Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Chizuru's eyes went perfectly round, her mind completely blank, all thoughts dissolving into mush.
She only felt a warm, soft sensation on her lips, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Then a presence—domineering yet tender—swept through all her senses in an instant.
She instinctively tried to struggle, but her body had gone soft as spring water, unable to muster any strength.
Her hands, at some point, had tightly gripped the hem of Cloud's clothes.
The two kissed passionately, and the air in the hospital room seemed to ignite, filled with sweet, intimate atmosphere.
Just as the mood was perfect, looking like it was about to escalate into "not suitable for minors" territory, an awkward cough suddenly rang out.
"Ahem... cough cough!"
It came from the neighboring bed—the gorgeous older sister, Maki Kagura.
That cough was like thunder from a clear sky, instantly jolting Chizuru out of their private world.
She shoved Cloud away hard, and like a startled fawn, she dove under the covers again—this time burying her head even deeper, wishing she could transform into an actual ostrich.
Aaaah! How mortifying!
I was... I was caught red-handed by my sister!
Cloud, on the other hand, had skin thick as a city wall. He licked his lips with lingering satisfaction, as if savoring something, then slowly turned to give Maki a "you know how it is" smile.
Maki's face also carried a hint of embarrassed blush. She looked somewhat helplessly at her sister who had just "died socially," then at the smug Cloud, caught between exasperation and amusement.
Her sister, who usually projected such a decisive, commanding presence outside, turned into a love-struck maiden with zero resistance the moment she encountered this man?
Cloud looked at Maki, his mind already scheming about when he could have both gorgeous sisters in his arms at once.
Meanwhile, Maki had no idea that Cloud's head was full of such improper thoughts.
"Cloud!" To rescue her sister, Maki took the initiative to change the subject. "You mentioned earlier... the champion's private reward?"
"Right, right!" Cloud immediately seized the escape route, deliberately putting on a lecherous expression while rubbing his hands together. "Miss Chizuru gave her word—she'd give me a private reward. I'm not asking for much. Things like dedicating herself to me or spending a passionate night together—I'm totally open to those."
Under the blanket, Chizuru heard every word and burned with embarrassment and anger, wanting nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into. She completely ignored him.
"Hehe..." Maki couldn't help but laugh at his shameless act. She shot Cloud a look and said, "Stop teasing Chizuru. The private reward she mentioned is actually... our Kagura clan is willing to teach you all our family's secret techniques."
"Oh?" Cloud's eyes lit up.
The Kagura family's secret arts, particularly the "Yata Mirror Manipulation Technique" that controlled illusions and space, had considerable research value.
More importantly, this was a perfect opportunity for "in-depth exchanges" with the sisters!
"That reward... sounds pretty good." Cloud stroked his chin, affecting reluctance. "Fine then. Seeing how sincere you are, I'll graciously accept."
A week later, the sisters' injuries had recovered about seventy percent under the dual care of top-tier medicines and Cloud's "loving congee." The three returned together to the ancient, solemn Kagura Shrine.
This was to become Cloud's exclusive "Kagura-Style Martial Arts Crash Course."
In the shrine's inner chamber, the Kagura sisters changed into miko outfits suited for movement, making their graceful figures and ethereal presence even more striking.
They solemnly placed several scrolls radiating ancient energy before Cloud.
"Mr. Cloud, recorded here are all the secret techniques passed down through our Kagura clan for a thousand years." Maki explained. "From basic physical techniques to advanced sealing arts, and the core Yata Mirror Manipulation—it's all here."
Cloud made a show of flipping through them, then silently issued a command to the System.
"System, activate Copy Mode! Target: All Kagura-Style secret techniques!"
[Command received! Scanning targets... Scan complete! Detecting targets Chizuru Kagura and Maki Kagura are in a state of complete, unguarded trust toward Host! Plunder success rate: 100%!]
[DING! Plunder successful! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained:]
[1. "Complete Kagura-Style Ancient Martial Arts" (Auto-optimized to version best suited for Host)]
[2. "Yata Mirror Manipulation Technique—Master Level" (All permissions unlocked, including spatial sealing, illusion creation, dimensional traversal, etc.)]
[3. Due to this Plunder targeting S-rank rare skills, bonus reward: Source Points x100,000!]
In an instant, a massive flood of information and insights surged into Cloud's mind like a tidal wave. Those obscure ancient texts, those techniques that would normally take decades of arduous training to master—under the System's "One-Click Learning" function—he comprehended them all instantaneously.
His understanding of Kagura-style martial arts now even surpassed the Kagura sisters themselves!
But...
How could he let such a perfect "flirting" opportunity end so quickly?
So, during the subsequent "lessons," Cloud began his "award-winning actor" performance.
"Aiya, this footwork for Style 212: Shingo no Norito is so complicated. Why can't I ever get the timing right?" Cloud said with a "troubled" expression.
Chizuru looked at his clumsy movements, caught between annoyance and amusement, but still patiently walked over.
"That's not right. Look, your center of gravity needs to be lower, toes touching down first..." She explained while reaching out to adjust his waist, helping correct his posture.
Cloud immediately "stumbled" sideways, his entire body leaning into her soft embrace, his face the picture of innocence. "Oops, sorry. Slipped."
Chizuru's pretty face flushed. Feeling the solid chest and burning warmth of the man in her arms, her heartbeat began its traitorous acceleration again.
...
Get 20+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"