Erika slid open the door to her room and froze.
Standing before her was… a panda.
Not a real panda, of course.
But someone wearing an enormous, fluffy panda costume, so big and fluffy it looked like it had waddled straight out of a children's dream.
The oversized head tilted slightly, its round ears wobbling.
For a long, bewildering moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Erika spoke first. "…Akira?"
From inside the panda suit came a muffled voice. "Yeah."
Erika blinked. "…What are you doing?"
Akira's voice lowered to a whisper. "Can you please come in and close the door first?"
Erika, too confused to argue, quietly stepped in and shut the door.
"Okay," she said, arms crossed. "Now explain what the hell you're doing."
Akira raised a fuzzy paw in surrender. "It was Selena's idea."
"Nope. Not my idea." Selena's telepathic voice echoed instantly in both their minds, sounding rather annoyed.
"Huh?" Akira tilted his panda head. "But you told me to wear something she'd like and apologize, right? And I know she likes plushies!"
"Yeah, but I was going for…you know what? Forget it. Do what you want." Selena sighed, clearly exasperated.
Akira turned back to Erika. "So yeah, that's it. I wanted to say sorry. And make you happy."
Erika blinked, slightly startled. "Sorry? For what?"
Akira scratched the panda head awkwardly. "Because… you worked so hard all these years, and all I did was tell you to just be a normal girl. I didn't really think about your feelings."
Erika stared for a moment before sighing softly. "You don't have to do that. I can tell you were just worried about me. I'm not really mad."
Akira tilted his head. "That mad? So you were a bit mad."
"Probably," Erika admitted with a small smile. "But not that much, so don't worry about it."
"Oh, that's good," Akira said, relieved. "By the way, I also made…"
But before he could finish, Erika walked closer, eyes gleaming.
"This is really well made," she said, touching the panda fur. "It's so soft and fluffy! Did you buy it somewhere?"
"Nope," Akira replied proudly. "I made it just now."
"Ah," Erika said, realizing. "So that's what the cotton seeds were for."
"Yep. I evolved the cotton seeds and used that cotton for this suit. Good thing they had some…"
Before he could continue, Erika suddenly threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"This is so fluffy!" she exclaimed, voice filled with delight. "It's so cute and soft and huge…this is the best!"
She hugged him so tightly that Akira toppled backward, hitting the floor with a muffled thud. Fortunately, the thick panda suit cushioned the fall perfectly.
"E-Erika?" Akira managed, voice half-dazed.
Erika only giggled, rubbing her cheek against the panda's fur. "This is so good… It's huge and fluffy and perfect!"
Akira blinked inside the suit. "…So, you like it?"
"Like it? I love it! It's everything I ever wanted." Erika declared without hesitation.
Yep.
Not just a huge, fluffy panda.
But a huge, fluffy panda with Akira stuffed inside it.
Basically, everything Erika ever wanted in one oversized plush.
Meanwhile, inside the panda, Akira telepathically muttered, "See, I told you this would work. That butler costume idea would've just made things more awkward".
"Yeah," Selena admitted reluctantly. "This is… surprisingly effective."
"That's why I'm the big brother," Akira replied with a smug tone.
"I could name a hundred reasons why you're not," Selena said flatly. "And telepathically talking to your sister while a girl's hugging you is definitely one of them. Now focus on Erika."
Akira sighed inside the panda suit and replied telepathically to Selena, "Yeah, yeah… I should focus on her."
Then, out loud, he asked, So, Erika, how was your day? Did your training with Mitsuri-san go well?"
Erika, still hugging him tightly, murmured, "I don't know. It didn't go that well."
Akira tilted his oversized panda head. "Huh? Why, what happened?"
"I just… don't understand how to use Love Breathing," Erika admitted, her voice muffled against the panda's chest. "She keeps saying it's about using the power of love. How does that even work?"
Akira tilted his panda head. "It's emotion-driven amplification of physical performance. Converts hormonal spikes like adrenaline, endorphins, dopamine into speed and flexibility."
"…Speak human," Erika deadpanned.
"It means," Akira explained patiently, "when people feel love or happiness or that kind of stuff, their bodies release special chemicals. Those chemicals, when released in high amounts, can increase strength or reaction time. It's like how anime heroes suddenly power up after a dramatic flashback before winning the fight. Same mechanism."
Erika blinked. "Wait… so the power of love and friendship is real?"
Akira nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. That's the basic mechanism behind Love Breathing. It works because Mitsuri's love for others triggers those chemical reactions. But…"
"But?"
"It's not really for you," Akira said.
Erika went still. Her arms tightened around him, squeezing hard enough that he could feel it even through the layers of fluff. "What do you mean? Are you saying I can't love like Mitsuri-san?"
"I didn't say that!" Akira said, quickly waving his fluffy arms frantically, slightly crushed under her grip. "It's just different people love in different ways. You're… normal."
Erika loosened her hold a little, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"
"It's Mitsuri's physiology," Akira explained. "I don't know if it's something unique about her, but her body produces those chemicals at a higher rate than normal. She loves many things intensely. Combine that with her superhuman constitution, her muscle density that is eight times stronger than a normal human, and she created Love Breathing. It's entirely her own. I don't think anyone else can truly copy it."
Erika looked down. "Then why did you make me learn Love Breathing in the first place?"
"I just wanted you to learn how to control your Device, Églantine," Akira replied. "Your ribbons are similar to Mitsuri's whip-like sword, so it made sense to start there."
"And how am I supposed to learn that without actually using Love Breathing?" she asked, pouting slightly.
"Simple," Akira said. "Use it as a base and create your own style."
