Ch.2828. I Want to Bite You Because You’re So Cute.

Arin’s surprised face was truly adorable.

Hmm, “adorable” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

No one would call me abnormal for wanting to see more of that expression.

Yes, surely everyone in the world would agree.

She’s just so cute.

To be surprised by something so minor.

I only moved my body lightly since I’m not fully warmed up yet…

Look. You can tell by how the beam came out orange when it shouldn’t be that color.

And that blast should have left no ashes at the output level I fired it at.

I’ve weakened considerably.

It seems Blanc over there has noticed that too.

She’s looking at me with slightly puzzled eyes.

It’s scary how she’s started analyzing me after briefly reminiscing.

How much I’ve weakened, how much my output has decreased, how fast my preparation speed is…

Sigh, that’s a bit troublesome.

I’ve essentially revealed my weakened state to an enemy. In the end.

Haah, really.

Anyway, putting that aside. I came here to demonstrate for Arin.

“Umm, are there more mannequins? I have a few more demonstrations I’d like to show.”

“Yes, there are plenty over there. Arin will bring them for you.”

Arin, trembling as her name is mentioned, looks at Blanc with shaking eyes and asks.

“M-me… mannequins… Y-yes!”

Hmm, she seems more than surprised—she’s frightened.

I should help her relax a bit.

“Arin, I have no intention of hurting you. Do you trust me?”

“Y-yes! Of course I trust you, Sister Bine…!”

Startled by my sudden question, Arin answered with a trembling voice.

“Why are you so afraid, Arin?”

“N-no. I’m not! I’m not afraid!”

“Haha… I seem to be a bit weak since my body isn’t fully loosened up yet. Just a moment.”

I paused my hovering, gathered my weapons from the box, and rose back up.

The next weapon I wanted to show was my rifle.

Yes, my personal weapon.

Actually, I used this more often when I didn’t have my tail.

After getting my tail, which was more convenient, I just carried this for style.

The doctor said he made it as lightweight as possible for me to carry easily.

Well, being a superhuman, even moderately heavy things don’t bother me at all.

Anyway, I infuse my magic into this storied personal rifle.

When the magic I slowly pour in shows no signs of absorbing any more, that’s when it’s ready.

For a rifle, it has all sorts of functions that use magic.

First, like a normal rifle.

“I’ll shoot now.”

Bang—

As expected, the bullet accurately pierced the mannequin’s chest.

“Now in rapid fire.”

The shot grouping is important when firing in rapid succession.

As the whitish smoke clears, the mannequin comes into view.

There was a large hole in the mannequin’s chest.

“Ha, my skills have really deteriorated.”

“B-Bine sister…?”

“Yes, Arin. What is it?”

“Ah, um, uh, e-eh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“T-this is what you call deteriorated skills?”

“Yes, normally the hole should be smaller than this.”

“U-uh? Wha?”

Arin was busy sputtering strange sounds like a broken doll.

I don’t know why.

Let me try something else with that mannequin as the target.

Close-quarters maneuvering with a slight leap.

To an ordinary person, it might look like teleportation.

But any magical girl of Blanc’s caliber would be able to see it.

Arriving in front of the mannequin like that.

I plunge a reverse-grip dagger from my pocket into its neck,

Then pull it out and stab the abdomen.

After withdrawing it, I infuse it with magic.

And blow off the mannequin’s head.

The head flies all the way to the end of that wall.

Well, the mannequins here aren’t designed with magical girl battles in mind.

I suppose their fragility is a drawback.

“Well, Arin. Isn’t this quite ordinary? What do you think?”

I asked Arin, who was still staring blankly at the mannequin’s head that had flown away.

As soon as she realized I was calling her, she responded in terror.

“B-Bine sister…! I-I’m sorry! I think I judged too hastily…! P-please spare me!”

“Haah…”

When I approached the startled Arin, she trembled and hid behind Blanc.

Ah, what can I say.

Well, considering that Blanc can also do this level of stuff easily, I wonder why she’s so scared.

Arin, trembling behind Blanc, apologizes to me.

“I-I’m sorry…! I’ve been too arrogant! I thought Sister Bine would be weak because she’s a villain from the past…! P-please spare me! P-please…!”

Seeing her hide in such fear makes me want to tease her more.

Sigh, my bad habit is about to resurface.

When I attacked an amusement park to extract energy from civilians.

