Kotori stops.
"Your denial is noted."
"However, my directive remains to ensure your optimal state. Your current attire presents a tactical vulnerability and is likely a source of psychological distress. Expediting the change is the most logical path to resolving both issues."
*Gulp*
"...Will you really do whatever I say?"
"Hai."
Her response is so immediate, so certain, that it takes my breath away.
Anything...
She'd do *anything* I say?
That single word holds a power as dizzying as the Moe Special.
Looking up and down on Kotori makes me realize something...
I haven't been paying attention to Kotori's body until now.
And this… This perfect, beautiful, powerful being…
…belongs to me.
Possessive. Absolute.
It's not like the way I feel about Onee-chan.
With Onee-chan, it's… A consuming mess of love, teasing, and a history I can't escape. It's warm, suffocating—all at once.
Family, just like Mother always said it should be.
But this… This isn't that.
Unadulterated power. Not the untamed, burning power of my demonic blood, or the gentle, overwhelming warmth of the divine.
This is the simple, absolute power of a command given and a command obeyed.
Kotori is a blade that has been offered to me, hilt-first.
And she is waiting for my hand to close around it.
I can't help but smile.
Dangerous smile.
It's a new expression for me. Not born of embarrassment or anger, and it's nothing like the hot rush of battle. This is a different kind of thrill.
"Horikita?"
Kotori's voice cuts through my thoughts.
"Your directive is unclear. Am I to remain? Am I to assist you with the replacement attire?"
"Or am I to await new orders?"
I force down my smile. It feels so good to know that I can command her at will.
...and I'm going to enjoy every second of it.
"Kotori, strip."
Kotori doesn't flinch.
She simply processes the command.
"Initiating 'strip' protocol."
She's… She's actually going to do it.
Without a single moment of hesitation, Kotori's hands move to the thin black belt cinching her waist.
*Click*
The belt comes undone, and Kotori lets it fall to the floor with a soft thud.
Then, her hands move next to the thin, delicate straps of her white dress.
Wait... W-Wait, what am I doing?!
I didn't mean… I didn't mean for her to actually do it! It was just a… Test.
A way to see if she would really obey me.
I'm not ready for this, and I'm certainly not ready for her to be naked.
"S-Stop!" I shout, my voice cracking.
"I said stop!"
Kotori's hands freeze, hovering just over the white straps of her dress. She doesn't look confused or annoyed. She just… Stops.
"Contradictory directive received."
"'Strip' protocol is now in conflict with 'stop' protocol. Please clarify."
I grab Kaito's T-shirt in front of me like a shield.
"I-I didn't mean it!"
"It was a… A test! That's all! Test to see if you would really… You know!"
Kotori processes this for a moment.
"To verify the integrity of my command compliance protocols?"
"Y-Yes! Exactly!" I clutch onto the excuse, relief coursing through me.
"And you… You passed! Perfectly! So you can… You can stop now. Please."
"Understood," Kotori says, lowering her hands from her shoulders.
She then calmly reaches down, picks up the belt from the floor, and secures it around her waist.
"Verification complete. Awaiting next directive."
"Um…" I say, clutching the T-shirt to my chest like a shield.
"Turn around."
Kotori pauses, her head tilting slightly.
"Clarify. Am I to rotate my body 180 degrees, facing away from your current position?"
"Y-Yes! That's right! Just… Turn around. And… And don't look at me."
"Acknowledged."
With a smooth, efficient movement, Kotori turns her back to me.
I exhale slowly, placing the shirt back on the bed.
Okay, Horikita, think. What do you do now? You're alone with Kotori, who is waiting for your orders. You're still half-naked, and you need to change.
Change! Right, the clothes. I need to get dressed.
I begin by taking the sweater tied around my waist off and placing it on the bed.
Then, I quickly go to unbutton the torn blouse—
However...
The moment I unbutton just one button, my breasts feel like they're going to burst free.
Fabric is so tight, so stretched, even the slightest release of tension feels like an explosion.
*Pop!* The button flies off, bouncing off the wall with a *clink*.
"H-Huh?!" I gasp, startled.
