Rest with thy lap

At the start of the duel, they both take measured steps, sizing each other up, Yuto being a 1st tier mage, and Cynthia, being a 6th-tier mage, anyone with common sense would say that the higher-tier mage would win.

Normally they would be right, but there was one advantage Yuto had. Which was despite the difference in skill, he had more experience when it came to prolonged combat.

He looked confident and defiant in his position, determination present in his gaze as he waited for her to make the first move.

~Jeez, just her standing there gives off such a huge amount of mana, your sister does live up to her class

Yuto was silent as Cynthia remained just out of his range, cautious and observant as she watched his every movement, her body tense and coiled.

Her eyes never leave his form, studying him intently, ready to counter any move he dared make

Suddenly, she makes a swift gesture with her hand, and small, harmless firebolts launch at him from various directions, aiming towards his legs.

~Upwards Yuto, now!

As directed, Yuto jumped up in the air, using the speed to blast himself towards

Wind Magic: Gust Tier 1

Cynthia though inexperienced in fighting could adapt rather quickly to situations as she sent smaller firebolts flying towards his back, a sly smirk played on her face as she waited to see how he would react

Yuto countered the best he could, but his magic was lacking compared to hers.

Earth Magic: Mud Wall Tier 1

Mizuki chimes in, 'Are you casting the spells instead of using non-verbal?'

Yuto dodging every attack looks over at his aunt, ["If I do, who knows what she'll say, a tier 1 mage using non-verbal spells is just unheard of"]

Cynthia interrupts his train of thought when she casts a simple tier 2 wind spell that almost hits his leg, this only serves to embarrass him.

["She's going easy on me on purpose!"] He felt embarrassed that the highest magic she would use was 2nd Tier magic.

Once he managed to evade the first onslaught, he heard her voice call out, a hint of satisfaction in her tone. "You're quick on your feet, I'll give you that"

More firebolts shoot out toward him, but this time they are larger and more powerful, aimed at his torso and arms, intending to force him to defend himself.

~Well, it looks like you got what you wanted Yuto, she pumped it up to 4th Tier magic

The increased intensity of the firebolts surprised him, as he was forced to defend himself, he brought up your arms to protect himself.

He could feel the heat from the firebolts as they struck his arms, leaving slight burn marks on his skin.

Yuto bit down his lip to hold in the scream, ["This fucking hurts damn it, she better hope I don't get close to her!"]

She can't help but smirk again as she sees his reaction, her eyes glinting with determination, "You're blocking my attacks so far, but let's see how long you can keep this up"

Mizuki chuckles as she heals some of his pain, ~Here are some simple buffs to at least gain a bit of an advantage, technically still magic so it's not cheating.

+15 Defense

+15 Speed

With the extra buffs, Yuto smiled as he managed to avoid her firebolts more easily and even redirected some in her direction, which she easily dodged or blocked

As the firebolts continue to relentlessly attack him, she switches tactics, her movements becoming more and more precise.

She begins to summon larger and more complex spells, trying to overwhelm him with both the intensity and variation of the spells.

A small but sinister smile plays on her lips as she adds more pressure, her confidence growing.

"You're holding up surprisingly well. But I have plenty more tricks up my sleeve"

She continues to push him back with her increasingly complex spells, leaving him with few options and less space to move.

Earth x Water Magic: Stone Walls Tier 5

Fire Magic: Hellfire Tier 5

Air Magic: Air Cutter Tier 4

The entire arena was covered in multiple lands, her magic truly was on a different level compared to the first time they fought, her expression became more intense as she sensed her advantage, channeling all her focus into unleashing one final, powerful spell.

~Careful, I can see that she's trying to end it quickly before her time runs out, just tank the next hit and it's your victory

Yuto nodded as he began to focus on his defense stat for the rest of the battle.

Finally, with a swift motion of her hand, a huge, fiery explosion erupts from her fingertips.