Erika groaned. "How the hell am I supposed to create my own breathing style? I'm not a genius like you!"
Akira chuckled awkwardly inside the suit. "Well, sure, but… sigh."
He paused. He wanted to say something to help her, but words felt clumsy. He knew if he asked Selena for advice, she'd probably just say, 'Speak from your heart, brother.'
So, for once, he decided to just do that.
"I believe you can do it," Akira said quietly.
Erika blinked, looking genuinely surprised. "How?"
"I don't know if you're a genius," he said, "but you worked hard while we were separated, right? You were vice president of your school, top of your class, and you trained in multiple martial arts. You can do it, Erika. If you find a way that fits only you, you can create your own style. I'll help, too."
Erika was stunned. Akira never said things like that. Compliments from him were rarer than solar eclipses, so hearing these words from him now so sincerely made her chest feel oddly warm.
Still lying against the fluffy panda, she mumbled, "Something only I can do, huh…"
She stayed that way, lying against the panda suit and deep in thought. Akira wanted to ask her to get up, but seeing her deep in thought, he decided against it.
Erika thought hard.
Something only she could do. Something that worked with her Device.
She wracked her brain for ideas… until she glanced down and realized she was still lying on top of him.
Oh. Right. That.
She hesitated, then said softly, "Akira."
"Yeah?"
"…Can I drink your blood?"
Akira blinked inside the panda suit in surprise for a second, then realized what Erika was thinking.
"I see," he said softly. "Sure. Drink as much as you like."
He reached up and pressed a small hidden button on the side of his panda suit. With a faint mechanical click, the oversized panda head shifted open slightly, revealing part of his neck.
It was… oddly convenient for blood-drinking.
Erika stared for a moment, exasperated. "You put this in the suit?"
Akira nodded, completely serious. "Well, I had to. I put a lot of things in this suit, actually. It's combat-effective."
Erika sighed deeply. "Of course it is…" she muttered.
She wouldn't even be surprised if he'd hidden a plasma cannon in there.
As if reading her mind, Akira added, "I didn't put any weapons in it. At least… not yet."
Erika could only sigh again. "Of course you didn't, yet" she said dryly, deciding to deal with that revelation later.
She moved closer, leaning in toward the opening at his neck. Then, with a quiet breath, she bit down gently.
Her fangs sank into his skin, and the taste of his blood flowed onto her tongue.
The taste was just as she remembered, sweet, warm, and indescribably perfect. But she wasn't here to enjoy it. "Focus".
She concentrated not on the taste but on his blood flow, how it moved, pulsed, and coursed through his veins. Her vampiric senses expanded outward, tracing the rhythmic beat of magic-infused blood. She could feel every flow, every pulse, every subtle variation.
A normal human could never perceive this. But as a dhampir… she could.
She kept drinking, studying the flow carefully, feeling every heartbeat...nope, she couldn't feel any heartbeat, but she could feel the flow that replaced it. But before long, she realized she'd been drinking too much. She tried to stop, only to hear Akira's voice echo gently in her mind. "Don't worry. I regenerate as fast as you can drink. You're not hurting me."
Erika hesitated, then relaxed. She stopped holding back. She continued to drink until she could feel the energy within him, until his blood flow resonated with hers.
Meanwhile, Akira felt a faint pulse in his chest. His Sacred Gear, the Lunar Vows, was reacting.
"Sister," he called telepathically. He spoke telepathically. "What's happening? My sacred gear, it's reacting."
"Her drinking your blood is reactivating the Sacred Gear," Selena explained calmly.
Akira frowned slightly. "And what happens if it activates fully?"
"Honestly?" Selena paused, her tone serious for once. "I don't know, either."
"Wait, didn't you make it?"
"I made it a Sacred Gear by hacking the system that God guy made," Selena said matter-of-factly. "The artifact itself was created by our ancestors. I'll explain later. For now, focus on her"
Akira exhaled mentally. "Fine. Later, then."
He focused again on Erika.
She had drunk a lot of blood by now, far more than any normal person could survive losing. The only reason Akira was still alive was thanks to his absurd regeneration rate.
Eventually, Erika grew tired. Her movements slowed. And finally, still clinging to the fluffy panda suit, she fell asleep right on top of him.
"Erika?" Akira whispered, trying to shake her awake. "Hey, Erika?"
No response.
He tilted his panda head slightly to look at her and realized she was asleep.
Right there. On top of him.
Still half-hugging him, her cheek pressed against the fluffy panda suit, fangs faintly visible as she dozed.
Akira blinked several times, utterly confused. "…You've got to be kidding me."
Selena's voice chimed in telepathically, sounding faintly amused. "Maybe she was already exhausted, and drinking that much of your blood made her sleepy. Plus, your panda suit is ridiculously fluffy, … and, well, here we are."
Akira sighed. "So, what do I do now? Should I wake her up or move her to the bed?"
"Just leave her be," Selena replied with a teasing lilt. "Your panda suit is probably softer than the bed anyway. She's more comfortable like this."
Akira muttered, "What about me, then?"
Selena giggled softly. "I don't know. Good night~ I'm going to sleep."
"Wait, but you don't even…"
But she was gone. Connection cut.
Akira stared at the ceiling through his panda mask. "...Guess I'm stuck here."
After a moment of silent resignation, he sighed again.
"Fine. Whatever." And like that, trapped under a sleeping half-vampire and wrapped in his own fluffy panda suit, after a long moment of quiet, he gave up trying to think of a solution. And accepted his fate.
And eventually, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep as well.
The room fell silent. Only the faint rustle of wisteria petals outside whispered through the open window.