As the old people used to say, a bath is a good way to wash your mind. After all the ruckus I’ve faced today, the warm water soothed my tired body. Onsens really are great.

  [……Well, that being said, seriously, what is with this onsen? The “type of hot water” is changing every single day……]

  [It’s a free-flowing onsen after all!]

  [Like I said, which part of this onsen is free flowing!? Heck, being free-flowing doesn’t change the type of hot water in the onsen, you know!!!?]

  Puzzled over the color and scent of the onsen, which changed every day, I tsukkomi’d at dumb reply. Incidentally, today’s onsen was white and murky. Its unique scent is pleasant to smell.

  With that mysterious rule that whoever goes around the festival with me tomorrow takes a bath together tonight, it’s fortunate that the water is murky.

  Of course, I’m nervous, but I’m still composed enough to enjoy the onsen.

  As I was thinking about this, Kuro took a yellow rubber duck out of nowhere, the same one I’ve seen on the first night of the festival and made it float in the onsen.

  [……Kuro, do you like rubber duckies?]

  [Unnn! It’s kind of cute…… Ahh, there’s one for Kaito-kun too! Here!]

  [Well, it’s just going to be another stre…… Why the heck does my duck look like a legendary bird!?]

  With a cute grin, Kuro made a giant bird appear out of nowhere of about one meter in length…… Every single feather looked carefully crafted, and with its feathers which are made up of four bright colors and the sharpness of its face, it looked like a bird who would give up its mortality.

  No, wait…… This is just too different from the rubber duck that Kuro is playing with! Isn’t it better if I get one of those chibified ducks too? Rather than a toy…… This looks like a sculpture floating in hot water.

  [K- Kuro? What is this awesome-looking thing……]

  [A special ducky for Kaito-kun!]

  [Isn’t it pushing too much to call this a ducky!?]

  [W- Well, that’s what I thought too but…… Isis said “……Kaito’s ducky…… the…… strongest”, and when Shalltear heard about it…… this is what happened.]

  [Ah, unnn…… I see……]

  Isis-san…… Rubber ducks don’t have any strength at all. Also, as for Alice…… Well, I guess she’s acting like usual……


  As for the story of how the legendary sacred bird, Ducky-chan was born, let’s not bother throwing a tsukkomi at it anymore.

  [Mhmm!?]

  [Unnn? What’s the matter?]

  [Sorry, Kaito-kun, wait for a moment, okay……]

  For some reason, Kuro’s expression suddenly changed to a serious one as she brought her right hand out of the onsen…… and brandished it at the black vortex that had suddenly appeared in front of me.

  Kuro’s punch that held extraordinary power…… Under normal circumstances, the entire onsen would have been obliterated by such a punch, but the shock didn’t hit me, as if she had completely controlled her strike.

  However, what the heck is happening?

  [This should so……]

  [Kuro? What happened just now?]

  [Eh? Ahh, it’s Earth God again…… She was trying to come in through phase-shifting this time…… but I slapped her away!]

  [……Thanks. Just like that, do whatever you can to prevent her from breaking in.]

  That person, seriously…… Isn’t she wasting her godly abilities on stupid things too much? Well, I’m really glad that Kuro is here. I don’t know what would have happened if Eden-san had barged in…… Just imagining it is scaring me.

  Anyway, the only person who can stop her is Kuro, so I sincerely hope she will do her best from stopping her.

  After blocking Eden-san’s intrusion, Kuro smoothly leaned her head on my shoulder.

  [Unnn. Of course, I won’t let her interrupt our private time together.]

  [Ahh, unnn……]

  [Hey, Kaito-kun. Do you want some alcohol?]

  [Errr…… Then, I’ll have some.]

  I wonder why? I’m becoming strangely conscious of her. Come to think of it, this is the third time I’ve taken a bath with Kuro…… but it’s the first time we’ve been alone together.

  Isis-san was there the first time, and everyone else was there on the first day of the Six Kings Festival. B- Becoming aware of it, I feel strangely embarrassed.

  I felt Kuro’s soft cheek against my shoulder. Too embarrassed to turn towards her, I just watched the scenery, feeling my heart pounding fast.

  Thereupon, something that looked like hot sake floating on a tray appeared in front of us. Picking up the tokkuri flask, she poured some sake into my cup.

  [……Here you go.]

  [T- Thanks.]

  After thanking Kuro, I took a sip of the sake. The dry sake slid down my throat with its numbing, intense flavor, leaving a pleasant aftertaste in my mouth.

  Glancing to the side a bit, my eyes met with Kuro’s, who was one-handedly pouring herself a drink, still leaning her head on my shoulder. Noticing my glance, Kuro gives me a soft smile.

  How should I say this…… Kuro really has a mysterious charm around her. She has a bright, big smile and a childlike expression that makes me smile whenever I’m with her.

  On the other hand though, there are times when she has a mature expression on her face, as if she can see through, accept and embrace everything about me.

  I guess you could say that she’s the perfect blend of childishness and maturity? She had a really great charm, and when she smiled at me just now, I felt like my face got really hot. I guess it’s no wonder Kuro had many followers all over the world.

  The fact that a charming woman like her gives me her unsparing love is really……


  [……Hey, Kaito-kun?]

  [Unnn?]

  [……This is happiness, isn’t it?]

  [Yeah……]

  At the same time, the both of us felt happiness. I guess this is what they call a heart-to-heart connection.

  Right now, unnn…… I’ll stop thinking about things like that and just enjoy this happiness.

  Dear Mom, Dad————- Whether I’m soothed by her childlike cuteness or charmed by her mature beauty, being with Kuro makes me really happy. And also, how should I say this? Seeing that Kuro felt the same happiness as I did————– makes me feel happy more than anything.

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