Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend

Texas's cheeks felt a little hot. No matter what, she was still a normal woman. Even Exusiai got shy sometimes, so of course she would too. But that was not the important thing right now.

"What exactly is going on with the Cat Gang...?"

Shaking off those tangled thoughts, Texas considered what lay behind this attack. The Cat Gang might have been an old fixture in Lungmen, but they were not particularly powerful, nor could they possibly be ignorant of Lungmen's rules.

But what they did yesterday could not even be called brazen—it was outright provocation in Wei Yenwu's face. Even if Penguin Logistics did not retaliate, the Cat Gang would never be able to keep a foothold in Lungmen. What exactly were those people after?

Whatever they were after, the priority now was contacting Exusiai and the others. Both Texas's and Mizuki's communicators had been lost in the chaos. Otherwise, Mizuki would not have been the only one guarding her here. Texas got out of bed and picked up her clothes for a look. They were still wearable.

She draped her clothes over her shoulders and felt lucky. If Mizuki had not been there, she probably would have died in that explosion. How had the Cat Gang gotten their hands on something as strictly prohibited as an explosive crossbow?

"Did he stay here guarding me all night?"

Mizuki's hand held on tightly, and Texas could not shake him loose, so she could not even get dressed properly. She bent down and looked at him curiously, still unable to understand what exactly it was about him that had attracted Exusiai enough for them to become a couple in just three days.

"I heard his face and the hat on his head are really fun to poke?"

Thanks to Croissant and Sora's gossip, Texas had learned quite a bit about Mizuki from Exusiai. For example, he was soft and cool when hugged, and the jellyfish hat on his head was fun to play with too.

While Mizuki was asleep, Texas reached out and gently poked his cheek. Just as Exusiai had said, it was cool to the touch, with a smooth texture like milk pudding.

Texas raised herself slightly, about to reach out and poke Mizuki's hat, but Mizuki was not much of a sleeper to begin with. Her poke woke him up. Startled to realize he had fallen asleep, he sat up before even checking what was happening around him.

Then Mizuki felt his face bump into something soft and springy, like a swim ring. Texas, meanwhile, had just poked his hat. Before she could even feel what it was like, she experienced a different sensation.

Sometimes, all it took to break a cold and aloof Lupo woman's composure was an unintentional move. Mizuki woke up in the next instant—slapped awake.

At the Cat Gang's hideout, Exusiai kicked one person to the ground, then pressed her gun against his head.

"Talk! Where's my husband?!"

"Oh no, she's so worried that she forgot she and Mizuki aren't married yet."

Croissant could not help clicking her tongue. After Mizuki and Texas went missing, Exusiai seemed as though she had been buffed. Her combat strength kept climbing, and she was nearly clearing this hideout solo.

If Croissant and Sora had not stopped her, Exusiai would have fired every last round of Etched Ammunition she had saved for three years. The resulting casualties would definitely have been enough to give even Emperor a headache.

"A woman in love is terrifying."

Sora could not help sighing as well. Exusiai had not actually killed anyone, but she perfectly demonstrated why Sankta were said to be born to use guns. Not a single shot missed. She precisely hit her enemies' knees, arms, and heads. Even rubber rounds could knock people unconscious or break their bones.

Croissant had brought an entire crate of ammunition, and Exusiai had nearly shot it all away.

"Talk!"

"I... I don't..."

"Talk!"

Exusiai aimed at the man's shoulder and fired. The rubber bullet shattered his bone outright.

"Ah!"

Pain made the Cat Gang member howl. Exusiai merely closed her eyes and placed a hand over her chest.

"Lord, for my friend's sake, please forgive my violence."

Though she had bombed Pope's Hall and made street-art graffiti on the Lord's statue, Exusiai remained devout in her faith.

Exusiai was not usually this violent, but these people had first blown up the bed she had only slept in once, then caused both her boyfriend and her closest best friend to go missing. She had nearly executed every last one of them.

"Are you going to talk or not?!"

"I... I don't know who your boyfriend is, ma'am!"

"Who are you calling ma'am?!"

She knocked the unlucky man unconscious with her gunstock. Exusiai looked around. The dozen or so people in this hideout had basically all been dealt with by her. The Cat Gang had at most a little over a hundred members, and this was already the fourth hideout. That meant at least half of them had been injured or killed.

"Looks like the two of them weren't captured."

Exusiai wiped away her sweat. She was somewhat tired too, but it was a good thing Mizuki and Texas had not been captured.

