Kyushu

Haruno has an awkward personality, but she understands Shuya very well, Shuya likes her interesting personality.

Everyone around her is cunning, and it's very comfortable to be with her. Shuya thinks she's a kindred spirit and a good partner for causing trouble.

If this is what it means to like someone, then he thinks it's acceptable.

Unlike Haruno, Tsuruko's personality is quite eccentric; she is very traditional and possesses the gentle nature of a traditional Japan woman. However, as a powerful swordswoman, she also displays a strong and resilient side.

Her strength has always been a crucial asset for Shuya, and she has played a vital role in the battles so far.

Tsuruko knew that Shuya had feelings for him, but she hadn't taken the initiative until today when she offered herself to him to comfort him.

She is the kind of reliable woman who will silently support a man from behind, but will stand up for him when necessary.

Shuya had no reason not to like this kind of woman.

He compared his affection for them to that for Rena.

Then he discovered a fact: their status in his heart was no Rena.

Before being seduced, Rena was the only one in his heart. Even outstanding girls like Mai- chan, Little Senior Sister, and Hyakka- chan couldn't win his heart.

Now, he suddenly realized that he had a possessive desire for them.

I don't want to see them taken away by other men.

Shuya has always been a very honest man.

Furthermore, the Earth Federation is not a monogamous society, so there are no legal concerns.

Shuya suddenly frowned as he thought of this.

... Wait a minute, I think I heard Mai mention before that her mother and father had many dramatic conflicts because her father had a second wife and a daughter with her, which ultimately ended in divorce.

It seems like women these days wouldn't tolerate this either; it's quite frightening...

Furthermore, there are frequent proposals to abolish polygamy...

Shuya's thoughts drifted far away, but he forcibly pulled them back.

Hmm, I wonder if Mai- chan's younger sister is cute?

"..."

Shuya pinched himself, admiring his own quick wit.

He reorganized his thoughts and examined his inner self.

Finally, he confronted the emotional issues he had been avoiding for so long.

He has never wanted to look back on the days when he was bewitched.

He felt very upset about having his emotions manipulated.

He wouldn't necessarily take his anger out on Rena, but he still subconsciously felt a rebellious streak and didn't want to think about it.

He didn't want to face those past days, yet he didn't want to forget that time. He still liked Rena, but he wasn't sure if it was true or not.

These mixed feelings stained his mood with darkness, and he ended up constantly running away from the problem.

She even had the twisted thought that it would be better if Rena "always stayed like this".

He was happy with his current situation, where "he could focus on fighting for Rena and not have to think about anything else."

They also felt reassured that "this would allow them to convince themselves to postpone making a decision."

However, what Yukino couldn't help but say to him made Shuya realize that he had indeed reached a point where he had to give an answer.

I can no longer use "being busy" as an excuse to avoid seeing Rena and the Quintuplets.

Looking back on his feelings for Haruno and Tsuruko, Shuya now understands a lot.

He was finally able to say it.

His feelings for Rena weren't as intense as he had imagined.

But he didn't dislike Rena as much as he had imagined.

The removal of the charm does not mean he will lose his feelings for Rena.

The disappearance of the allure will not erase the days he spent with Rena.

His understanding of Rena, and his thoughts about Rena, still lingered in his heart.

He could still clearly recall things about Rena.

He was shocked when he learned that Rena, a woman, had gritted her teeth and taken on the responsibility of caring for Quintuplets.

When he saw that even amidst her busy work, Rena still did her best to give the Quintuplets love in every moment.

A strong woman, a gentle woman.

A woman he likes.

His feelings for Rena weren't the kind of passionate, earth-shattering love, but rather a gentle, warm affection that nurtured her quietly, like a gentle rain nourishing the earth.

To call this love seems too cloying.

To call it liking someone seems too superficial.

Shuya repeatedly asked himself, was he really just...

I want to be with her.

When he received this answer, Shuya felt that the emptiness in his heart had been filled with something warm.

But it hasn't been completely filled yet.

He still didn't dare to face Rena directly and explain everything clearly.

How can something as complex as emotions be easily described in words and accepted by everyone?

