6 PM.
Luo Shu's residence, living room.
Meer, holding a bottle of red medicinal liquid, dipped a cotton swab into it and then applied it to Luo Shu's back.
As she treated the noticeable bite marks - particularly from canine teeth - on Luo Shu's shoulders, back and arms, she complained with a troubled expression:
"How cruel, Kisara-san~ How could you do something so terrible?"
On the balcony, Kisara, limping slightly as she stuffed bedding into the washing machine, suddenly shivered, her neck shrinking with an "ehehe, ehehe" kind of foolish giggle.
Hearing that silly laughter, Meer finally couldn't hold back, bursting into giggles:
"You two, pfft hahahaha~~"
"I can't, I just can't~"
"Are you seriously this innocent? Ending up covered in wounds, completely inexperienced~"
The silent Luo Shu wordlessly raised his hand and pressed it against Meer's head.
Then he murmured ominously:
"Bestowal!"
"Eh?"
Just as Meer wondered why Luo Shu did that, an indescribable pain flooded her senses the next moment.
"It hurts! What is this?!"
Meer collapsed onto the sofa, curling up as if suffering convulsions.
At this moment, Luo Shu intoned ominously:
"Let me give you some free information, Meer."
"My ability allows me to absorb injuries suffered by others, and also to bestow those injuries upon someone else."
"And just now, I bestowed upon you all the pain Kisara experienced."
As he spoke, Luo Shu's eyes showed no mercy:
"So here's the question - what pain did I bestow upon you?"
Still spasming, Meer immediately understood Luo Shu's implication.
Her already paling face showed an indescribably complicated expression:
"No way... it hurts this much?"
With a miserable expression, Meer made a small suggestion to Luo Shu:
"Um... next time when it's my turn for this, could you take all the pain away?"
'Even now, she's thinking about that?'
Luo Shu was utterly speechless at Meer's priorities.
Yet admittedly, hearing her say this did soften his heart somewhat.
After all, Meer had more or less made her intentions quite clear to Luo Shu.
Casually placing a hand on Meer to absorb her pain, Luo Shu then flicked her forehead in exasperation:
"So why did you goad Kisara into doing that?"
Hearing this, Kisara immediately chimed in from the balcony:
"That's right, that's right, it was all Meer-san's instigation. Entirely her fault."
"Shut it." Luo Shu shot Kisara a glare, prompting her to stick out her tongue before continuing to stuff bedding into the washing machine.
She crammed in everything - sheets, duvet covers, pillows, pillowcases - then guiltily glanced at Luo Shu before pretending to still be busy by lingering near the washing machine.
Meanwhile, Meer, having recovered somewhat, mumbled:
"I was just worried you might have some psychological issues."
"Now it's my fault?" Luo Shu was stunned, never expecting Meer to turn the tables like this.
"Look..." Meer pointed at Kisara and commented, "Is Kisara cute?"
Luo Shu looked up at Kisara upon hearing this.
The girl who'd just been through so much immediately flushed red and turned away, unable to meet his gaze.
Seeing this, Luo Shu had to admit:
"Extremely cute. And very enthusiastic, quite willing to cooperate."
"Don't say the last part!"
As Kisara's shout rang out, Luo Shu turned back to Meer: "So what's your point?"
Meer then asked suggestively: "Is Miss Mira beautiful?"
Luo Shu paused. Today, Mira Tsubakihara happened to be out handling matters at the jewellery shop, so she wasn't home.
But Luo Shu could easily picture Mira at home.
'Those legs, that waist, that figure... Tch...'
Luo Shu uncomfortably averted his gaze:
"Of course she's beautiful too."
Hearing this, Meer immediately teased:
"Both of them have been living here for days, yet nothing's happened between you. Can't I suspect Luo Shu-kun might have some psychological barriers?"
Thunk!
"Ow!"
Watching Meer clutch her head and writhe in pain on the sofa, Luo Shu flexed his right hand:
"I was being proper and restrained, you little minx!"
