"My word, it really is true. Time flows differently inside that villa."
That was the first thing out of Ayaka's mouth as we stepped out of Evangeline's log house and back into the world.
We had spent a full night in the villa. There had been a minor incident when Ayaka tried—for reasons known only to her—to sneak into my bed, but Chizuru had intervened with a polite "Ho-ho-ho" and escorted her back to their assigned room. Aside from that, the night had passed peacefully, and we were now officially back on school grounds.
"Being able to use that villa whenever we need more time seems incredibly convenient," Ayaka mused.
Evangeline smirked, her eyes gleaming with a touch of mischief. "I don't mind lending it to you, but keep in mind that every hour you spend in there is an hour you're aging. I wouldn't recommend it for you humans. You two already look older than the other—actually, never mind."
The moment the word 'older' left her lips, Chizuru's eyes glinted with a sharp, piercing intensity that seemed to pin Eva to the spot. Even the high-and-mighty vampire felt the pressure and quickly changed the subject.
"At any rate, while the villa is a godsend for someone like me who exists outside of time, it has its drawbacks for mortals. If you're still willing to pay that price, I'll consider letting you use it. Well? What do you say?"
"Aging faster than everyone else is a bit of a problem," Ayaka admitted, looking troubled. "Is there no solution?"
Eva closed her eyes, searching her centuries of memories. "I believe there are artifacts in the Magic World that can halt the wearer's internal clock... but those are incredibly rare treasures. Certainly not something we could just stumble upon here. A master treasure hunter might find one in some ancient ruin, but it's far beyond your current capabilities. ...Though, knowing Axel, he'd probably find a way to make it happen regardless."
An accessory that stops time. That caught my attention. If I was going to be jumping between worlds, the time discrepancy between here and the White Star was something I needed to account for. Finding a way to stabilize my own time was a high priority.
"Well, we should be going now," Chizuru said, bowing gracefully. "Evangeline-san, thank you for everything today."
Eva waved them off with a dry chuckle. "Don't mention it. That mock battle with Axel was as much for my benefit as it was for his."
"Then, Axel-san, Yukihiro-san, Naba-san—we shall see you in class tomorrow," Chachamaru added.
"Ke-ke-ke! I'm lookin' forward to the next time we try to kill each other!" Chachazero cackled.
With the three—or rather, two and a half—denizens of the log house seeing us off, we began the walk back toward the girls' dorm. The winter air was crisp and clear, and the deep red of the setting sun painted the landscape with a heavy sense of nostalgia as we walked together.
"Axel-kun, you were so strong," Ayaka sighed dreamily.
"He was," Chizuru agreed. "That dignified way you fight... I almost wanted to record it."
"Exactly!" Ayaka lamented. "That I, Yukihiro Ayaka, failed to capture such a heroic sight on film is a disgrace!"
"Oh dear," Chizuru teased. "But if you recorded it, Natsumi-chan or the rest of the class might see it, wouldn't they? Then we couldn't keep Axel-kun's secret."
Ayaka gasped, her face pale. "You're right! If the other girls saw him in action, they'd all fall for him in an instant! Oh, but the temptation to see his gallant form whenever I wish... I don't know if I can win against it!"
I listened to Ayaka's usual high-strung antics with a wry smile, then felt a small hand slip into mine. I looked up to see Chizuru smiling down at me.
"Don't tease me too much," I muttered.
"Oh, but it's true. You really were quite dashing during the match, Axel-kun. Even I found myself getting a little carried away watching you."
"..."
I looked away, staying silent. Chizuru likely thought she was just being sweet to a child, but being praised so openly by someone like her was actually quite embarrassing. I'd thought I'd gotten used to women after getting together with Lemon and the others, but apparently, I still had a ways to go.
And if I stay in this body forever, what then? I thought grimly. I am not looking forward to Lemon or Muu laughing at me when I finally get back to the White Star.
"Well then," Chizuru said brightly. "As a reward, I'll make whatever you want for dinner tonight. Any requests?"
"Anything you make is delicious, Chizuru. I don't have a specific—actually, wait. Since I'm finally in Japan, I'd love some soba."
"Soba? In this weather, I suppose you'd want it hot?"
"Yeah. If there's shrimp tempura or some fritters to go with it, I won't complain."
"Wait just a minute, Chizuru-san!" Ayaka barked. "Are you trying to steal another march on me?!"
"Ayaka, Axel-kun said he wants soba. Is that a problem?" Chizuru asked, her voice perfectly sweet.
She handled Ayaka with the practiced ease of a master. Ayaka blinked, then nodded reflexively.
"Well... no, of course not. In that case, I shall call home and have them deliver the finest, high-grade soba immediately!"
"That's a lovely thought, but by the time they prepare it and deliver it, the food will be cold," Chizuru pointed out.
"That's—ugh, you're right. Wait! Chizuru-san, are you just trying to use this as an opportunity to show off your cooking skills to Axel-kun?!"
I'd already eaten Chizuru's cooking several times; her skills weren't exactly a secret. But as the words 'tempura' and 'soba' hung in the air, my stomach gave a loud, insistent growl, making my own physical needs known.
"Oh dear," Chizuru giggled. "We'd better stop by the shopping district on the way back. I don't think we have any soba noodles or tempura ingredients left in the room."
