Unconsciously, her hand reached out and touched the large, unmistakable bulge of his cock, even through the fabric of his trousers…
"Tch!"
Or so she thought.
At that moment, she realized her body was now free to move as she wished.
"L-Let go!"
"Whoa?!"
Though she ended up pushing him over in the process, she immediately stood up as if it didn't matter, quickly putting distance between them.
As for Shinji, though flustered by the sudden change, he finally understood that the 'reward' period had ended.
However, it would likely take some time for his unquelled excitement to subside...
'I never imagined it would come to this... I feel somewhat apologetic, but even if it was by chance, it's good I did oral care beforehand...'
Judging from her attitude as she stood with her back to him, that kiss had probably been her first as well.
Even if there was a compulsion, the fact remained that he had taken her first kiss.
The fortunate part was that, even by chance, having done oral care beforehand meant he hadn't caused her further discomfort.
Recalling the medication he had taken, he made a somewhat awkward expression.
'I'll leave her alone for a while.'
Slowly standing up and brushing the sand off his trousers, Shinji waited quietly for her to calm down.
As for Kyoka, who had abruptly pulled away...
'Wh-What was I...? Wh-Why did I do something... like that...!?'
Though her personality was tomboyish, at her core, she was a woman of marriageable age.
Her face was still tinged with shame, but she tried to steel herself, taking a deep breath.
'E-Even so... to think... that thing was...'
Perhaps because it was the first time she had seen an erect male cock, even if not directly.
Her heart was still pounding violently, a strange heat pooled deep in her belly, and she felt an odd sense of dissatisfaction.
'What exactly is this emotion?' Having no idea, Kyoka continued to be at a loss, merely confused.
Several minutes later…
Seizing the moment when she had finally regained her composure, conversation naturally resumed between them.
"...A single one of these ugly demons, if it appears in the real world, can cause dozens of casualties. My goal is to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Defense Force and swiftly eradicate all the ugly demons. The current Commander-in-Chief... to be honest, is too lenient."
"The Demon Capital Disaster, huh... I see it on TV sometimes, too."
"You could maximize the potential of my ability. With this, I can aim for the Commander's seat. So work for me, Shinji."
Her gaze was direct, not a hint of guilt or hesitation. Having heard her wish and being asked for his cooperation, it was rather hard to refuse.
Therefore, perhaps having resolved to tell her something first, his expression turned solemn before he spoke.
"It's a tempting offer... but there's something I must tell you first."
"What is it?"
"You might have sensed it already, but... I'm a bit of a troublesome person. If I get involved with the Demon Defense Force, all sorts of complications might arise from here on out."
In truth, the work Shinji did in the present world was far removed from mainstream society.
He was, in other words, employed in the underworld. Given the nature of his work, he advised that getting involved with the Demon Defense Force was not particularly desirable.
"Besides, isn't the Demon Defense Force composed solely of women? I don't see how a troublesome man like me could get involved..."
"Normally, that's true. But with your power, many lives could be saved. Formally, you would work as the manager of the dormitory I oversee."
"A manager, huh... Well, I've lived alone for a long time, so I'm decent at housework..."
"...After doing that to me, you're not seriously thinking of refusing, are you?" Kyoka struck right at his weak point.
Of course, the events from a short while ago weren't initiated by him; they were solely due to the compensation of her ability. But he guessed that pointing that out would only anger her further. He scratched the back of his neck and looked down slightly.
"Ahh... Well, can I ask you one thing?"
"...What is it?"
"It's just, I fully understand your feelings... but somehow, it feels like there's something more to it..."
"Tch..."
"Ah, no! If you don't want to say, it's fine. I was just a bit curious, that's all---"
"No... It's alright."
Just as Shinji was stumbling over his words, trying to phrase it, she spoke.
"...Do you know about the Oyama Oisawa Incident?"
"I read about it in the papers a while back. A village in some rural part of Yamagata Prefecture was wiped out by the Shuuki... that one, right?"
He dug up the memory from the recesses of his mind.
A large-scale gate had suddenly appeared in a mountain village, from which hordes of Shuuki invaded, mercilessly killing over eight hundred residents.
The scene at the time was said to be gruesome, with descriptions of torn-apart corpses and organs scattered along the roadsides. Just reading about it made the horror easy to imagine.
"I was from there... the sole survivor."
"..."
"There are those who call the Demon Capital Peaches and the ugly demons 'resources' or 'research subjects'... but I'm different. People shouldn't have to suffer for the sake of those fucking things!"
'Exterminate them swiftly.' To achieve that, Kyoka needed power.
Overcoming her grief and enduring harsh training, she had finally attained her current position.
But that alone wasn't enough, she declared.
"..."
Seeing her pull her cap down low, ultimately rendered meek, and knowing he was partly responsible for bringing her to this state... 'What should I do?'
The answer was remarkably simple.
He approached until he was right before her, went down on one knee, and gently grasped her hand.
That was the response required now.
"Tch?"
"Understood. Then, from now on, I'll dedicate myself to fulfilling your requests. If I'm acceptable to you, that is."
"...What's with that?"
A small smile escaped her lips at his obvious posturing.
Simultaneously, perhaps calmed by his words, she switched gears and formally exchanged greetings with him.
"Then it's decided. I'll be counting on you from now on, Shinji Kamiya. And you can call me whatever you like."
"Well then, likewise."
Thus begins Shinji's story.