As soon as those words hit me, my brain finally caught up with reality.
If you asked me what happened last night, the only honest answer would be: a monumental, once-in-a-lifetime event. But there was no way I could actually say that out loud. To put it mildly, after years of self-restraint and facing the overwhelming cuteness of three girls, my brain shut down and I entered Nightblade Berserker Mode. Even when I was on the verge of collapse, just seeing the three of them in their shamelessly exposed states would awaken my Brute Soul Awakening, letting me re-trigger Nightblade Berserker all over again.
And then there was Kuroka. Using her celestial arts, she somehow manipulated her own mating instincts to push us even further, demonstrating erotic techniques honed through her mastery of the highest-level mystical arts. With the combined skill and sensual power of three elite practitioners, we ran an endless marathon that only ended—probably—just moments before Rias's voice came blasting through the communicator.
WHO COULD POSSIBLY SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!
"U-uh, well… last night we all got a little too passionate while brainstorming and refining a new technique, and… caught up in the late-night energy, we accidentally pulled an all-nighter. S-so… would you mind handling today's training without us?"
Yeah. That excuse sucked. But we were way past the point of recovery now.
"I see. Honestly, it's admirable that you three, the serious ones—well, except Kuroka—would work yourselves to the bone developing a new technique without even sleeping. It must be something truly incredible. Then as punishment for skipping today's training, why don't you show us this amazing technique sometime soon? If it's truly impressive, I'll consider waiving the penalty with just a week of clubroom cleaning. I'm looking forward to it."
The call was cut off after that.
Unreasonable request, much!? She really thinks we spent the night inventing a technique?!
The only thing I developed last night was bedroom technique! There's no way I can demonstrate that!
This is bad. I need to come up with something—anything—that looks like a new technique to fool them.
Just then, a voice piped up beside me.
"Nyaa~ Maybe you should just give up already, hmm?"
I turned to see Kuroka, still completely naked, sitting up in bed.
Looking the other way, I saw that Shirone and Ravel had also woken up—probably from hearing the call.
Ugh. I better not stare too much...
"G-Good morning, Ikki-sama…"
"Good morning…"
Both girls were blushing and trying to hide their bare upper bodies under the sheets. Just watching that gesture was dangerous. No, now's not the time!
"Nyaa~ Still, you were really intense, Ikki~ I think all your pent-up frustration finally exploded. If it had just been me, I don't think I could've taken it all~"
"Kuroka, can we not talk about that right now? My brain's still trying not to melt into mush."
If I don't force myself to ignore that whole situation, I'm going to spiral into an endless loop of regret.
"Ehhh, but…"
She leaned in and rubbed her stomach.
"I can still feel Ikki inside me... I think I'm getting addicted. And hey, now that morning training's canceled, don't you think we should go one more round before we really start the day~? Right, Shirone? Ravel?"
Don't drag them into this, you shameless cat! She clearly has no intention of showing restraint anymore!
And stop looking at me with those misty, longing eyes, you two!
Let's just say… we didn't get out of bed until almost noon.
We were all at our limits, so at least the second round was short-lived.
After we finally got up, Kuroka was in high spirits, while the other two—now fully lucid—were flushing with embarrassment as they used magic to purify the soiled sheets.
A quick shower and a brunch that counted as our "breakfast," and then it was back to the room for an emergency strategy meeting.
"So yeah. You all heard the call this morning. We're expected to demonstrate a new technique good enough to justify missing training. If we try to brush it off with a weak trick or lie, we'll just get grilled about what we were really doing last night. So… any ideas?"
"Nyaa~"
Yeah. That's about what I expected.
Kuroka probably isn't even trying to think. She's the only one of us with an open, unashamed attitude about everything. Even if the truth comes out, she wouldn't care—so she's not really helping.
"Unyaa~ Honestly, I think we should just admit it. I mean, I finally got to put my contraception magic and bedroom techniques to practical use! Besides, those pervy girls on the other side—especially Switch Princess—would probably eat that stuff up. They'd stop caring about punishment and start asking questions~"
…Thanks for the disturbingly accurate insight!
If I could ignore my shame, sure, I could imagine Akeno-senpai or Xenovia getting way too into it. But still!
By the way, after we graduate, Kuroka's contraception spell actually gets sold through Mephisto to various brothels and adult service businesses. For species like devils who can have children normally, her method revolutionizes things by eliminating the need for "thin rubber barriers." She became legendary in that niche industry… but that's a story for another time.
"Anyway! No contraception magic. No sex techniques. We need something else..."
Right as I was saying that, an idea popped into my head.
The world looks different to me today than it did yesterday. (In more ways than one.)
"Hey, Kuroka!"
"What is it now?"
I leaned in, excited by my brainstorm.
"Can I... um, stroke your head for a bit? Carefully."
"...Ikki, are you okay? Do you need a nap?"
She looked genuinely concerned for my sanity.
Since we couldn't do morning training, we spent the afternoon practicing this "new technique." Whether it really counts as a technique is questionable, but still, we gave it a shot. By evening, I was getting feedback.
"Hmm. This one definitely has short-term, high-burst potential, nya."
"Yes. But I still feel awkward using it. I'll need more practice before I can integrate it into my close-combat style."
"Still, it changed my perspective quite a bit. If we master it, it could really raise our combat performance. Even now, it seems like it could bring my forbidden techniques to practical levels. I'd definitely like to add it to my training."
So... does that mean we're in the clear? Maybe. At least they seem motivated to learn it. Even if the technique was last-minute and cobbled together, it felt like a success.
And then—
"Hey Ikki~ Remember the reward I asked for when I agreed to test that magic with you? There were actually two parts, right?"
"Wait… wasn't it just helping you test that magic spell? Or… was there something else? Like, uh, a detailed… report… submission…?"
The second I remembered, Kuroka's face transformed into a demonic grin of pure bliss.
She looked like she'd just cornered her prey, and her wicked smile wasn't fading anytime soon.
"Bingo~ You, with your sharpened senses, explored our bodies so thoroughly with your new technique. So I want you to write a full report—ten pages per girl—on what you felt, what you liked, and how each of us made you react~"
A-ah… There it is. A demon in the flesh! Well, technically all three of them are devils, but still!
"K-Kuroka-san, that's just too cruel!"
"S-Seriously, Sister Kuroka! That goes beyond teasing!"
Ravel and Shirone came to my rescue. Angels, both of them!
But the devil's whisper hadn't finished.
"Aww? But don't you want to know what parts Ikki liked most about you? Which touches or reactions he enjoyed? I mean, if you really don't want a report, I'll skip you two. But that just means I get to enjoy even better experiences with him next time~"
She leaned in and whispered into Ravel's ear. The poor girl turned bright red and looked away.
"...I-I'd like my report too, please, Ikki-sama."
"...Me too. I don't want to be left behind…"
There goes the last line of defense. The angels fell!
And so, under their strict supervision, I spent the rest of the day writing highly detailed, no-holds-barred reports for all three of them.
By the end, I had nothing left to give.
As they clutched the reports, reading with intense focus and flushed cheeks (analyzing my kinks, no doubt), I sat there completely drained. I couldn't summon the will to do anything else for the rest of the day.
========
The next day, I was still a broken shell of a man. Issei approached me cautiously.
"H-Hey, Ikki? Are you okay, man? You look like you could vanish at any moment…"
"Oh my, the four of you did call in together yesterday. I was wondering if something special happened between you. But judging by your face, I guess not?"
Even Akeno-senpai was completely misreading the situation. But that's fine.
No one would think this is how someone looks after getting closer to the girl(s) they love.
It took almost a full day before my soul started returning to my body.