Thinking back on her meeting with Stella, Neine had vaguely sensed it during Ikki's mock battle.
But this time, she knew clearly.
The true nature of the A-Rank Knight, the Crimson Lotus Princess, "Stella"!
With a sigh, Saikyo Neine took a swig of alcohol.
Someone who had been born not "human," yet had been influenced by humans and could not truly "awaken."
Someone who stood above her, someone who had even surpassed "humanity."
A true human who had embarked upon the path of an Asura, striving to draw closer to being "human."
The fates of the three had already become intertwined.
The Beach! Here I Come!
A week was neither particularly fast nor particularly slow.
That morning, Stella emerged from her room after seven days and trained with Luo Mio and Ikki.
"Alright, that's enough training for today."
Saikyo Neine stood at the finish line, calling out to the panting Luo Mio and Ikki while casually removing the gravity restrictions on them.
Ever since Saikyo Neine had dropped by that day and learned about the morning training of Ikki, Luo Mio, and Stella, she had taken the initiative to train the three of them.
Gravity Lock.
It was an ability Saikyo Neine had placed upon Luo Mio and the others, allowing them to remain under gravitational suppression throughout their training.
Perhaps because Luo Mio and Ikki had already been trained by Saikyo Neine for seven days, they had grown accustomed to her regimen.
Stella, on the other hand, had just emerged from a week of confinement. It was her first time adapting to Saikyo Neine's training, so she fell slightly behind Luo Mio and Ikki.
Ikki stood at the finish line, waiting for Stella.
Finally, after several minutes, Stella dragged her heavy legs across the finish line.
The gravity weighing down on Stella also vanished once she reached the finish line.
Luo Mio handed her a bottle of water, then poured an entire bottle into his own mouth as well.
"Good work, Brother."
Shizuku appeared then, carrying breakfast boxes.
"Shizuku! Thanks for breakfast."
Ikki looked at the breakfast in the bag and thanked her.
"No, it was nothing."
Shizuku shook her head, then turned around. Her eyes lit up before she said apologetically, "Ah, Stella is here too. I'm terribly sorry. I actually forgot you were here as well."
Luo Mio drank water as he watched Shizuku's performance, clicking his tongue.
What an act! She obviously knew Stella and I had both been confined for seven days. Since I'm out, doesn't that prove Stella is out too? And she still has to put on that apologetic face.
Stella also caught the mockery in Shizuku's words, but training had exhausted her so thoroughly that she had no strength left to argue. All she could do was glare angrily at Shizuku.
Shizuku turned toward Ikki with a smug expression.
"Brother, I actually came because I wanted to discuss something with you."
"Something?"
"Actually..."
The next day, at the entrance of Hagun Academy.
Ikki and Stella stood in front of the academy's main gate, quietly waiting.
Ikki wore a brown shirt and jeans, while Stella wore a white women's shirt with a knitted cardigan over it.
"They're taking so long."
"Shizuku's Second Dormitory is on the opposite side from our First Dormitory, after all."
Before long, Shizuku and her roommate appeared.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Brother."
Dressed in Gothic Lolita clothing, Shizuku appeared even more elegant than usual.
Beside her stood a tall, slender man dressed like a gentleman, wearing a round bowler hat.
"My, my. I never expected Stella to join a commoner's little outing like ours."
"Leaving a sister who wants to pounce on her brother at any moment beside Ikki would be far too dangerous."
Ikki could only smile helplessly as he watched the two girls clash.
"Oh my, looks like everyone's here."
Luo Mio approached from behind the group in summer clothes.
"Pfft."
Stella burst out laughing when she saw Luo Mio's outfit.
Shizuku, meanwhile, immediately looked at him with wary eyes.
Ikki turned his head away, unable to bear looking at him.
Shizuku's tall roommate gave a couple of amused "oh my"s upon seeing Luo Mio, then looked at him with a gentle smile.
"Hey, what are those looks for?"
Luo Mio glared darkly at them.
"You think I wanted to wear this?"
Clearly aware of everyone's reactions, Luo Mio said irritably, "My sister picked this out, not me. Don't get any weird ideas."
Luo Mio wore a black short-sleeved shirt on top and white shorts below. His usual tied ponytail had been let down, and he had removed his red-framed glasses.
