Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend Now

But this feeling was really hard to describe. It wasn't pain or anything else—it was almost too pleasant.

"Then that's good. Bear with it a little longer. It'll be quick."

Mizuki thought his treatment had hurt Lemuen. So far, he had only used this method on Alina, and Alina had already been dead at the time. She could not tell him whether it hurt or felt like something else, and Mizuki himself knew even less.

As he massaged Lemuen's calf, Mizuki used the spikes on his tentacles to inject his venom into her. In truth, Mizuki could be considered a doctor as well; he simply used venom, and had an instinctive mastery over how to wield his own toxins.

It was called venom, but in tiny doses, it would promote the recovery of Lemuen's muscles and nerves along with Mizuki's vitality. Any residue left behind would not affect her either.

What Mizuki did not know was that Ho'olheyak drugging him that night had not only given his venom a corresponding resistance, but had also caused his body to absorb it as part of the venom itself. That was why Lemuen felt a warm current wandering through her body. As Mizuki's treatment progressed, that warmth even began to go to her head.

While the treatment continued in the room, several people quietly leaned against the door and listened in.

"What are you doing?"

Texas, a chocolate stick between her lips, looked at Sora, Croissant, Exusiai, Fiammetta, and Mostima in front of her. As for Ho'olheyak, she had obediently gone to get the vehicle ready for deliveries. No wonder Texas had not been able to find anyone—they had all gathered outside this door.

"Oh, we were curious how Mizuki planned to treat Exusiai's sister."

"Did you have to eavesdrop?"

"Of course. It wouldn't be right to just barge in."

"Mm..."

She could not smell anything strange, nor could she hear any suspicious sounds. Texas felt that nothing the others were hoping to see was happening inside.

What none of them could see was that Mizuki's tentacles were hanging from the ceiling. Naturally, he was aware of the commotion outside as well, and somewhat helplessly gave them an order.

The tentacles that received the order slipped out from the corner of the wall, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door. The tentacles outside gave them a timely shove, and the group tumbled straight into the room.

"You all are..."

Lemuen was briefly stunned, then immediately understood. She reached for the gun beside her, her smile exceptionally gentle.

"Want to see how impressive Mizuki's treatment skills are? I can help. I'll beat you half to death, then let him treat you."

Yet everyone only stared blankly at Mizuki. They had never seen him like this before. His hair looked like pure white vines. Did Mizuki glow? No wonder he could sleep while holding Exusiai at night without even needing an eye mask.

Mizuki like this felt amazing somehow. He gave off an air that made people reluctant to offend him. Simply put, he seemed untouchable—yet it also made people want to stain that pure white with their own color.

"W-We'll leave now."

Putting aside why Mizuki had become like this, just one look at Lemuen's eyes told them that if they did not leave now, they would soon have to find themselves a nice burial plot.

Even as they left, though, they could not help looking back at Mizuki. Even just seeing his back gave them an indescribable, stifling ache, like a lonely star.

Once everyone had left, Mizuki's tentacles shut the door again. Lemuen lowered her gun and shook her head helplessly.

"These people love joining in on the excitement and listening at doors. I really don't know what there is to hear."

"They're just rowdy by nature. Does it hurt here?"

"Eek... mm! It doesn't hurt!"

She had nearly made some inappropriate sounds. Lemuen hurriedly shook her head, and Mizuki continued.

Lemuen's injury could not possibly have been worse than Alina's had been, but it was extremely difficult to deal with. The root of the problem had been there for many years, and Mizuki also needed to prevent the vitality he gave her from causing irreversible changes to her entire body, mutating her into some unseen monster.

Alina had practically gone cold at the time. Mizuki could not afford to worry about anything else, so he had directly given her one of his own hearts and poured vitality into her without restraint. That was how he saved Alina and turned her into another kind of Abyssal Hunter—the kind who could pin Talulah and FrostNova down and beat them.

But Lemuen did not lack vitality. She merely needed her necrotic tissue corrected and repaired. It was delicate work, like performing surgery with weights tied to one's hands.

Lemuen's feet were beautiful, her skin pale, smooth, and soft. Mizuki's hands gently stroked them without feeling anything uncomfortable, but Lemuen thought his hands were even more beautiful. His gentle touch felt like it was scratching at her heart.

As the treatment continued, the amount of venom Mizuki injected into Lemuen increased. The toxins stimulated her body and helped repair her injuries and hidden ailments. The poison was not strong enough to leave any aftereffects, but the more venom there was, the more of a certain drug component Ho'olheyak had given him was present as well. Lemuen began to feel hot. She took off her jacket and set it aside, then loosened a few buttons, revealing a glimpse of black fabric.

"Ha..."

Lemuen finally could not hold it in and let out a soft gasp, breathing out a trace of heat. She truly could not understand why she had become like this. Was there something wrong with this treatment?

"Mizuki."

"Mm?"

Mizuki looked up at Lemuen. His pink eyes had become as deep as sapphires, faintly puzzled. Lemuen's complexion seemed a little too flushed, and even her neck was red. There was also that gaze full of hidden affection. He felt as though he had seen it somewhere before.

