Ren did not sleep.
He couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes, he was back in that steam-filled, pink-tiled hell. He saw it all, a helpless, screaming passenger in his own body. He saw his own hands, his hands, wrapped around... that.
He felt, by proxy, the heat of Rito's skin and heard his rival's low, ragged groans.
It was a violation. A trauma. But worse than that... he had felt Run's pure, unadulterated ecstasy during the act.
And he had felt Ren's own... subconscious, horrified awe.
'That pervert... that monster...' Ren thought, his entire body trembling in the pre-dawn light of the Yuuki guest room. 'He... he didn't just win... he...'
He couldn't even finish the thought. His manhood, his pride, his entire sense of self had been shattered by a single, "super-bonded" encounter.
This could not stand. It would end. Today.
…
The Sainan High School rooftop was cold, the wind whipping past the chain-link fence. Ren stood waiting, two kendo shinai (bamboo swords) at his feet. He had dragged Rito here the moment school started.
"This is it, Yuuki Rito!" Ren declared, his voice raw. "No more tricks. No more alien inventions. No more accidental kisses or shameless rescues. Just you and me. A final duel of true manhood!"
Rito, still in his school uniform, just sighed. He looked tired, but his eyes were clear. Rito wasn't the flustered. This Rito had a frustrating, quiet confidence.
'He's serious about this being the final duel.' Rito thought looking at Ren's expression, his mind flashing to his pre-knowledge of the series. 'Ren's a good fighter, but he's all flash. He doesn't know I've been doing gravity training with Lala every morning.'
"Fine, Ren." Rito said, picking up the shinai. "If this is what it takes to get you to calm down, let's do it. But I'm not losing."
"You will be CRUSHED!" Ren roared, his form perfect as he snapped into a jōdan-no-kamae stance, sword held high.
Ren lunged.
He was fast, his blade cutting the air with a swoosh. Normally, in situations such as this, Rito would have, without a doubt, tripped, fallen, and probably won by accidentally disarming Ren somehow.
But this time nothing of that sort happened. It was like the world was telling him that this situation didn't require luck. For this, he was enough. For this, he must be enough.
Rito parried.
Clack!
The sound of bamboo striking bamboo echoed across the roof. Ren, shocked by the solid, strong block, stumbled.
"What—?"
Rito didn't give him time to recover. He advanced, his footwork steady. His new, stronger core kept him balanced. His arms, defined from his training, brought the shinai down in a heavy, deliberate strike.
Ren blocked, but the force of Rito's blow rattled his arms to the bone. 'He's... strong! This isn't just luck!'
"You... you've been hiding this!" Ren accused, retreating.
"I've just been afraid of losing, and truthfully, rather than hiding, all the other times, I won even before doing anything." Rito said, his voice flat as he advanced again.
Ren, in a fit of rage and desperation, lunged with a wild, sloppy thrust. Rito sidestepped the attack, pivoted on his heel, and brought his shinai down in a perfect, clean strike on the top of Ren's helmet.
CLACK!
The sound was absolute. Ren froze, his sword slipping from his trembling fingers.
He had lost. Not to a trick. Not to an accident. He had simply been overpowered.
Rito lowered his sword, panting slightly. "It's over, Ren."
"I... I lost..." Ren whispered, falling to his knees, the helmet still on. His entire energy, built on being the "superior man", was gone.
"Wow, Rito! You looked so cool! Just like a space samurai!"
Lala bounded onto the rooftop, her tail swishing. She was holding a new, bizarre-looking device — a sleek, silver bracelet with a large, pulsing pink crystal.
"Ren-chan! Run-chan! I have a present for you!" she chimed.
Ren looked up, his voice muffled by the helmet. "What... what is that?"
"It's my new Memorze Maturity Accelerator!" Lala said, her grin wide. "I was doing some research! According to the galactic net, all Memorzeans go through a 'Final Division' around their 15th-year milestone, where their dual-form stabilizes. But it can be messy! So, I made this to make sure it happens right now, and all at once!"
Before Rito or Ren could protest, Lala aimed the bracelet and pressed the crystal.
