Episode 177: Rinka and Clam’s Joint Front
Rinka and Clam understood.
――This is a Holy War.
“Well, sit down guest, we’ll give you a proper welcome later.”
“No, no, don’t mind me. Kei is very important to me. Hey, leave the nursing to me.”
The two continued their straightforward conversation with smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile, the real Kei had already lost coherent thought due to a high fever.
Her Beautiful Girl IQ had already dropped below ten, and she was acting purely on instinct.
(Nursing… by a beautiful girl…)
Having overcome (?) life and death, she had fully switched modes into being the one nursed.
Even her slightly labored breathing rhythm, her moist eyes, and her somewhat cloying expression were all being unconsciously replicated by Kei.
It was because she was always aware of being a beautiful girl.
That posture was akin to a master who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
“Either way, it’s fine as long as you don’t make too much noise…”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Kei, are you okay? I have various relics, do you want me to use them?”
“Huh? That’s cheating!”
While Clam complained, Rinka tried to retrieve a relic from the extended domain.
However, Kei reached out a hand to stop her.
“That belongs to you, doesn’t it? Besides, this seems to be a kind of poison from an angel. A regular relic won’t suffice against it.”
“An angel…!?”
Rinka’s surprised exclamation made Clam puff up his chest knowledgeably as he replied.
“This child is currently poisoned by an angel. Right now, Zero is off killing that angel.”
“S-so that’s how it is…”
Rinka inwardly thought, “Then shouldn’t we seriously nurse her without unnecessary squabbles?”
But upon seeing Clam’s eyes, she knew she couldn’t propose such a thing.
(Those are the eyes of a predator.)
She, who had been among the Silver Twilight, understood.
That sharp gaze was targeting prey.
Though there was porridge nearby, it seemed like nursing was also on the agenda, but the ulterior motives were transparent.
Still, Rinka felt no urge to criticize.
Because she painfully understood that feeling.
(Something about… the current Kei feels incredibly… lewd…)
Rinka cautiously observed Kei’s condition, careful not to be noticed.
Her cheeks were tinged with a faint red hue, and her pajama top was slightly open, perhaps due to the heat radiating from her body.
Her slightly vacant eyes and the small mouth slightly agape – everything inexplicably stirred something within her.
(She’s enticing me… If someone said she’s doing this intentionally, I might even believe it!)
Rinka deeply thanked that Tourak wasn’t present at this moment.
What was about to begin was a time of temptation disguised as nursing.
(She’s trying to maintain her usual confident attitude, but there’s a crack in it. She must be really suffering and wants to sleep, huh.)
Witnessing her unusually frail form, Rinka felt a dark emotion swelling deep within her heart.
Could she now gain the upper hand over Solciera?
(Ah! So that’s why Clam called me here!)
Rinka understood.
Even calling her, someone who could be considered a romantic rival, wasn’t an exaggeration.
The reason was to keep her own sanity intact.
In other words, it was to control herself as an external rationality.
Seeing Clam glance her way, Rinka subtly nodded without Kei noticing.
Upon receiving this, Clam’s face took on a look of determination.
(From here on, we will overcome temptation!)
(And properly nurse Kei!)
Strangely enough, their hearts were united.
“…Well, if you insist so much, let me help you nurse her.”
“You sound awfully bossy, but fine. Hey, Kei, is there anything you want to do right now? …Ah, if you’re sleepy, just say so honestly. We don’t want to burden the patient.”
Nursing aside, they weren’t looking to impose favors.
If Kei wanted to be alone, they would leave with Clam.
Upon hearing Rinka’s suggestion, Kei lowered her eyes thoughtfully for a moment before looking up at Rinka hesitantly and opening her mouth.
“…Occasionally, having some commotion isn’t bad. So… if you two don’t mind, stay here.”
These were words she would never utter under normal circumstances.
“—Ah, I see. Yeah, got it then.”
Rinka nodded with a smile.
And then…
“Let’s kiss first, shall we?”
“Wait, wait, WAIT!”
Clam hastily stopped Rinka as she smoothly stepped forward.
Stopping her along with the frog-like creatures, Clam grabbed her collar and pulled her to the side of the room.
“Why are you trying to kiss her, idiot! All your invitations are meaningless!”
“…Sorry.”
“I’m genuinely worried about Kei. Therefore, I want this nursing to remain wholesome! Kissing and stuff should happen… well, in a better atmosphere, or preferably when Kei asks for it herself.”
“The latter part is none of my business. But I agree with wholesome nursing. Yes, I came here for Kei’s sake.”
They nodded at each other and smiled.
When they turned back, they saw Kei attempting to get out of bed and stagger somewhere.
“Hey, Kei!?”
“Aah, a mysterious action characteristic of people with high fevers!”
Seeing the two rush towards her, Kei tilted her head innocently.
