Mio Naruse and Raynare were still inexperienced, their "studies" shallow.
For his first round of teaching, Takumi chose to guide Mio gently, while giving Raynare a more "in-depth" lesson.
But as soon as he immersed himself, he hit a bottleneck.
A bottle of red ink Raynare had knocked over spread across the floor—the oppressive feeling that came with it made Takumi frown. Raynare, struck as if by lightning, gasped like she was hanging midair, choking.
"You're a Fallen Angel. Have some dignity!" He slapped her butt and said coldly. Was she doing this on purpose? How could she falter at such a shallow point?
This was no time to rest! If he didn't push knowledge into her now, it would only skim the surface forever.
Before she could refuse, Takumi raised his whip-wood and lashed down, hammering the lesson directly into her mind.
Raynare's eyes widened, as though she'd glimpsed the truth of the universe, as though she had stepped into heaven itself.
"I… I've returned to… paradise…?"
Visions overwhelmed her, all swallowed by Takumi's towering presence. No matter how she resisted, he invaded her inner world completely, until she lacked even the strength to refuse.
Mio watched in shock, as if seeing her own future unfold. It was like watching a frail girl enter a gluttony contest—everyone thought she'd fail, yet somehow she consumed it all. The toll was heavy, but the sight was still staggering.
"D-do I… have that kind of potential too?"
She had only just met Takumi. She'd never once imagined this sort of thing. And yet… and yet…
Her racing thoughts collapsed into a single whimper. The spreading curse robbed her of her last strength. As Takumi strode toward her like a conquering emperor, she felt herself forced under his rule.
Only when true terror struck did Mio finally understand. Her last shred of reason pushed her gaze toward Raynare, collapsed and unresponsive.
Waves like a vast ocean crashed into her mind, toppling her forward until her hands pressed against the floor—her body sprawled over Raynare's. She sank into visions of an endless sea, dragged under. Gurgling water poured into her mouth, filling her to the brim… but no matter how much she drank, thirst only grew.
"I want more… I need more~~"
The hunger shattered her reason. She craved more and more, each moment convinced she'd reached her limit—only to find still more room within. Her senses magnified tenfold, time slowed to a crawl. With every brand seared into her mind, her resistance broke, until she admitted from her very soul that Takumi was her master.
The flood swallowed her whole, dragging her to the ocean's abyss.
[Ding! Raynare's affection reached threshold. Copied Trait: Fallen Angel Bloodline (Blue).]
[Ding! Mio Naruse's affection reached threshold. Copied Trait: Gravity Magic (Purple).]
[Gravity Magic (Purple): Innate mastery over gravitational forces.]
Takumi blinked at the panel that appeared. This was new—his first time gaining Traits not by killing, but by "defeating" in another way.
"And they're copied, not plundered. Looks like they still retain them."
He focused on the new Trait. This "Gravity Magic" felt less like a spell and more like a superpower to control weight itself. At the same time, radiant light within him was steadily devoured by his demonic mana. His power surged; already at the peak of Intermediate Demon, he took one step forward and broke into the realm of a High-Rank Demon.
Mana roared through his body. Concentrated in one strike, it could level a mountain.
"The gap between Low-Rank and High-Rank demons is like ants to elephants. And Intermediate demons are just slightly bigger ants. Without Sacred Gears or cheats, the difference is unbridgeable."
Now, with Gravity Magic, even veteran High-Rank demons would have to take him seriously.
"My mana's at High-Rank now, but my body's still only at Intermediate level."
He clenched his fists. With his strength, he could now handle using "Balance Breaker," though instinct told him it would only last about three minutes without crippling himself.
Excited, he looked down at the dazed Mio. She was like a gold mine, waiting to be dug deeper.
But just as he was about to continue the lesson, Maria Naruse stopped him mid-sweep with her broom.
"Takumi-nii~ Mio-sama's already at her eighteenth round. Any more and her nerves will fry."
"…Ah. That so."
He froze, reluctantly halting. He couldn't drain the well dry all at once—better to fish sustainably. Her other Traits could wait a few days. She'd need at least three or four to recover.
With that, he lay back, finally choosing to rest.
It was summer, and everyone was dressed lightly. Still, nights grew chilly, and instinct drove them together for warmth.
Morning came with clear skies.
Chirp chirp chirp~~~
Half-asleep, Takumi felt his nose tickle, his breath blocked. "Achoo!"
He blinked awake, only to see Mio leaning over him, playing with a strand of her own red hair across his nose. Her beautiful face flushed crimson with shame.
The instant he stirred, she panicked and tried to pull away. But his large hand shot out and seized her firm ass.
"Eek~"
Mio lost all resistance, tumbling into his chest. His warmth enveloped her as she weakly beat her fists against him. "You big jerk… I'll kill you a hundred times~"
Her soft, pouty scolding only made his smile widen. He pulled her close, pressing her head down, stealing her lips.
Her eyes went wide as she whimpered, struggling, but within seconds her resistance melted into trembling indulgence.
When they finally parted, her eyes were hazy with spring water as she murmured. "That was… my first kiss… I'll kill you a hundred times!"
"This just evens it out. That was my first kiss too," Takumi whispered in her ear.
Of course, his real first kiss had been long ago. But today's counted as well. Rounded up, it was his first kiss all over again.
...
If we reach 100 Power Stones this week, I'll release a mass drop of 10 chapters as a thank-you for your amazing support!