I stopped a roller coaster at its highest point and teased the children riding it, taking their fear energy…

The thrill of confirming methods to instill fear and the pleasure felt when executing them.

That pleasure of feeling lighter and moving more easily—I almost became addicted to it.

I stopped seeking that pleasure thinking I might ruin the boss’s grand plan…

Well, I’ve quit that now.

But seeing Arin like this… she’s so cute that I want to try it once.

I wonder if I can emit that dark aura again.

“…Arin, so you thought that about me…?”

“Hieek?!”

Ah, it seems to be working.

Blanc’s gaze toward me changed slightly, more so than Arin’s.

Well, she quickly realized what I was doing and returned to her normal expression.

“Arin, though you are dear to me, when I hear such things…”

“Please, please, please… s-spare me…”

“It makes me want to escape from these magical girls’ restraints, doesn’t it? I could easily handle two magical girls here.”

“Hic…! P-please… I’ll do anything…! I really am sorry…”

“Ha, did you say ‘anything,’ Arin?”

“Sniff… Y-yes… anything…”

Good, an unexpected gain.

I put my hand in my pocket and look at her.

“Hmm, I’d need a substantial reward to be tempted…”

“I-I’ll do whatever Sister Bine tells me to…!”

“Pfft, what could I possibly ask of a weak magical girl like you?”

“I-I’ll grant all your true wishes…!”

“All of them, you clearly stated?”

“Yes!! So please…”

Now she’s not even trembling like an aspen tree anymore…

This is just…

Like a pitiful puppy…

Ah, she’s really cute.

This is the expression I wanted to see.

Ignoring Blanc’s disappointed look as she detected my slight change in expression.

I retract the aura I had spread and revert everything, including my old tone that had somehow returned.

“Well, I’ve recorded everything. Arin.”

“…What?”

Then, I move behind Arin and embrace her.

“Haah, why are you so surprised? I would never hurt you, Arin.”

“U-uh?”

“Pfft… You still don’t understand, do you?”

“Huh? What…?”

“Haha… How cute. Really… You’ve been tricked, Arin.”

“What…?”

While Arin was still in my arms, unable to gather her wits, Blanc said to her:

“Arin, Bine was just scaring you for fun. Look.”

“What…? Sister Bine was…?”

“That attack you just saw. If she really wanted to deal with us and escape, would she be hugging you right now?”

“Ah.”

Finally understanding the situation, Arin struggled to escape from my embrace.

But for me, who had regained my abilities, it was just like a child’s struggle.

“Uwaaah…! S-sister!! I-it’s embarrassing…!”

“Haah, Arin’s cute side. I like it. It makes me feel lighter and more comfortable.”

“U-uhhh…”

Seeing me like this, Blanc finally said:

“Bine, that’s enough hugging Arin. So, is this test sufficient?”

“Yes. Let’s go back up then. Arin, Blanc, is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Arin, who had been in my embrace, somehow managed to break free and said:

“Ugh…! I-I’ll be upset for a week if you don’t make tteokbokki today!”

“Hahaha… Alright. Let’s go with tteokbokki then. Blanc, you can activate this collar again.”

“Sure, just a moment…”

“Ah, there’s one more thing I’d like to test…”

“What is it? I won’t put it on yet, so feel free to test.”

“No, please activate the collar. I’m curious about how this tail moves even with it on.”

“Ah, wait a moment. There.”

With Blanc’s words, my magic is restricted again, and I feel my body becoming heavier.

I focus on my tail for a moment.

Ah, it moves.

Due to the magic output restriction, I can only use three, but still.

Well, the magic cannon certainly won’t fire.

But Blanc is allowing these tests…?

“Blanc, are you sure it’s okay for me to do these tests…? What if my weapons work properly and I commit evil acts again?”

“Huh? Were they for evil purposes?”

When she asks with such an innocent face, what does that make me for asking?

Sigh.

“No. I just need extra hands when working.”

“Well, then there’s no problem, right?”

“No problem… Haah.”

“Why?”

“You really are… Haha…”

“If you’re done, let’s go up.”

“Ah, yes. Just a moment.”

I retract my tail to make it invisible.

I thought this would be impossible with restricted magic, but it works?

This will be helpful when working in the future.

Let’s go up and make tteokbokki first.

Did I stock up on tteokbokki ingredients?

Well, I probably have them.

Today has been more productive than expected.

What’s left is… Arin’s training.

Ah, right. There’s also the sparring.

The sparring match against Blanc again.