“What’s wrong with you two?”
“It’s not ‘what’s wrong’! Where are you going?”
“If there’s something to do, we’ll do it instead of you!”
After conveying this earnestly, Kei said while her flushed face remained overheated,
“I’ve sweated a lot, so I thought I’d take a shower.”
“Are you crazy?”
“This is seriously dangerous!”
By this point, Kei had already lost her usual intelligence.
Though they didn’t know it, Kei’s condition had deteriorated significantly in this short time.
The reason was just one.
(The demand for Lin×Cla, or rather… No, including Solciera makes it a trio need…)
The mere fact that two beautiful girls were here to nurse her was affecting her like a slow-acting poison.
The optimal solution would be for the two of them to leave the room immediately, but the beautiful girl demand production machine, having lost its sanity, wouldn’t let go of this golden opportunity.
Kei was now in full control of the situation.
“Hey, hey, did you check your temperature?”
“Not yet, but…”
“Ah, I brought a thermometer. The type you put in your mouth.”
Clam produced the thermometer and paused with it poised.
“What’s wrong, Cl―aa”
Looking ahead, they saw Kei waiting with her mouth slightly open.
With her eyes closed, patiently awaiting the thermometer, Clam’s breathing gradually became heavier.
“Clam, calm down, seriously. Kei is in serious trouble, and if we lose our minds too, Kei might end up dying.”
“I-I know. Okay, I’ll insert it then―”
Clam placed the thermometer into Kei’s mouth.
Kei remained still with her eyes closed, holding the thermometer.
(Danger… The current Kei is incredibly cute…!)
(I am a former intelligence agent of the Silver Twilight. My heart is cold, mechanical. I mustn’t show any emotions and focus on completing my mission―)
For each of them, these were excruciatingly painful dozens of seconds.
“Alright, that’s enough. I’ll take it out.”
Clam removed the thermometer from Kei’s mouth.
Its tip was wet with her saliva.
Bathed in light, it sparkled brilliantly, resembling the ultimate treasure.
It gleamed like nothing else could compare to the brilliance of stars.
(Indirect kiss… An indirect kiss with Kei…)
Staring at the tip of the thermometer, Clam swallowed hard, wide-eyed, and unconsciously brought it towards her mouth―
“Alright, what’s the temperature?”!
Reaching out from the side, Rinka snatched the thermometer away.
Realizing this, she saw Rinka methodically wiping the tip with a completely emotionless gaze while checking the temperature.
Seeing this, Clam felt gratitude towards her for the first time.
(Thank goodness Rinka is here… If it were just me, I would have already attacked Kei five times…!)
Right now, she was terrified of herself most of all.
“…Huh?”
Rinka widened her eyes upon confirming the temperature reading and exclaimed incredulously.
“…Y-you’re at 42°C!”
“That’s bad, isn’t it!?”
Clam looked back and forth between Kei and the thermometer.
The person in question was sitting cutely on the bed, tilting her head.
“…When you reach S Rank, this level of fever feels like this.”
“There’s no way! This is dangerous. We must go to the hospital! And since angels are involved, we should report to the Board of Directors and request immediate S Rank assistance―”
“Wait.”
As Rinka moved to make contact, Kei spoke up.
“Zero is taking care of it. That child will surely kill the angel… Cough, cough!”
“But still…!”
“The angel’s poison affects humans. Going would only increase the number of victims. Please… Listen to me. Alright?”
Saying this, Kei looked close to tears. Unlike her usual self, she was showing much more emotion on her face.
Seeing this Kei, Rinka hesitated but eventually nodded with a face resembling someone who had bitten into a bitter bug.
“…Alright. But until twelve o’clock. I can’t wait any longer than that. After that, we’ll start moving on our own.”
“Thank you… I’m always causing you worry, sorry.”
It was a phrase she would absolutely never say otherwise.
“Don’t worry about it!”
“That’s right! So, let us nurse you. It’s alright to be dependent on us just this once.”
“Alright… I understand.”
Upon hearing Clam’s words, Kei made a dazed smile.
Then she opened her mouth.
“So, would you wipe my body? Even if a shower is out of the question, that much should be fine, right?”
“「…Huh?」”
“Is that… not allowed?”
Seeing Kei lower her eyes sorrowfully, Clam and Rinka desperately shook their heads.
It was a situation equivalent to having a prepared feast right in front of them.
“I’ll handle it! I’ll wipe you down. Hey, Clam! …Clam?”
The intelligence officer mode Rinka cheerfully agreed.
However, her partner was acting strangely.
Looking closely, she had something in her hands already.
“?”
What Clam held was something resembling a purple choker.
Attached to it was a heart-shaped bell, which clearly shouldn’t be brought out right now.
Watching Clam tightly grip it with both hands, Rinka questioned,
“What’s that?”
“Pervert Detector.”
