A Date?

Lolis have three virtues: sweet voices, soft bodies, and easy to cuddle.

Facing the soft, fair skin of the loli and her clear, innocent eyes devoid of any guard, Kaguya felt a burning fire ignite within her. The sensation of her fingertips brushing against Yoshino's delicate body stirred waves in Kaguya's heart.

Suddenly, Kaguya's expression changed slightly, and she turned her gaze toward the window. Though the glass was frosted, preventing others from seeing inside, Kaguya's ocular abilities made it easy for her to see through.

Kaguya picked up a towel and carefully wiped the water droplets from Yoshino's body before handing her the towel. Smiling, she said, "Once you're done, remember to dry your hair. I have something to take care of and might be back a little late tonight."

"Wait," Yoshino suddenly called softly.

"What is it?" Kaguya turned her head, curious.

"N-Nothing..." Yoshino's beautiful eyes fixed on Kaguya as she held the towel. In a quiet voice, she said, "Just come back soon."

Kaguya was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and waved. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

As Kaguya stepped outside, she saw a figure in black and red from a distance—it was Kotori Itsuka.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Kaguya said with a smile. "What's this, Commander? Are you here to try and eliminate me again? If that's your plan, I suggest you give up. It's not going to happen."

"No," to Kaguya's surprise, Kotori shook her head. "That's not why I'm here."

"Oh?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "If that's not why, then what? Don't tell me you've decided to make peace with the Spirits."

"It's not about that either," Kotori shook her head again. "It's something else."

Kaguya grew curious. What could Kotori be here for if not for her usual anti-Spirit stance? The idea of Kotori, who had always been hostile toward Spirits, proposing peace seemed far-fetched—she hadn't come to pick a fight, so what was her purpose?

Just then, Kotori spoke again.

"I've made up my mind," Kotori's face grew serious as she looked straight at Kaguya and said, word by word, "I want to go on a date with you."

"Huh?"

Kaguya was dumbfounded. Was she experiencing some sort of delusion brought on by her earlier non-platonic interaction with a loli? This was too absurd to believe. Even a fool would think it was impossible.

"That's right," Kotori's red eyes locked onto Kaguya, and she slowly said, "You heard me correctly. I want to go on a date with you."

"You've got to be kidding me." Kaguya turned on her heel without hesitation and started walking away.

"Hey, wait!" Kotori was stunned by Kaguya's reaction. According to the information she had, wasn't Kaguya supposed to be a girl who liked beautiful women? Seeing Kaguya walk off, Kotori panicked and hurriedly ran in front of her, blocking her path. "Hold on a second!"

"Young lady, you're not a child anymore, and you're too old to be playing pretend. If you want to play with someone, go find someone on the street. Don't treat me like an idiot," Kaguya said, expressionless.

"I'm serious. I really do want to go on a date with you," Kotori insisted.

"You could tell that to a three-year-old, and they might believe you. I'm not a fool—I'm a perfectly intelligent ma—" Kaguya stopped herself just in time, almost letting her secret slip, and cleared her throat. "Anyway, that's impossible."

Ever since kindergarten, Kaguya had been taught not to accept candy from strangers. She knew that nothing in this world came without strings attached.

"What will it take for you to believe me?" Kotori bit her lip, clenching her fists with determination.

"There's nothing to believe or not believe," Kaguya said, her eye twitching. "This is clearly impossible. I'd sooner believe a pig could climb a tree. So please, stop wasting your time with me and go do whatever you need to do."

As Kaguya turned to leave, Kotori stepped closer, her beautiful eyes fixed on Kaguya.

"What now? Want to fight?" Kaguya sneered, glancing at her. "No offense, but not just you—even your fancy airship is no match for me. You're all just trash if you think you can beat me."

Before Kaguya could finish her mocking words, she was stunned as Kotori stood on her tiptoes and kissed her on the lips.

Caught completely off guard, Kaguya felt as though she'd been struck by lightning.

It took her a few moments to recover from the shock of Kotori's bold move. She stepped back, frowning as she asked, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Now do you believe me?" Kotori asked, turning her head slightly, her hands clasped behind her back, fingers intertwined nervously.

Kaguya walked up to her, placing her hands on Kotori's slim shoulders. Kotori's face, still tinged with a slight blush, turned to Kaguya in surprise. Before she could react, Kaguya suddenly spun her around.

Just as Kotori stood there, bewildered, she heard a loud "bang" behind her.

Kaguya had gone back inside the house!

"You bastard!"

Kotori was fuming. When had she ever been treated like this? Her red eyes seemed to be shooting flames. She rushed to Kaguya's door, pounding on it furiously. "Bastard, come out here!"

Unsatisfied with just pounding on the door, she raised her foot and kicked it hard several times.

"I knew that girl had ulterior motives," Kaguya muttered as she listened to the commotion from inside the house. She shrugged with relief. "There's no such thing as free favors—if something seems too good to be true, it usually is."

At that moment, Yoshino cautiously approached, tugging on Kaguya's sleeve. "What's happening outside?"

"Oh, nothing," Kaguya turned toward Yoshino, smiling warmly. "There's just a crazy person outside. We should ignore her."

"A crazy person?" Yoshino tilted her head, confused. "What's a crazy person?"

