Chapter 32: You Can Only Use It on Me
"Duel Academy?"
Amano had heard about it before—this world had Duel Academies just like in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime.
It wasn't a place lower district residents could ever dream of reaching.
Duel City occupied nearly a third of the middle districts, with five total Duel Academies located within.
The most famous were the three representing different summoning methods: Fusion Academy, Synchro Academy, and Xyz Academy.
But did he really need to go to school at this point?
If they were comparing card game knowledge, Amano was undoubtedly professor-level or higher compared to the history-fragmented people of Eden Tower.
Still, Amano understood the young miss's true intention. More than education—
"You mean Duel Academy is safe?"
"In a sense, it's both safe and dangerous at the same time."
The safety part was easy to understand. Compared to the poor, backwards, chaotic lower District 32, the middle districts' infrastructure was obviously far superior. The academy where students gathered would have dedicated security systems in place.
But what did she mean by dangerous?
Finesse answered seriously: "Based on the clues I've gathered, the Puppeteer himself is also at Duel Academy."
"..."
Amano had assumed the young miss was taking him to the academy for refuge.
Turned out they were going to play Werewolf instead.
"When you're marked by a lawless maniac like the Puppeteer, running away won't help. We have to take the initiative!"
"You've got a point. But isn't it like looking for a needle in a haystack? Any other clues?"
"I'll have to take the fake cards we got tonight back for analysis before I know the results."
All that embarrassing crawling around picking up cards hadn't been in vain. If it could help them become the Seer in this game of Werewolf, it'd be worth it.
As the young miss said, since the Puppeteer had marked him, blindly fleeing wouldn't work. The enemy was a vicious antisocial criminal. Who knew what he'd do for revenge?
Teaming up with Finesse, borrowing the Wein Family's backing, and taking down the Puppeteer hidden at the academy—
For Amano, this might be the best choice.
"I agree, Finesse. I'll fight alongside you."
"That's wonderful~"
Even though it was the young miss who was taking him across class boundaries to the middle district's Duel Academy—
Somehow after Amano agreed, she was the one who looked relieved.
"I was just thinking about what I'd do if you refused."
What a strange young lady. If he refused, couldn't she just... not care about him?
"After all, I gave you my first time."
That's not something you should say so casually...
Amano had vaguely noticed this from earlier.
Young Miss Finesse seemed particularly concerned about "first times."
"The first time you're talking about—you mean the first time having your body controlled, right?"
"Not just that. You're also the first person to see my naked body."
"..."
So you didn't forget about that after all.
He'd thought the affection surge would offset that negative affection-reducing event.
Guess he'd been too naive.
"My mother told me that a girl's first times in these areas are all very important."
"So from today forward, we're the people with the most special relationship."
"I was just agonizing earlier—if you refused me, didn't go to Duel Academy, couldn't attend school together, how would we be able to deepen our mutual understanding?"
"D-deepen our mutual understanding?" Amano was sensing something wrong. "Is that really so important?"
"Of course it's important! My mother didn't understand my father deeply enough, and that's why they never got married. I can't make the same mistake!"
Red alert!
Ninety percent wrong vibes!
What kind of romantic philosophy had Young Miss Finesse's mother been teaching her daughter?
Mistaken... actually, maybe not mistaken.
If you wanted to get married, both parties did need to understand each other.
Good news: the 86 affection points were genuine.
Good news: those 86 affection points weren't just comrade-in-arms bonds.
Being pursued by the Wein Family's young miss—Amano wasn't arrogant enough to consider that bad news.
It's just that the young miss's overly direct statements left Amano completely unable to respond.
"Hahaha, why are you making that face? I'm just saying I don't want to walk the same path as my mother. But if we understand each other better and find out we're not compatible, I'm not going to force you to marry me."
Finesse put her hands on her hips with a smile, adopting a mock-interrogating cute tone: "Do I look like some kind of female hooligan to you?"
"You look like a cute, wealthy, justice-driven beautiful young lady who definitely won't forget to pay me for last night's work."
"I'm discovering that the more I learn about you, the more interesting you are, Amano."
That line should've been his to say.
The current Finesse was nothing like the aloof, seemingly-fake coolness from their first meeting.
It was as if that ice queen disguise had completely melted under the warmth of this morning's sunshine and smiles.
"But regardless, Amano, the fact that you're my lifesaver won't change. I've been thinking about how to repay you."
"Taking me and Shio to Duel Academy doesn't count as repayment?"
"No, no, no—taking you away from District 32 is taking responsibility for you. I don't want you getting caught up in my troubles because you saved me. That's completely separate from repayment!"
The young miss had that distinction pretty clear.
"So when you mentioned compensation earlier, I thought of something. I'll give you the full hundred thousand Eva Points as promised, but you don't need to use it for your sister's auxiliary prosthetic limbs."
"Why not?"
"I'll use the Wein Family's connections to install the best mechanical prosthetics currently available for your sister. All expenses covered by the Wein Family."
"Finesse! You're my benefactor!"
His genuine response let Finesse feel once again that Amano wasn't just paying lip service—he truly cared more about his sister than anything else.
"But there's one more thing, kind of an unreasonable request. Amano, can you hear me out?"
"Go ahead." With Finesse providing such timely help, Amano was already full of gratitude. Even if the young miss wanted his body today, he'd accept it.
"That ability of yours—the soul invasion one—that was your first time using it, right?"
"Yes."
"Then from now on, could you only use it on me?"
"Huh?"
"Because when you use that skill, you'll see... other girls'..."
He hadn't expected that kind of "unreasonable" request.
The Hacker Invasion skill required 70 affection to unlock, and currently only Finesse met that requirement.
This request wasn't particularly unreasonable after all.
Or rather, unless it was an especially critical moment, Amano didn't want to use that skill anyway. The system had warned that carelessly using it would drastically reduce affection.
"Alright, I promise you. Only on you..."
Wait, why did a certain person suddenly pop into Amano's mind?
—Kikawayu.
His best friend with maxed-out affection.
Since Kikawayu had 100 affection points, didn't that mean the guardian spirit skill would work on him too?
Using it on girls meant seeing their souls in that honest state, which could be very rude. But using it on his best bro? No such concerns at all.
And being his best friend's guardian spirit actually sounded pretty fun.
What's that? It would drastically reduce Kikawayu's affection?
That kind of thing didn't matter at all.
"Alright, I promise you." Amano reorganized his words: "I'll only use it on you as a girl."
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