Maybe... probably?

Alone Together — Exusiai:?

Mizuki's face hurt, but he could not really complain. After all, headbutting Texas in the chest had been pretty awkward, for both him and Texas.

So he merely rubbed his face the whole time, while Texas got dressed and seemed too embarrassed to look at him.

There were no chairs in this operating room, so Mizuki and Texas sat together on one bed. It was a hospital bed, but it still felt strangely awkward. Mizuki was not sure whether he felt it, but Texas definitely sensed that something was off.

She stole an embarrassed glance toward Mizuki. Seeing that he seemed a little angry, Texas could not help speaking.

"Um... does it still hurt?"

"Not much anymore."

Mizuki's recovery speed had always been astonishing. In truth, the pain had only lasted for the first few seconds. After that, it was merely psychological.

It had been the same during yesterday's attack. He had suffered the most severe injuries, yet he had still carried Texas away. In less than ten minutes, he had completely recovered. It even seemed faster than when he had been in the hospital before.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have hit you."

"No, no, it was me... I woke up carelessly."

Mizuki's excuse was clumsy, but that only made him seem a little cute. He knew it sounded strange too. Seeing his flustered appearance, Texas could not help laughing.

"Hey, Texas looks really pretty when she smiles."

As if he had discovered some blind spot, Mizuki looked at Texas curiously. She instantly wiped away her smile and returned to her cold expression.

"..."

Though she chose silence, Texas's wolf ears twitched, and her tail swayed contentedly. The atmosphere instantly relaxed considerably.

"How are your injuries?"

"Much better. Um... thank you, Mizuki. What about your injuries?"

"My constitution is rather unusual. I've completely recovered."

As he spoke, Mizuki took the initiative to expose his back. He had taken the blast for Texas, and the clothes on his back had nearly been burned away. Yet there was not a single scar on Mizuki's back. It was even as smooth as before.

Texas could not help reaching out and gently stroking it. Yes, it was as smooth and tender as Mizuki's face. Sora would definitely be jealous of skin like this.

"Mm!"

But Mizuki's body immediately tensed, and he could not help turning back to glance at Texas. That spot apparently seemed a little sensitive for him.

Texas felt there was some emotion in that look that she could not quite put into words. Mizuki's cuteness did not discriminate by gender. Embarrassed, Texas withdrew her hand. Compared to Mizuki's, her own clothes were still wearable.

"I called the hideout, but no one answered. Exusiai and the others are probably looking for us."

"But it probably won't be easy for them to find this place."

Mizuki sighed, then set down his umbrella and walked behind Texas.

"Does it not hurt anymore?"

"It doesn't."

"Then I'll check it."

Texas could handle the rest herself, but there was no mirror in this room to check her back. Only Mizuki could do it.

"?"

Before Texas could even figure out how to answer, Mizuki had already untied her bandages and handed one end to her, signaling for her to unwrap them herself.

Now Texas was basically certain that Mizuki's values differed from ordinary people's. He really was not embarrassed about this sort of thing at all. But then again, he had also bandaged her last night. Thinking about it that way, the resistance in Texas's heart diminished considerably.

Mizuki truly only cared about Texas's injuries. After removing the bandages, he examined her back. Let alone any wounds, even her old scars had vanished without a trace. Mizuki immediately thought of his blood. It seemed that stuff was indeed useful.

"Um... how is it?"

It was not as if Mizuki had never seen her before, but that had been an emergency, and she had been unconscious and unaware of it. Now that she was awake, Texas felt as though she could sense Mizuki's gaze roaming across her back.

"They've really all disappeared."

Even knowing it was due to something unusual about himself, Mizuki could not help feeling surprised. He reached out and ran his hand across Texas's back. Yes, smooth and tender as congealed cream.

"Mm!"

Now Texas finally understood why Mizuki had reacted like that when she touched his back earlier. The feeling was hard to describe. It was slightly ticklish, yet impossible to scratch, as though the itch had reached her heart. If Mizuki had not only touched her once, Texas would have suspected he was retaliating for what she had done earlier.

"You've mostly recovered. We can leave."

They had stayed here partly because they did not know what was happening outside, and partly because Texas's injuries needed time to heal.

"Alright. We can't let Exusiai and the others worry too much."

As Texas spoke, she put on her clothes. She wore everything, inside and out. Though the bloodstains felt uncomfortable, it was still better than letting Exusiai discover that she was with her boyfriend while wearing nothing on her upper body but a jacket.

