Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend

Laurentina spoke with a smile, one that carried a hint of smugness and made her look downright punchable. If that girl had been thirty percent like Skadi, then she was seventy percent like Laurentina.

In other words, she wasn't Skadi and Mizuki's child, but Mizuki and Laurentina's daughter!?

"I don't want that!"

Skadi shot upright in bed in fright. Mizuki also scooted back in alarm, but judging by that reaction, it really was Skadi herself.

She looked around and found no trace of Laurentina. Her head still hurt a little, but Skadi let out a small sigh of relief.

"What's wrong, Sis?"

"Nothing. I just had a nightmare that you and Laurentina had a child. Whew... So it was fake, right?"

"Yeah." Mizuki nodded. "If I were going to have a child, it should be with Exusiai, not Laurentina."

After all, Exusiai had been in her fertile period that day, while Specter's situation was unclear. Mizuki felt that after the three of them had gone at it for eight hours, the odds might have been a little high.

"Can you stop bringing up that lightbulb-headed girl?!"

Skadi looked ready to cry as she flopped onto Mizuki's lap. Still, she didn't dare do anything like pounding his chest with tiny fists. She was afraid she might beat her little brother to death right here.

"Do you dislike Xiao Le that much, Sis?"

"Of course I do! If you were just ordinary friends, that would be one thing. But you actually made her your girlfriend! Isn't my body better than hers?"

Putting everything else aside, when it came to physique alone, Skadi had an overwhelmingly superior advantage over Exusiai.

"That may be true, but I really do like her. Her personality is what attracts me the most. I hope you and Xiao Le can get along peacefully. Don't act like bitter enemies every time you meet, as if you're about to start fighting."

With his girlfriend and sister unable to stand each other, Mizuki was the one suffering most in the middle. After coaxing one, he had to coax the other. And just when he finally got them both settled down, the moment they met again, they would start coldly glaring at each other.

Mizuki truly found it difficult. Even without his memories, his feelings for Skadi weren't fake. But his love for Exusiai wasn't just empty talk either. She was sunny, cheerful, and lively, yet also thoughtful and gentle. Their relationship had not merely been brought about by a string of accidents; it was only natural that they would fall for each other.

"She wants to steal away my most precious little brother. The only reason I haven't beaten her to death is because of you!"

"Then please do it for my sake too, Sis. Try to get along with Xiao Le."

Mizuki could feel Skadi's emotions. It wasn't just a figure of speech, but a real sensation. Her worry, anxiety, and unwillingness, mixed with anger, all flowed into his mind. Toward Exusiai, who might take Mizuki away from her, Skadi even harbored hostility.

Mizuki opened his arms and hugged Skadi's head, gently rubbing against her hair.

"You don't need to worry either, Sis. I'm your little brother, and you're my only sister. No one can take that away."

Aside from Skadi's love for Mizuki, much of her possessiveness stemmed from his sudden departure without a word. Later, when she learned that her little brother had suffered so much, how could she not be anxious? She had been frightened badly before.

"I won't let anyone take you away either!"

Skadi hugged Mizuki tightly in return and buried herself in his arms. She had already lost so much. Her family was dead, her teammates had fallen in battle, and only Mizuki—only Mizuki—remained by her side.

Other than the person she was holding right now, Skadi had nothing left.

As for Laurentina? That woman who wanted to steal her little brother deserved to be buried in the abyssal trench!

"So... between me and that lightbulb-headed girl, which one do you like more?"

"Xiao Le, a little more."

Since he had no memories of the past, Mizuki answered without hesitation. His concern for Skadi came from the inexplicable connection he felt with her, as well as her identity as his sister and the care she showed him. But his feelings for Exusiai had built up over this time.

"Ugh... Can't you at least tell a little lie to make me happy?"

Skadi looked as though she were about to cry, leaving Mizuki rather helpless.

"But I don't want to lie to you, Sis. So I can promise that what I say next won't be a lie either."

"What is it?"

Skadi raised her head to look at Mizuki, tears already welling in the corners of her eyes. Mizuki helplessly wiped them away, then kissed her forehead.

"I really do like you, Sis."

Yes, it was an instinctive attraction, like magnets wanting to draw close to each other.

Can Texas Be Touched? ### Shopping for supplies was nothing unusual. By the time Texas and the others returned to the base, Exusiai had already come back as well. Still, she had only returned slightly ahead of them, since picking out clothes took quite a bit of time.

Yet unexpectedly, Skadi and Exusiai were sitting together without arguing. They didn't even exchange hostile glances. Skadi had been grinning foolishly the whole time, her smile looking a little goofy, leaving everyone unable to figure out what had happened.

"...Exusiai, how did you make Skadi stop hating the sight of you?"

