Thunderstorm Cumulonimbus and the Unexpected Bath Accident

Rudy's face grew even more distressed after hearing Allen.

He felt a surge of jealousy. Lokkishi, whom he'd only met once by chance on the road, seemed to have told this person everything.

No, this won't do. I have to work hard for these two months. Even if I can't defeat Allen, I need to create the illusion of a back-and-forth fight so that Lokkishi won't fall for someone else later. Though, it's not like there's a 'love' to begin with.

Allen, however, interrupted his thoughts somewhat anxiously.

"So? You definitely still have enough magic, right?"

Rudy pinched his nose.

"Enough, yes. But will this really spark her interest in magic?"

Hearing this, Allen turned and looked at Sylphy very seriously.

"...I'm quite certain you have more talent for magic, which is why I've gone to such lengths to get you to learn it. Perhaps our little skirmish just now wasn't impressive enough, but the next spell is powerful enough to alter natural phenomena. It's also the highest-level magic Rudy knows, so pay close attention."

Sylphy looked at Allen's expression and blinked.

"A-actually, if Allen really thinks I don't have a talent for swordsmanship, learning magic is fine too. I'm not picky, because you're both thinking of me..."

Before she could finish, Allen had already stood up. As if he hadn't heard the latter half of Sylphy's sentence, he spoke to Rudeus with great interest.

"Come on, Rudy! It's time for me... for us to witness the famous scene of Water Saint-tier Magic!"

Rudy twitched his lips.

Hey, hey, I get it now. You just want to see it yourself!

But while he grumbled internally, seeing Allen, whom he had been at a loss against moments ago, now looking so full of anticipation, a sense of accomplishment welled up inside him.

Thunderstorm Cumulonimbus was more than just a spell to Rudy.

It was a pivotal moment in Lokkishi's early life.

Behind this "divine" stroke of genius...

Lay Rudy's journey of overcoming his inner demons and growing to accept the outside world.

It was the rekindling of courage, the determination for a second chance.

It was Blue Mom's often-mistaken, adorable face, and her soft-spoken, feigned-serious encouragement.

It was...

Stolen underwear.

Ahem, ahem. For Allen's sake, since he's keeping my secret, I'll be merciful and show him this once.

Rudy thought of his Shrine offering, then extended his hand to create a dirt fort for Sylphy and Allen before running down the hill.

"You must chant! Don't miss a single word!"

Rudy watched Allen, who was peeking over the top of the hill, waving and cheering like a fan chasing a celebrity. He pulled out the Amulet Necklace Lokkishi had given him from his chest.

The metal pendant, formed by three conjoined spears, glinted in the sunlight.

Watch closely, Allen. This is proof of all the precious things Lokkishi brought me!

He took a deep breath, raised his hands, looked up at the sky, and began to chant, word by word, with great seriousness and piety.

"Magnificent spirit of water, son of the Thunder Emperor who ascended the dome!"

The clouds in the sky curled and gathered, obscuring the blazing sun and casting shadows across the hill.

"Grant my wish, bring forth your violent blessing, let us, tiny beings, witness your immense power!"

The gentle breeze was gone, violently whipping at Allen and Sylphy's hair. In Allen's eyes, the wild grass bowed down as if greeting the small figure at the bottom of the hill.

"Strike the anvil with the hammer of the gods, reveal your awe, and let floods engulf the entire land!"

The clouds pressed down on them, having transformed entirely into gloomy, dark thunderclouds. Faint flashes of lightning hissed within them. Allen was extremely excited, standing up on the spot at the sight, and instinctively grabbed Sylphy's hand.

Sylphy, meanwhile, was stunned. She looked down at Allen's hand in astonishment, her palms sweating.

The chanting from down the hill was nearing its end. The dark clouds hung above them like tangible darkness.

"Rain! Wash away everything, banish all!"

"Thunderstorm Cumulonimbus!"

The gloomy, dark clouds seemed to quiet for a moment. Then, countless streaks of rain shot down from the sky, abruptly striking the ground. Violent pounding sounds echoed for miles around the hill, and lightning writhed its body within the cloud gaps.

The next instant, the lightning, like a sharp sword, pierced the air, painting the world white.

