Chapter 102: Manual Transmission Isn't as Good as Automatic
Katsuto's purpose in calling him here and sharing this information was to propose cooperative action to capture these vampires.
They had even narrowed down the targets to the large number of USNA personnel who had recently entered the country.
One had to admit, their intuition was sharp.
Mahiro briefly exchanged information with them about the true nature of these so-called vampires.
Of course, he didn't mention anything about Stars, as he had promised Lina.
And he successfully obtained Lina's address from Mayumi, who was acting as their collaborator.
Mayumi clearly understood why he needed to find Lina.
Since it was already confirmed this matter originated from the USNA side, asking Lina, who was "Sirius," was most appropriate.
However, with such major events unfolding, Mahiro had no intention of attending his remaining classes. After having Miyuki cover for his absence, he left school.
But first, he made a call to Kitayama Shizuku who was in the USNA.
"Sorry to bother you so late."
"It's fine, it's not bedtime yet. But for Mahiro-kun to contact me this late, it must be something important, right?"
Shizuku understood well that Mahiro wasn't the type to make casual calls for small talk or pleasantries, especially at this hour.
So there must be something that compelled him to make this call.
"Yes, there is something. I wanted to ask—have there been any news about 'vampire' sightings in your area?"
"Ah..."
A small gasp came from the girl over the phone.
Then there was a brief silence before her voice returned.
"There have been. Honoka contacted me about this a few hours ago too. But don't worry, I'm fine. The incidents are all centered around the mid-southern Dallas area. Nothing similar has appeared on the West Coast."
"Thank you for your concern, Mahiro-kun."
Shizuku seemed to feel it wasn't enough, so he added one last sentence.
"It's fine, as long as you're okay."
Mahiro let out a slight sigh of relief, then continued, "By the way, how about I come visit you in America in a few days?"
"So suddenly?"
The girl sounded puzzled. "I remember First High hasn't started vacation yet. Are you skipping classes, Mahiro-kun?"
"Classes are too boring. I'd rather go to America to see you. It's been so long, I really do miss you."
"...Be careful not to skip too many classes and get held back a grade."
Though she said this, Shizuku didn't actually reject his proposal, only offering a small complaint.
If anything, when Mahiro said he missed her, her face had already turned bright red.
This way, the upcoming plans were basically settled.
However, before heading to America, Mahiro decided to speed things up and quickly deal with the trash disrupting his daily life right under his nose.
Moreover, if his suspicions were correct, then Shizuku's situation might be quite dangerous too.
After chatting with the girl for a while longer, he hung up the phone and headed directly to Lina's residence according to the address.
"So this is where you live. Not bad at all."
Mahiro looked up at the apartment building before him, unable to hold back a sigh of admiration.
Beside him was a small golden-haired companion.
"You bastard! Just because I had urgent business and didn't go to school today, you had to come find me here?!"
The golden-haired companion, to be precise, Miss Angelina Kudou Shields, stood on her toes and grabbed his collar, pulling him down as she nervously spoke.
Despite the urgency in her voice, she didn't dare speak too loudly, afraid of drawing attention from passersby.
The distance between them was close enough to clearly feel each other's breath, with a faint, familiar scent reminiscent of citrus and maple sugar lingering around Mahiro's nose.
This was downstairs of Lina's apartment building.
Originally, Mahiro had planned to go straight up, but he happened to run into Lina returning from the USNA embassy downstairs.
However, upon spotting him loitering below, Lina immediately grew tense and hurriedly used an acceleration spell to rush over, grabbing his hand and dragging him into a secluded corner.
"Hey now, I think you're much more eager than I am, Lina."
"Shut up! What do you want?!"
Faced with his teasing attempt to change the subject, Lina paid no mind. All she cared about right now was Mahiro's purpose for coming.
Had this guy really become so desperate?!
He already has two girlfriends, so why does he have to come after me?!
But she couldn't worry about that now. She directly grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the distant street.
"If you really want to do it, come with me. Let's go to... a hotel!"
Lina practically gritted her teeth as she uttered these shameful words.
There was no other way—she couldn't possibly bring this guy back to her apartment and let him have his way with her.
After all, Sylvie was still at home.
If this guy did something to her, she might as well resign as captain!
"How bold... I never thought you'd sink to this level, Lina."
"And whose fault do you think that is?!"
"Heh."
Mahiro chuckled lightly, then stopped her actions and said, "Don't worry, I'm not here for that today. I have other business with you."
"?"
Lina slowly formed a question mark in her mind.
"You perverted bastard scum! What other business could you possibly have with me besides that?!"
"Of course, it's about what you've been hiding from me."
