Once again, Yuki felt his consciousness drift across a strange, empty space—a familiar, weightless sensation he had experienced once before. When he opened his eyes, he stood before the ornate blue door. Pushing it open, he stepped into the Velvet Room.
"Welcome back, esteemed guest," Igor said, his long nose casting a shadow over his desk as he smiled. "This is your second time here. You have finally awakened your power. Your current ability is like zero; it is not yet grand, but it holds unlimited potential. You will gain new power by meeting people and strengthening the bonds you form with them."
Yuki couldn't quite wrap his head around what Igor was trying to say, so he remained silent.
Igor reached forward and placed a gleaming gold key upon the table, which radiated a strange, mystical glow. "This is the key to the Velvet Room. Until now, you have only visited us in your dreams. With this, you may enter anytime you wish. Time passes on in your world... until we meet again."
A Restful Awakening
Slowly, Yuki opened his eyes. The eerie green light was gone, replaced by the sterile white walls of a hospital room. Sitting right beside his bed was Yukari.
"Oh, good! You're awake!" Yukari gasped, looking deeply relieved. "We were all so worried about you. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with you, though. They said you were just completely exhausted."
Yuki rubbed his temples, his muscles still aching. "How long was I out?"
"Almost a week," Yukari replied softly.
"Is everyone alright at the dorm?"
"Yes, though Akihiko-senpai hurt his shoulder. The doctor said it's nothing serious." Yukari shifted in her chair, looking down at her hands. "I... I wanted to thank you. For saving me."
"No, it was nothing," Yuki muttered.
"There's no need to be humble," Yukari said, offering a small smile before her expression turned wistful. "You know, I'm kind of like you. My dad died in an accident, and my mom and I aren't on very good terms either."
Yuki blinked, surprised by her sudden openness. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I knew about your past," Yukari admitted, "so I thought it was only fair that you knew about mine. I know it's kind of silly of me to dump all this on you the moment you wake up. You should rest. I need to let everyone know you're finally awake."
After Yukari left, the doctor came in to perform a final checkup. Finding him in perfect health, the hospital discharged Yuki later that afternoon.
The Sisterly Trait
It was already evening by the time Yuki finally walked back into the dorm lounge. The moment he stepped through the front door, Lala came charging across the room like a hurricane. Before he could react, she lunged forward and buried his head directly into her chest. Yuki's face flushed bright red as he found himself completely smothered between her two massive melons.
"Oh, Yuki!" Lala wailed dramatically, squeezing him tight. "You have no idea how worried I was! I thought you were never going to wake up!"
Yukari snapped from across the room, "Cut it out, will you? You weren't worried at all!"
"Why are you so mean, Yukari?" Lala pouted, finally releasing the breathless teenager.
Yuki stood there, utterly dumbstruck and completely unsure of what to say. Eager to escape the suffocating tension, he quickly tried to divert the conversation. "Are you alright, Lala-senpai?"
"Oh, you are such a good person, Yuki!" Lala cried, immediately shoving his face right back into her melons. "No one else in this dorm cares about me!" she added in a thoroughly sad, theatrical tone.
Once again, Yuki's face burned hot red as he struggled to breathe against her chest.
"Would you stop harassing him?!" Yukari yelled, stomping her foot.
Lala peeked down at Yukari. "Oh? Why are you so upset? Is it because you secretly like him?"
"Of course not!" Yukari fired back angrily, though her face instantly flushed a bright, telltale crimson.
"I am not harassing him," Lala teased, pressing her chest even harder against Yuki's face. "I think he actually likes my boobs." She finally lifted Yuki's face up by his chin, smirking down at him. "How are my melons, handsome? Do you like them?"
Trapped and overwhelmed, Yuki's filter completely failed him. "Yes... they are nice."
Lala cheered with delight, while Yukari crossed her arms and scoffed loudly. "Ha! All boys are exactly the same."
"What is going on here?"
Mitsuru's authoritative voice cut through the chaos as she entered the lounge. Lala quickly let go of Yuki and stepped back, whistling innocently. "Nothing!"
Mitsuru sighed, turning her sharp eyes to the newcomer. "Yuki, you should go rest and freshen up. After that, meet me on the fourth floor."
Yuki was quite surprised by the command. He had never once visited the fourth floor, and no one had ever mentioned what was up there, but he kept his composure. "OK."
Joining the Fight
An hour later, Yuki walked up to the fourth floor and entered the briefing room. To his surprise, the entire household was gathered around a large table.
"Come in and take a seat," Mr. Shouji said, gesturing to an empty chair.
Yuki walked into the room and sat down in front of everyone.
"How are you feeling?" Mr. Shouji asked.
"OK," Yuki replied.
Mr. Shouji leaned forward, his expression turning grave. "What if I were to tell you that a day actually contains more than 24 hours? Would you believe me?"
