"Then I truly apologize," Having known her for so long, Kaito was already used to this gremlin woman's style. Facing her nagging, he felt no emotional ripple in his heart, "I'm not a god, just an ordinary person who slightly understands some techniques, and I have no intention of recruiting a shrine maiden. Please look for another opportunity."
Although she was rejected, Gremlin Ryou didn't seem too disappointed and couldn't help but complain, "Just understanding techniques already has nothing to do with the word 'ordinary,' right?"
Nijika on the side also rarely agreed with her words, nodding very seriously.
In this day of full of frauds and crooked sects, true masters of the arcane are rarer than pandas.
At least with a thousand yen, one can buy a ticket to Ueno Zoo to visit a panda.
But a truly skilled mage, many people may never encounter even one in their lifetime.
"Speaking of which, the more important issue right now should be how to stop the rain, right?"
Kita weakly raised one hand, trying to steer the skewed topic back on track.
"Regarding that...", Kaito extended a hand. Clearly, he didn't make any extra movements, but in the next second, as if performing magic, a cute white doll appeared out of thin air in his palm.
"This is...", Little Bocchi hesitated for a moment, somewhat uncertainly said, "A teru teru bozu?"

"That's right."
Since ancient times, in east, there has been a tradition of hanging paper-cut images of women under the eaves to pray for the rain to stop and for clear weather.
Later, when this folk custom spread to Japan, it evolved into the "teru teru bozu." Although the image changed greatly, the meaning remained the same.
Ordinary teru teru bozu naturally don't have the magical effect of changing the weather. Most of the time, they are just for psychological comfort.
But... a teru teru bozu crafted by a genuine cultivator can practically be called a "magical artifact." Its power is naturally incomparable.
Although due to material limitations, the quality of this thing wasn't high, and its function was also very simple: only able to stop rain and bring sunshine. And it was a one-time use item that would break after one use, making it tasteless for cultivators.
But to solve the immediate problem, it was just right.
Nijika received the doll from his hand and carefully observed it but didn't find anything unusual.
On the plain white cloth, at the head position, crude facial features were drawn with a black watercolor pen. At first glance, it looked like a preschooler's random doodle.
'Such an unimpressive little doll, does it really… have the power to change the weather?'
"Hang it in the shop, any spot will do," Kaito paused, then added, "As for what happens next, you don't need to worry, it'll take care of it."
Although she still had some doubts, Nijika obediently did not question him and softly responded, "Mm."
Instead, Gremlin Ryou beside them raised a question, "Although I have great faith in you, boyfriend-kun... will this thing really work?"
"Yes," Kaito smiled lightly, "If you still don't believe it, how about making a bet with me?"
"A bet?", Gremlin Ryou pinched her chin and thought for a moment. No one knew what she was thinking, but her bright golden eyes suddenly lit up, "In that case, let me propose the stakes, how about that?"
"Of course," Kaito didn't care much about these things. It was just a playful bet, and in a sure-win situation, he had no concerns.
"Then...", The blue-haired girl cleared her throat and finally stopped hiding her wolf-like ambitions, revealing the fangs of a big bad wolf, "If it doesn't rain tomorrow, proving the teru teru bozu is effective, then as the loser of the bet, I will pay the price. I'll agree to any one request you make unconditionally. Even offering myself to you is fine."
"But if it still rains tomorrow, then you, boyfriend-kun, will agree to one of my conditions. Of course, it won't be anything that makes things difficult for you. How about that?"
Nijika: "?"
The great angel of Shimokitazawa couldn't help but type out a question mark.
This scheme was way too loud, she could hear it even from the side.
But Kaito didn't even think and lightly nodded, "Alright, I agree."
'An unconditional request… What should I use it for?'
'Maybe… let this gremlin Ryou draw a turtle on my face?'
"M-me too! Can I join this bet?", Kita couldn't resist joining the fun. As Kaito's most loyal fangirl, at this moment she genuinely hoped Ryou would win.
The stakes were just too attractive. To have Kaito agree to one of her conditions, even if it had the "won't make things difficult" restriction, it still made the red-haired girl blush, her heart racing, diving into fantasy mode.
Even little Bocchi mustered up courage to raise her hand, wanting to join the bet. Although she didn't dare have excessive delusions, 'If it is just a small request like asking the president to pat my head, then… that shouldn't be too much, right?'
In response, Gremlin Ryou welcomed all challengers. In the end, she even dragged Nijika into the fray.
With four against one, even if they lost in the end, there'd be others to share the punishment, it wouldn't feel lonely.
But if they really won…
'Hehehe, with you four heroines teaming up, each with her own charm and unique skill, we will definitely bring boyfriend-kun infinite surprises.'
———
[The Next Day, Sunday]
Facts proved: when it comes to bets, nine out of ten are losses.
Especially when the person you're betting against is a genuine superpowered individual, your chances of winning drop even further.
Looking at the milky white clouds outside the window, not exactly bright sunshine, but with no sign of rain either, Yamada Ryou let out a deep sigh.
'Boyfriend-kun was that confident… as expected, he had something up his sleeve.'
'A miscalculation.'
'Thankfully, I am not alone.'
'With Nijika and the others with me, considering boyfriend-kun's personality… he probably won't make too unreasonable a request, right?'
Her heart thumped inexplicably. Gremlin Ryou was a little unsure of her thoughts.
'Probably?'
———
[5 P.M.]
It was already opening time, and the audience began entering one after another. At a glance, there were probably dozens of people, completely filling the open space in front of the stage.
Although today was the band's first official live performance, they weren't the only band performing.
There was also another popular all-girl band performing today, and most of the audience came for the other band's fame.
Even so, facing such a large crowd still made the girls from the practice room involuntarily nervous.
Nijika and Kita were still okay. As social butterflies, they could at least maintain a calm appearance.
The most socially anxious Bocchi had already curled up into a cardboard box labeled "Ripe Mango," trembling like a shadowy pill bug.
In her current state, even if she had level ten skill, she could at most perform at level three. Clearly, she couldn't perform well.
No choice. To give the little social-phobic girl a perfect first-time experience, Kaito had no choice but to step in again. With one calming spell, he helped her temporarily settle down.
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