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Chapter 196 – Departure
🕑 Added 2025-07-23 16:11:09 +0000 UTC"Fuu~ haa~~!"
Stretching with a loud yawn, Kotori rubbed her slightly messy crimson hair.
Her expression looked tired, and her head drooped as she slowly crawled out of bed.
Nagami had gone head-to-head in a solo battle against Takamiya Mio.
Even though she knew Nagami had Code and could revive endlessly, Kotori couldn’t help but worry.
What if Mio had some unknown power?
What if Code couldn’t stand up to Mio Third Angel...?
Those thoughts had been swirling in her head all night, making it impossible to fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.
Yawning again, Kotori plucked a loose strand of crimson hair from the corner of her mouth.
Her porcelain doll-like face was still hazy with sleep, almost as if she were sleepwalking.
Squinting, she slipped off her loose pink pajamas, revealing tender, fair skin that glowed like milk in the morning sunlight.
“Kotori, I’m back—ugh!”
Sensing Kotori’s presence from the shadow space, Nagami had jumped straight out without hesitation.
Maybe this was the universe’s way of compensating him after a brutal all-night battle… and actually dying once.
That thought flashed through his mind as his gaze shamelessly roamed over the girl’s flawless, alabaster body.
"You’re finally back!"
Kotori’s voice, bright and relieved, was like a bucket of cold water that instantly jolted her awake.
Well, not entirely awake because the next second, she launched herself at him and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?"
Her small, soft hands started patting all over him, checking for injuries.
Her expression was full of genuine concern.
Nagami blinked in surprise, a little caught off guard.
He had expected a flying kick or maybe an elbow to the face—not this.
Smiling awkwardly, he gently leaned down to return the hug.
Her petite, well-proportioned frame felt smooth and silky against his arms, like delicate jade but it didn’t stir anything in him emotionally.
After all, he’d touched C.C.’s body enough times already.
Without the right atmosphere, that kind of “reaction” just didn’t happen.
Nagami had risen above such lowbrow temptations, after all.
But Kotori was a different story.
The moment his hand brushed her waist, a strange feeling shot through her like a jolt of electricity.
Her eyes blinked rapidly, and full awareness returned.
She froze like a rusty robot, head lowering stiffly until all she could see were her own dainty toes.
...Too bad.
But this wasn’t the time to be thinking about that!
Kotori took a deep breath.
Without saying a word, she clenched her fists, coated them with spirit energy—and socked Nagami right in the gut.
"I knew I shouldn't have worried about you, you jerk!"
She didn’t hold back. After all, she’d already checked—he wasn’t hurt at all.
‘Wham!’
The punch, overflowing with embarrassment and frustration, hit Nagami so hard his eyes bulged as he curled up on the floor like a shrimp, clutching his stomach in agony.
Honestly, that punch almost made him throw up bile.
‘She hits like a truck!’
Bent over, groaning, he was practically glued to Kotori’s slim figure as he clung to her for dear life, a mask of pain plastered across his face.
Sure, the contact area had increased but seeing that expression, Kotori relaxed a little and unclenched her fists.
With a sigh of relief, she grabbed him by the collar and threw him out the door.
‘Slam!’
The door shut with a loud clang, followed by the sound of the lock sliding into place.
Leaning back against the door, Kotori’s pale cheeks flushed deep crimson—matching the ruby red of her eyes.
“...I knew it. This is how these things are supposed to go.”
She’d seen this kind of scene a thousand times before.
And who was the “senpai” she learned it from?
Why, that spiky-haired boy who always opened doors only to find a girl changing clothes, of course!
Nagami, meanwhile, quickly shed his pained expression like it was a mask—though unfortunately, this time it wasn't an act.
That punch had genuinely hurt!
Still, what was the point of making a face like that if no one was watching?
He looked at the closed door with a helpless shrug, about to walk away—when he heard the faint click of the doorknob turning.
The door cracked open just a sliver.
