There was only one way they could actually pull it off—
...and that was by performing a Love Link.
A Love Link wasn't just some casual power-up.
No, it was a complete transformation.
It would surge through Hina like wildfire, amplifying every part of her existence, boosting her strength, her speed, as well as her destructive power.
Every single attack she landed would be infused with overwhelming force.
And at its peak, it might even grant her the strength to utterly disintegrate the man waiting outside, reducing him to ash in the blink of an eye.
But there was a requirement for that power to be achieved.
A Love Link required sex.
Only through physical intimacy could the connection be triggered, unlocking that uncontrollable strength.
Outside, the enemy stood there calmly, as though the barrier keeping him away meant nothing to him.
He didn't appear interested in breaking it—or even testing its limits. He was just… watching.
But Kouhei wasn't fooled.
That man could absolutely punch his way through if he wanted to. Kouhei was sure of it.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy.
The barrier was incredibly durable, crafted with precision and imbued with power by Yuuna herself.
But still… it wasn't invincible.
And that was the problem.
Just because he wasn't trying to break it now didn't mean he wouldn't change his mind later.
So why wasn't he doing anything?
Why was he just standing there, and was remaining motionless?
Did that mean they had a window of opportunity?
"Kouhei," Hina said. "I'm sure that's Masayoshi. He's one of the top leaders and he was in charge of some of Yuuna's brother's forces. I've never met him directly, but I've read the reports Yuuna gave me. Masayoshi's the type of guy who puts a lot of value in things that are aesthetically pleasing to him. Looks matter to him... probably more than they should."
Her eyes flicked outside, toward the barrier shimmering faintly in the light, like a dome of polished glass with magical veins running across its surface.
"Right now… he probably thinks the barrier is beautiful. And because of that, he won't destroy it. Not until he gets tired of admiring it."
That... was a bizarre personality quirk.
But as strange as it was, now that she'd said it, Kouhei could see it too.
Masayoshi was obsessed with beauty as well as obsessed with aesthetics.
And ironically, Yuuna's barrier—meant for defense—was likely holding up better right now because of that obsession.
The very thing that was supposed to be just a tool… was now their saving grace.
"Well… I guess the only thing left to do now is—"
"Right," Hina said quickly, cutting him off.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, grabbed Kouhei by his tie, and yanked him into a kiss.
Just a few feet away, Hiyori's entire body jolted like she'd been struck by lightning.
"W-Wait! What are you two doingggg!?" she shrieked.
Her face erupted in red, cheeks burning with intense heat.
She covered her eyes with trembling hands, peeking through her fingers with disbelief and horror, as if she'd just witnessed a sacred rule of reality being shattered in front of her.
It was too much and too sudden.
Hina turned her head slowly to look at Hiyori, her lips still glistening slightly from the kiss, her expression calm and sharp.
"For a slut, you sure do still get embarrassed," she said coolly.
"I-I'm not a slut!" Hiyori blurted out, voice cracking with panic. "A-And what the hell are you doing!? W-Why did you kiss him like that!?"
'Come to think of it… that was the second time,' she thought, stunned. 'He's been kissed in front of me… again.'
She couldn't believe it. How brazen could they be? Just kissing him like that, without even asking, without a care for who was watching? Was that normal to them?
And that kiss wasn't even simple.
There had been tongue.
Her head spun at the memory.
"H-Hina-san, I don't think it's appropriate to show that to Ichinose-san," Kouhei said awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Hiyori-san. I'm sure that was uncomfortable. If you'll excuse us for just a moment…"
He started to step away, gently turning his body to move out of Hiyori's sight, clearly hoping to give her space.
But his words didn't calm her down... they made her panic even more.
"W-Wait! Okumura-kun!? What do you mean if I'll excuse you!? What does that mean!? Are you going somewhere!?"
"That's got nothing to do with you," Hina said coldly, tugging him closer again. She took his hand and brazenly pushed his arm between her breasts.
