Ch.3030. Stop…! Please!

Despite my pleas to stop, Blanc just kept touching it.

“Blanc…! We’re in the middle of a meal, please stop…! Why are you holding it so tightly with your magic-enhanced grip?!”

On Blanc’s lap, one hand gripped my tail while the other kept fidgeting with it, tormenting me.

“Blanc… please! What’s the problem…! Just tell me! Stop touching it…!”

I tried desperately to move my tail away, but Blanc’s grip made that impossible…

“Haa. What do you want? I said stop it!”

“Why, after always being on the receiving end, I’m finally getting my proper revenge. Got a problem with that?”

“No, you easily escaped when you were caught in this situation! What does that have to do with now…! Hyaaah?! Stop it!”

“No. It’s surprisingly warm, and it’s fun watching your reactions.”

“Ugh…!”

“And the other reason… is a secret.”

“Haah… I’ll let you touch it all you want later, so please stop now… Let’s just eat!”

“Ah, fine. Here.”

Blanc finally released my tail.

Having regained freedom for my tail, I immediately hid it.

It would consume a bit more magical power.

That magical power consumption might make me a bit more tired.

But it’s better than being treated like some damn toy.

Maybe I should just detach and reattach it.

But honestly, that’s a hassle.

That’s why I always wore it like a part of me back in Eden.

Plus, I remember the panic of forgetting to put it back on before heading into battle…

Well, it’s an old habit, I suppose.

And for another reason…

I know what would happen if I took it off while sleeping.

There’s definitely someone here who would secretly take it.

I don’t even want to think about what they might do with it.

They might try to do strange things to my tail to affect me somehow.

Since it’s directly connected to my nervous system, if they put some weird device in it…

Well, I could experience excruciating pain from neural disruption, or my mind could be affected.

Hmm, wait a minute.

Why are those magical girls blushing and staring at me?

“Is something wrong? Let’s just finish our meal first. I apologize for making strange noises.”

After hearing me, they all focused on eating, but…

Why do I feel like they’re still watching me?

“…Did I do something wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that…?”

The redhead sitting across from me answered.

“W-well… the sounds…”

“What? The sounds?”

“The sounds you were making earlier when Yunseul touched your tail were a bit…”

“…Oh.”

Ah, of course.

Another embarrassing display.

If I keep showing this side of myself, I won’t have any dignity left.

I need to change the subject quickly to dispel this awful embarrassment!

“Ah, by the way, Arin. Would you share your proper impressions of today’s demonstration…? Since I was moving my body after several years, my movements might have been off. Blanc, could you share your thoughts too?”

Arin, who had been blushing earlier, answered my question first.

“Oh, yes! First of all, seeing it in person was definitely different. I thought I knew everything about Sister Bine, but clearly not. You’re definitely an opponent I wouldn’t want to face on the battlefield…”

“Ah, I see. So to Arin, I’m truly an enemy you wouldn’t want to meet in battle.”

“Yes, I couldn’t see any possibility of winning. Um, Sister Bine…”

After sharing her impressions of the demonstration, Arin asked me a question.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Um, will I be alive tomorrow…? I, I was happy to meet you, Sister Bine… haha…”

“Why do you say that, Arin? Haven’t I always said I wouldn’t hurt you? Don’t worry.”

“No, but… you reduced that mannequin to ashes…? That mannequin is so strong that I can barely cut halfway through it even when I use my maximum strength… and you just…”

“Ah, I see. Don’t worry. Sparring is all about setting rules, isn’t it? It’s not actual combat.”

“Y-yes…”

“Don’t be discouraged. Just focus on finishing your exam tomorrow, and think of it as a way to relieve stress.”

“Yes, Sister…”

Ah, right.

There’s one more person I need to ask.

The one who analyzed my combat more thoroughly than anyone else.

The person who knows me better than anyone.

She would know best how I’ve changed.

“So, Blanc. Let me hear your impressions.”

“Hm? It was very Bine-like.”

…?

What?

“Pardon? What did you say?”

“It was very Bine-like. Truly.”

“No, what does that mean?”

