"...I think I can move now."
As the Witch's kiss imprinted on his cheek, Sora's body quickly regained its mobility.
Opening his eyes, Sora looked at Angel-sama, who had scampered several meters away, her pretty face burning so crimson it looked ready to drip blood. His tone was complex and subtle:
"Just now, was that..."
"Don't ask anything, Sora-kun!" Mahiru's pretty face was burning hot, so ashamed she didn't dare lift her head to look at him. "Hurry up and go save them!"
"And if I insist on asking?"
"T-Then I'll just have to use physical means to make Sora-kun lose his memory of what just happened..."
"Please, absolutely do not do that."
"..."
Since Angel-sama forbade him from asking, Sora naturally wouldn't purposely seek a beating. After all, there was serious business to attend to right now.
"Let's go." Sora turned and walked toward the beach, his tone confident. "Leave that lady to me."
"Please..."
Mahiru looked down at her toes and shamefully stepped forward to follow.
(I-I actually kissed Sora-kun...)
Pursing her pink lips, Mahiru felt as if the temperature and touch of the boy's cheek still lingered on her lips.
The girl's sense of shame was quietly overflowing.
But Angel-sama didn't regret it.
There was no discomfort, no grievance, and certainly no disgust. Only an indescribable, subtle emotion quietly spreading in her heart.
If she could turn back time, Mahiru knew very well she would make the exact same choice again.
The two walked in silence and soon reached the beach.
"Take off your clothes before going into the water." Sora said as he began to undress. "Once clothes absorb water, they drastically increase the weight you carry."
"I know..."
Mahiru covered her chest and responded softly.
Taking off your clothes before swimming is common knowledge. Mahiru naturally couldn't have forgotten. It was just that there were many fishermen on the seawall and pedestrians collecting shells on the beach. Although no one would notice even if she stripped naked during Time Stop, it was still way too embarrassing.
Aside from Sora, she completely didn't want anyone else to see.
That's why Mahiru had preferred swimming in her clothes to save the girl earlier.
"Here, drape this over yourself."
Sora took off his jacket and handed it to Angel-sama.
"Thank you..."
Mahiru looked up. Her gaze involuntarily fell on Sora. Seeing those distinctly contoured muscles, perfectly aligning with the golden ratio and brimming with aesthetic appeal and explosive power, her heartbeat involuntarily sped up rapidly. She hurriedly lowered her head in embarrassment to look at her toes.
Sora didn't pay attention to the girl's secret glances. After taking off his jacket, he also took off his pants, leaving only a pair of boxer briefs.
The walk from the seawall to here served as a warm-up. Now that his clothes were off, he could directly enter the water to save the drowning woman.
But after taking just two steps, Sora suddenly froze:
"Mahiru-san, hurry up and replenish my mana."
"Eh?"
"My body can't move again."
"..."
"There really is no heartbeat." Mahiru placed her right hand on Sora's chest, gently furrowing her delicate eyebrows. "Why is it like this?"
Clearly, a hug allowed him to speak for a long time. Why did a much more embarrassing kiss only allow him to move for a few minutes?
As an outstanding student, Mahiru was quite smart and quickly thought of a possibility.
"C-Could it be... kissing the cheek isn't enough? For Sora-kun to move for a long time in the time-stopped world, it has to be that kind of terrible kiss..."
The video she had seen on the phone a couple of nights ago involuntarily popped into her mind. Mahiru subconsciously substituted herself and Sora into it, and the girl's sense of shame finally detonated. White steam whistled out from the top of her head.
(Kissing the cheek is already the limit!)
(That kind of thing... that kind of thing is only allowed after we start dating!)
"Mahiru-san, are we still going to save her?"
Sora's faint voice broke in, interrupting Angel-sama, whose head was full of shameful images.
"Ah..."
Hearing this, Mahiru let out a soft cry, hurriedly looking at her toes in shame:
"S-Sora-kun, close your eyes!"
"Yes, yes."
Sora obediently closed his eyes.
Before long.
A touch of softness and warmth was once again imprinted on his cheek.
Earlier you kissed the right cheek, now you kissed the left cheek... To actually care about symmetry at a time like this, you really are in the late stages of OCD!
"I can move again." Sora flexed his body while looking at Mahiru. "Each kiss only allows me to move for a few minutes. The time probably won't be enough for me to rescue her."
"I-It wasn't a kiss!" Mahiru shamefully denied it.
"Sorry, slip of the tongue. It was actually mana replenishment." Sora's expression remained unchanged, obediently correcting himself. "What do we do if the movement time isn't enough?"
"Sora-kun, don't worry." Mahiru exhaled softly, looking down at the sand beneath her feet. While she was kissing him to replenish mana just now, she had already thought of a countermeasure. "I'll go over with Sora-kun... If you can't move, I-I will take responsibility for replenishing your mana again."
"Then there's no problem."
Sora set his mind at ease and stepped towards the sea:
"Let's go, let's go save her."
"..."
Entering the calm sea, Sora quickly swam to the drowning housewife. He hugged her waist from behind and swam toward the shore using only one arm.
It had to be said, the housewife in front of him was indeed the plump type. Her clothes were even heavier after soaking in water. Fortunately, Sora's character level had leveled up, and his various attributes had surpassed those of ordinary humans. Saving her was a breeze, and he wouldn't embarrass himself.
"Sora-kun is so strong..."
Mahiru quietly marveled in her heart. Her gaze involuntarily fell on Sora. As he swam forward, every muscle worked together, displaying an indescribable explosive power that made it hard to look away.
After swimming just a short distance, Sora's pause button was suddenly pressed. He sank downwards, bubbling blub blub blub.
"Ehhhhh?"
Mahiru hurriedly dove underwater. Seeing Sora sinking straight down, she naturally couldn't bother making him close his eyes at a time like this. She quickly swam forward and replenished his mana with another kiss.
Splash.
Sora surfaced, coughing and spitting out seawater:
"So this is what suffocation feels like."
"I'm sorry..."
Mahiru bit her lower lip, apologizing softly.
"The movement time is three minutes." Sora exhaled softly. "Next time, Mahiru-san, please help replenish my mana in advance."
"I understand..."
One second of mana replenishment, three minutes of movement.
Having regained his mobility, Sora quickly swam to the shore holding the plump housewife, placing her next to her daughter.
"Let's go, let's head back to the seawall."
Sora clapped his hands in satisfaction. Brushing off his clothes when the deed is done, hiding his merit and fame.
It had to be said, the feeling of saving a life was quite nice.
But after taking just two steps, Sora's pause button was pressed again. With his right leg suspended in mid-air, his body was completely immobilized.
"Mahiru-sama, please help replenish my mana."
Sora called out.
Mahiru let out a helpless, soft sigh. Her pretty face flushing crimson, she stepped forward:
"Sora-kun, close your eyes..."