Her movements were so shameless, so deliberate, that Hiyori felt her heart stop.
Just how far had these two gone?
"I-It does have something to do with me!" Hiyori cried, fists clenched and voice trembling. "I'm in love with Okumura-kun, so I have the right to know what the hell the two of you are doing!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Hina raised a brow, smirking. "Well then, by all means—be my guest."
She tilted her head slightly, looking down on Hiyori with a smug, almost mocking expression.
"That way, you'll understand just how far apart we really are."
The two women locked eyes, sparks flying between them. Their bodies closed the distance with slow and deliberate steps.
Then—press—their breasts collided with each other, the soft pressure pushing back as they leaned in closer, refusing to back down.
Neither of them blinked.
Neither of them gave an inch.
"Hina-san, I really don't think this is the right time for this kind of thing," Kouhei muttered.
"It absolutely is, Kouhei," Hina said firmly. "This needs to be resolved now—so that she stops holding on to any more wrong ideas."
"I don't think I've got the wrong idea here, Saionji-san."
Her eyes were wide, but steady.
They were sparkling with a kind of desperate defiance that suggested she wasn't going to retreat, no matter what.
"Is that so? Hmmm, okay then. This is the second-year building, right? That means the infirmary should be here as well," Hina said. Her gaze drifted over the corridor. "Let's head there."
"Huh? Why the infirmary?" Hiyori asked, blinking rapidly, her brow furrowed.
Her confusion was genuine.
What the hell could they need an infirmary for in the middle of this kind of situation?
"Well, why, you say?" Hina replied smoothly, the corner of her lips quirking up into a faint, knowing smile. "That's because it's going to be really uncomfortable for us if there's no bed, right?"
The word exploded from Hiyori's mouth like a gunshot.
"D-Don't tell me... you two are..."
"We are going to have sex."
Hina delivered the words flatly, like she was commenting on the weather, her voice utterly devoid of shame or hesitation. She said it like it was routine, mundane even.
The word caught in Hiyori's throat, crumbling before it could fully form. Her face turned crimson, her lips trembling as the syllable fell apart. Her mind, clearly, was struggling to keep up.
"W-Why are you going to have s-s-s-sex now, of all times!?"
Her voice cracked, filled with disbelief and something else—panic, maybe.
Even though Hiyori had never seen anything like it before, she could tell just from how Kouhei and Hina had been fighting that it wasn't something they could deal with easily.
And this was what they were doing?
And from how casual they were, from how naturally the words came out of their mouths… it wasn't the first time either. They were used to this.
"Which is why I'm asking you to stay here for a bit," Kouhei said gently. "Or at least wait outside the room, somewhere you won't have to see anything. I mean, I doubt you want to witness something like that, right?"
He wasn't being harsh. He was trying to be kind. But that only made it worse.
Hiyori stared at him, wide-eyed. Her throat tightened as if the words had punched a hole straight through her chest.
"A-Are you saying I'd be too embarrassed to watch you two have sex?" she spat, voice shaking as her pride flared up like a flame. "That I'm too naive? That I'm too much of a child to handle it?"
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.
"Well, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm not so sheltered that I'd just run off in tears over something like that! You're underestimating me, Okumura-kun!"
Her face burned red, but her eyes didn't break contact.
"I'm not going to just sit around and pretend like I'm not involved. Like I don't matter. Like I'm just supposed to watch everything from the sidelines! I am involved. So I'm going to see this through. I'm going to watch."
Her declaration was loud. The words echoed off the walls.
Kouhei turned his head slightly toward Hina, his expression conflicted. His eyes silently asked... What now?
But Hina didn't seem fazed at all. She simply smiled.
"You don't have to worry, Kouhei," she said, her voice calm and almost too casual. "Besides, anything she sees here will be erased anyway."
If Misuzu used her power, Hiyori's memories of everything that happened here—including that part—would be completely wiped.
Kouhei found that oddly convenient… but at the same time, it made him feel just a little uneasy.