He then swatted Meer again and ordered:
"Get up and apply my medicine, or the wounds will heal on their own."
"Yeees~~"
Meer coquettishly rose, winding around Luo Shu like a snake as she resumed applying medicine to his lingering wounds:
"Speaking of which, did Kisara really bite these wounds?"
Hearing this, Kisara - who'd just retrieved a black T-shirt for Luo Shu from the balcony - approached and explained softly:
"Sorry, I got a bit carried away in the moment. Accidentally channelled some desires into Shu-kun this way."
"Accidentally, huh~~" Meer's tone was dripping with implication.
Though she didn't know precisely what Kisara meant by "desire channelling", she could guess Kisara had worried Luo Shu might not like her, so she'd... injected him with something beforehand.
Such abilities weren't uncommon among the Desire Faction of Truth Astronomy - typically compulsory measures used by succubi.
Of course, considering Luo Shu's recently demonstrated abilities, Meer understood this was actually a case of mutual attraction between the two.
"Looking at it this way, it seems both Lacus and I will have to call Kisara 'big sister' from now on~"
Meer's teasing remark made Kisara blush crimson.
"Even if you say that, I absolutely won't acknowledge you as my sister."
Kisara seemed to have been tangled up by Meer's words, her thoughts now revolving around whether to acknowledge this sister or not.
At this moment, Luo Shu wore an exasperated expression as he said:
"What kind of nonsense is this?!"
He completely couldn't understand what was going through Meer's head.
On one hand, she kept hinting daily that he could cross boundaries, while on the other, she was egging Kisara on to strike first and make their relationship irreversible.
'Are you Momo Deviluke or something?'
Though, come to think of it, excluding body proportions, pink-haired Meer did somewhat resemble that sister-in-law Momo.
'Could it be that because she doesn't want to steal her sister Lacus's man, she's instead encouraging other women to gather around me, making her own presence less conspicuous?'
'Surely it can't be that ridiculous?'
Just as Luo Shu was internally complaining, his phone on the table suddenly vibrated.
Kisara swiftly picked up the phone and handed it to him:
"Here!"
Luo Shu took the phone and opened it, only to find a text message.
Meer, who was half-leaning against Luo Shu's back while applying medicine, asked:
"Is that something I'm allowed to see~"
After some thought, Luo Shu felt Meer couldn't really be considered an outsider anymore.
Having eavesdropped in the living room for so long, if she still counted as an outsider, even he wouldn't believe it:
"Come take a look if you want."
Hearing this, Meer smiled and handed the medicine bottle to Kisara for her to continue applying, while leaning her head on Luo Shu's shoulder to peer at the phone.
When she saw the email notification on the screen and the sender marked as "Sharon", Meer let out a soft "oh my".
Meanwhile, Luo Shu opened the email and saw the message from an hour ago about the suspected secret arrival of the Third Angel in Japan. His eyes narrowed:
"Kurumi Tokisaki has come to Japan... Has information about the Ghouls leaked? But that can't be - the operation against them was only decided at noon. How could the timing be so coincidental?"
As Luo Shu puzzled over this, Meer suddenly suggested:
"Could the leak have come from the Union side?"
Luo Shu frowned at this.
Meer then explained:
"The review report on the Ghouls' Race Danger Value was submitted yesterday. Truth Astronomy has long been suspected of having moles within the Union, so a leak from their side is most plausible."
"If Kurumi Tokisaki received the information from the Union and saw potential benefits, her coming to Japan would make sense."
"And according to the intelligence you provided me, this Time Angel seems to have a great need to absorb others' time?"
"Setting her sights on the Ghouls?" Luo Shu found Meer's theory quite credible.
A race already marked for extermination by the Union, yet possessing extraordinary vitality and suspected longevity.
It was entirely possible that Kurumi Tokisaki coveted this vitality and had sent several clones over.
"Honestly, I thought acting quickly would help avoid complications, but it seems we can't escape them after all?"
Luo Shu scratched his head and sighed:
"At this point, we'll just have to deal with problems as they come."