"Alright, let's begin."
"Mm!"
Shizuka nodded, her fists clenched nervously.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt."
Ayato smiled. "But you need to take off your clothes first."
'T-take off clothes?'
Shizuka instantly flushed red, her pupils contracting sharply.
'Th-this fast?'
'I am not ready yet.'
'And Yukino and Momo were still here. How could I?'
"Hiratsuka-sensei, don't be nervous. This is just one of the King's bad habits."
Yukino gave Ayato a look and explained, "Don't overthink it. You just need to take off your outer clothes."
'I see!'
A look of understanding appeared on Shizuka's face. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.
'But,'
'He really had a peculiar sense of humor.'
She looked at Ayato with some resentment, then began to move.
But soon,
Her skin flushed pink.
For her, going this far was already quite embarrassing.
Standing before a man she had just met in only her underclothes...
She felt like she might faint.
Seeing this,
Ayato immediately acted, placing the Evil Piece on the designated spot.
Hum!
A dark red magic circle gradually appeared.
Shizuka blinked, watching in disbelief as the Evil Piece slowly sank into her body.
Thump!
The next moment, her pupils dilated. She felt her heart race.
Her body was changing.
At the same time, Ayato raised his hand slightly and summoned the Boosted Gear Gauntlet.
A crimson tendril slowly flowed into Shizuka's body.
'There's a strange kind of energy inside her body.'
'Hiratsuka Shizuka is a martial artist. I wonder which merged world that's from.'
Sensing the situation inside Shizuka's body, Ayato's eyes flickered slightly.
"Mmmnn..."
Just then, the skin on Shizuka's back writhed. With a whoosh, a pair of black wings burst forth.
Then,
A tail with a heart-shaped tip slowly emerged.
"Oh, right, there's also the blessing."
Ayato stepped forward and looked down at Shizuka.
"Blessing? What's that?"
Shizuka blinked, confused.
"The so-called blessing is the power of a god."
Momo kindly explained. "And the way it's granted is..."
'Huh?'
'Huh?'
Shizuka was stunned. Her cheeks visibly flushed.
'Was this blessing legitimate?'
As she thought this, she saw Ayato's ruby-like eyes getting closer and closer.
"Mphh..."
Shizuka closed her eyes.
Something seemed to flow through her.
'So this is... a god's blessing?'
After a long while,
Ayato stepped back.
"Phew!"
Shizuka's legs went weak. She instinctively grabbed a chair.
Her breathing quickened. Her eyes grew dazed.
"..." x2
Yukino and Momo looked complicated.
'This adult... wasn't all that impressive.'
'Compared to us, she is even worse.'
"Mm, not bad."
Ayato gave his assessment.
He decided he would write a book someday.
After all, the feeling of granting a blessing was completely different for every servant.
Hearing Ayato's voice, Shizuka came back to her senses. She quickly put her outer clothes back on.
"Here."
Ayato flipped his hand and handed her a book.
"What's this?"
Shizuka took it instinctively, curious.
After Ayato explained, Shizuka nodded in understanding.
By this measure...
The servants she was joining were quite professional, to have something like this.
She flipped through it silently, and her pupils contracted sharply.
"Campione?"
She gasped.
'Wait, wasn't this a legend?'
Shizuka stared intently at that page, her breathing quickening.
'So what those several teachers had said was true.'
Ayato said with some surprise, "What, you've heard of it before?"
"Y-yes."
Shizuka nodded instinctively.
She had unwittingly stumbled upon a tremendous opportunity.
She had almost missed it.
Because according to those teachers...
To be valued by such a being and become their follower...
Everyone in the martial arts world would probably be fighting over it.
…
At the shrine!
Yukino had gone home.
So Ayato brought Shizuka here.
"King, welcome again."
The moment Seiko saw Ayato, she threw her arms around his.
She asked expectantly, "King, can you have dinner here today?"
'Hmm?'
Feeling the surge against his arm, Ayato looked down. Seiko immediately straightened up.
'Not bad!'
'Very sensible!'
'She is a qualified servant.'
"Sure, I'd like to taste your cooking."