"Tatsuki, Leone's here to see you." Kanae entered through the door with the golden-haired lioness trailing behind.
Leone waved cheerfully. "Hey there, everyone."
"What are you here for?" Tatsuki motioned for Chinu to stop feeding him.
Leone gave a sly grin and said, pretending to pout, "My room's drain is clogged. Come fix it for me."
"???"
Eriri turned her head immediately. "What are you talking about? Your room doesn't even have a drain."
Leone's little scheme was already in shambles, and she knew it.
Still, she didn't flinch—instead, she grabbed Tatsuki's hand and leaned close, whispering with a teasing flick of her tongue, "I bought some fun toys online. Wouldn't you like to help me… try them out?"
"!!!"
Tatsuki rose to his feet instantly, keeping a straight face. "Come to think of it, there is a drain near her room. I'd better go check it out."
Before anyone could comment, he whisked Leone away, leaving the others stunned.
The cat and Eriri exchanged helpless glances. Chinu peered at Abe Seimei thoughtfully. Kanae only sighed and sat down, calmly finishing Tatsuki's leftover meal—wasting food was a sin.
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere—the girls were scattered: Najenda, Akame, and Kurome were in their quarters; Leone's room, however, had Sheele and Mine.
Of course, that Mine wasn't the Mine. It was Chelsea using her disguise.
Tatsuki understood immediately, but still asked, "What's Sheele doing here? Don't tell me you really called me to fix plumbing."
Sheele sat on the edge of the bed, fingers nervously twisting together, head down.
Leone grinned and pulled out a few spiky objects from the drawer. "Hehe, I've been reading some culture books. Ever heard of the Three Heroes vs. Lü Bu scene?"
She frowned, inspecting one. "Though… they're way smaller than yours."
Tatsuki's brow twitched. He knew exactly what kind of experiment this was.
He turned to Sheele gently. "You okay with this?"
Sheele flushed crimson but whispered, "Y-yes… I'm fine."
"Well," Tatsuki smiled faintly, "if you say so …"
…
In the next room, Kurome's dark eyes gleamed. "Did you hear that, sister?"
Akame's face was bright red. After Kurome's education, she understood exactly what was happening next door.
"Mhm…" Akame could only nod shyly.
Kurome leaned close, her fingers brushing Akame's cheek, smearing a glistening trail as she whispered, "We've fallen behind. Next time, let's go to Master together, okay?"
"...A-alright." Akame's eyes darted away, but her voice was soft with agreement.
…
Najenda, meanwhile, had been at her desk reading the latest reports from across the continent—until the noises through the wall broke her focus.
She sighed, shut the laptop, and went back to bed. "So much for strategy tonight…"
…
"Thank you for the lesson, Lady Tamayo." Mine bowed politely, arranging a delicate bundle of flowers she'd learned in Tamayo's class.
The quiet life soothed her, and she'd come to love flower arranging—she couldn't wait to show Sheele her new creation.
But when she returned home, the house was oddly silent. Then she heard muffled noises—coming from her own room.
"Huh? Sheele?"
She knocked, then pushed the door open…
"...Sheele? Leone? What are you—"
Four pairs of eyes turned toward her.
"!!!" Mine's brain crashed. Tatsuki was here—and so were Leone and Sheele and … another Mine?
Wait. Another me?! And doing that?!
Before she could scream, Tatsuki appeared before her in a flash, covering her mouth and quietly shutting the door.
Chelsea dropped the disguise, reverting to her normal form.
Mine's face went red with fury. "You used my face for that ?!"
Tatsuki looked at Leone. "So… what now?"
Leone grinned, sharing a wicked glance with Chelsea. "We teach her a lesson."
"Heheheh."
Both women lunged toward the shocked Mine.
…
The next morning.
In class, Tatsuki was still recalling the chaos of last night.
Mine's sudden arrival had surprised him—and what surprised him more was how quickly she'd joined in.
Needless to say, Tatsuki was the only true winner of that night. But the instigators, Leone and Chelsea, paid dearly.
By sunrise, Mine had kicked Tatsuki out of the room in a fluster, then unleashed her Pumpkin Cannon inside a sealed space Tatsuki created for them.
Every blast was romantic justice.
Leone's cries for help echoed through the barrier—Tatsuki just shrugged, helpless. After all, Mine had certainly earned that right.
Just as he was reminiscing, a new notification popped up.
Private chat—Nami.
Nami: "Tatsuki, I want to set sail!"
Tatsuki blinked. "Oh? Tell me more."
Nami: "I've always loved the sea—I want to draw my own maps. That's my dream. And also, I think my world still has strong people. I want to gather some allies and form a group useful to you, Tatsuki."
He smiled. "I see."
He didn't really need a faction—if he wished, a single thought could subdue that entire world—but Nami's sincerity and her dream were genuine.
"Alright," he asked, "what's your plan?"
Nami: "I'll sail with Nojiko and Robin, travel all the way to Arabasta, pick up Vivi, and start our real voyage! We'll recruit compatible members as we go."
Tatsuki: "Good. Tell me your current abilities."
Nami: "Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Lv 4), Armament Haki (Lv 4), Observation Haki (Lv 4), Rokushiki (Lv 4), and your Power of Salvation—it's grown stronger since you fought in Mumei's world."
Tatsuki nodded. "Yes—my Wings of Salvation grew stronger after absorbing faith from that world."
Nami: "So that's why! Awesome."
Tatsuki: "At your level, you'll be fine. Go chase your dream."
Nami: "Yay! Oh, and … we decided our crew will be girls only."
Tatsuki: "…"
Nami: "Hehe ~ excited yet?"
Tatsuki chuckled. "Go for it. You have my full support. When I have time, I'll visit and make you all part of my Clan—more power, more protection."
Nami: "Deal! Nojiko and I came up with something new, you'll love it ♡"
Tatsuki: "I'm looking forward to it."
"Tatsuki, someone's looking for you," Hina's gentle voice came from behind.
"Hm?"
He turned to the door—standing there was a stunning black-haired girl in stockings.
"Utaha?" Tatsuki was surprised; their contact had only been through messages, and that was long ago.
Still, he rose and walked out to meet her.
Inside, Tobe Kakeru clicked his tongue in envy. "How does Tatsuki get so many beautiful girls? Just 'cause he's smart and handsome?"
"Don't talk like that," Hayato Hayama scolded. "Everyone has their own path."
Tobe quieted down, embarrassed.
Hayama's gaze drifted toward Yumiko—lately, something about her felt off.
She'd stopped joining their usual group hangouts, and when he approached, she'd just say she was busy and leave.
Now Miura sat quietly, eyes fixed on Tatsuki's back as he walked out the door.
...
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