Yuki stared at him, wondering why his teacher and the dorm chairman were asking something so absurd. "No."
Mr. Shouji chuckled quietly. "But you have already experienced it. The night you arrived at the dorm... you saw it, didn't you?"
Yuki nodded slowly. "Yes."
Mr. Shouji then proceeded to explain everything—the Dark Hour, the monstrous Shadows that preyed on humans, and SEES, the specialized squad formed to fight them. Sliding a sleek, silver gun across the table, Mr. Shouji placed it directly in front of Yuki.
"We would like you to join us in this fight," the chairman requested.
Yukari spoke up softly, "There's no pressure, Yuki. If you want to say no, you can."
Yuki looked down at the weapon, remembering the creature on the roof. After giving it some silent thought, he looked up. "OK. I will join."
A collective wave of relief washed over the room.
"Welcome to the team," Akihiko said, giving him a firm nod.
Lala immediately practically leaped over the table, throwing her arms around Yuki in a tight, crushing hug. "I'm so glad that you joined us!"
Mitsuru cleared her throat, drawing Yuki's attention. "You already know everyone here, but there is someone who hasn't been properly introduced yet." She pointed her finger directly at the scantily-clad blonde. "This is Lala, our lead researcher. She handles the research on Shadows, as well as the specialized arms and armor we use in battle."
Lala giggled, waving. "Hello again, Yuki!"
Yuki was more than a little surprised. He had known Lala did some kind of research, but he never would have guessed she was designing anti-Shadow weaponry.
"OK, so that's one of our two potential new members," Akihiko noted, turning back to the chairman.
Mr. Shouji nodded. "Yes. Are you sure the other boy will join us, Akihiko?"
"Yes, I talked to him and he said he would love to join us. I'll bring him by tomorrow. He's the same age as Yuki and Yukari."
Yukari raised an eyebrow. "Who is he? Do we know him?"
"You'll see him tomorrow," Akihiko replied with a smirk. Yukari sighed, thoroughly disappointed by the secrecy. With the meeting adjourned, everyone headed back to their respective rooms.
The Midnight Visitor
At 12:00 AM, a strange chill filled Yuki's bedroom. Even in his sleep, he could sense an unnatural presence in the room. He snapped awake and sat up.
"Hello. Good evening," a young voice called out from the darkness.
Yuki flinched in surprise. Standing at the foot of his bed was the exact same mysterious boy who had forced him to sign the contract on his first night. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"I am always with you," the boy replied, his eyes gleaming in the dark. "You have awakened your power. But you should be careful... you will face a great deal of danger on your journey. Until we meet again."
Before Yuki could utter a single word, the boy vanished into thin air.
The Unfamiliar Classmate
The next day at school, Yuki was bombarded with questions from his classmates. Everyone assumed he had been out with a terrible illness, and he simply played along.
During lunch break, Yuki and Yukari were sitting together talking when Junpei approached them. He eagerly asked how Yuki was feeling, looking like he desperately wanted to tell them something incredible, but at the last second, he choked on his words and stayed quiet.
Once school ended, the students returned to the dorm. Yuki went up to his room to freshen up, and two hours later, the entire team gathered in the lounge, waiting for Akihiko to return with the mystery recruit.
The front doors finally clicked open, and Akihiko walked in—closely followed by Junpei.
Yukari and Yuki stared in absolute shock.
"Everyone, this is our new member, Junpei," Akihiko announced proudly. "He goes to the same school as you guys. Junpei, this is the team I was telling you about."
Junpei's jaw dropped as his eyes darted between his classmates. "What?! Yuki and Yukari?! Both of you are members?!"
"Yes," Yuki said, adjusting to the surprise. "Both of us."
Junpei immediately leaned in, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and lingering terror. "Man, how was your first time facing the Dark Hour? Were you guys scared? I was crying like a total baby until Akihiko-senpai found me and explained everything!"
Akihiko chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I ran into him shaking near a convenience store the other night."
"Let's head up to the fourth floor," Mitsuru interrupted, standing up. "The chairman is waiting for us."
As they reached the fourth floor briefing room, Junpei's jaw practically hit the floor. He stared openly, his eyes completely glued to Lala, who was wearing an incredibly short, tight top that gave a prominent view of her nipples, paired with short pants so small they looked like a pair of panties. Since everyone else was completely used to her lack of modesty, they didn't even react, leaving Junpei completely lost in his own fantasy.
Mr. Shouji cleared his throat, snapping Junpei out of his trance. "Welcome. So, this is our new member?"
Everyone took their seats around the table. Mr. Shouji gave Junpei the full briefing on SEES and handed him his own silver Evoker. After the explanation was finished, the chairman turned to the two newest recruits.
"OK, Junpei, Yuki. Tomorrow, you two will be following me. We are going to visit a doctor for a mandatory medical checkup."
Yuki frowned, genuinely confused. "But... I just got discharged from the hospital two days ago."