"It's nothing. Keep going."

The faint pain that had always lingered in her leg had indeed disappeared, so Lemuen could not say much. She only felt that there seemed to be another problem with Mizuki's treatment. For some reason, whenever his hand squeezed her leg, she felt an indescribable sense of understanding.

"Oh. If you feel uncomfortable, make sure to tell me."

"Of course."

After saying that, Lemuen clenched her teeth. She was worried that if this continued, she might really make sounds that would not pass censorship.

Thinking of the misunderstanding from before only made her more embarrassed. Her body felt burning hot despite the air conditioner being on. She could not make sense of it, merely staring at Mizuki with unfocused eyes as she unconsciously licked the corner of her lips.

Mizuki did not notice anything wrong at all. Treating Lemuen consumed a tremendous amount of focus. He had to concentrate entirely on repairing her muscle tissue bit by bit without triggering abnormalities. After working for most of the day, he had only repaired around ten percent. He was nearly sweating from exhaustion.

"Whew... That should be enough. Let's leave it at this for the first session."

The pure white branches and vines turned back into flowing aqua-blue hair, with pink at the tips making Mizuki look much more playful. He wiped at nonexistent sweat on his forehead and sat on the floor. It was only ten o'clock. If he rested for a while, he would still have time to cook. The luggage was already packed, and after lunch, he would meet up with Skadi and Specter.

"Lemuen, you can try standing up."

The moment Mizuki finished speaking, Lemuen's slender, pale foot lightly stepped onto his lower abdomen.

"Mm?"

He looked up in confusion, only for Lemuen to press him directly onto the soft sponge flooring. Her eyes were nothing like their former clarity. Mizuki froze. He knew that look, and he knew this position even better. That night, when Sora had pinned him down, her expression had been exactly the same as Lemuen's now.

"Mizuki..."

Lemuen had thought she could endure it. Yet after being tense for over half an hour, after holding back for over half an hour, the moment Mizuki let go, she instinctively relaxed—and failed to hold onto her composure.

Leaning gently against Mizuki, Lemuen could not resist nibbling on his ear.

"Xiao Le said she doesn't mind, so I won't hold back anymore~?"

"What's going on? No, sis, we've only known each other for one day, we haven't even—mm!"

Mizuki's mouth was blocked again. After going in circles for so long, they still ended up choosing Mostima's method. And... perhaps it would have been less troublesome if they had done this from the beginning.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Exusiai and the girls were still discussing what Mizuki's earlier form had been. Texas had seen it before, so what surprised her was that it was not only Mizuki's hair that could change.

"Mizuki like that... felt a little lonely."

Sora could not help voicing what she was thinking. But that was everyone's thought. The group looked toward Mostima and Fiammetta. Only those two had met Mizuki before.

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't know Mizuki could turn into that either."

"Indeed... So that's why you tempted everyone into eavesdropping?"

Exusiai rolled her eyes at Mostima. When she heard Mostima say Mizuki's treatment might be that sort of thing, she had been completely stunned. She could accept her sister joining the fray, but did it have to happen so quickly? Couldn't they at least wait until she got her documents first?

That was why Exusiai had gone to eavesdrop too. She had been too embarrassed to push the door open. If they really had been doing that sort of thing, would that not have made everyone awkward?

All that could be said was that Exusiai had been completely overwhelmed by her best friends. She realized it was not her feelings that had a problem—it was Mizuki. When others played matchmaker, they connected one red thread at a time. This guy was practically Spider-Man. It felt like heaven wanted to wrap him into a rice dumpling with red strings.

"I didn't expect that either."

Mostima spread her hands and looked around. Other than Croissant and Fiammetta, it seemed that everyone had more or less developed some sort of connection with Mizuki.

Becoming Mizuki's girlfriend? As expected of Exusiai. She really had guts.

"By the way, Exusiai, you really don't mind your sister getting together with Mizuki?"

"Mind...? How could I not? As long as I'm the main wife, it's fine."

Exusiai scratched her head helplessly. Ever since Specter got the ball rolling, Penguin Logistics' atmosphere had become increasingly strange. There was nothing she could do about it.

"Besides, if he can cure my sister, I won't need to support her anymore, so my idea won't be necessary either... Wait, Sora, don't look at me like that. I won't give in."

As they talked, none of them noticed what was happening in the room. Mizuki's tentacles had thoughtfully reinforced the soundproofing, using their unique melody to cover the sounds inside.

Lemuen finally learned the answer to that morning's question. Exusiai truly had a hard time handling that size.

Xiao Le, your sister is sorry.

Thinking that, Lemuen became even more enthusiastic.

Muelsyse Will Never Back Down

"Then I'll be leaving first. Remember to eat properly, go to bed early, don't cause trouble for Officer Chen and the others, and most importantly, protect yourself. Don't get hurt."

Mizuki gave Exusiai a long string of reminders, showing no sign of stopping. It was hard to tell whether he was the one heading out or Exusiai was.

"Yes, yes, I know. You really are as naggy as my sister."

"You think I'm annoying?"