Explosion Tier 6

Which sent him flying back into the wall with a loud thud, creating a small crater where his body hit

Yuto tried getting up but slipped back down to the ground, at the last second he used all the mana he had to create a stone wall, his father on the other hand noticed a shiny red color, symbolizing the color of aura.

That must have softened the blow, as he only received minor injuries instead of having his arms blown off.

"Kgh!" Yuto couldn't even lift his finger, so using all the strength he had, he turned his body around, looking at the sky and wondering.

["I won the bet, right?"]

Mizuki can't help but chuckle, 'Guess confidence was useless compared to overwhelming power right?'

Cynthia lowered her hand as she watched him slam into the wall. Her expression remains somewhat neutral, but her eyes betray a hint of satisfaction at the success of her final attack.

"Looks like I won this round, huh?"

~How heartless she is, her brother was sent to the wall and all she can think of is her win?

Yuto can't help but let out a small chuckle, ["Well considering that she might have been the one lying on the floor, I don't blame her for celebrating her win"]

As Yuto was lying on the ground against the wall, slightly dazed and aching from the impact, she slowly walked over to where he is

She looked down at her brother with a mix of satisfaction and curiosity in her gaze, watching to see how he would respond to her victory.

Seeing him lying there motionless and unresponsive, her expression changes to one of slight concern, and she crouches down beside him, reaching out and gently shaking his shoulder.

"Hey, are you alright? Brother, can you hear me?"

~Some little payback, haha she looks so cute when she's worried about you

When Yuto doesn't respond to her words or her gentle shake of his shoulder, her concern grows and her eyes widen.

She reaches out and gently places a hand on his chest, feeling for any signs of life.

"Come on, say something. Don't you dare be unconscious right now…"

". . ." Yes, he is an asshole pretending to be dead to get back at her for even using such a high-tier spell, is it wrong? Of course, but a 'Deadman' tells no lies.

Seeing that he is still unresponsive, her concern turns into full-blown anxiety, and her voice takes on a more urgent tone.

"Come on, wake up! Say something! Anything! Damn it, move or do something!"

She places both hands on his shoulders and shakes him slightly, her eyes pleading for a response.

Normally his mother would be running over to check on him, but his aunt Lily made sure to put up an illusion so that Cara wouldn't interfere in their duel.

<- System ->

Canceling the effects of The Ring of Ernaline

Rewards will be given when the host requests them.

As the ring of Ernaline's effects wears off and his armor disappears, his motionless form becomes all the more vulnerable.

She takes in the sight of her brother lying there, not moving or responding, and fear begins to creep into her mind.

"Come on, wake up... Please don't be too badly injured..."

She reaches out and checks for a pulse on his neck, her hand trembling slightly.

"Haha, man, I can't believe I have to share my supply of drinks with you, and for a whole year"

Relief floods her expression as he suddenly speaks, her shoulders visibly relaxing and a sigh escaping her lips.

She gives him a half-hearted glare, trying to hide her concern behind a small smirk.

"You... You idiot. Don't scare me like that. I thought I hurt you or something"

"I mean you kinda did using a bloody explosion spell on me, had I not used all I had on defense I'm afraid my arms would have been blown up as well"

She lets out a soft huff, a hint of defensiveness in her tone as she scowls slightly.

"Yeah, I guess I did go a bit overboard. But hey, I was trying to win, okay? Besides, you were the one who insisted on making this a bet in the first place"

"Sigh, at least you didn't send a lightning bolt at me again", he pointed at the scarred wound on his chest, although thanks to his passive it healed most of it, leaving a weird lighting mark on it.

Her expression softens slightly as her gaze follows his finger to the scar on his chest.

A hint of guilt flickers across her face, "Oh... right. I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to leave a scar, but... I got carried away, I guess"

Yuto sighed as he managed to recover some amount of mana, "It's fine, you should feel a bit sad"

Cynthia looked confused, she raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.

