"Fine, fine… I'll allow this for now." Kouga's voice was strained but steady, his aura finally settling into stillness.
"Mei-senpai…" Kiana's voice trembled as she stepped closer, blue eyes shimmering with worry. "Are you sure you want the bomb inside you?"
Mei met her gaze, her expression resolute. "Yes, Kiana-chan. I am."
Kiana clenched her fists, her own resolve hardening. "Then I'll do my best to make sure that day never comes."
Bronya nodded firmly, stepping forward with her Homu plush hugged against her chest. "Yes. Mei-nee-sama will never have to become a Herrscher again."
The weight of their conviction filled the courtyard, heavy but warm.
Then came a pointed, fake cough. All eyes shifted to Theresa, whose forehead pulsed with a very visible vein.
"Well," she said, gesturing with both arms at the courtyard buried under a blanket of white, "with that settled… what exactly are we going to do about all this snow?"
The trio flinched. Kouga, still clad in the monstrous Putotyra Combo, raised his hand slowly. "I'll do it."
He pulled out three red Core Medals, but the moment he moved, his body convulsed in sheer pain. His muscles screamed as if tearing apart under the strain. He bit down, his visor flickering. Right… I was so angry, I forgot. Any form beyond my base is too much for this body to handle.
"Kouga-senpai?" Kiana called out, panic sharpening her voice as she saw him falter.
With gritted teeth, Kouga forced the medals into his Driver. Purple armor shattered away, replaced by the blazing crimson wings of Kamen Rider OOO Tajador Combo. The heat radiating from him surged outward in a fiery aura that swept across St. Freya High. The blizzard vanished in a hiss of steam, snow melting into vapor until the academy stood clear under the open sky.
The transformation faded. Kouga stumbled, his breaths ragged, but he still turned to face the others with a faint smirk. "Okay, with that said and done, we should—"
His words cut short when Mei and Kiana gasped, their faces draining of color.
"…What?" Kouga asked, confused.
Neither girl answered. Mei's trembling hand covered her mouth; Kiana's was pointing at him with no word coming from her mouth. Bronya's gaze hardened.
Kouga blinked—ignoring the fire still burning through his veins—until warm liquid traced down his cheeks. Only then did he realize blood was seeping from both eyes.
Hours later, he found himself flat on his back, confined to a bed in a shared dormitory. His body throbbed with exhaustion, his sight still blurry at the edges.
"Welp," he muttered to himself, wincing, "that could've gone better."
He remembered vividly how Mei and Kiana had practically dragged him here, refusing to let him walk on his own, Bronya quietly following behind. Now, with his strength drained, he had no choice but to rest.
The door opened.
Kiana entered first, followed by Mei and Bronya, their expressions still shadowed with concern. Behind them came Himeko with her arms crossed, Theresa with her usual stern look, and finally—the purple-haired girl Kouga had casually hurled through several buildings during his frenzy.
Kouga sat up slightly, managing a crooked smile. "Well… this is awkward."
"Sorry for throwing you across multiple buildings, miss…" Kouga said to the purple-haired girl who'd entered last.
She adjusted her glasses with practiced calm. "Fu Hua. No need to apologize. It would take more than that to take down a Valkyrie."
"Fu Hua, stay here," Himeko ordered, her voice sharp despite the weariness in her stance. "As class monitor, there's something I'll need from you."
Fu Hua nodded once. "Understood."
Theresa stepped forward, folding her arms behind her back. "Well, in any case, we've gathered enough information from both Kiana and Mei. From what we understand, you possess more powerful forms and even the ability to summon mechanized constructs. However, your body cannot sustain those powers for long without severe consequences—like what we all witnessed a few hours ago."
Kouga let out a long sigh. "Yeah, that about sums it up. But what I don't get is—why does it suddenly require six people to be in this room?"
"Oh, I wasn't questioning you further," Theresa replied with a small smile. "What we're here to discuss is living arrangements. I've decided you'll all be staying with Major Himeko Murata for the time being."
"Oi!" Himeko barked, nearly dropping her flask. "When was this agreed upon?!"
Theresa's smile didn't falter. "I'll increase your pay."
"I'm still missing my last three paychecks!" Himeko shot back, glaring.
Kouga raised a hand sheepishly. "As much as I'd like to stay with Kiana and Mei again—since, you know, we already kind of had that arrangement before—are you sure this is a good idea? People are gonna start rumors about a guy living with a bunch of beautiful women."
Theresa and Himeko exchanged a look. Himeko's was all disgruntled resignation, while Theresa's was flat practicality. The principal turned back to Kouga. "Not an option. Mei and Kiana weren't exactly calm while you were unconscious. If you were separated from them now, their moods would only worsen. Keeping you all together is the best solution."
"Huh. Fine," Kouga muttered, scratching his cheek.
Kiana immediately cheered, throwing her arms around Mei with a grin. "Yes! We get to live with Kouga-senpai again!"
Mei's smile was softer but no less relieved. "It really will be like old times."
Himeko, meanwhile, dragged a hand down her face. "I need a beer."