My breasts, freed from the constraint of the button, press against the remaining fabric, pushing out even further.
"Horikita?"
"Is there an issue with the replacement attire?" Kotori asks.
"N-No! No issue!"
"Just… A stubborn button! That's all!"
I quickly turn my back to Kotori!!
This is ridiculous! I can't even undress myself without causing a scene.
*Pop! Pop! Pop!*
The remaining buttons give way with alarming speed, unable to withstand the pressure of my breasts.
They spill free instantly, and the entire fabric of the blouse falls away, leaving me bare from the waist up.
My breasts… Completely exposed.
The blouse lies in a useless spot on the floor.
"Horikita?"
"The sound profile of multiple small, high-velocity projectiles was just detected. Did you successfully remove the blouse?"
"Y-Yes!" I squeak.
"It's… It's off! No problem at all!"
Don't turn around. Please, whatever you do, don't turn around.
"Understood,"
"I will maintain my current orientation."
Now, the skirt.
I reach down to my skirt and pull it down.
The fabric slides down my hips, my thighs, and pools around my ankles in a circle of cloth.
I step out of it, leaving the torn remains of Haruka's "moe" outfit on the floor.
I'm just... In panties.
My legs, my stomach, my breasts… All of it exposed. I've never felt so naked. Even when I'm actually naked, it doesn't feel like this. This small piece of fabric, this… 'underwear'… it somehow makes me feel even more vulnerable.
These panties did save me from complete humiliation.
If I hadn't been wearing them… When Kaito came in… When I fell… He would have seen… everything.
The thought of Kaito seeing… that…
I shake my head violently, trying to banish the image from my mind.
Focus! Get dressed!
Before I can second-guess myself, I grab the shirt and pull it on.
It slides over my head, and for a moment, the world is dark.
Then, my head comes through the neck hole, and the shirt settles over me.
Big...
Reaching down to my mid-thighs, completely covering the panties.
Sleeves are long, too, hanging past my fingertips.
Comfortable. So comfortable.
Mmm.
I pick up the sweatpants.
...Do these even fit me?
Guess I can ask Kotori.
"Kotori,"
"You can… You can turn around now."
Kotori rotates with the same smooth, efficient motion as before.
"What is your next command?"
I hold up the sweatpants.
"These… Do you think they'll fit me?"
"Negative."
"The pants are calibrated for Kaito's physique. Waist circumference, inseam length, and pelvic girth are all significantly outside your parameters. Without an external cinching mechanism, they will not remain on your body."
"Oh." I look down at the pants, then back at my bare legs.
"So… I can't wear them?"
"Correct,"
"They are not compatible with your current form factor."
What am I supposed to do...
"Then... What am I supposed to wear?"
"The T-shirt provides adequate coverage for your torso and upper thighs."
"Your undergarment remains functional. For movement within this climate-controlled and secure facility, your current attire is sufficient."
"Sufficient?!" I squeak, my voice rising in disbelief.
"My legs are completely bare! I can't walk around like this!"
"Your previous attire, the miniskirt, also left a significant portion of your legs exposed," Kotori counters logically.
"This configuration offers superior freedom of movement and is therefore more tactically sound. From an efficiency standpoint, it is an improvement."
"It's not an improvement! It's… It's Kaito's shirt!"
"The origin of the item is irrelevant to its current function."
"Do you have different instructions? Shall I procure alternative leg coverings from Haruka?"
"I… I…"
The thought of facing Haruka again, asking for pants after the whole 'fanservice' lecture… It's too much. And what would she bring me? Something even more ridiculous?
"No,"
"Definitely not."
I sigh, a long, drawn-out sound of complete and utter defeat. I can't win. Not against Haruka's insane logic, not against Kotori's absolute obedience.
Fine.
If this is my reality now, I'll just have to deal with it.
"Alright, Kotori," I say, the words coming out more firmly than I expect.
"Let's go."
Kotori inclines her head slightly.
"Affirmative. Where is our destination?"
"To see that girl. Do you know where she is?"
"The anomaly is located in Haruka's room."
"Haruka's room,"
Of course. Where else would she keep a living, breathing 'anomaly' for 'analysis'?