"Master? Who is she?"
Flo suddenly stopped her reward kisses, which left Nikolim a bit unhappy.
Seeing her master's gaze fixed intently on another girl,
Nikolim thought: *Even unhappier now… (◦`~´◦)*
"Sorry, Nini. Let's stay and watch a little longer."
"Oh…"
Perfect—Nikolim also wanted to find out who this other tentacle girl, just like Flo, really was.
At the first exam station, Ilika caused the crystal ball to alternate between two glowing hues:
emerald green for **Wind**, and violet for **Lightning**.
"Dual affinity?!'
Nikolim's eyes widened in astonishment at the rare dual-element result.
(Though, being in slime form, her expression didn't visibly change—only her eye sockets grew slightly larger.)
Flo, however, had already known about Ilika's dual affinity. What she really wanted to see was Ilika's performance in the second exam…
…
If Flo's method of shattering the boulder showcased a blend of technique and power,
then Ilika's approach was pure, unfiltered strength.
Facing the boulder, Ilika simply closed her eyes, gripped the hilt of her katana, and drew it in one swift motion—followed instantly by a blinding flurry of slashes.
Expressionless, she sheathed her blade. Wind-elemental blades had already sliced the boulder into a pile of rubble.
"Applicant name: Ilika."
"Final score: Full marks—passed."
After bowing politely to the examiner, Ilika turned and left the exam hall without looking back.
Nikolim: ∑(°口°๑)
Flo: "Agh… damn it! She didn't even use her lightning magic!"
Flo had seen Ilika's wind blades countless times before. She'd stayed behind specifically to witness Ilika's other power.
"Ugh, boring. Let's go home, Nini."
Flo scooped up the tiny, colorful Nikolim and walked out of the exam hall in the opposite direction from Ilika.
"Master! Who *is* that tentacle girl?! Her wind blades were insane—and I feel like she wasn't even trying her hardest!"
Nikolim, utterly awestruck by Ilika's overwhelming prowess, couldn't contain her curiosity.
She wondered why Flo seemed so calm about it.
"She's my little sister. Well… we're living apart right now due to some circumstances."
"Sis…?!"
Nikolim fell silent.
She now deeply understood: tentacle girls were a terrifying species.
Even if one of them seemed weak, her sisters were each more formidable than the last. (๑ŏ ﹏ ŏ๑)
♡♡♡
"Wait a second… why would Ilika even take the entrance exam?"
Back at home, Flo started pondering this question.
Ilika had explicitly said she hated school. Plus, with her current strength, the academy had nothing left to teach her.
In the previous timeline, she'd been a top-tier scholar—now she was both intellectually and physically gifted.
There was no reason for her to enroll… so why did she?
[Obviously, it's all for you, A-Fu! Meow~]
Sui Sui's voice suddenly popped up.
[First, congrats on passing the entrance exam! You filthy hacker, A-Fu! (´^｀)]
Flo: "Ugh, the exam's over already… But Sui Sui, what do you mean 'for me'?"
[A-Fu probably doesn't know, but Ilika has a grand plan.]
"A grand plan?"
Now *that* piqued Flo's interest.
Flo: "Spill the details."
As she spoke, she began undressing for her bath.
[First, she held back during the exam to match your score exactly.]
Flo: "But I got full marks!"
[True—but your performance—well, Nikolim's magic—still stayed within the normal student limit. Ilika, on the other hand, could easily surpass everyone her age by miles. If she went all out, the academy would label her 'special' and give her extra attention… which she absolutely doesn't want.]
Flo: "I see… but what does that have to do with me?"
[If she keeps her score identical to yours, there's a chance you'll be assigned to the same dorm room.]
Flo: "…Huh?"
If Flo remembered correctly, dorm assignments were two per room.
Flo: "Don't tell me Ilika's planning to…"
[Exactly! Meow~]
Flo: "That can't be right! There were plenty of other full-mark scorers today—it's not guaranteed we'd end up together."
[Which is why Ilika's plan is so *grand*.]
Flo: "…?"
[All she has to do is eliminate every other full-mark applicant except you. Then you two will be the only perfect scorers—and naturally assigned as roommates~]
Flo: "…?! Hold up, bro?! Is she seriously gonna *kill* people?! ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)"
[Just kidding! Your sister's always polite to outsiders—you of all people should know that! Look how worked up you got!]
Flo: "Yeah… you're right."
She *should* trust Ilika. She'd ask her directly later.
Though meeting her sister would probably end in an all-out brawl anyway…
After finishing her chat with Sui Sui, Flo stripped off her last piece of clothing, wrapped herself in a towel, and headed into the bathroom.
But then—
"Hmm~ Is Master taking a bath? Let me scrub your back!"
Nikolim, now transformed into a pink-haired little loli, ambushed Flo from behind!
But Flo had anticipated this. She swiftly slammed the bathroom door shut.
"Ahh!"
Nikolim lunged—and missed.
"You think I don't know what you're up to? Wait your turn and don't make a fuss," Flo pouted, scolding her.
"Hehe… okay. Sorry, Master," Nikolim murmured softly.
"But Master… you really misunderstood me. I'm not lusting after your body… I just wanted to thank you."
Flo: "…Thank me?"
"Before you took me in, I was all alone—wandering the streets, doing odd jobs by day, turning into slime to sleep in the park at night. I was always hungry and cold. Sometimes, when I had no money for food, I'd even turn into slime and steal steamed buns… and when people caught me, they'd call me filthy and throw me into the trash…"
"You changed my life, Master. Now I eat well, stay warm, and never go hungry or cold again."
"Master probably thinks I'm dirty—a homeless slime like me… But I don't mind. Just being allowed to stay with you is my greatest happiness!"
"Thank you… Master…"
Nikolim's voice trembled with tears as she poured out her heart.
Flo: "No, wait—don't do this to me! (๑ŏ ﹏ ŏ๑)"
Why the sudden emotional gut-punch?! Now Flo felt like a total jerk!
If it was really just about gratitude… then maybe…
Feeling guilty, Flo slowly opened the bathroom door.
"Nini… was all that… true?"
"Of course not."
"…Huh? Wait, wha—?!"
In an instant, Nikolim conjured slime ropes and bound them tightly together.
She pressed close, their faces nearly touching, chests squished together.
"There's no complicated reason—I just *really* like you, Master~"
"Take this! ♡"
"You little cheat! Mmph—!"
Before Flo could even summon her "Big Sister Mode," Nikolim sealed her lips with a sudden kiss.
The towel slipped to the floor.
And just like that, they tumbled into the bathtub together.
That night, the bathroom echoed with soft moans and endless springtime bliss.