Croissant patted Exusiai on the shoulder, her eyes full of confusion. Skadi had nearly lost it over a few words from Mizuki that morning, so how were she and Exusiai peacefully coexisting now, with Mizuki not even here?

"I didn't do anything. I just went out to buy some clothes and groceries, and picked up a few things for Mizuki while I was at it. If I had to say, I only bought her a necklace."

Although they had been unpleasant with each other because of Mizuki, Exusiai felt that, as Mizuki's girlfriend, she should still show some goodwill. As for whether Skadi accepted it, that was another matter. She didn't think Skadi was the kind of person who was completely unreasonable.

In the end, Skadi not only accepted the necklace, but even tried it on. Though she hadn't worn it and merely put it away, her attitude nearly made Exusiai think she had traveled through time. How could someone change so much in less than an hour?

"Mm-hm-hm~"

Skadi hummed while switching channels and watching television dramas. Anyone could tell she was in an exceptionally good mood. Though she couldn't be called particularly warm toward Exusiai, it was a huge change from how they had previously glared at each other on sight.

Texas seemed to realize something and carried the groceries straight into the kitchen. As expected, Mizuki was still busy inside, humming as he cooked. The kitchen knives, ladles, and pots were all automatically preparing the meal.

"Ah, welcome back."

Seeing Texas, Mizuki wiped his hands and walked over. He took the groceries from her, set them aside, then pulled out a tissue and helped wipe the sweat from her face.

"Did you buy everything?"

"Yeah. Beds, clothes, wardrobes, and so on. I also bought the bar next door. This afternoon, once the construction crew comes and knocks through the wall between the two places, we won't have to worry about not having enough room."

Texas seemed to enjoy the feeling. Her ears twitched comfortably several times, and she even wished Mizuki would do it a few more times.

But Mizuki certainly wouldn't do that. He merely glanced toward the living room and felt much more at ease after confirming that Exusiai and Skadi were getting along peacefully. Most of their conflict came from Skadi disliking Exusiai, and now that Skadi wasn't picking fights, Exusiai naturally wouldn't start arguing with her either.

Xiao Le is amazing.

A slightly proud smile appeared on Mizuki's face. Then he turned around and continued cooking. Why was the whole family relying on him to feed them?

"I'll help too."

Texas volunteered herself. She might not be good at other things, but chopping vegetables was no problem.

Naturally, Mizuki didn't refuse such an offer. He even made room for Texas. The two stood side by side, with Texas washing and chopping the vegetables while Mizuki handled the cooking.

From Texas's point of view, the pots, bowls, ladles, knives, and other utensils around Mizuki seemed to be floating in midair. But from Mizuki's perspective, his tentacles were all around him, helping with the cooking. It was thanks to them that he could preserve the vitality of the ingredients with near-instinctive mastery.

It had to be said that Mizuki's tentacles probably didn't share a brain with him, yet they were surprisingly considerate. When he was thirsty, they brought him water. When he was tired, they massaged his back. They could even grind games for him.

"What did you do? It seems like Exusiai and Skadi have gotten along much better."

"It wasn't really anything. Sis was just too anxious."

Mizuki tasted the soup. Thinking back to Skadi's expression then, he felt that he should have noticed earlier. Skadi's irritability came from her insecurity.

"For some reason, I left without saying goodbye back then. Sis searched for me for so long. Missing me turned into concern, concern turned into worry, and eventually worry turned into fear. She cares about me too much."

"So she wants to hold on to you tightly, but then she finds out that you and Exusiai already have feelings for each other, and worries that you'll be taken away?"

"She's worried that I'll disappear again."

Mizuki was becoming increasingly curious about what had happened in his past. He felt that entering the snowfields might give him the answers, yet whenever that thought arose, he instinctively resisted going to that freezing land.

"Will you disappear again?"

Texas stopped her knife and looked at Mizuki, an indescribable emotion appearing in her eyes.

"I don't know. But I don't want to disappear. I like being with everyone."

Mizuki truly liked his current life. Penguin Logistics had a wonderful atmosphere, as if it had endless energy. The girls could be noisy, but they treated him very well.

"I like listening to Xiao Le tell me those interesting Laterano stories, especially the ones about how she blew up her school when she was little. I also like listening to Sora sing. She even said I have the potential to become a star. And I like Croissant too. Her cheap goods are pretty useful."

"What about me?"

Texas was very curious about how Mizuki saw her—as a friend, as a teammate, or perhaps as something more.

"Um, as for you, Texas..."

Mizuki was briefly troubled. He didn't know how to evaluate Texas, because she was someone extremely important yet not particularly conspicuous. He couldn't exactly say he liked her coldness; that would be far too rude.

"What is it?"

