Meanwhile, in the subconscious world—
"Fufufu~... You sure are persistent, huh?" Yui said, her voice laced with mocking amusement as she twirled her glowing blade effortlessly in one hand.
Her tone was half-teasing, half-annoyed.
"Don't you think this is getting a little tiring by now? You've been fighting since earlier and swinging that sword like your life depends on it—and not even one hit." She let out a dramatic sigh. "I'm honestly getting bored, you know?"
"You won't get away with this," the angel growled, her voice taut with exhaustion and frustration, her light wings flickering erratically as she tried to hover away, sweat dripping from her brow.
"You're right. I won't," Yui replied with a wicked grin, the edges of her mouth twitching upward before she lunged forward in a flash, slashing her sword of light down with a fierce, elegant arc.
The angel gasped just as the blade made contact.
She was engulfed instantly in a brilliant wave of light, her figure disintegrating midair like fragile glass, leaving behind only a fading shimmer.
Yui exhaled, casually spinning her sword once before letting it vanish into motes of energy.
"Ugh… so that was the last of them, huh?" she muttered, brushing a few loose strands of hair from her face as she turned around with a smirk. "Looks like they've finally given up trying to put us down in this world, Okumura-senpai."
Kouhei stepped out from the ruined doorway of the building, bamboo sword resting over his shoulder, its edges chipped from overuse but still sturdy.
"Is that right?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well, they might show up again eventually," Yui said, tilting her head thoughtfully. "But for now, it seems they're betting everything on you not getting revived. Fufufu~... Pretty desperate, huh? But that's probably all they've got left."
Kouhei's expression tightened.
His gaze dropped to the cracked floor for a moment before rising again to meet hers.
"And the others?" he asked.
"It looks like they finally found the place to do the ritual," Yui replied, walking toward him with a light, rhythmic pace. "But they're in a pinch. They need a massive surge of mana to pull off the resurrection. The only real way they can generate that kind of power is by doing a Love Link." She paused, her lips curling into a sly, knowing smile. It was a smile that was saying that she have something mischievous. "And since I'm the only one who can reach you here… it looks like you're stuck with me, senpai. Hina-senpai plans to connect our senses using something she called Sensory Sharing while we do it."
Her tone was light, teasing—
But the glint in her eyes told him she wasn't joking.
"Don't make jokes like that," Kouhei said flatly, but his voice carried hesitation.
"Eh? But I'm being serious, senpai~" Yui replied, her grin widening, a flirtatious sparkle in her gaze. "Like I said, they need mana. Lots of it. And Hina-senpai seemed pretty dead set that Love Linking would be enough. You know how serious she gets."
Kouhei looked at her intently. She wasn't making light of the situation.
er usual mischievous tone was there, sure—but beneath it was an undertone of urgency and sincerity.
"Can you really afford to keep second-guessing things, Okumura-senpai?" she asked, voice soft but firm. She stepped closer. "You've only got a few hours left. Time's flowing slower here, yeah, but back in the real world... almost ten days have passed. That's just within the few hours you've been here."
If he didn't act soon, he would disappear and fade from existence altogether.
And the memory of the girls—how they cried when he died... the sheer pain and sorrow etched into their faces—that was something he couldn't bear to feel again.
"...Alright," Kouhei said at last, jaw clenched. "Let's do the Love Link."
They relocated to one of the classrooms.
It was a quiet, dimly lit place, the atmosphere thick with tension and something heavier.
Yui was already seated on top of the table, her back straight and confident, one long leg elegantly crossed over the other.
She looked relaxed, but her eyes sparkled with something deeper.
"My stockings got completely ruined, senpai," she said with a soft, amused voice, fingers tracing the torn fabric around her thigh. Her smile never once left her lips.
"Earlier, you came on them when I used my feet on you, remember?" she continued, her tone both playful and seductive. "And then you ripped them open at the crotch too."
As she slowly uncrossed and recrossed her legs, Kouhei caught a full glimpse of the damage, his handiwork, rough and instinctive.
The thin, sheer material was torn wide at the center, baring the spot he had so carelessly ravaged in the heat of the moment.
"Well… sorry about that," Kouhei muttered, a little awkwardly.
"It's fine," Yui giggled softly. Her laugh was light, melodic and... kind of genuine. "I think it's kinda cute how you acted like a ravaging beast back then. And besides, whatever happens in this world doesn't affect the real world directly."
She leaned back slightly, tilting her head toward him.
"I'm still connected to my real body, so I'll feel everything that happens here. But technically, this world isn't happening in real time. It's like one of your dating sims, right, senpai~? You can save the game, experiment with a few bad ends, and if you mess up, just reload from your last checkpoint. It's like nothing ever happened."
Her eyes gleamed with mischief and intent.
"So if you want to ravish me right now… I don't think it'll really matter that much."
Her voice lowered on that last line, the air between them crackling with something warm, electric, and undeniably intimate.
Kouhei stared at her, caught between disbelief and confusion.
Was she messing with him? Or was she completely serious?
She smiled wider, her lips curling into a slow, tempting grin.
"I'm fine with everything, senpai," she said, voice dipping into a whisper. "Even real sex… if that's what you desire."