"Huh, why should I feel sad?"

Yuto chuckles, "Well because now you have to share your supply of ramen with me"

She can't help but let out a soft huff at his response, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "Yeah, you got me. I'm just devastated that I have to share my precious ramen stash with you now"

Yuto got up and patted her head, "I'm joking, I know how much you love your ramen, now come on, Aunt Lily's lunch should be ready"

She rolled her eyes playfully, a small smile on her lips as he patted her head, "Yeah, yeah, I know you're joking. I'll let you off this time, just because it's lunchtime"

Yuto sighed as he scratched his head, "What, you're going to eat my lunch now?"

She grins mischievously, her eyes sparkling with playful banter, "Don't tempt me. I just might have to steal your lunch if you're not careful. You know how greedy I can be when it comes to food, especially ramen or burgers"

Yuto let out a small chuckle as the illusion magic wore off, his mother saw both of them standing, Yuto only had minor injuries so her worries were lowered a bit.

Cynthia chuckles along with him, her mood lifting slightly as she embraces the lighthearted banter between the two of them.

His mother ran over to check on her son, "Yuto are you okay?"

Yuto although not heavily injured, was still relying on whatever mana he had left to stand up, "It's fine Mom, Cynthia just showed me a spell I can learn in the future"

Cara reached out a hand to help him up as she spoke in a soft tone, "H-here, let me help you up sweetie, Cynthia, did you have to try so hard against your brother?"

Cynthia is quick to respond, trying to keep her voice innocent as if she hadn't sent her brother flying to the wall with an explosion spell.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to throw him that hard. He's okay. Just a little shaken up"

Yuto chimes in trying to change the conversation, "Haha, I just nulled our bet, it's fine Mom, it's not like when Dad beat me in the fight, just a little scratch compared to that"

Their mother looked worried for a moment but relaxed slightly when Yuto brushed off the incident as a harmless bet, she gave a small sigh and shook her head, giving Yuto a gentle but slightly reprimanding look.

"You two... be more careful, okay? I don't want anyone getting seriously hurt"

They all make their way to the bleachers, where Aunt Lily has some simple burgers and drinks ready, at the sight of this both Yuto and Cynthia fight tooth and nail to get as many burgers as they can

Their mother and father just sighed and Lily laughed at their gluttonous ways.

Aunt Lily spoke up as they all sat down to enjoy their lunch, "So, about Yuto's results"

Aunt Lily turned to face their father and with a giant smile said, "He truly is your child Ryōko, blessed in combat and magic"

Both parents spoke in unison, "Y-you think so?"

Aunt Lily sighed as she now looked over at Cara, "Indeed, although Ryōko was holding back, Yuto managed to match his pace and even land a few blows, impressive for a newly awakened"

"His battle with Cynthia was even more impressive, despite being of a lower rank, he either blocked or dodged most attacks, which is unheard of in the world of magic, be proud of him"

Cara patted Yuto's head, looking over to Mizuki who was showing her presence to her alone, "Y-yes I was impressed by their performance"

Lily with a smile says, "Tomorrow, have Yuto and Cynthia meet up in my office, I'll talk to both of them about future training"

Cara crossed her arms in front of her chest with a small frown, "What will you talk about with them?"

Aunt Lily looked dumbfounded even though Ryōko looked confused at his wife's sudden outburst.

"Cara, you're not a child, so stop pouting"

Cara felt slightly annoyed as she spoke in a somewhat irritated tone.

"I-I'm not pouting…"

Everyone shared a laugh at how cute Cara's pout was before finishing their lunch, Lily gave them a free day to do whatever they wanted, either rest or more training was fine.

Yuto decided to head towards his room because his passive Healing Grace only works when his health is below 30, his whole body felt like it was going to break.

"So passives also have their cons, I just wished it would heal me now"

Mizuki who was sitting on his shoulder in her small form smiled as she glanced over at him, a hint of excitement in her eyes.