Texas had no intention of intruding on Mizuki and Exusiai's relationship. She did not have those kinds of feelings for Mizuki. Beyond gratitude, she only felt somewhat shy. Having a male teammate made her feel constrained in certain situations. Would Texas have been like this back in Siracusa? She did not know. But at least now, she truly did not dare look Mizuki directly in the eye.

In fact, she did not dare look Exusiai in the eye right now either. While Mizuki had been checking the injury on her back, all she could think about was what Exusiai would have thought if she had burst in at that moment and happened to see her and Mizuki like that.

But she suppressed those messy thoughts and let them ferment on their own. Texas quickly regained her usual bearing—the cold, icy beauty, sword in hand.

The alley was quiet, and the light rain was still falling. Mizuki opened his umbrella and walked ahead, with Texas beneath the same umbrella.

His shoes were waterproof, and stepping lightly into puddles gave him a peculiar kind of joy. Texas felt that he had lost his earlier maturity and steadiness, becoming like an innocent child again. Yet neither of them lowered their guard.

With a whoosh, another explosive crossbow bolt came as expected. But this time Texas was not driving. She casually drew a sword hilt, condensed Originium Arts into a short blade, and threw it, splitting the explosive bolt in two. Mizuki raised his umbrella in perfect coordination to shield Texas. The blast wave from the midair explosion merely made the umbrella tremble slightly. This weapon was far tougher than anyone had imagined.

"Mizuki, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I can still handle it. There are only three of them. A few more are coming this way."

With the light rain falling, Mizuki found that he could surprisingly sense the movement of water with great acuity, whether it was rippling or flowing. Texas did not ask how he knew.

Last time, there had been too much traffic and the attack had come suddenly. Now that they were both prepared, Texas could have taken down these people by herself. Still, she was somewhat worried about Mizuki. He had said himself that his abilities were difficult to control.

His actual combat strength was hard to judge, but she felt she should protect Mizuki as repayment for him saving her life last night.

Exusiai Realizes Something Is Wrong

"Still can't find them."

Exusiai pushed open the bar door, unable to hide her disappointment. She had no idea where Texas and Mizuki had gone.

They had not been captured by the Cat Gang, and they had not made contact. After searching for half the day, Exusiai and the others chose to return directly. Then she looked up and saw her boyfriend sitting on the sofa in an outfit that belonged to her best friend and that she recognized all too well.

He had probably just tried it on. His old clothes were still on the coffee table. Clearly, he had not expected Exusiai and the others to return at this time, and for a moment, he did not know what to say.

"Mizuki!"

Exusiai pounced on him in delight, directly knocking the still somewhat confused Mizuki down onto the sofa.

"Where the heck were you before? I was worried sick! Also, why are you wearing Texas's clothes?"

"Because my clothes were burned, so I could only wear Texas's for now."

"Burned..."

Only then did Exusiai notice the large burned hole in the back of Mizuki's clothes. Startled, she hurriedly reached out to lift his clothes and check his wounds.

"Whoa~"

Mizuki's stomach was flat and his skin was nice. Croissant could not help letting out the universal sound of admiration, while Sora covered her eyes directly, though the gaps between her fingers were rather wide.

"Ah, my injuries are all healed, so don't worry, Exusiai. But what happened to you all...?"

Seeing the bandage on Exusiai's cheek and her travel-worn appearance, Mizuki had little trouble guessing what had happened. He removed Exusiai's bandage and looked at the freshly healed scar on her face, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Mine was an accident. I'll find some scar-removal ointment later. You're not allowed to dislike me if it leaves me disfigured."

The injury to her face had been an accident. Exusiai would not have cared before, but now that she had a boyfriend, she could not help worrying that a scar would make her look ugly. Her personality was energetic and boyish, but she cared a lot about her face.

"I won't dislike you. Bear with it."

Though he was pinned down, Mizuki still reached out and placed a hand over Exusiai's scar, gently pulling open the wound that had not fully healed.

It hurt a little, but Exusiai was even more curious about what her boyfriend was trying to do. Mizuki was not the kind of person with strange fetishes.

Just as Exusiai wondered what would happen next, Mizuki gently lifted his head and kissed her wound.

"Whoa!!"

Croissant and Sora immediately blushed, transforming into emotionless sugar-devouring machines. They truly had not expected Mizuki to be this proactive. It was fine—give them more. He could just pretend they did not exist. They loved watching.

"!!"