"Accelerate!"
A beam of pure, pink, harmless-looking light shot out and engulfed Ren's kneeling form.
Ren cried out, a sound that was half-male, half-female. His body began to glow, the light so bright Rito had to shield his eyes.
"L-Lala!" Rito yelled. "What did you—?"
"It's working!" Lala cheered. "They're splitting!"
The pink light flared, pulsed, and then receded, fading as quickly as it had come.
Rito lowered his arm. Where one kneeling figure had been, there were now two.
On the left, Ren stood, still wearing the kendo helmet and uniform. He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. He looked... solid. Complete.
On the right, kneeling on the rooftop, was Run. She was in the same male uniform, but there was no mistaking her. Her light green hair was slightly frazzled from the energy discharge, and her hot pink eyes were wide with a new, undiluted clarity.
They both looked at each other, then at Lala, then at Rito.
It was Run who moved first. She scrambled to her feet, a massive, brilliant smile spreading across her face. It was a smile Rito had never seen before, one free of internal conflict, free of Ren's anger. It was pure, 100% Run.
"I'm… I'm me!" she whispered, touching her face. Then she looked at Rito, and her eyes filled with tears of joy.
"Rito-kun!"
She didn't hesitate. She launched herself across the rooftop and threw her arms around Rito's neck, kissing him soundly on the cheek, then his jaw, then his other cheek.
"I'm free! Rito-kun, I'm finally free! He's gone! I can… I can love you!" she cried, her voice bright and victorious. She pulled back, her eyes sparkling with fierce, newfound determination.
"And I will! Rito-kun, I'm not going to hold back anymore! Not ever! I'm going to show you how much I love you, every single day!"
Ren, who had just taken off his helmet, froze. He stared at his other half, his sister, he now realized, clinging to the very boy he despised. He looked at Rito, who had not just defeated him in a duel of strength but had also just won the affection of his twin.
He was beaten. Completely. In every contest of manhood, in every contest of affection.
Ren let out a long, shuddering sigh, the anger draining out of him, replaced by a bitter, hollow exhaustion.
"...You win, Yuuki Rito." Ren said, his voice flat. He turned away, unable to watch. "Lala… is yours. My... sister... is yours. I have no more challenges. I've lost."
Lala, who had been watching the scene with a proud, happy smile, bounced over to Rito, pulling Run along with him.
"Isn't it great, Rito?" Lala cheered, linking her arm with his. "Now they're two separate people! No more sneezing, and no more fighting!"
Rito, still dazed from Run's sudden, passionate declaration, looked at his girlfriend. "Lala… you… you did this on purpose, didn't you? You said it was a 'Maturity Accelerator'…"
"Of course I did!" Lala said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She leaned in and whispered, though Run could clearly hear. "You've been wanting to get closer to Run-chan for weeks, but Ren was always in the way!"
Lala's eyes sparkled with the familiar, cheerful mischief of their shared Harem Plan.
"The King of Deviluke has to have lots of wives, Rito!" she explained brightly. "And I like Run-chan! She's cute and she's so in love with you! Now that she has her own body, you two can really get along, and she can be your second wife! No more interruptions!"
Lala gave him a supportive pat on the back, then turned to Run. "Right, Run-chan?"
Run, who had been listening with a blush that could melt steel, nodded enthusiastically. "Y-Yes! Second wife! I accept!"
Rito looked from his beaming, supportive girlfriend to the newly-freed, incredibly eager girl now clinging to his other arm. He knew exactly what this meant. He knew what Run's vow implied, and he knew what Lala's blessing was giving him permission to do.
He looked at Run, whose eyes were shining with an open, desperate invitation.
'This… this is the plan…' he thought, his heart hammering. 'This is... the next step.'
He met Run's gaze, his own blush rising, but his voice was steady.
"...Run," Rito said, his hand finding hers. "After dinner… do you want to come over to my room? We can... talk... about this. Properly."
Run's entire body seemed to light up. "...Yes!"
*****
Next Chapter, the full R-18 Scene of Run and Rito will be uploaded.
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*****
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