(Jeez, looks like my sanity has gone completely haywire!)
Upon making this judgment, Rinka’s actions were swift.
Grabbing Clam’s arm, immobilizing her joints, and restraining her took two seconds.
Exiting the room took one second.
Cutting through Kei’s mournful “Ah…” took a subjective hour.
Rinka, who had rushed out of the room in just a few seconds, unhesitatingly slapped Clam.
“…Huh!?”
“Really glad I’m here, aren’t you…”
“Thanks, I’m saved… Seriously.”
It was heartfelt gratitude.
“So, that’s the Pervert Detector?”
“Yeah. You caress the person wearing this. When you touch a spot where the wearer feels something, this bell rings.”
“What’s wrong with Fectom? Why did they create this?”
Seeing Clam explain with utmost seriousness about the Pervert Detector, Rinka couldn’t help but ask.
Clam simply responded with “It’s my proud mechanic,” offering no further explanation.
Fectom’s mechanics ranking skyrocketed in Rinka’s mind to an incomprehensible super pervert.
“Anyway, put that away. Absolutely don’t bring it out.”
“But… Wiping the body… That’s… E-Erotic, right!?”
“Since that’s what Kei wishes for, we have to do it, right? Pull yourself together! Aren’t you supposed to be someone who understands Kei!?”
“…!”
At Rinka’s words, Clam suddenly raised her face.
“Acting on instincts and attacking would be bad. You’ll definitely regret it. I think she would accept it even if you did, but you know it would be wrong, right?”
“…Yeah. Thanks, I’m good now.”
“You have good eyesight.”
“Same goes for you. Shall we go then?”
The two chuckled softly and bumped fists.
Then they opened the door.
“—Ah, magic power is still excessive, huh. This is reacting excessively to the angel’s poison.”
“…So, it seems. Cough, cough.”
Upon opening the door, Clam and Rinka froze.
There stood Kei, already stripped to the waist.
And—Nameless, diligently wiping her back.
“Hey! Mazan Girls!”
Clam was the first to move.
A large number of summoned frogs headed toward Nameless.
But in the next instant, they were incinerated by black flames, leaving not a trace of dust behind.
“It’s not good to fight when Kei-chan isn’t feeling well.”
“…Nameless, you have no right to say that.”
“Step back, immediately.”
Ignoring the words of Clam and Rinka, Nameless continued wiping her body carefully and quickly.
Then, Nameless dressed Kei in a new pajama she had retrieved from somewhere.
“…Hey, this pajama is too small. The buttons won’t close either…”
“Ah, it’s fine, it’ll fit soon, don’t worry.”
Kei nodded obediently at Nameless’s words.
“Kei, that’s Nameless! Step back!”
“…Why does this always happen when Zero isn’t around!?”
Seeing the two still in combat readiness, Kei finally seemed to realize the situation.
“…Ah, we shouldn’t fight. —Cough, cough, ugh..”
“Ah, don’t overdo it. Since Zero isn’t here, you can’t defeat me without the Twin Star Form. Besides, we didn’t come here to fight this time.”
Nameless said this, stepping away from Kei.
Then, she conjured a white chair from somewhere and sat down.
“Wouldn’t you two prefer to sit as well?”
Clam, ready to pounce at any moment, received this response from Nameless.
Seated, Nameless continued watching Kei and speaking.
“The invasion by the poison… Well, in this case, the sheer amount of magic power this child possesses is the cause of her distress. So, we just need to remove it.”
“Are you aware of something? We’d appreciate it if you could enlighten us.”
“Rinka, do you trust her words?”
“For now, we have no choice. Besides, it’s fine. She’s not lying.”
Rinka could roughly gauge the truthfulness of words and actions.
Nameless was telling the truth. That was Rinka’s conclusion.
“Yeah, impressive as always, Rinka. Now, let me enlighten you.”
Nameless then unfolded a magical circle.
“To say Trans Anchor was created specifically for Kei wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Its role is to fix the state of the physical body. Preventing the erosion caused by the Star Reader’s Staff is its primary purpose.”
The magical circle enveloped Kei.
The person herself, lacking the energy to resist, lay limply on the bed.
“Also, there’s another usage. When magic power is excessive like this, it can act as a release valve. The further the specified state deviates from the norm, the more magic power is consumed to maintain it.”
(That tone sounds like she’s used it before. Moreover, the rhythm of this conversation… Somewhere…)
Rinka began investigating the true identity of her opponent without letting on.
But just as her thoughts were interrupted, Nameless grinned and said,
“So, let’s have Kei revert to a child for a bit. The child form consumes a lot of magic power.”
“「…What?」”
Both their thoughts came to a complete halt.
It was that shocking of a statement.
Naturally, Kei on the bed also heard it.
(…Eh, young girl… event…?)
Despite her frail body, her soul shone brighter than ever.
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