"Tohka? What are you doing here?"
Shichen sat up, looking at her in puzzlement.
"Mm…"
Yatogami Tohka shut the door behind her and remained standing there, hesitant to come in.
Shichen chuckled softly and waved. "Come over."
"O‑okay…"
Only then did Tohka shuffle over to the bedside in tiny steps.
She didn't sit down right away; instead, she looked curiously around Shichen's room.
"Shichen, your room is almost the same as mine."
"Really? Have a seat."
Shichen patted the spot beside him.
"Ah."
Tohka sat down obediently, but her whole body looked stiff.
Shichen shook his head in amusement. "Why are you so tense? Afraid I'll do something to you?"
"Would you do something to me?" Tohka asked blankly.
"…When you say it like that, you make me feel guilty."
"Hmm?" Tohka tilted her head, not understanding.
"It's nothing."
Shichen reached out and ruffled her hair. "Can't sleep?"
"Mm‑hmm…"
Tohka closed her eyes, clearly enjoying his gentle head‑patting.
"Is it anxiety—or does everything still feel unreal?"
"A little unreal…" she admitted in a small voice.
"It's fine. You'll get used to it. There are plenty of even better things waiting for you."
"Mm."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid… I'll accidentally destroy a city again."
Tohka's eyes showed her fear.
"It's just a city. No big deal. Didn't you see they rebuilt it already?" Shichen comforted her.
"But—"
"Relax. As long as you don't go back, you won't trigger a spacequake, so there's nothing to worry about."
"If…"
"Why overthink everything? Can't you keep it simple?"
He rubbed her head harder.
"…Today was so wonderful for me—I can't help—"
"In that case, you should have a little confidence in yourself."
"Confidence in myself?" Tohka blinked.
"Yes. Believe you can control yourself and won't set off a spacequake."
"Can I really?"
"Didn't you stay in this world yesterday by your own will? Nothing happened, right?"
"But luck doesn't always—"
"Stop."
Shichen pressed a finger to her lips.
"?"
"Don't be so pessimistic. How old are you? If you can't trust yourself, then trust me."
"Trust… you?"
"I believe you'll be fine, so all you have to do is believe in me."
"Shichen…"
"Besides, I have another way."
His eyes fell on Tohka's smooth, fair neck.
"What way?" Tohka asked quickly.
"Basically, spacequakes are tied to the spirit power inside you. If we seal that power, you won't have to worry."
"But… I don't know how."
"I do."
"You do?"
Her face lit up.
"Yeah—but think it through. If your spirit power is sealed, your strength will drop a lot. You might not even handle AST."
"It's fine. If I can live here normally, I'm willing!"
"You really don't have to mind it so much…"
Shichen sighed. "All right. Since you insist, I'll help you."
"Shichen, let's do it now."
"What's the rush? Aren't you afraid I'm tricking you?"
"Shichen would never trick me."
She beamed.
"Such sweet talk, huh?"
"Sweet talk?"
"Never mind. Don't worry about it."
"Then hurry up," Tohka urged.
"Mm… I need a bit of preparation, otherwise I can't seal your power."
Shichen looked conflicted.
"What preparation? Can I help?"
"Actually, yes…"
"What do I do?"
"Ahem—make me feel desired."
Guilt washed over Shichen; Tohka was so pure.
"Make you feel… desire?" she repeated, still confused.
"Put simply, you need to make me think something… indecent."
He forced himself to explain.
The "seal" he meant involved sucking Tohka's blood to draw out her spirit power.
To trigger the urge to bite, he needed her to tempt him a little.
"Indecent!"
Realization hit Tohka; she stiffened, nearly standing up.
"You mean… you're going to do indecent things to me?" she asked uneasily.
"No, no, no—don't misunderstand. I'm not doing anything indecent right now. My ability just needs a little… stimulus."
"Right now?"
"…Ignore that detail."
"Mm…"
Tohka frowned suspiciously.
"Is there really an ability that needs something like this?"
"Don't you trust me?"
Shichen feigned injury.
"O‑of course I trust you!"
"Then keep trusting me, okay? You can resist if you want, and if Kotori hears, she'll rush over. I couldn't possibly do something indecent in front of her, right?"
"That… makes sense. All right."
Tohka seemed to steel herself, still embarrassed. "W‑what do I do?"
"Let me hug you first."
"Just that?"
"What do you mean, 'just that'?"
"I‑I don't mind if you hug me."
"Is that so? Then…"
Shichen took her cool hand, pulled her onto the bed facing him, and hugged her.
Soft warmth filled his arms.
He inhaled deeply; she smelled of the same shower gel as Kotori, yet with her own unique scent.
Tohka froze, motionless.
She'd thought a hug was nothing, but being held like this made her heart race and her cheeks burn—
a feeling she'd never experienced.
Shichen didn't notice. Unable to hold back, he tightened his embrace and buried his face against her neck, breathing her in.
"Mm… i‑it tickles."
"Tohka, you're too tempting."
"W‑what nonsense!"
Her face went crimson.
"Is this the 'indecent' thing you meant? It's… not that bad…"
"Not that bad? Don't let anyone else do this to you," Shichen warned.
"Of course I won't!"
"That's better… Since you say it's nothing, can I go a bit further?"
"F‑for the sake of living peacefully here—go ahead!"
She closed her eyes.
"You really are… Then I won't hold back."
He pressed a kiss to her neck.
When she instinctively shrank, he lightly licked her skin.
"Ah—!"
Tohka's eyes flew open; her body went rigid.
"Scared?"
"T‑there's nothing to be scared of…" she insisted.
"Then I'll keep going."
"Mm…"
Taking her silence as consent, Shichen kissed her neck deeply.
Her skin was smooth like pudding, without a trace of fuzz.
"Mmph—"
This time Tohka didn't shrink; she tilted her head back, exposing her throat.
Perfect timing.
Shichen's eyes glowed crimson and fangs extended.
"Tohka, I'm starting."
He opened his mouth, fangs piercing her flawless neck with ease.
"It… hurts…"
She winced, whispering—but the pain lasted only an instant.
Soon an odd restlessness welled inside her.
She clutched Shichen as if to pull him into herself.
After taking only a little blood, he located her spirit power and began absorbing it.
Though spirit power differed from mana, it mysteriously merged into his blood yet stayed incompatible with his own mana.
Compared to his mana, Tohka's spirit power was tiny—within moments he'd drained it to a tenth, just enough for her self‑defense.
Now she no longer had to fear triggering spacequakes in this world, even if her emotions ran wild.
As for Tohka, she wasn't thinking about any of that.
Her dazed eyes rested on Shichen's lips.
Instinctively, she leaned in and pressed her own lips to his.
Shichen blinked and was about to respond when suddenly a voice echoed inside him:
"What are you doing to Tohka!?"