Kotori, now fully dressed, extended a slender arm through the opening.
She grabbed Nagami by the collar, gave him a cold glare, yanked him back into the room—and slam!—the door shut again.
"Takamiya Mio—what happened? How did the battle go?"
Her tone was serious.
Her face tried to match it too.
But it didn’t help that Nagami shamelessly flopped onto her bed, hugging her blanket and even taking a deep sniff with a satisfied look on his face.
That made Kotori’s slowly fading blush flare up again.
“You pervert!”
“No I’m not! But seriously, it smells really nice. What brand of body wash do you use? Can you share some?”
Lazily sprawled across the soft bed, Nagami stretched with a long yawn.
Seeing him like that completely unfazed and lounging around like a pig too lazy to fear boiling water.
Kotori couldn’t help but sigh and rub her temples in exasperation.
"As for the battle... well, I won in the end. Oh, not by beating her in a fight—but because she finally agreed to cooperate with my plan."
Resting his head on a pillow that still carried the faint scent of the girl who used it, Nagami turned his head toward Kotori, who stood with her arms crossed.
"What can I say… she really lives up to being the First Spirit. I went all out, held nothing back except for my final trump card. And even then, I couldn’t defeat her."
Yes, there was still one card Nagami hadn’t played.
But this wasn’t the kind of desperate situation that called for it.
Besides, even if he wanted to use it, it wasn’t something he could just activate at will.
“It turned out alright though. I only died once.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing his body.
While resurrection did clear most of his negative status effects, it still left him mentally exhausted.
‘He died once?’
Kotori hesitated for a moment.
Hopping up onto the bed, she placed both hands gently on Nagami’s slightly stiff shoulders.
With delicate, almost boneless fingers, she began to massage his shoulders, her brows knitting slightly with concern.
Even if he could come back to life, no one in their right mind would want to go through the experience of dying.
What made it worse was the fact that Nagami had no irreconcilable grudge against Takamiya Mio.
He wasn’t even from this world.
Everything he had done—aside from what concerned Kurumi had been to help her.
That thought made Kotori’s hands move even more gently.
“Well, well… I never thought our dear commander would be this skilled,” Nagami muttered, genuinely surprised.
He hadn’t expected Kotori to be able to give a massage and to be honest, she was really good at it.
As the soothing pressure worked its way into his aching shoulders, a gentle warmth spread through his body, melting away the lingering fatigue.
“Just enjoy it and don’t talk.”
She gave his shoulders a slightly firmer squeeze, her voice taking on a mix of gentle scolding and affection.
“Oh right—Mio decided to keep using Reine Murasame’s identity and continue working within Ratatoskr. Just treat her the same as before.”
The peaceful silence between them lingered a little longer until Nagami broke it.
“I see…”
Kotori paused her massage and furrowed her brows slightly, looking at him.
“So now that things are settled with Mio… what do you plan to do next? Are you leaving?”
Her voice dropped in volume, and the hint of reluctance on her face became more obvious.
“Well, there’s not much left for me to do here, for now. The whole reason I came in the first place was to help Kurumi… to get the Twelfth Bullet. And now that she’s gathered enough time to send me into the past, I need to fulfill what I promised.”
Nagami reached up and gently pinched Kotori’s soft cheek, brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen beside her ear.
“Why the long face? We’re all connected through the chat group now, remember? If you miss me, just say so. I can pop in anytime.”
“Ugh, as if I’d miss you, you idiot!”
Kotori turned her face away in embarrassment.
The tips of her ears turned red, and her eyes darted away to hide the reluctant fondness within them.
“You and your group leader privileges are such cheats!”
After all, only Nagami could buy travel cards at low prices and hop between worlds at will.
“Before I go… I should help Shidou with one last thing. Even with all of Ratatoskr’s equipment, they still can’t fully restore his body back to normal.”
Nagami gently took Kotori’s small, soft hand and walked with her toward the living room, his steps light and carefree.