"So, a free day, huh? What do you plan to do with all that free time?"

Yuto scratched his head as he opened his door, "After the spar between my Dad and Cynthia, I just want sleep or whatever my body considers rest"

Mizuki chuckled softly at his response, amused by his exhaustion after a long day of intense training and sparring.

"Yeah, I don't blame you. Fighting your dad and Cynthia in one day is no joke. Taking a break and getting some rest sounds like the perfect way to spend your free day"

Upon entering his room Yuto practically rips off the training armor to take a quick bath and then changes into comfortable clothing.

As Yuto stepped out of the bath, Mizuki recalled a piece of information she came across from his aunt about men finding great comfort in lap pillows.

She glanced back at Yuto who was about to lie down on his bed, an idea forming in her mind, "Hey, you know... I heard that men find lap pillows incredibly relaxing. Maybe I could try that on you, if you're open to it, of course"

Yuto stops in his tracks, his face immediately going beat red, "Huh?"

She chuckled softly at his reaction, seeing his face turn a deep shade of red at her suggestion.

She took a step closer to him, a sly smile on her face, her voice dropping down to an almost seductive tone.

"Come on, it's nothing too crazy. Just a simple lap pillow. It's supposed to be quite soothing for men"

Yuto turned his head away, "Come on, don't t-tease me"

She chuckled again, amused by his flustered response.

"Aww, I'm not teasing you. I promise. I genuinely think it might help you relax after all that training"

She gestured for him to come closer as she sat down on the bed, patting her lap and signaling for him to lay his head down on her lap.

"Just trust me on this, okay?"

Yuto, now a bit calmer, looks her dead in the eye, "You're serious about this aren't you?"

Mizuki gave him a reassuring smile, nodding to confirm his suspicions, "Yes, I'm completely serious. Come on, lay your head down on my lap. I promise I won't bite"

Mizuki watches as he slowly approaches her, her smirk growing wider with each step small step he took

Yuto's blush is evident on his face, yet he's still moving closer to her. She patted her lap once more, signaling that he was welcome to rest his head on it.

"Come on now, don't be shy. Make yourself comfortable"

"S-shut up, I get it," Despite his body feeling like it was going to break there was no way he was going to pass this up as he laid his head down.

She chuckles softly at his embarrassed retort, enjoying seeing him flustered by the situation.

As he lay down, Mizuki adjusted her position just slightly to make sure that he was comfortable, "There you go. See? Not so bad, right?"

"I-I guess not," his face was flushed but he didn't turn his head to face away.

She can't help but smile at his admission, enjoying the slight hint of embarrassment in his voice, she lightly patted his head, running her fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp.

"See? I told you it wouldn't be so bad. Just relax and let the tension flow out of you"

As Yuto rested his head on her lap, Mizuki began to gently massage his scalp, a sense of tranquility washing over him.

The stress and tension start to disappear, replaced by a feeling of comfort and relaxation.

The soothing motion of her fingers through his hair combined with the softness of her lap creates a deeply soothing experience, lulling him into a state of peaceful bliss.

"I'm tired Mizuki," Yuto's usual tone was replaced with a more honest and tried one.

She continued to gently massage his head, her fingers soothingly combing through his hair as she spoke softly and warmly.

"I can tell, you fought hard out there today. You should probably get some rest, you need it. Just close your eyes and let yourself drift off into sleep"

Yuto sighed as he felt his body start to relax more, "It's not just that, everything seems to be going too fast, as if planned by someone"

Mizuki pauses for a moment, her fingers still carding through his hair, while she considers his words.

There's a hint of concern in her voice as she responds to his concerns. "You feel like things are happening too fast like it's all been orchestrated or planned somehow? What makes you think that?"