"It's that person outside," Kaguya explained.

"Crazy people sound scary..." Yoshino's grip on Kaguya's sleeve tightened as her face showed a nervous expression.

...

Ever since being ruthlessly rejected by Kaguya, Kotori Itsuka hadn't shown up again, nor had she caused any trouble for Kaguya, which surprised her. Kaguya had assumed that after refusing Kotori so bluntly, she would have retaliated out of embarrassment—maybe even fired a Mana Convergence Cannon at her house. It wouldn't have been surprising.

But nothing happened. The days remained peaceful, and Kaguya grew suspicious, fearing Kotori might be plotting something.

During this time, Kaguya continued her normal routine—working, coming home to cook for Yoshino, and occasionally engaging in some interesting activities with Origami Tobiichi.

Of course, things hadn't escalated to anything inappropriate.

As for the AST members who had suffered mental damage, they had all recovered and been discharged from the hospital. On the surface, at least, there were no signs of lingering issues, and they had resumed training. During this period, due to Kaguya's exceptional performance in the virtual simulator—where she even surpassed Origami's best record—she attracted considerable attention, earning the title of "super genius."

This was Kaguya holding back her true strength. With her astonishing perception abilities, even without using her full power, very few could rival her.

As a result, the AST higher-ups decided to make an exception, allowing Kaguya to use a realizer unit ahead of schedule for combat training.

Holding the realizer unit in her hand, Kaguya was surprised by how small it was—no bigger than an eraser. Once attached to her body, it could activate the full realizer unit.

Just as she was about to use it, a tall, striking woman appeared in the distance. With a seductive smirk, she sneered, "She's just a spoiled brat who's gotten full of herself over a game simulator score. When it comes to the battlefield, she'd probably be too scared to move."

"Exactly, Captain," a lanky AST member fawned. "She's only got her looks going for her—totally useless otherwise."

"I heard she only got that high score because the virtual simulator malfunctioned," another, slightly chubby AST member added.

The sneering woman was none other than Jessica Bailey.

With a scoff, Jessica's lips curled into a cold smile.

Kaguya's beauty and her impressive results in the virtual simulator had sparked envy. Rumors even circulated that she was some wealthy family's heiress, and she had attracted a fan base. Naturally, people began comparing Kaguya to Jessica, speculating that she might soon surpass her—even Origami. This infuriated Jessica, who was competitive by nature and began harboring resentment toward the newcomer.

Kaguya, however, ignored their taunts completely, as if she hadn't heard a thing. She calmly continued adjusting the realizer unit, familiarizing herself with the basic operations she had learned in the simulator. But she knew the real thing was still slightly different.

Standing nearby, Mikie Okamine overheard the mocking remarks and felt a wave of anger. She turned, glaring at Jessica and her group, but they were superior officers, and she didn't dare confront them directly. Instead, she fumed silently. Ever since Kaguya had delivered her gift to Origami, Mikie's affection for Kaguya had grown, and she often stuck close to her like a little tail.

At this moment, the realizer unit finished its calibration and was ready for activation. Everyone's eyes unconsciously turned to the stunning silver-haired girl in the distance.

With a soft "beep," the realizer unit activated.

To everyone's shock, the moment Kaguya's realizer unit turned on, she shot into the air, flying around erratically like a headless fly, crashing into things everywhere. She wasn't displaying any of the skills she had shown in the virtual simulator. In fact, she wasn't even as competent as an average new recruit.

"Tch, what a joke," Jessica sneered, crossing her arms. "In the end, she's just a pampered princess. Her high scores must've been the result of rigging. Now that she's in real combat, her true colors are showing. I must've been crazy to consider her competition. What a waste of time."

"Exactly! How could someone like her ever compete with you, Captain?" The chubby AST member chimed in.

Jessica felt utterly disappointed. She had thought Kaguya might be a worthy rival, but seeing her performance now, she wasn't even worth a second thought. Disinterest washed over her.

However, just as she was about to leave, a wave of exclamations erupted behind her.

Jessica paused, frowning, and turned back. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight in the sky.

There, floating gracefully in midair, was Kaguya, surrounded by a translucent, pale-blue Territory field. Normally, this wouldn't have been a big deal, but the sheer size of Kaguya's Territory left everyone stunned. Where most people's Territories extended only about half a meter around them, Kaguya's had enveloped the entire training ground.

It was simply unbelievable.

Kaguya was currently using a standard-issue realizer unit—the lowest tier available. Its offensive and defensive capabilities were weak, and its Territory could easily be shattered by a Spirit. It offered only minimal amplification of her magical power, and its efficiency left much to be desired. Yet, this "junk," which Jessica had scorned, was performing at a level far beyond anyone's expectations.

What's more, Kaguya no longer flew around like she had moments earlier. Now, she was moving through the air with agility and precision, her body twisting and turning at high speeds, leaving afterimages in her wake. Her maneuvering abilities surpassed even Jessica's, despite her extensive experience with realizer units.

Seeing everyone's astonished faces, Jessica clenched her teeth in frustration and spat out, "Tch."

A cold glint flashed in Jessica's eyes. Swiftly raising her sniper rifle, she aimed at Kaguya in the sky. Her finger moved to the trigger, and she squeezed it.

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