The small figure at the bottom of the hill became clear in Allen's eyes for a moment:

Between heaven and earth, Rudeus faced the sky, a smile gradually blossoming on his young face, more unrestrained than the lightning and thunder.

Gone was any trace of his usual timidity.

This was his domain of magic.

This was also his "mark" on this world.

You prompted Rudeus's 'shout'.
Mushoku Tensei major event participation score increased.

[Current Stage: Infancy, Cumulative Participation Score: 60 points.]

[Congratulations, Host. To date, your participation in major events during the infancy period of Mushoku Tensei is satisfactory. The advanced mission has been automatically activated. Please continue your efforts, Host, to achieve a perfect score, and you will receive additional rewards.]

Allen didn't pay much attention to the System's prompts. He just looked at Rudy below the hill, a genuine smile on his face.

The rain was heavy and fierce.

By the time Rudy ran up from the hill, the dirt fort had turned into a mudslide, drenching Allen and Sylphy from head to toe. Rudy had tried to maintain it midway, but the rain was just too heavy. Before the dirt fort could be rebuilt, it all turned into muddy water pouring down on everyone.

Allen stopped Rudy from trying to dispel the Thunderstorm Cumulonimbus, grabbing both him and Sylphy and heading straight for the Greyrat Family home.

Rudy had said that dispelling the Thunderstorm Cumulonimbus would take a lot of time. Rather than getting soaked, it was better to quickly activate their Fighting Spirit and escape the area at light speed.

As expected, when they returned home, all three were scolded by Paul.

They were simply too dirty, completely covered in mud.

Lilia quickly went to heat water and prepared the bathtub in Rudy's room, then bowed and left. Since the amount of hot water prepared at once wasn't enough, Allen also went to help in the kitchen.

It's worth noting that Rudy's house only had one bathroom. So, when bathing at night, both Lilia and Rudy would heat water and bathe in wooden tubs in their bedrooms, consciously leaving the bathroom for Mr. and Mrs. Greyrat.

At this moment, Zenith, for some unknown reason, was taking a bath in the middle of the day. Therefore, the three of them could only heat water and bathe as usual.

Allen, shirtless, watched Lilia bustling beside him. He felt her hands trembling slightly, wondering if she was tired today. So, he considerately told Lilia to rest up and prepare to help Zenith with dinner later.

However, as he stared at the pot, bubbling with steam, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd forgotten something important.

Allen scratched his head.

"Strange, why do I feel like I forgot something? The fight was normal, I saw the famous scene, and Sylphy and Rudy are going to bathe normally… Wait, could it be…"

His eyes widened.

"Holy crap, I almost forgot this plot point! No, it's another butterfly effect from the story advancing prematurely! Rudy hasn't realized Sylphy is a girl yet! He wouldn't pull down her pants, would he?! Huh? That kind of cliché, perverted development isn't scientific, is it? And Rudy and Sylphy have only known each other for one day. That would only make her dislike him! Hmm, hmm… Rudy wouldn't be that unreliable…"

"Ah!!!"

Just as his thoughts flashed by, Allen heard Sylphy's shriek from upstairs. He quickly dropped the pot still heating water, turned, and rushed upstairs.

He took the stairs two at a time, sprinting to Rudy's door, yanking it open, and looking inside the room.

But before he could even clearly see what was happening in the room, he felt a chill down below.

Rudeus's excited shout followed closely, belatedly.

"Sylphy, watch this! Allen is used like this! Uh… this…"

Allen looked into the room at Sylphy, still fully clothed and unharmed. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Allen, who had burst through the door. Then, a blush crept up her pointed ears. She spun around, pressing tightly against the wall, facing it.

She even hugged her head and covered her ears.

Allen swallowed with difficulty, looking down.

Squatting by the door, Rudy, who had successfully ambushed him, was looking up at him. A stiff shadow covered his face, which was blank.

Allen, who had frantically used Dragon Saint Battle Qi to rush upstairs in his panic, was now completely flushed.

But he felt as if he had plunged into an ice cellar.

[...]

[Detected Host is intimidating Rudeus. If this continues, there is a risk of Rudeus's favorability dropping to zero.]

[Host is advised to act wisely.]