His words immediately made Lina's heart skip a beat, and she hurriedly explained, "Wh-what are you talking about? I don't understand."
"It's fine if you don't understand. You will after we talk. But since your classmate specifically came to visit you, isn't it rude not to invite me upstairs?"
"W-wait, what are you doing? Let go of me!"
Mahiro wrapped an arm around her slender waist, feeling the warmth and smoothness transmitted through her clothes into his palm, and forcibly pulled the girl into the apartment building as if carrying her along.
Even though she was the captain of the elite unit Stars, she was effortlessly handled in his grasp like a defenseless young girl.
"Is this the place?"
Taking the elevator, they arrived at the entrance of Lina's residence.
"Wait a minute! I'm not the only one living here!"
Before she could even finish speaking, Mahiro had already opened the door to her apartment.
Immediately, she heard the familiar sound of slippers approaching from the living room, and then—
"Welcome back, Li...na?"
Sylvia, who had emerged from the living room, froze at the sight before her.
What exactly did she see?
A handsome young man was actually holding Captain Lina by the waist, and they looked incredibly intimate!
Most importantly, wasn't this young man one of the targets of their mission?!
"Um... Lina, who is this...?"
"Sylvie, he... he's—"
Sylvia looked somewhat awkward, while Lina's eyes darted around, unsure how to explain.
However, before she could finish, Mahiro proactively interrupted her and confidently introduced himself.
"Hello, my name is Yotsuba Mahiro. I'm Lina's classmate and also her boyfriend."
Sylvia immediately covered her mouth in shock, and Lina widened her eyes, staring at him in disbelief.
"Lina... is what this Yotsuba classmate said true?"
"No..."
Lina wanted to say no.
But as soon as she opened her mouth to respond, a blush suddenly spread across her cheeks, and her expression grew tense. She frantically signaled with her eyes, trying to get Mahiro to stop.
She never expected this guy to do something like this right in front of Sylvie!
This move left Lina completely frozen.
If Sylvie noticed their subtle interaction, she would surely die of embarrassment on the spot!
The awkwardness of being caught by a subordinate, the tension of fearing discovery... all these emotions made Lina's body stiffen as if frozen.
Mahiro maintained his smile, savoring the smoothness of Lina's skin as he answered on her behalf:
"That's right, I'm her boyfriend, Ms. Sylvia Mercury First. Otherwise, why would I come to visit Lina before school was even over?"
"!!"
Her delicate body trembling slightly, Lina stiffly turned her head and stared at him in disbelief.
Could it be that he was planning to reveal everything now?!
Sylvia was even more astonished.
This young man, their target, had actually spoken her full name. Did the captain tell him?
But when she looked at the captain, she noticed Lina "affectionately" gazing at Mahiro.
Sylvia suddenly understood.
Perhaps the captain had indeed told him, but without revealing her true identity.
And perhaps the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship was real after all.
After all, the captain was still in her youth, an age of innocence and budding romance. Moreover, Mahiro was quite handsome, the kind whose looks grew on you.
Still, she never expected the captain to make such a huge sacrifice for the mission...
As a subordinate, Sylvia felt she ought to help the captain out a little.
"Yotsuba-san, we were just about to have lunch. Would you like to join us for a simple meal?"
"Sylvie, you... mmmph!!"
Lina had just started to speak when her delicate body trembled once more, stopping the words that were about to escape her lips.
Noticing Mahiro's meaningful glance, Lina immediately understood the warning in his eyes and swallowed her words.
Her body couldn't stop trembling slightly, and the blush on her face deepened even further.
Sylvia observed their subtle interaction with keen interest.
Though in her view, this was just normal flirtation between lovers deeply in love.
She then smiled and turned back to the kitchen to bring out the dishes.
Only after her roommate left did Lina let out a heavy sigh, immediately glaring at Mahiro.
Though she intended to look fierce, her eyes were filled with nothing but seductive charm.
She whispered accusingly:
"What exactly are you trying to achieve?!"
"Just being a guest for lunch, of course. Didn't you hear your Warrant Officer already invite me to join for lunch?"
"You... mmmph!"
Lina wanted to say more, but a sudden, intense impact left her speechless.
Helpless, she could only obediently bend down to remove her shoes, then lead him into the living room.
Soon, Sylvia brought out the food from the kitchen.
Mahiro held chopsticks in one hand, serving food to Lina, while his other arm wrapped around her waist.
Subtly, outside Sylvia's line of sight, he was engaged in a joyful game of "Happy Landlord."
Despite her dissatisfaction with such brazen teasing in front of her subordinate, Lina could only endure desperately, biting her lip tightly and focusing on eating, determined not to make any unusual sounds.
