After carrying the Mikuriya sisters to the sofa in the living room, I returned once more to the western wing—Nanami-san’s room. I never expected to visit in this way.
Given the situation, it wasn’t the time to leisurely knock, but I couldn’t open the door without permission, so I lightly tapped on it.
“—You can come in, nya.”
Her speech already had a cat-like quality to it. For a moment, I thought it was the usual Nanami-san, but that was a naive assumption.
“…Excuse me.”
Even with the magical detection glasses I wore, there seemed to be no traps on the door. I hadn’t heard that such things could be detected, so it provided a bit of reassurance.
I opened the door—there was a faint, pleasant scent in the air.
(Wait… is it really okay to breathe in the fragrance from a water spirit…?)
Once I started doubting, it was hard to stop. More than that, I was worried about Nanami-san’s condition.
Only a nightlight was on, with some indirect lighting present. Besides a desk for studying, there was a computer desk with a tower PC that looked unusual and probably wasn’t sold in stores—a stark contrast in the otherwise chic room.
“…Fujiwara-kun, were you playing with the Mikuriya sisters?”
“Uh… n-no, that is…”
In the direction of the voice, a larger bed than one would expect for the petite Nanami-san was placed.
I had been too naive in my assumptions—given how the Mikuriya sisters were, I should have been able to imagine how Nanami-san might be doing.
“…Things won’t go the same way as last time. Last time, I lost so easily.”
It seemed that the memories from when she was under the illusion had carried over from the previous time.
Nanami-san had silver ears atop her head. Her tail, along with her naturally light-colored hair, created a look that was almost unfairly harmonious.
“…I can tell by your eyes. You’re happy.”
“Uh… n-no, it’s just…”
“Do boys like this kind of outfit?”
If Rin had cast this illusion, it was a stretch to think she would make Nanami-san act this way—but since Rin was a monster, it was plausible she had reasons I couldn’t fathom.
“…Are you thinking about something else?”
Before I knew it, Nanami-san had gotten off the bed—she was now touching my cheek.
I felt like I could get lost in her large, upturned eyes. But I couldn’t ignore what was hidden deep in her gaze—the mysterious shimmer within them.
“I think about you a lot, Fujiwara-kun. You’re kind to the Mikuriya sisters, and to the others too.”
“N-no, it’s not like I’m nice to everyone…”
“…I know. I just met you a little earlier than everyone else… But…”
Something was conveyed from Nanami-san’s hand, which was now hovering close.
“Magic Craft.” I wondered what she had transformed her magic into just now.
“Ugh… N-Nanami-san…”
“It’s not just ice and fire; I can change it to other things too.”
“…Other things?”
“Magic that resonates well. I think we can become friends… just by touching…”
After whispering in my ear, Nanami-san gently pulled back.
“…Let’s continue from before. I didn’t remember what happened halfway through last time…”
“W-when did…?”
Nanami-san was holding a massage device—she tucked it away into the desk drawer.
“If I have this, I can’t win against you… so using it is forbidden.”
It had been sealed—my only weapon that I could use against allies. If it was just an excuse of massage, then so be it.
“But… if you really wanted to, you could stop me anytime.”
“T-That’s true, but…”
“…If I said using stopping skills was also forbidden, would you get angry?”
More than angry, I wondered what would happen if I didn’t use “Fix”—saying it was forbidden just because Nanami-san said so lacked integrity.
“…Alright, those two are prohibited then.”
“…Really?”
Nanami-san flashed a precious smile—but it wasn’t quite her usual self; it had more of a cat-like vibe.
“(What on earth is Rin trying to achieve with this…? Is it to gain magic power…?)”
“Then… let’s decide who goes first.”
“Eh…?”
“…It wouldn’t be fair otherwise.”
Nanami-san reached out her hand—apparently, we were deciding it with rock-paper-scissors.
“Let’s have a tie. A tie… Ah! I lost…”
“So I win, huh…”
“…Then… you go first, Fujiwara-kun.”
Nanami-san relaxed her body—and with her eyes closed, she kept looking up at me.
“(What am I enduring this for…?)”
Nanami-san waited in silence. But—losing at rock-paper-scissors didn’t explain how calm she seemed.
Cat ears and a tail. I mustn’t be deceived; this was the illusion cast by Rin.
“Kyah… Fujiwara-kun…”
I lifted Nanami-san and had her lie face down on the bed.
“…How long is the first turn?”
“…About five minutes… no, you can do whatever you want, Fujiwara-kun.”
“That’s a relief… I don’t even know how much time I’ll need.”
“…Slowly… if possible, gently… Ah…”
I touched Nanami-san’s shoulder. After all this back and forth, I had found my clues—I had no choice but to rely on them now.
