The dark clouds covered the sky tightly, blocking out the moonlight.
Large raindrops fell incessantly.
The streets were empty.
Mahiro Shiina was hiding—or rather, being forced to hide—under a black umbrella.
She felt the warmth of the boy's hand holding hers.
It was the first time she had held hands with a boy, but Mahiro felt no other emotions besides tension, unease, and fear.
Because...
She had been kidnapped.
This very handsome boy was a kidnapper!
Did he know she was the daughter of the Shiina family and plan to demand a ransom from her parents?
If so, would her parents even care?
Or would they say something like, "Just kill her"?
Probably the latter, right?
Mahiro thought self-deprecatingly, suddenly feeling that being kidnapped wasn't so scary after all.
[Conditions met, triggering a new trait!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the trait: Lethal Tempo!]
[Lethal Tempo]: Your attack speed increases with each attack, up to a maximum of 50%, lasting for five seconds.
Kaito Sora was very satisfied with this trait.
After all, as everyone knew,
Lethal Tempo was Yone's true father!
"We're here."
Mahiro, who had been lost in thought, tensed up and looked up.
What she saw was a luxurious, antique-style villa.
She couldn't help but feel confused.
Kidnapper-san...
Lives in such a luxurious house?
While Mahiro was still in a daze, Kaito Sora rang the doorbell.
From inside, the sound of quick, light footsteps approached, and soon the door opened.
Mahiro only saw a blur of movement.
"Onii-chan!"
Then, she saw a beautiful girl, no less stunning than herself, leap into Kaito Sora's arms.
She nuzzled against his chest, cooing,
"Yuuki missed you so much!"
Seeing this girl, Mahiro's eyes widened in shock.
"Suou... Yuuki?"
"Huh?"
Suou Yuuki finally noticed the outsider. She stepped back from Kaito Sora and looked at Mahiro, immediately reverting to her usual dignified demeanor.
"Shiina-san, why are you... why are you here?"
Mahiro didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Kaito Sora in confusion.
"Aren't you a kidnapper?"
Suou Yuuki also looked at Kaito Sora in surprise.
"Kidnapper?"
Then, her eyes lit up.
"Is this some new kind of game?"
"Take Yuuki with you! Yuuki will be a great kidnapper and let Onii-chan have your way with—Ow?!"
Kaito Sora flicked Suou Yuuki's forehead.
"Let's talk inside."
"Anyway, that's the gist of it."
Kaito Sora briefly explained the situation, omitting the part about Ryuunosuke Uryuu.
He simply said he saw Mahiro Shiina alone and pitied her, so he made up an excuse to bring her back.
"Yuuki, can you take her to take a bath? You two can sleep together tonight."
"Sure!"
Suou Yuuki cheerfully led the still-awkward Mahiro upstairs.
Sakura Tohsaka approached, holding a towel, and gently dried Kaito Sora's wet hair.
"Onii-chan, do you want to take a bath?"
"Yeah."
"Then Sakura will prepare the hot water for you."
The bathtub was filled with steaming hot water, the bathroom shrouded in a misty, dreamlike atmosphere.
Kaito Sora sat on a chair, holding the showerhead and rinsing himself with hot water.
Tap, tap.
The bathroom door was gently knocked.
Kaito Sora didn't turn his head. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Onii-chan," came Sakura's gentle voice from outside.
"What's up?"
"Does Onii-chan need Sakura to help scrub your back?"
Kaito Sora didn't think much of it. "Is it convenient for you?"
Sakura didn't answer but pushed the door open.
Kaito Sora still didn't turn to look, only hearing Sakura walk up behind him.
"Let Sakura help Onii-chan bathe."
Hearing this, Kaito Sora handed the showerhead to Sakura, who reached out to take it.
Sakura held the showerhead in one hand, rinsing Kaito Sora's body, while her other hand, soft and delicate, massaged the areas where the hot water fell.
There was no particular technique, but the softness of her hands alone was soothing.
"Where's your sister?"
"Big Sister is checking the magic circuits at home."
"Mm."
Kaito Sora leaned back in the chair, enjoying Sakura's massage-like service.
Just as he was starting to doze off,
He suddenly felt something was off.
Opening his eyes,
He saw Sakura kneeling in front of him.
Her face was slightly flushed, but otherwise, she showed no signs of discomfort as she scrubbed...
"Sakura."
"Do you know what you're doing?"
Sakura's face turned even redder, but her hands didn't stop.
"Is Onii-chan Big Sister's Servant?"
"Yeah."
Sakura's hand grew tired, so she let go of Kaito Sora and brushed a strand of hair from her temple.
Then, she switched hands, using the other to hold the showerhead while the now-free hand continued scrubbing.
"Sakura knows exactly what she's doing."
"Sakura is very grateful to Onii-chan for helping Big Sister and wants to do something for both of you."
"And..."
As she spoke,
She continued her actions,
Her face red with shyness as she lowered her head.
"Sakura really likes Onii-chan."
[Conditions met, triggering a new trait!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the trait: Magic Circuit Enhancement!]
[Magic Circuit Enhancement]: The quality and quantity of your magic circuits are permanently enhanced.
A warm surge flowed through Kaito Sora's body.
He glanced at his magic rank, which had risen from [B] to [A].
Looking down at Sakura, who was kneeling in front of him,
Wiping her face and enjoying her "midnight snack,"
Kaito Sora took a deep breath.
Desire urged him to pounce,
But reason told him something was off.
At the very least,
Sakura wouldn't be doing this just for the reasons she stated, right?
Just then,
The bathroom door was suddenly pushed open.
Suou Yuuki hopped into the bathroom.
"Onii-chan!"
"Yuuki's here to help you bathe! Are you happ—"
Her cheerful, lively voice trailed off.
Seeing Kaito Sora sitting on the chair,
And Sakura kneeling on the floor, her face flushed,
Suou Yuuki's expression slowly filled with shock.
After a long silence,
She finally whispered,
"Did I..."
"Come at a bad time?"