Yet the more she resisted, the more Mahiro seemed to enjoy it.
When lunch finally ended and Mahiro released her, his next words instantly chilled her.
"Thank you for the lunch, Sylvia-san. It was delicious."
"You're welcome, Yotsuba-san. Since you're Lina's boyfriend, it's only natural to have lunch together," Sylvia replied with a smile.
"Still, proper thanks are necessary," Mahiro said politely with a smile. "But now it's time to discuss serious matters."
As Mahiro spoke, Lina suddenly felt her clothes becoming damp.
Looking down, she realized Mahiro's hand was subtly rubbing against her, transferring moisture onto her clothes!
This bastard!
Lina cursed inwardly.
But then, she heard something unbelievable.
"It's about your arrival from USNA to Japan..."
"Ah—!!! You come with me!!!"
Lina suddenly shouted, interrupting their conversation as she grabbed Mahiro by the collar and forcibly dragged him from the dining table into her room.
With a click, she locked the door behind them.
"...?"
Looking at the closed door, Sylvia tilted her head slightly, unable to process what had just happened.
But soon, a matronly smile spread across her face as she gently stroked her cheek and murmured:
"So youthful... After all, Lina is just a teenager full of youthful energy."
She then began clearing the dishes.
Meanwhile, a murderously tense atmosphere filled Lina's room.
"Oh my, I didn't expect Lina-san to be more impatient than me."
"Cut the crap! If you dare breathe even half a word to Sylvie about Stars or the mission, I'll kill you even if it costs me my life!"
Lina grabbed him by the collar, leaning forward slightly as her face drew close to Mahiro's, issuing the warning with an icy expression.
The familiar delicate fragrance once again lingered at his nostrils, but this time held not the slightest hint of intimacy.
Those sky-blue pupils also radiated a chilling murderous intent.
This was only natural.
Since Mahiro claimed they were a couple, Lina was willing to play along with his charade.
But when it came to her true identity and mission...
That was an entirely different matter.
If he was her boyfriend and knew about the mission, it would be equivalent to declaring she had defected from Stars. The consequences would be brutal.
She would be hunted down by every member of Stars!
That must never happen!!!
However, Mahiro showed no fear in the face of Lina's threats.
After all this time of conditioning, he had become intimately familiar with every weakness and soft spot of hers, knowing exactly how to manipulate her effortlessly.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I would never expose you."
"Then why did you just..."
"Just what? I was merely having a normal conversation with Lady Sylvia."
Mahiro began playing dumb.
"And even if we were exposed in front of that lady, it wouldn't matter. At worst, I'll just take her down too."
"No!" Lina's eyes widened as she immediately refused. "You're not allowed to lay a hand on Sylvie! We agreed on that from the start!"
"Ah, yes, we did agree. So you should know what to do next, right?"
Mahiro smiled faintly, brushing past her as he pulled out a chair from the desk and sat down, looking at her with a teasing expression.
"For example, what we discussed last time..."
Angelina: "..."
She gritted her teeth in frustration.
Yet, she had no way to refuse this bastard.
So she turned and walked to the wardrobe, pulling out that short kimono she had only worn once before, shamefully changing into it.
Right in front of him!
"Oh ho, not bad. Black, and quite a bold design too."
Mahiro admired it for a moment before issuing a new command—
"Come sit here."
Lina stood her ground, defiance burning in her eyes.
She stared intently at Mahiro, her hand subconsciously curling as if gripping a dagger.
But ultimately, she let her hand fall in defeat.
"This time... you'll use a soundproof barrier to muffle the noise, right?"
Given past experiences, she had to confirm this.
"Of course. I set up the barrier the moment we entered. Did you really think no one outside would hear you at that volume?"
Indeed, Lina had noticed that too.
At the volume she had been using earlier, even if those outside couldn't make out her words, they would have heard the commotion.
But Sylvie hadn't come knocking, which proved they couldn't hear anything.
"Alright, hurry up. Don't make me repeat myself!"
After a tense standoff, though resentment still smoldered in her eyes, Lina finally sat down with an expressionless face.
But her composure shattered completely after just one second.
Pat pat!
Mahiro patted the slightly trembling Lina in his arms.
"Do I need to tell you what to do next? Move on your own!"
Feeling humiliated, Lina glared at him furiously.
"Bastard... mark my words, I'll kill you someday!"
"Oh really?"
He paid no mind to such an empty threat.
"If I recall correctly, I've already given you a chance, haven't I? You're just not capable enough."
"Instead of dwelling on those pointless thoughts, you should consider more practical methods—like draining me dry? In that regard, you might still have a chance to win."
"Why don't you give it a try?"
"Mmm~! Shut up, you pervert!"