Chapter 10: Mixed Blood

A single mother with two young daughters wouldn't out of kindness take in another child. Qingqiu's parents sent enough money each month to comfortably support three children, with the condition that only Qingqiu could stay.

Both were foster children, both were adorable little boys, so naturally, whoever offered more was chosen.

In the adult world, things are that simple.

Qingqiu had lived with the Takamine sisters for seven years, plenty of time for the protagonist template to completely capture their hearts. Now, only the last layer of the window paper needed to be pierced.

While Qingqiu engaged in what was written as a massage but read as groping, the Sasaki household was also lively.

Around the small table, four girls occupied their respective spots.

Thinking of what Qingqiu had said earlier, Shinomura Yuki asked directly, "Reina, how did Uesugi suddenly become so strong?"

"Well, Uesugi isn't exactly normal..." Hamazaki Reina repeated Qingqiu's previous explanation to them.

"If Uesugi has succubus blood, why didn't you report it?" Shinomura Yuki was even more puzzled after hearing this.

The academy didn't have many students, and they certainly weren't numerous. Any new member would be announced to everyone. If she'd known Qingqiu wasn't ordinary, she wouldn't have recklessly attacked him, only to be pinned down instead.

"Although reporting it could earn us some resources, we value Uesugi more than that."

"Uesugi? Besides having succubus blood, what's special about him?"

Hamazaki Reina didn't answer directly but instead said, "Yuki, try feeling the magic within you."

Shinomura Yuki couldn't understand, but her body obeyed. When the leader spoke, she listened.

"My magic has increased by about a fifth, but what does that have to do with Uesugi..."

Mid-sentence, she finally realized.

She hadn't extracted any magic today, and even with active practice, she couldn't have increased this much in a day.

"Uesugi can do that..."

Shinomura Yuki was dazed, her face alternating between surprise and conflict.

"Don't overthink it, Yuki. The first time has the best effect, and the improvement will diminish with each subsequent time."

Sasaki Yukina interrupted Shinomura Yuki's delusions. "We do have one question about it."

"What?" Shinomura Yuki asked, puzzled.

"Succubi enhancing their power through fluid exchange isn't unusual, but a succubus boosting their partner's power... that's new to us."

"I remember you're a half-demon. Do you know anything about this?"

Hamazaki Reina and the others weren't demons, just humans who had awakened abilities. Their understanding of demons, fallen angels, and other academy species was limited due to their low power level.

"Succubi are a type of demon, also known as dream demons."

"There's no record of succubi boosting their partners' power through energy exchange. Just not draining them dry is considered restraint."

Shinomura Yuki frowned, then added, "But things are different now. After so many years, with all sorts of hybrids emerging, I can't say it's impossible."

"Are there many hybrids now?" Kurumizaka Ruri asked curiously. "Uesugi said he has succubus blood but didn't claim to be a full succubus. Is he possibly a hybrid?"

"There are many hybrids, but strong hybrids are rare."

As a half-demon, Shinomura Yuki had specifically looked into this information.

"Human-demon hybrids, human-dragon hybrids, human-god hybrids, dragon-demon hybrids, demon and fallen angel hybrids... there have even been hybrids with three or four bloodlines."

Hamazaki Reina and her friends were stunned. "Can someone really have three or even four bloodlines?"

Shinomura Yuki shrugged, "Don't ask me. I'm just an ordinary human-demon hybrid."

"Is there any way to test bloodlines?"

The more they learned, the more curious they became about Qingqiu's bloodline.

Shinomura Yuki shook her head. "I don't know. You can usually tell someone's bloodline by looking at their parents; who would bother studying how to test for bloodlines?"

"Qingqiu is fostered, and it seems his biological parents have always been overseas and never returned," they discussed as they spent more time with Qingqiu, not only engaging in dual cultivation to enhance their abilities but also chatting a lot.

It wasn't possible to just jump into action every time they met and then leave immediately after; there were breaks in between. Gradually, Qingqiu and the girls became friends.

"You could ask Rias-senpai," Shinomura Yuki suggested, seeing Hamazaki Reina and the others looking disappointed. "Rias-senpai is the head of the Occult Research Club. She's very nice to her juniors and is rumored to be a high-ranking demon. She might have a way."

"The Red-Haired Ruin Princess..." Sasaki Yukina sighed. "Forget it. She's not someone we can easily approach. Instead of asking her, we might as well talk to Touno Sakura from the class next door."

"Yeah, I remember Sakura mentioned she was a succubus, but I'm not sure how pure her bloodline is."

Shinomura Yuki's face turned dark. "Even though there are many hybrids, they're not that common. Although everyone looks human, our aesthetics and habits still differ."

She wasn't wrong. Even demons could be divided into several types, with succubi being one of the more prominent kinds.

Hamazaki Reina made the final decision, "Alright, after next week's test, we'll report Uesugi's situation. By then, his enhancement on us might not be as significant."

"Then... should we continue with him afterward?" Shinomura Yuki hesitated.

Sasaki Yukina teased, "What? Conquered after just once?"

"Of course not," Shinomura Yuki blushed, flustered. "That guy is annoying, but compared to other men... Uesugi is better."

Though Shinomura Yuki's words were contradictory, Hamazaki Reina and the others understood.

"Yuki, you don't have to worry about us seeking other men," Hamazaki Reina reassured, resting her chin on her hand. "I don't know if it's because of his succubus blood, but every time with Uesugi, I find him more attractive."

"+1"

"+1"

Sasaki Yukina and Kurumizaka Ruri echoed, feeling the same way.

"Now, the thought of being with another man... doesn't interest me at all."

"Forget about other men. Whenever I think about it, Uesugi's face pops into my mind."

They hadn't been without offers from other men, but they would subconsciously compare them to Qingqiu. Both mentally and physically, they began to resist the idea, losing interest in even conversing, let alone going further.