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Looking at the brilliant smile that bloomed on her enthusiastic subordinates' faces, Kotori popped a lollipop into her mouth, crossed her legs, and declared, "It's decided! This time, we'll help you with the conquest!"
On my end, hearing Kotori decide for me through the earpiece, I couldn't help but grumble, "Just this once, you'd better not pull any weird stunts."
As I spoke, I scanned my surroundings, trying to locate the hidden Spirit.
Just as I was about to use my detection magic, a voice suddenly called out from above.
I instinctively looked up and saw a female figure who had appeared on a nearby roof. Even with the dazzling light behind her, I recognized her witch-like appearance, straight out of a fairy tale.
It was none other than Natsumi Kyouno—the Spirit who could switch between a teasing older-sister type and a child-like girl.
"How rare. To think I'd find a human here besides the AST," Natsumi giggled before leaping down from the roof, landing gracefully in front of me.
In her adult form, Natsumi wore a pointed hat inlaid with an emerald, a purple bodysuit with a hexagram pattern, and a cape with a copper-colored trim. Her slender limbs and full bust created perfect proportions that would make a pin-up model jealous.
Her long, lustrous orange hair spilled out from under the wide-brimmed hat, and her captivating emerald eyes watched me with keen interest.
"Oh?" As Natsumi leaned in close, I twitched my nose slightly, taking in her feminine scent.
Instead of being offended, Natsumi seemed amused by my reaction. She reached out, lifted my chin, and giggled again. "Hehe, you're quite a handsome little brother."
"Can you tell me how you got here? The Spacequake alarm just went off, you know."
Having my chin lifted by her, my playful expression froze. I was utterly speechless.
'Am I being... hit on?!'
At that thought, I smoothly reversed the gesture, catching her delicate hand in mine. "That's..."
However, just as I was about to reply, Kotori's voice crackled in my ear. "Wait a minute, Kyoya! Look at the options before you answer!"
At that moment, the main screen in the Fraxinus command room showed a live feed of Natsumi and me, with a pop-up window displaying three choices for how to proceed with the Spirit conquest.
[1 - There's only one reason. I came here just to see you.]
[2 - I... I don't know anything! I didn't have time to escape. When I came to, I was just here.]
[3 - Can you let me grope your breasts first?]
"All personnel, begin your selection!" Kotori shouted from the captain's seat. Below her, the so-called "outstanding elites" immediately cast their votes.
Three seconds later, the results appeared. The votes for options 1 and 2 were neck and neck.
Option 3, unsurprisingly, received zero...
"Hmm... a tie. I didn't expect that," Kotori said, swaying the lollipop in her mouth.
Nakatsugawa, the self-proclaimed "Dimension Breaker," snapped his fingers sharply. "It's obviously 1! When you don't know her personality, the other options are too risky."
Masaomi Mikimoto immediately retorted, "No! It has to be 2! This Spirit is the big sister type! Playing the helpless little brother will trigger her protective instincts! That's the best answer."
Shiizaki made an "Ah, ah, ah" sound of agreement.
"I see, that's not without reason... But I'm surprised option 3 got no votes at all."
"I thought you, of all people, Kyouhei, would have picked it," Kotori said, glancing over her shoulder.
There, a handsome blonde man stood with a serious expression. "How could I, Commander? I am always serious."
"Mm... and the truth is?"
"If the option had been [Please allow me to lick your high heels], I might have been a little conflicted."
The rest of the crew: "....."
Kotori silently snapped her fingers. Instantly, two burly men appeared and escorted Kyouhei away.
After Kyouhei's fading voice disappeared, Kotori finally activated the microphone to my earpiece. "Kyoya, choose 2. Remember to look as teary-eyed and pitiful as possible."
Hearing this, my eye twitched. "Can I choose none of them? This is super embarrassing..."
"No!" Kotori decisively rejected my request. "Don't worry! When it comes to dating, we're professionals!"
'Professionals, my ass!' I complained inwardly.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Seeing my expression shift, Natsumi tilted her head, confused. However, as she felt the warmth of my hand and my thumb caressing her palm, her heart skipped a beat, and a hint of shyness flickered in her eyes.
Pulled back to reality, I had no choice but to follow Kotori's instructions and unleash my superb acting skills.
The next moment, I squeezed Natsumi's slender hand, looking at her with wide, innocent eyes as my lips trembled slightly. "Th-That is... I... I don't know anything! I didn't have time to escape. When I came to, I was just... here."
Staring into my watery eyes, Natsumi's own eyes widened as a blush stained her cheeks.
Noticing the change in her expression, I remained calm on the surface while gloating inwardly.
'Hehe, my acting skills are on par with any A-list actor!'
Looking deeply at me, Natsumi's lips curled into a smile. "Oh... is that so? What's your name?"
"My name is Hibari Kyoya."
"Hibari Kyoya... Then I'll just call you Kyoya. You're so cute."
"May I ask your name...?"
Hearing my question, Natsumi flashed a cute smile of her own. "I'm Natsumi Kyouno. But they seem to call me 'Witch.' You can just call me Natsumi."
"Natsumi," I murmured, gently caressing her delicate hand as I spoke her name.
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