At this moment, the one thing Mami Tomoe was most grateful for was likely the fact that Kyoko Sakura had already submerged her consciousness into the purified Grief Seed. Otherwise, she would have been even more embarrassed—though in truth, it didn't make much of a difference. It was already awkward enough as it was. Despite that, with her eyes squeezed shut, she found herself completely unable to suppress these strange sensations.
Lancer method of cleaning a Soul Gem wasn't actually anything special. He simply used his mana to continuously wash over the gem, carrying away the negative emotions in the process. However, that feeling of being completely defenseless—as if her very essence were exposed—was even more bashful than having someone peer at her physical body.
Looking at Lancer earnest expression, Mami bit her lip and let out an involuntary, frustrated whimper.
"Ugh... nh..."
...
When Kyoko Sakura was similarly awakened by Lancer, the first thing she saw was Mami Tomoe taking a nap on the sofa. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt like Mami looked different than usual. Was she... prettier? But if asked to be specific, Kyoko couldn't quite put her finger on what had changed.
Regardless, she took off her ring and handed her Soul Gem to Lancer. She had seen Lancer purifying Mami gem earlier, so she knew the drill. However, the moment Lancer began to pour mana into her Soul Gem, Kyoko suddenly remembered something. Back when Lancer was studying the difference between Grief Seeds and Soul Gems, he had done something similar. The feeling back then was—
"Wait... ah?!"
Perhaps because he was now familiar with the process, Lancer didn't bother with a slow probe. He funneled the mana in all at once, since he had finally figured out the Soul Gem's tolerance levels. Kyoko, who was just about to speak, felt the sudden surge of mana and slumped down, her entire body trembling.
The usually energetic Kyoko felt like she was back in that morning a couple of days ago. On that first day of training with Lancer, she had been just like this—sprawled across the table like a salted fish. The only difference was that back then, it was her body being ravaged; this time, it was her "soul."
What made her even more helpless was the fact that both her body and her soul seemed to actually enjoy the sensation.
With a flushed face, she tilted her head to look at the resting Mami and let out a sigh of relief. Even though it was still embarrassing, at least she didn't have to let out any humiliating sounds in front of her friend.
Still, she ended up shooting a fierce glare at the "culprit." Unfortunately, the fully concentrated Lancer didn't notice Kyoko little gesture at all—though even if he had, he probably wouldn't have felt a thing.
The gap in their strength was simply too large. Facing her "threat," Lancer wouldn't feel afraid; if anything, he'd find it amusing.
——————
The cake shop Mami recommended to Madoka and the others was one she frequented herself. It wasn't particularly famous, but the owner was a very dedicated woman, and the prices were great—perfect for students on a budget.
Inside the shop, Madoka and the girls had already bought their cakes and were looking around for Lancer car. Unfortunately, after waiting for ages, they still couldn't find his sedan. Instead, a deep blue SUV pulled up in front of them. At first, they stood there blankly, not reacting, until the car door opened and they saw Mami sitting inside. Only then did they realize that Lancer was driving this vehicle.
"Didn't Dr. Lancer drive a sedan before?"
Sayaka Miki couldn't help but mumble. Sitting next to Mami, Kyoko let out an annoyed click of her tongue.
"Tch! Goddamn rich people."
Compared to Mami, whose moral compass far exceeded the average person's, Kyoko morals were a bit lower. After saving someone, she didn't mind helping herself to their wallet as a "life-saving fee." If she ran into thugs who tried to jump her, she considered it fair game to shake them down. This resulted in her having far more disposable income than the average adult—otherwise, she wouldn't have the money to constantly buy snacks and apples.
It might seem strange: would a girl who loots wallets and extorts thugs actually pay for things normally?
It was simple. While her morals were a bit thin, she still had her own bottom line.
But even for someone like her who had achieved "financial freedom," seeing what Lancer had just done made her tongue click in disbelief.
She remembered that once her body had recovered a bit, she and Mami had urged him to go find Kyubey. Although she hated Kyubey, what he had said really bothered her. But then, Lancer had driven them to—a car dealership.
She and Mami had followed Lancer into the shop, utterly dazed. In less than five minutes, she saw Lancer grab a card, swipe it on a strange machine, walk over to a display model, sit in an SUV, and drive them right off the lot.
It was only then that she realized what had happened, which only made her more confused.
"Why did you go buy a car?"
"The other one didn't have enough seats, so I just bought a new one."
"Tch."
The matter-of-fact look on his face made Kyoko extremely annoyed, but—man, was she jealous!
Since becoming a magical girl, she didn't have the worries most girls did; she wouldn't get fat no matter how much she ate. But that was assuming she could afford the food.
"How much was this car?"
You could practically smell the sour lemons on her breath.
"Don't know. Didn't ask."
In that moment, Kyoko had an epiphany.
What kind of man is the most handsome?
As a straightforward person, Kyoko answer was simple—a rich one!
But then, Kyoko realized a very important thing: no matter how rich Lancer was, it didn't seem to have anything to do with her. Thinking about how she'd spent the last two days living in a villa, eating feasts, and riding in luxury cars, she felt like someone was stuffing lemons into her mouth.
But with only her "benefactor," her "teacher," and her "best friend" in the car, she had no place to vent her frustration. Hearing Sayaka comment, she naturally snapped at her without hesitation. After a moment of surprise, Sayaka let out a cold snort and decided to ignore her.
However, as the three girls climbed into the car, a white shadow appeared in the rearview mirror. Mami, who had been smiling at Kyoko, and Kyoko, who was glaring at Sayaka behind her, both froze.
"Kyubey..."
Mami voice sounded complicated. Kyubey simply tilted his head with a smile.
"Is something wrong, Mami?"
What was originally a simple sentence caused the atmosphere inside the car to turn tense instantly.