The moment Izumi heard Ram and Rem's complaints, black lines practically appeared across his face.
He shot the twin maids an annoyed glare.
The sisters immediately glared right back without the slightest hesitation.
Their eyes seemed filled with resentment.
Izumi blinked.
Then he suddenly understood.
"Oh..."
"So you're jealous."
"I see now."
The moment those words left his mouth, the twins' expressions froze.
They exchanged a glance.
Then, without another word, both vanished from the spot.
Watching them disappear, Izumi couldn't help sighing dramatically.
"Honestly, these maids are terrible at their jobs."
"They actually abandoned their post halfway through."
"What a shame."
"If it were Rita, she'd probably be helping me prepare everything already."
Thinking about it, he couldn't help shaking his head.
Among all the maids around him, Rita Rossweisse and Grayfia were undoubtedly the most reliable.
They rarely argued with him and often handled matters before he even asked.
Ram and Rem, on the other hand, were by far the most rebellious.
...
Meanwhile, Kotori Minami sat quietly beside him, her face burning red.
She had practically buried her head in her chest by now.
Seeing her reaction, Izumi chuckled.
Gently lifting her chin, he asked,
"Kotori-chan, you've learned dancing before, haven't you?"
Kotori nodded softly.
"Y-Yes..."
The moment she answered, she immediately looked away again.
She simply couldn't meet his gaze.
Izumi smiled.
"I've heard dancers have excellent flexibility."
"Would you let me watch you dance sometime?"
Kotori froze.
For a moment, she misunderstood what he meant.
After hesitating, she quietly nodded.
The next instant—
The scenery around them vanished.
When Kotori regained her bearings, she found herself sitting on a large, soft bed inside a luxurious room.
"...Eh?"
Only then did she realize what kind of "dance" Izumi had been referring to.
Her face instantly turned crimson.
She wasn't prepared at all.
Yet before she could gather her thoughts, everything around her seemed to move much faster than expected.
...
Some time later...
Kotori lay comfortably against a pillow, feeling as though every muscle in her body had been exhausted after an intense dance performance.
Her entire body felt weak.
She didn't even want to move.
Looking at Izumi beside her, she spoke softly.
"Izumi... darling..."
The title still sounded awkward coming from her lips.
Originally, Izumi had jokingly suggested something even more embarrassing, but Kotori absolutely refused.
This was already her compromise.
"Don't you think we're moving a little too fast?"
Hearing that, Izumi shook his head.
"Not at all."
"If anything, we're moving pretty slowly."
"After all, we've already got quite a history together, don't we?"
Kotori immediately rolled her eyes.
"What kind of history is that supposed to be?"
She honestly didn't know how to respond to his strange logic.
Then suddenly, she remembered something important.
"Ah!"
"I almost forgot."
"I actually came here because I wanted to ask you something."
Izumi looked surprised.
"Oh?"
"What is it?"
Kotori sat up slightly.
"Recently, Muse has been earning quite a lot of points."
"So we've been thinking..."
"Should we buy some abilities or equipment to improve our strength?"
Izumi blinked.
"You want to become stronger?"
Kotori nodded seriously.
"Yes."
"If we stay ordinary people forever, it's a little worrying."
"Especially after hearing that story."
"What story?"
Kotori immediately began explaining.
"A while ago, there was a streamer who argued with someone online."
"Then she was apparently dragged away through the network itself."
"When she returned, she looked completely traumatized."
"Nobody knows what happened."
"It's terrifying."
"So everyone thinks we should get stronger just in case."
Hearing that explanation, Izumi's expression became rather strange.
After all...
He knew exactly what had happened.
Because he was the culprit.
...
After a brief silence, Izumi nodded.
"Fair enough."
"If you're looking for something useful..."
"How about a magical girl transformation device?"
Kotori stared blankly.
"...A magical girl?"
Izumi nodded confidently.
"Recently, quite a few magical girls have settled in the city."
"They've developed some excellent transformation systems."
"I could even customize one specifically for you."
"You can choose whatever costume design you want."
"And it provides a significant boost in combat ability."
The more he talked, the more excited he became.
Honestly, it sounded like a great idea.
Kotori, however, looked conflicted.
"Aren't magical girls supposed to be for children?"
"Wouldn't it be embarrassing?"
Izumi immediately shook his head.
"Not at all."
"You'd be surprised how many grown adults use them."
"Some of them are men."
"Trust me, it's very popular."
Kotori suddenly didn't know whether she should be reassured or even more concerned.
Before she could say anything else, Izumi sat upright.
A burst of divine power gathered in his hands.
He had created countless artifacts before.
Making one more was effortless.
Golden light swirled around him.
Moments later, a beautifully crafted transformation device appeared in his palm.
Kotori stared in shock.
"That fast?!"
Izumi casually examined his handiwork before tossing it toward her.
"There."
"A custom-made transformation device."
"Normally, something with this level of performance would cost five million points."
"But since it's you..."
"I'll erase two zeros."
"Fifty thousand points."
"Limited-time offer."
"Buy it now before I change my mind."
Kotori looked at the device.
Then at Izumi.
Then back at the device.
She had the distinct feeling that even after removing two zeros, Izumi was still making a ridiculous profit.
But somehow...
She couldn't bring herself to argue.