"But I saw this outfit among your clothes."
Touka slowly walked over from behind Luo Mio.
She wore white casual clothes. Her braided hair had been tied back into a high ponytail, and the glasses she always wore had been replaced with contact lenses. Her whole appearance was much fresher and more striking, making people's eyes light up.
"Th-That was..." Luo Mio was momentarily speechless, unable to find a reason to refute her.
That bastard System set me up!
Who else besides the System could silently slip Character Carrier clothes into my pile of clothing?
Touka then looked toward Shizuku.
"Long time no see, Shizuku."
"Mhm, long time no see, Sister Touka."
Shizuku returned the greeting.
Touka looked at the tall man and asked, "And this is...?"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Shizuku's roommate, Arisugawa Nagi. Of course, you can also call me Alice."
Arisugawa politely removed his hat and bowed to everyone.
Those unfamiliar with Arisugawa wore rather varied expressions after hearing his introduction.
Looking at the six gathered people, Ikki asked Shizuku, "Shizuku, where are we going today?"
Shizuku smiled.
"The beach."
Luo Mio raised an eyebrow upon hearing Shizuku's answer.
"Could my involvement have caused the world to diverge?"
Touka noticed Luo Mio's strange expression beside her.
"What's wrong, Miohua?"
"Huh? Nothing. I was just wondering... did you bring swimsuits?"
At the beach, there was soft white sand, clear azure seawater, an endless blue sky, and heartwarming mountains.
Without question, beaches and sandy shores were paradise for most men!
Of course, Luo Mio was an exception.
His slightly short height and somewhat feminine face caused quite a few passersby to misunderstand him.
Even when choosing men's swimwear.
With no other choice, he could only choose shorts, along with a white short-sleeved shirt and a summer jacket.
Luo Mio stood on the beach with a dark expression.
Beside him, Ikki wore simple men's swim trunks. His well-trained physique and slightly resolute face—
Arisugawa was dressed similarly to Luo Mio, but his tall, slender figure made him look especially handsome and dashing.
The two standing beside Luo Mio attracted a large crowd of beautiful women on the beach.
Some had even boldly begun showing off their figures and throwing flirtatious glances their way.
"Please don't stand next to me. Thank you."
Luo Mio spoke expressionlessly.
Everyone else gets to enjoy themselves at the beach, while I can only suffer.
If I'd known my height would become such a problem, I would've chosen Little Eight as my Character Carrier.
At 194 centimeters tall, let's see who would dare call me short then.
"But that includes fox ears."
The System complained in Luo Mio's mind.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone."
Before long, the girls' voices came from behind Luo Mio and the others.
Stella and the others approached in swimsuits.
Stella wore a simple black bikini, though it had less fabric than an ordinary bikini, emphasizing her voluptuous figure. Her round, fair legs made her appear even sexier beneath the sunlight.
Shizuku wore a beige swimsuit with a skirt, along with a slightly oversized white sunhat that made her look extremely cute.
Touka wore a white one-piece backless swimsuit, with a white gauze wrap tied around her waist. Because her hair was tied into a high ponytail, the fair, flawless skin of her neck and back could be seen clearly.
The arrival of the three girls made many of the women who had been eyeing Ikki and Arisugawa give up the competition.
"Now that everyone's here, let's start having fun!"
Tsunami and Enemy Attack?!
Under a large beach umbrella, Luo Mio wore sunglasses.
He leisurely lay on a beach chair, playing a handheld game console that had appeared from who knew where, drinking delicious coconut juice, and occasionally using his other hand to grab snacks from a bag beside him and toss them into his mouth.
Arisugawa was doing the same nearby, though unlike Luo Mio, he simply lay on a beach chair with his eyes closed, enjoying the sea breeze.
Meanwhile, not far away on the beach, Ikki, Stella, Touka, and Shizuku were playing beach volleyball.
Just as Luo Mio reached for his coconut juice—
Whoosh—!
Bang!
Luo Mio looked toward where he had placed the coconut shell, only to find that the coconut juice had already vanished. Turning around, he saw a volleyball, shattered pieces of coconut shell, and wet sand surrounding the broken shell behind him.
Before you continue