Lemuen irritably pinched Exusiai's ear. After Mizuki's treatment and the infusion of a large amount of vitality, although her injury had not fully healed, standing for a few hours was no longer a problem.

No, perhaps it was still a problem. Her waist was still sore, and her legs were a little unsteady. But Exusiai and the others did not notice. They simply assumed Lemuen's body had not recovered yet... Well, that was not exactly wrong.

"Ow, sis, it hurts! It hurts! Stop pulling my ear! I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Exusiai was dragged aside by the ear. Lemuen stepped in front of Mizuki, helping him straighten the wrinkles in his clothes while looking at him with gentle eyes.

"Be careful on the road. Stay alert. Safety comes first, don't push yourself, and come back early. When you do come back, don't bring any women I don't know, or I won't let Xiao Le live with you."

At those words, the girls behind them all showed stunned expressions. Why did it feel like Mizuki and Lemuen's relationship had suddenly reached a level even Exusiai could not see?

Texas and Mostima could not help looking at Exusiai, their eyes full of sympathy. There was no need to talk about Exusiai trying to make things work anymore. Lemuen and Mizuki had already gotten together.

From an outsider's perspective, Lemuen was probably simply happy that Mizuki had cured her, and thus naturally developed certain feelings for him. But what had actually happened was known only to the two involved.

In any case, Lemuen had stayed in bed at noon under the pretext of resting and had not come down to eat. Fortunately, everyone thought her injuries were difficult to deal with, and after having barged into the room once already, none of the girls—not even Mostima—had noticed that the way Lemuen looked at Mizuki was no longer the way one looked at a potential brother-in-law. She was plainly looking at her future husband.

And she even said that if Mizuki brought back an unfamiliar woman, she would not let Exusiai be with him. If she wanted to rise in rank herself, she might as well have said it outright.

"Then I'll be going."

"Go on."

Watching Mizuki take his umbrella and luggage before driving away, everyone was somewhat reluctant to see him leave. Before his figure had even disappeared, Exusiai was already imagining herself chasing after the car, shouting things like, "Mizuki, Mizuki, how am I supposed to live without you?"

This time, Mizuki would be gone for several days and would probably not return for about a week. Exusiai could not help sighing. It was not as if she would starve to death without Mizuki cooking for her, but without Mizuki holding her, she had trouble falling asleep at night.

"Mostima."

"Mm?"

Hearing Lemuen call her, Mostima looked up from her thoughts and saw that Lemuen had somehow picked up that gun.

"Would you care to explain why Mizuki's treatment method was different from what you told me?"

Although the second method had been quite effective too, its aftereffects were too intense. Even now, Lemuen blushed whenever she remembered how she had lost control. Her anger, however, outweighed her embarrassment. She clearly remembered that someone had caused her to misunderstand something, leading her to make a fool of herself in front of Mizuki at the very start of the treatment and nearly ruin her image.

"Well... ahem, I didn't expect Mizuki to have a method like that either. Hey, Lemuen, why don't you go rest some more? Mizuki said your injuries haven't healed yet."

"I think I'm in excellent condition right now. Mizuki also said that aside from resting, occasional exercise is necessary!"

With a click, Lemuen removed the magazine, then gripped the barrel and looked at her good friend in front of her before ruthlessly chasing after her and swinging the gun at her.

"Get back here!"

Watching Lemuen leap around the house while chasing Mostima, using the gun in her hand like a club, Exusiai and the others had no choice but to marvel at Mizuki's skills. It was impossible to tell that this was someone who had needed a wheelchair to move around just that morning.

Meanwhile, they had only been apart for a short while, yet someone was already missing Mizuki. Mizuki himself, having just left, was already worrying about whether the girls at home would cause any trouble.

"They probably won't cause an accident, right?"

The sky remained overcast, and the air remained damp. Mizuki took several turns. Rhodes Island's office was more than ten minutes away from Penguin Logistics, but he was not in a hurry. It was only two in the afternoon.

"Muelsyse, how long are you planning to hide? Aren't you bored?"

"How did you know I was in the car?"

Muelsyse's voice came from the back seat. She reached out, lightly grabbed Mizuki by the neck, and gave him a shake. Her hands were cold; she had probably only recently changed back from water.

She had been hiding in the water in the trunk in water form. It was the water Mizuki had prepared to drink on the road.

"That's a secret. Ah, let go already—the light's about to turn green."

"I'm not letting go. When are you going to fix that habit of sleeping so deeply at night that you put Sleeping Beauty to shame? Last night, Mostima practically had to climb onto your face!"

Because she had been eavesdropping all day, Muelsyse also knew that Mizuki's memories had returned. But after confirming that there did not seem to be anything abnormal about Mizuki's treatment for Lemuen, she chose to sneak into his car, intending to surprise him on the road.

"If I didn't sleep so deeply, would you have had a chance that night?"

That reasonable, irrefutable question instantly left Muelsyse speechless. She stammered without being able to say anything in response, because Mizuki was right. Only when he slept at night was he at his least vigilant. As long as there was no threat or malice, Mizuki's tentacles would not make a move on their own.

Muelsyse had seized precisely that opportunity back then, binding herself to Mizuki in the middle of the night.