Mitsuru let out a rare, amused chuckle. "It's not like that. The doctor you are visiting is quite different from normal doctors. You will see when you get there."
With that settled, the team headed off to bed.
The Ultimate Family Trait
The next day, Mr. Shouji escorted Yuki and Junpei to the medical appointment. The clinic was located a fifteen-minute walk from the station, housed in a normal-looking white building.
Upon entering, a nurse greeted them. Mr. Shouji nervously asked if the doctor was available. When the nurse nodded, Mr. Shouji quickly gestured toward the inner office, telling the boys to go inside while he waited out in the lobby. Both Yuki and Junpei couldn't help but notice a flash of genuine fear in their chairman's face, as if he were absolutely terrified of the person inside, but they kept quiet and opened the door.
The moment they stepped into the private chamber, they froze, completely dumbstruck.
Sitting in the office chair was a beautiful woman who looked just a little bit older than Lala. She wore a striking red and black one-piece dress that was pushed to its absolute structural limits trying to contain her breasts. Nearly 80% of her chest was completely exposed; if Lala's melons were big, this woman's were absolutely huge. She wore a white lab coat loosely over her shoulders and transparent black stockings that accentuated her long legs. The outfit looked less like a medical uniform and more like something a woman would wear to deliberately seduce someone.
"Come on in, have a seat," the woman purred.
Her rich voice broke the boys out of their trance, and they shyly walked over to the chairs.
"Let me introduce myself," she smiled, crossing her legs. "My name is Lulu Hanzfield."
Yuki raised his hand nervously. "Ma'am... may I ask you something?"
"Yes, go ahead, handsome."
"Do you happen to know anyone named Lala Hanzfield?"
Lulu giggled, her chest bouncing slightly. "Yes, she's my baby sister."
"Wow..." Yuki murmured, everything suddenly making perfect sense.
Lulu tilted her head. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"You... you don't look old enough to be an older sister!" Yuki panicked, realizing how his silence might be taken. "I mean! I mean to say you look so young! Both you and Lala-senpai are incredibly beautiful!"
Lulu burst into a melodious laugh. "Ha ha! Now I get why my baby sister likes you so much."
Junpei, whose eyes had been unashamedly glued to her chest, cleared his throat. "Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of doctor are you exactly? When we asked Mitsuru-senpai, she wouldn't tell us anything."
"Oh!" Lulu smiled, leaning across her desk, giving the boys an even closer view. "I am a specialist who treats the unique wounds you receive from your battles, and I synthesize special drugs to help enhance your performance in combat."
"Oh..." Junpei swallowed hard, staring directly at Lulu's giant melons.
Noticeable of his intense gaze, Lulu gave her chest a playful, quick juggle with her hands. "Do you like them, boy?"
Junpei's face turned bright red and he quickly whipped his head away.
"Don't be shy, I don't mind," Lulu teased, leaning back with a devilish smirk. "If you boys behave nicely, I might even let you play with them later."
Both Yuki and Junpei sat frozen, completely speechless.
Lulu looked past them toward the door. "So, you boys came here all alone?"
"No," Junpei squeaked out. "Chairman Shouji came with us, but he's waiting out in the lobby."
Lulu's eyes lit up. "Oh! Oh, darling Shouji-honey! Why didn't he come inside?!" she called out loudly, instantly getting up and marching toward the door.
The moment her loud voice echoed into the lobby, the boys heard the distinct sound of frantic, sprinting footsteps. Chairman Shouji had completely panicked and run away.
Lulu peeked her head out into the hallway, sighing in disappointment. "Shouji, darling... you don't want to play with me?"
Watching this play out, Yuki realized that Lulu and Lala were definitely sisters. The aggressive, teasing behavior had to be a family trait. As he was lost in thought, Lulu suddenly snapped the door shut, turned around, and looked at them with a dominant grin.
"Take off your clothes," she commanded smoothly.
Both Junpei and Yuki froze, staring at her in sheer horror, utterly convinced they had misheard her.
"Take off your clothes so we can begin our little procedure," Lulu repeated, her voice taking on a distinctly devilish, predatory tone.
A wave of pure terror washed over the two teenagers. Looking at her seductive outfit and dominant smirk, they genuinely felt like they were about to be assaulted right there in the office.
"M-Ma'am! It's really not possible for us to take off our clothes right now!" Junpei stammered, backing his chair up.
"Don't worry... everything will be just fine," Lulu purred, her voice dripping with sinister playfulness as she stepped closer.
Panicking completely, Yuki and Junpei bolted for the exit, trying to escape the room. But alas, the moment they hit the door, the lock clicked firmly from the outside. The nurse had locked them in.
Two agonizing hours later, the office doors finally opened, and both Yuki and Junpei crawled out into the lobby, completely exhausted, pale, and mentally drained from whatever the twisted doctor had put them through.