Difficult, difficult, difficult...

But if you don't write about emotions, then it's not a post-O but a seed O...

Section 300, Chapter 284, Kyushu

Shuya felt that with his current skill level, it was too difficult and unrealistic to describe a love story that everyone would agree on.

He could only roughly summarize his thoughts.

After careful consideration, he confirmed his feelings for Rena.

If I didn't like him, I wouldn't be so conflicted. If I didn't like him that much, I wouldn't be so conflicted either.

The above statement is convoluted, but it perfectly reflects his true feelings.

Even just reading those few sentences is difficult to understand, so one can imagine the confusion in Shuya's mind.

He's always been such a conflicted person.

Shuya felt he was overthinking things, but there were some things he had run away from for too long and now he had to figure them out.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief, having reached a temporary conclusion.

Shuya cleared his mind, immersed himself in the water, and lay at the bottom of the hot spring, watching the distorted starry sky through the water.

He stood there in a daze for a while before surfacing.

The surroundings were completely silent, making it an ideal place for rest and meditation.

Shuya had been delayed for so long, but he finally remembered that he planned to condense a new Godhead.

He thought about it and decided that since he was comfortable here, he didn't plan to move.

He channeled his Power of Will into the hot spring and condensed a new Godhead.

A moment later, a mysterious aura faintly rose into the sky, but apart from Sugawara no Michizane who noticed it, no one was disturbed.

In the dead of night, Shuya familiarized himself with the new power.

Motoko was resting at a house near Shuya, woke up groggily to find that her older sister still hadn't returned.

She yawned and went to the restroom, then looked around and found that not only Tsuruko, but also Haruno was nowhere to be found.

Only Yukino and Shizuka Hiratsuka inside.

Shizuka Hiratsuka's room was littered with empty bottles; she was fast asleep.

Motoko went into Yukino's room, nudged her in confusion, and told her about it.

"Yukino, will something happen to my sister and the others?"

Motoko was a little worried.

Rubbing her eyes, Yukino vaguely understood what had happened.

She gave a cold laugh, "Don't worry, they'll be fine... Ha, men."

"?"

Motoko didn't understand what she was doing, and a little uneasy, she whispered, "Um, can I sleep with you?"

She felt a little uncomfortable in this unfamiliar place.

"... All right."

Yukino shifted her body, Motoko climbed onto the bed.

The two long-haired, black-haired girls snuggled together and quickly fell asleep.

In the next room, Shizuka Hiratsuka was completely oblivious to what had happened that evening. She was simply scratching her stomach nonchalantly and muttering, "Eek! I, I'm not drunk!"

"Hehehehe..."

No wonder she's single.

One night passed.

Shuya woke up in the arms of Haruno and Tsuruko; he had come back to sleep after finishing his cultivation the day before.

In this cold world, only that thing can bring him warmth.

Shuya repeatedly marveled at how well girls develop these days, dawdling and refusing to get up until the noise outside grew louder, finally waking them up.

This wasn't the time to stay in bed, so the three of them quickly got ready, changed their clothes, and went out.

After washing up, I saw that breakfast was already laid out.

After finishing their meal, the three of them went outside.

The Divine Domain is already quite lively.

Many Monster have finished their meal and are gathering.

Shuya immediately spotted Shizuka Hiratsuka, Yukino, and Motoko nearby.

Shizuka Hiratsuka's gaze was so intense it was almost frightening, so he decided to ignore her.

Shuya saw Motoko jogging over to talk to Tsuruko, and she was easily fooled by Tsuruko.

Yukino showed no intention of coming over; instead, she glanced at him sideways a few times.

Seeing this, Shuya walked over and unexpectedly picked her up, lifted her high, and spun her around a few times.

"What... what are you doing! Pervert! Let me go!"

Yukino kicked her little feet wildly, her whole body thrashing about in a fit of impotent rage.

"Yesterday's gift."

"What kind of etiquette is this!"

Yukino's fair cheeks were flushed, and she couldn't stand the stares from those around her even more.

It seems she really can't stand this kind of game.

Haruno came over to watch, giggling, "Yukino- chan, so tall!"

"Get away!"