"The day we made our contract was the first day of my awakening, but in the memory you showed me, I was older, not a 17-year-old recently awakened but a man who had experienced"

Mizuki nodded, understanding the point he was trying to make. She continued massaging his head, listening intently as he spoke.

Her fingers work their way through his hair, trying to soothe him as best as possible.

"Ah, I see what you mean. The memory I showed you did depict you older, and that awakening did indeed mark the beginning of our contract. But I can assure you, there is no grand plan or orchestration behind these events"

"Still, the past week alone I had my arms broken, my chin busted, my teeth knocked out, being sent flying to a tree, and being struck with 6-tier lighting"

Mizuki's fingers momentarily pause as he lists out the various injuries he endured over the past week.

Her voice is tinged with concern, "Yeah, it has been quite an eventful week for you, hasn't it?"

"But hey, you've come out on top each time, haven't you? And look at you now, you still stand strong and ready to face whatever comes next"

"Haha, thanks to the system and you," Yuto couldn't help but laugh, although he still stood, part of him thought it was thanks to the System and Mizuki that things were progressing smoothly.

She chuckles softly at his response, her fingers resuming their soothing rhythm in his hair.

"Yeah, the system and I have been there to help you through it all. We're a team, remember?"

"But don't sell yourself short. You're the one out there risking your butt and fighting your heart out. You should give yourself some credit, too"

Yuto lifted his fingers to play with her short silver hair, "Is that so?"

She let out a soft hum of contemplation as he played with her silver hair. She felt a small flutter in her chest as his fingers tousled through the smooth strands, but she still responded with a confident smile.

"Mhmm, absolutely so. Don't underestimate yourself. You've shown a lot of strength and resilience. You're more badass than you think, you know that?"

"I think I'm starting to get why men love lap pillows," his tone was warm, almost dreamlike.

A sly smile forms on her lips as she continues running her fingers through his hair, still keeping up the soothing motion.

"Hah, is that so? Finally realizing the comfort and relaxation a lap pillow can offer, eh? I knew it wouldn't take long for you to see why men love them so much."

"Mmh, I think I'm falling asleep," Yup this bastard was falling asleep, his eyes fluttering shut, his words starting to trail off.

Mizuki chuckled lightly, her fingers continuing their gentle caress of his hair, she could hear the tiredness in his voice and could tell he was starting to drift off.

"That's good. Just close your eyes and let yourself fall asleep. Just relax and let the comfort of your lap pillow lull you into a restful slumber."

"Mizuki"

Mizuki responds with a soft hum, signaling that she's still listening, "Yes, what is it?"

"I love you," his voice finally cut off as he slowly drifted to sleep.

Hearing those words causes her heart to skip a beat, a mix of surprise and affection filling her chest, a small smile tugs at the corners of her lips, and as she is about to reply the door is sent flying.

As Cynthia decided to barge into his room, "Brother good news!"

Mizuki jumps slightly as Cynthia barges into the room unannounced, her fingers pausing their soothing motion in his hair, and she turns to Cynthia with a mixture of surprise and annoyance on her face.

Cynthia's eyes widen as she barges into Yuto's room without warning once again, only to find her brother and Mizuki in a compromising position. Her face flushes bright red as she realizes what she's stumbled upon

Mizuki scowls, her irritation evident, "For the love of all that's holy, Cynthia! Can't you knock first before barging into people's rooms like that?"

Cynthia stands in the doorway for a moment, her gaze shifting between Yuto and Mizuki, who's giving him a lap pillow. She can't help but notice that he's asleep, but Mizuki is very much awake.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she clears her throat awkwardly, "Uh, sorry for barging in again... but I did have some news to share…"

"Please wake my brother up first before I share anything"

Mizuki let out a small sigh at Cynthia's demand, looking down at Yuto's sleeping form, reluctantly, she gently patted his head a few times, attempting to rouse him from his slumber.

"Hey, Yuto, wake up. Cynthia has something to tell you."

