiet disbelief—not angry, not surprised, just tired of being the only one thinking ahead in this room.
He didn't say anything at first, just stared at her like, Seriously?, as if the effort he had put into making her thick, chicken-fat-rich ramen was being rewarded with yet another carefree order.
"What?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, confused by his expression.
"Don't 'what' me," Yuuki replied flatly. "Do you even know the real cost of Miss Kyouka's ability?"
It had only been a short while since the Sixth Unit departed, and in that time, Himari had proudly declared Yuuki as her new slave. This made it the third time he had been enslaved.
The first was Kyouka, and that one had been to save his life.
The second was Shushu, thanks to those... questionable photos she somehow got her hands on.
And now Himari, who wanted to use him for the upcoming tournament, just to beat her older sister senseless—at least from what Yuuki could gather.
Even though the whole situation sounded questionable in more ways than one, Yuuki had almost agreed on the spot, mostly because he couldn't deny this rising, almost violent urge to punch Yachiho right in the face—or maybe spank her bare ass until she cried and begged him to stop.
But just before he gave his answer, something held him back.
He remembered.
He remembered the price Kyouka had to pay to use her ability. And once you knew that price, it was hard to act like it didn't matter anymore.
Even so, Himari had already made her decision, and in a world ruled by women, the words of a man felt like foul smell—if you couldn't hide it, people would rather it not be there at all.
Still, he tried to buy some time. He made her the ramen she liked best, filled with fatty broth and thick noodles, hoping that the comfort of food might soften the talk that needed to happen.
He just wanted her to understand.
He wanted her to know that she could always copy someone else's power from another squad, and it wasn't like he didn't enjoy the idea of being squished between those soft, strong thighs of hers—but only if she truly wanted it, not because she thought she had to.
Her ability, Lofty Ambition, allowed her to copy other people's powers and store them in her strange device, almost like cards in a game. On paper, it sounded overpowered. But the reality wasn't so simple. Because of compatibility issues, most abilities she copied came out weaker, almost nerfed.
And if, after all that, even after understanding the cost, she still wanted to go through with it... then Yuuki would have no choice but to accept.
But before he could say any of that, Kyouka suddenly stepped into the room, dressed in nothing but a red training vest and loose shorts that left very little to the imagination.
"I know you're angry at your sister, Himari," she said firmly. "Use this inter-squad tournament to take it out on her. It's a one-on-one duel, the perfect chance."
Himari's eyes lit up like a fuse had just been lit under her feet. She stood up, her tracksuit creasing as she pumped a fist in the air.
"Thank you, Commander! I'll make sure to kick her ass properly!"
Kyouka gave a short nod as she followed behind.
"You better."
Yuuki watched them both, wanting to speak, wanting to interrupt, but the words wouldn't come. His eyes were too busy trying not to get hypnotized by the way something very heavy bounced and giggled inside Kyouka's loose vest. Two things, actually. And they almost crushed each other every time she took a step.
"…These women," Yuuki sighed under his breath.
And just like that, Kyouka turned back.
"As a warm-up, you two will patrol the area together," she instructed, her tone crisp. Before he could react, Himari had grabbed him by the collar—after failing the first time because she was shorter—and started dragging him out.
As he was pulled toward the door, Yuuki could swear he saw it—Kyouka smiled. Not a commander's smirk. A real, honest smile. Directed at him.
(Did she just…?)
What Himari and Yuuki didn't realize was that Kyouka knew exactly what her ability demanded, and she couldn't bear the thought of being the only one who had to do such embarrassing, lewd things. Gentle as she might seem, and strict as she was with rules, she cared deeply for her team. If Himari was seeking revenge, Kyouka would give her that chance—on her own terms.
Not that she wanted a comrade who understood what it felt like to lie with Yuuki, to do those things when no one else was watching.
No. Definitely not. That wasn't it.
She would never trap one of her girls like that. She was the kind of woman who looked after her squad properly.
But without meaning to, she had pushed a lamb in front of a very hungry beast—one who was having a hard time keeping his "little brother" under control and had been pent-up for way too long.