Seeing Mizuki hesitate, Texas felt somewhat unhappy. Mizuki himself knew that this wasn't good.

"I like how Texas looks when she's happy."

"Hm?"

That answer seemed rather inexplicable. Curiosity filled Texas's eyes. Having finally thought of something, Mizuki scratched his cheek with his index finger in embarrassment.

"Because Texas looks really pretty when she smiles. Her ears twitch, and her tail wags faster too. It's kind of cute."

This seemed like the sort of thing he shouldn't say to anyone other than his girlfriend. Mizuki only realized that afterward, but saying it to Texas should be fine, right? He didn't think she would read too much into it.

After hearing that, Texas finally understood why Exusiai often blushed when facing Mizuki. Honestly, anyone would find this hard to handle.

"Wait a moment."

Suppressing the sensation of her racing heart, Texas glanced outside. Just then, Exusiai happened to look toward the kitchen. When their eyes met, Texas couldn't help feeling a little awkward.

"Texas, when will lunch be ready?"

"Soon."

Seeing that Exusiai didn't seem suspicious, Texas breathed a small sigh of relief. She returned to the kitchen, walked over to Mizuki, and pointed at her ears.

"If you like them... you can touch them."

"Huh?"

Mizuki was a little stunned by Texas's words and didn't understand what was happening for a moment. Texas seemed to have misunderstood something. She glanced at her own tail and discreetly tucked it behind her.

"But not the tail. At least, not yet."

Mizuki, Come Back Soon! ### Inside an Iberian Inquisition outpost, Dario, one of the Grand Inquisitors, looked at his disciple Irene and began to wonder if he had misheard something.

"Say that again, Irene. What did you encounter? A Seaborn beat you into this state?"

"I'm sorry, Master. My skills were lacking."

Irene was covered in bandages, but fortunately, the doctor had said there would be no lasting effects and that it would not affect her future life or combat ability.

"You wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating an enemy. Tell me. What happened?"

"I... encountered a very unusual Seaborn."

Even recalling the battle from several hours ago left Irene feeling incredulous. It had been like a dream.

"That Seaborn first made the opening stance for White Crane Spreads Wings in front of me, then used a series of combination punches. The key thing was that it even used a Kazimierz knight's charge, along with some sort of energy attack that resembled Originium Arts, though I have no idea how it used it. Calling it a Qigong Cannon might be more fitting."

It had been like a dream, but the pain was very real. Irene had nearly been killed outright by that Seaborn. The fact that she had returned alive was pure luck.

"Irene, are you conscious?"

"Master, I'm in pain. There's really nothing wrong with my mind."

Irene knew that what she was saying sounded far too absurd, but the truth was even more outrageous. She wasn't some rigid old-fashioned person, and she had played games before, including the recently popular Monster Hunter. She had personally seen that Seaborn skillfully use its claws to perform an entire sequence of Foresight Slashes, Iai Slashes, and even a Great Spin Slash.

Was that really combat power a Seaborn could possess? These Seaborn had always relied on overwhelming enemies with sheer numbers, so why were they suddenly taking an elite route?

While Iberia was still completely baffled, the Seaborn Brood in the depths of the sea swayed happily. Their kin's victory proved that the information Izumik had provided was quite feasible. Next, they needed to study how to become cute girls.

They didn't know why they needed to change, but it didn't matter. Whatever Izumik said went.

Meanwhile, over at Penguin Logistics, Mizuki had absolutely no idea that using the mental network connecting him to the Seaborn Brood to play games had led the entire Seaborn race down some bizarre abyssal trench. He was simply a little moved.

At last, he wouldn't have to worry about arguments breaking out on one side of the table while people fought on the other during meals. How wonderful.

Ho'olheyak, meanwhile, experienced the same feeling Ch'en had experienced the night before. Looking at the dishes on the table, whose colors could not be adequately described even as "multicolored," she seriously doubted whether they were edible.

But seeing everyone act as if they were used to it, completely unconcerned and even seeming to enjoy the food, she could only brace herself and put a piece of something she couldn't identify into her mouth. Then she found that it actually tasted quite good, and it was rich in vitality too—far better than the Melnade Foundation's employee meals.

Still, it was nowhere near as good as Mizuki's Jellyfish-chan, whether in taste or anything else. Ho'olheyak preferred that one.

No, why am I instinctively savoring the taste of that thing?

Ho'olheyak hurriedly shook her head, throwing the chaotic thoughts out of her mind. She admitted that it tasted pretty good, but that was because she had needs! Otherwise, why would she do that sort of thing? Put a little green on Exusiai's head? Hiss, that didn't seem impossible either. She got along worst with cheerful optimists like that.

"What's wrong, Ho'olheyak? Doesn't it suit your taste?"