Chapter 153: The Response
[Tomoe Gozen has called you to the Student Council Office in the evening.]
[Here, the two of you will go over everything that has happened in the past few days...]
The time was now 7 PM.
The sky steadily darkened.
The hallway of the building was quiet, each lamp lighting up one by one, casting a soft, milky-white glow.
Within the spacious Student Council Office, an atmosphere both hazy and tense lingered.
Because it was the holiday period, the office hadn't been thoroughly cleaned, so fine dust floated in the illuminated air.
"..."
Inside the office, only Eikou and Tomoe Gozen were present, sitting across from each other in silence, waiting for the other to speak first.
"Cough cough, Eikou...."
The slightly awkward silence didn't last long before Tomoe Gozen gently cleared her throat, breaking the fragile tension in the air.
"About the previous matter, the Shadow Disciplinary Committee has reached a verdict regarding you..."
"What?"
Eikou swallowed, nervously waiting for the final result of the judgment.
"That is..."
Her red lips parted as she slowly said,
"That is, we will temporarily hold the right to accuse you, but this time there will be no public trial!"
"Ah, really..."
The moment he heard this verdict, Eikou let out a breath of relief.
It seemed that the Shadow Disciplinary Committee still harbored suspicions about him, but this outcome was exactly the ideal scenario Eikou had predicted.
But right after that, Eikou's nerves tightened again as he unconsciously rubbed his palms together.
The danger of a public trial had been avoided, but perhaps the troubles caused by Disaster With Women were only beginning.
"Miss Tomoe,"
Eikou chose his words carefully,
"Is it because you helped me?"
"Eh, how should I say this..."
A slightly embarrassed expression appeared on Tomoe Gozen's fair, beautiful face,
"It's not exactly that I helped you, but that this decision came from careful thought during the meeting… what kind of person you are, what sort of punishment would be appropriate for you—with all that considered thoroughly, I decided not to pursue the matter further."
"Why?"
Though he asked, deep down Eikou had already somewhat guessed the answer.
"Before the drowning incident at noon, my personal impression of you was extremely terrible. In my eyes, you were merely someone who pretended to be innocent on the surface but was actually experienced with countless women, a danger to all female students at Chaldea Academy, and I had to find a way to drive you out of the school."
Tomoe Gozen said this, yet her face was not harsh; instead, her voice gradually softened,
"But when danger struck, even though you couldn't swim, you still risked your life to save everyone who was drowning — including me, someone who had always held prejudice against you. That act of repaying malice with virtue made me see you differently, and from then on…"
She paused slightly, as if preparing herself, then continued seriously:
"After waking up in the vehicle, I had a deep discussion with the Saint of France and the other girls. They even showed me your recent health reports, and I finally understood that you truly possess a body that easily encounters trouble with women."
"…Why do they even have my health reports?" Eikou held his forehead.
"Ehem, in short, based on sufficient evidence, I've come to understand that you are not a bad person. Subjectively, you have no intention of doing evil, and objectively, you try your best to avoid trouble. Under such circumstances, holding a public trial against you would be completely unfair."
"I see!"
Hearing this, Eikou's eyes suddenly brightened.
Not because Disaster With Women made her fall, but because he had proven his character through concrete action, successfully reaching Tomoe Gozen's heart.
…Of course, Disaster With Women also played a part.
But the fact that she could rely on her own will and careful observation to reach such a conclusion truly moved Eikou.
"But——"
Tomoe Gozen suddenly frowned, her ruby-red eyes flashing sharply with a hint of teasing.
"Even if you try to avoid trouble, when it comes to women, you still frequently… involve yourself in impure relationships with the opposite sex, don't you?"
Her voice sharpened,
"——Unconscious sexual harassment, a body prone to uncontrollable trouble with women at any moment, a female social circle that grows more chaotic by the day… your current situation is far scarier than men who intentionally do bad things... far more."
"E-exactly..."
Eikou faltered, wanting to refute her but unable to say anything.
Damn it, even he himself thought Tomoe Gozen was absolutely right!
Just like her exquisite swordsmanship, her words struck directly at his most fatal, irrefutable weakness.
"But it's alright,"
Tomoe Gozen's voice sounded again, this time softer, gentler than before, imbued with the warm, accepting aura of a Yamato Nadeshiko,
"We'll find a way together to help fix your problems with women. Otherwise, you'll surely fall into big trouble later..."
"We… together?"
A strange premonition suddenly rose in his chest.
Why was she suddenly being so kind? And why involve herself in this troublesome matter?
No, fine, actually he understood the reason…
Eikou lifted his head, watching Tomoe Gozen step closer and closer to him.
"Yes, the two of us..."
Tomoe Gozen's beautiful eyes gazed at him, now covered in a thin layer of gentle mist,
"Mochizuki Eikou… at the riverside, you used Disaster With Women on me, binding our fates together, didn't you?"
"I did it to save you."
A bead of cold sweat slid slowly down Eikou's forehead.
He could only feel that Tomoe Gozen's tone was becoming increasingly strange. She no longer sounded like the stern, righteous, pure woman she usually was, but instead like…
"Mou, still trying to use that excuse..."
Tomoe Gozen shook her head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing,
"But if you do that to every girl, do you realize how much trouble you will cause later? Or is it that whenever a female student is in danger, you would sacrifice yourself to that extent for her?"
"It has nothing to do with gender; a person's life is more important than anything. I cannot stand by and watch someone die."
Eikou muttered for a moment, but in the end he still gave a firm answer.
At that time, all methods had been exhausted, and her life was clearly more important than the danger to himself.
[Your answer seems to greatly satisfy Tomoe Gozen.]
[Tomoe Gozen's Affection for you has increased significantly ↑↑↑]
"To save someone, even if it means causing them to fall for you..."
Tomoe Gozen let out a soft breath — sweet, gentle, and alluring.
At that moment, Eikou saw two black horns appear on her forehead, slowly emerging from her white hair.
...