"Fine," Ayaka huffed. "For Axel-kun's sake, I shall yield to your plan for today."
We reached a consensus and bought some fresh soba from Chizuru's favorite shop before heading back to the dorm. Since it was just after New Year's, the shops were still well-stocked with high-quality seasonal noodles.
"Ah, Chizu-nee, Class Rep, Axel-kun! Welcome back. It's rare to see you guys out this late. Where have you been?"
We ran into Natsumi near the dorm entrance. She was still in her school gear, likely coming back from a Drama Club meeting, and she was surrounded by a few other students—probably her clubmates.
"Axel-kun wanted soba for dinner, so we went out to get the ingredients," Chizuru explained with a smile.
The students around Natsumi immediately zeroed in on me, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Wait, Natsumi, who's the kid?"
"Whoa, he's seriously cute. Can I take him home? Please?"
"Ah, wait, you guys can't just—" Natsumi started to protest, but she was too slow.
"Now see here!" Ayaka stepped forward, her arms crossed. "Axel-kun is under our care. 'Take him home'? 'Sleep with him'? 'Give him a bath'? Honestly, the way you girls simply voice your base desires without shame is appalling!"
"...Class Rep, literally nobody said anything about sleeping or bathing," Natsumi deadpanned.
Natsumi's friends laughed and started teasing Ayaka, shouting "She's right!" and "No fair, Class Rep!" in unison.
"Now, now, Natsumi-chan, Ayaka. Axel-kun is hungry, so let's get upstairs. And you girls—don't be too naughty, alright?" Chizuru said, her smile never wavering.
"Ugh... when Chizu-nee says it like that, I can't really argue," one of the friends muttered.
"Yeah. She's always bringing us snacks and being so nice," another added.
"...Plus, she's terrifying when she's actually mad," a third whispered.
"Ho-ho-ho. Did someone say something?" Chizuru's smile deepened, and an invisible weight seemed to settle over the group.
Terrified by the sudden spike in "pressure," Natsumi's friends shrieked and scrambled into the dorm, leaving Natsumi standing there alone.
"Natsumi-chan," Chizuru said sweetly. "Could you tell me what the Drama Club's opinion of me is lately?"
"Chizu-nee is super popular! Everyone loves you! You bring the best snacks and you're so kind and gentle!" Natsumi blurted out in a single breath, nodding frantically.
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely!"
Satisfied, Chizuru withdrew her aura and turned back to us. "Well then, shall we head to the room?"
"Yes, let's," Ayaka agreed. "Axel-kun must be famished."
The fact that Ayaka could interact with Chizuru so normally in that state really proved she was made of sturdy stuff.
"Wait, Axel-kun is hungry already?" Natsumi asked, tilting her head. "He ate so much at the welcome party."
"W-Well, he's a growing boy!" Ayaka stammered. "And besides, the party was mostly just snacks and juice. It's only natural he'd want a real meal."
"I guess so. Was I like that as a kid? I can't remember," Natsumi pondered as Chizuru took her arm and led her inside.
"Ah, Axel-kun, welcome back!"
As soon as we stepped into the lobby, another voice called out. It was Yuuna Akashi, the girl who sat in front of me in class. She was with a few other familiar faces.
"Yo. Welcome back."
A tall girl with a high ponytail stepped forward and, for some reason, started patting my head. I recognized her from class, but with nearly thirty girls to keep track of, I hadn't memorized every name yet. I looked up at her kindly face, trying to place the name.
She seemed to realize my confusion, tilted her head for a second, then nodded understandingly. "Right. Yuuna told me about you, but I guess it's a bit much to remember the whole class on your first day. I'm Akira Okochi. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, I should introduce myself too. I'm Ako Izumi. Nice to meet ya!" A girl with a blueish short-cut hairstyle waved from Akira's side.
"And me! I'm Makie Sasaki from the Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. Good to meet you!" This girl popped out from behind Akira, her pink hair tied in twin tails.
"Axel-kun, these girls are all in sports clubs, so they're quite close," Ayaka explained as she joined us.
"Welcome back, Class Rep," Makie said. "We figured you'd be with Axel-kun when we couldn't find you."
Ayaka tilted her head. "Did you need me for something?"
"Not us, but Asuna was looking for you. She was running all over the school shouting your name."
"Asuna-san? I wonder what she wanted?" Chizuru mused.
"Who knows? She only stopped by the gym for a second while I was practicing," Makie said.
"Since it's Asuna, it's probably something to do with Takahata-sensei, don'tcha think?" Yuuna added with a grin.
"Honestly, that girl..." Ayaka sighed, though she looked secretly pleased. They really were the classic "frenemy" duo.
In the end, we invited the "Sporty Four" to join us, and the eight of us had dinner together. The soba was excellent, and the shrimp tempura—perfectly crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside—was a highlight.
Name: Axel Almer
LV: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evasion: 302 | Accuracy: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to increase Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-rounder/Special
Terrain: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (4 SP)
Effort (8 SP)
Focus (16 SP)
Direct Hit (30 SP)
Awakening (32 SP)
Love (48 SP)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Telekinesis LV.10
Attacker
Gunfight LV.9
Infight LV.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summoning)
???
???
Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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