"Hmm, Mizuki what's up you want a kiss?" He had a stupid grin on while his eyes tried to stay open.

She chuckled softly, slightly amused by his half-asleep response, "No, Yuto, I don't want a kiss right now. Cynthia said she has news for you. Wake up and listen to her"

Yuto turns his head to see Cynthia, "Gah what the fuck!" He jolts awake, his eyes snapping open as he curses loudly.

Cynthia can't help but smirk a little at his reaction, her irritation from earlier temporarily replaced by amusement.

"Good morning to you too, sleepyhead. Finally decided to join the land of the living, have you?"

"Why is my door broken again?" His priority was his door which looked like a bear ran through it, the handle was practically broken and it seemed to have been punched first before being sent flying with magic.

["Did she seriously use magic to bust my door open?"]

Cynthia rolls her eyes, a hint of irritation seeping back into her voice, "Oh, so now you're worried about your door?"

"How about you worry about how often you're in bed with Mizuki instead?"

Yuto huffs, "Well, she and I are lovers, so that's not a problem. What is a problem is how you keep breaking down my door"

Cynthia scowls at his response, her irritation mounting once again, "Oh, so your little romantic escapades are perfectly fine, but my door-breaking is a problem, huh?"

"Nice to know where your priorities lie"

...

"Jeez you act like Mom sometimes"

Cynthia's irritation gives way to a brief flash of surprise at his remark. She hadn't expected that comparison coming from him of all people.

"What? I do not act like Mom. I just have standards for decency, something you seem to lack, seeing as you're practically living in bed with Mizuki these days"

"Decency is not breaking your brother's door down like an animal"

Cynthia's expression hardens as Yuto continues to bicker with her. She crosses her arms, her jaw set defiantly.

"And basic manners would say that you shouldn't be making out with your girlfriend when I could barge in at any moment. We'll call it even"

"That makes no sense," he's right, it truly makes no sense but you can't reason with a wall, especially a wall that knows explosion magic.

Cynthia sighs in frustration, her patience wearing thin, "Oh, come on! How does that not make sense?"

"I shouldn't be barging in, and you shouldn't be having your little make-out sessions all the time. We're both in the wrong here, alright?"

Yuto turns to Mizuki, his expression saying "Can you believe the stupid that just came out of her mouth?"

"I think my brain just died"

Mizuki laughs softly at his comment, finding amusement in the ongoing banter between Yuto and Cynthia.

Cynthia, on the other hand, rolls her eyes at his remark, her irritation still present, "Oh, trust me, your brain doesn't have much room to die, considering the nonsense that comes out of your mouth most of the time."

Yuto chuckles at Cynthia's retort, finding her annoyance to be quite entertaining. He raised an eyebrow, replying with a playful tone.

"Oh really now? Nonsense, you say? Last I checked, I'm not the one throwing a fit over a harmless lap pillow"

Cynthia bristles at his playful tone, her irritation mounting once again, she crosses her arms and huffs in mock indignation.

"Harmless, you say? You were practically lying in Mizuki's lap, looking all cozy and content. Anyone walking in on that would think you two were making a love declaration or something"

Yuto seeing how the convert was going nowhere sighed as he scratched his head in annoyance.

"Okay enough, we'll get nowhere, have a seat and tell me what was so grand you interrupted my sleep"

Cynthia huffs again, but relents and takes a seat. She crosses her legs, her annoyance still visible.

"Fine, I'll sit. But no funny business from you guys while I'm talking, alright? This is important news okay brother?"

Yuto, just to spite his sister, gave a quick peck to Mizuki's cheek, much to Cynthia's visible annoyance as she rolled her eyes but continued with her news.

As the feeling of the small peck sets in, a soft smile forms on Mizuki's lips once again as she glances at Yuto, enjoying the subtle affection.

"Alright, fine, one quick kiss is allowed, I guess. Anyway, here's the important news... It turns out we might be staying here for a month"