“Just that your movements were characteristic of you. Assessing the enemy’s condition and comparing it to yourself. When you determine they’re weaker, you move in the most efficient way possible.”

“Hmm, but I was moving more sluggishly than usual.”

“Your magical output was probably around 47% of your normal level. That’s why your tail had that color. So you had to maximize efficiency in your movements. That way you could make your attacks stronger. The destructive power of your laser was about 53% of your usual output. Since you weren’t getting the output you expected, you poured more magic into your attacks, which ultimately showed in that attack.”

“…Ahem, good analysis. But I used another weapon this time.”

“Ah, you mean how your impact area was distributed 2.1 times wider than usual?”

“…Is that figure accurate?”

“Yes, it should be.”

“Then, what’s your assessment of my close-range weapon?”

“The speed at which you drew your close-range weapon was about 20% slower than usual. Your swinging speed was 17% slower.”

“I see. Haah. I’ve weakened considerably.”

Surprised by our conversation, Arin asked us:

“W-wait… How does Sister Yunseul know in such detail, and how is Sister Bine just accepting it…?”

Hmm?

Is something strange about this?

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m asking my greatest rival, who knows me best, how I’ve changed.”

“B-but, don’t people usually not ask their enemies…?”

Arin asked again, even more confused.

She’s right, normally people don’t ask their enemies about how they’ve changed.

But with Blanc and me, we know each other too well to hide such things.

“Hmm, Arin might not understand, but Blanc and I have a rather special relationship.”

“Special… relationship?”

“Yes. We’ve been at this for so long, well…”

I thought I had made Arin understand with that explanation, but seeing her still full of questions, Blanc added:

“Well, Bine and I have known each other for over a decade. So I know things I’d rather not know. For example, the underwear Bine wore during her Eden days…”

“Blanc! What are you telling Arin?! What good comes from sharing such things with her?!”

“Why, I was just trying to illustrate how much I know about you.”

“Haah, really why…”

Sigh, it’s truly strange.

Why does Blanc keep saying things to embarrass me lately?

Why must I endure being teased by magical girls?

Even if I am her pathetically defeated arch-nemesis.

Haah, I’ll just have to accept it as the fate of the defeated.

Still, I could ask her why she’s doing this.

I’ll ask her later, later.

“Anyway, Arin, we know each other better than you might think. We know each other well enough to see through each other’s deceptions. Do you understand?”

“Umm, yes. I think I get it roughly. But, why aren’t the other sisters surprised by this…?”

Answering Arin’s further question, the redhead beside her immediately explained:

“Well, those two basically have no secrets from each other. Do you know how much Yunseul reviewed battle footage after joining the dormitory? She’d be in the living room reviewing even after waking up in the middle of the night. Bine was probably the same.”

“That’s right. I also analyzed so much after each… Haah. This damn magical girl kept growing stronger by the day. I would gather information by any means necessary, even disguising myself.”

“Ah… So Sister Bine also…”

“Yes. Right now, I can tell she’s looking at me with eyes that want to pounce on me before I reveal her embarrassing secrets to you.”

“…!”

“Well, Blanc’s embarrassing secrets would be… mmph?! Mmph!”

“Now, now, Bine? We’ve all finished eating, so shall we talk about Arin’s training for tomorrow?”

“Mmph! Mmph!!”

“Well, okay?”

Ugh… She reveals all my embarrassing points but forcefully stops me when I try to expose hers.

It’s more than a little annoying, but I had no choice but to nod and escape from Blanc’s restraint.

After that, we had a normal conversation about Arin’s training.

When it would start and end.

About the sparring match between Blanc and me that we would show Arin before training.

Then, Arin went to her room to do some last-minute studying before her exam, and I brought my tail back out to start washing dishes and cleaning up.

I casually suggested that Blanc go up and sleep, but she hadn’t forgotten what I said earlier.

“I want to sleep hugging your tail, Bine.”

“Do you think I would allow that? I’ll permit you to touch it, to keep my promise from earlier… but hugging it while sleeping is forbidden.”

“Tch.”

Haa?

Did Blanc just click her tongue?