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Chapter 223: Interlude – Fireworks (2)
Brilliant, colorful fireworks lit up the night sky.
As the festival concluded with a wave of happiness washing over everyone, a cold atmosphere hovered over the rooftop of the party house—something that didn’t quite match the warm notion of a "festival."
“I think this way.”
The first to speak was Iris.
She smiled a compassionate, benevolent smile that suited her title as a saint and continued,
“Just as the seven gods were created over seven nights, there’s a proper order to everything in this world.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I’ll be the one to kiss him, so the rest of you can stay quiet and back off.”
“….”
Her calm voice was in stark contrast to her bold declaration of monopoly, causing Lanez, Yurina, and Professor Elisha’s eyes to glint coldly.
“Heh. If that’s the case, then considering the first god created was the sun, it should be me.”
“Yurina, you’re not marked by the Sun God.”
“I’ll just wear the pendant.”
“…Are you planning to kiss Dale while in your male form?”
“Dale would understand.”
What.
“…He doesn’t look remotely like he’d understand.”
“Anyway! Letting only Iris kiss Dale is unfair!”
Yurina firmly shook her head, determined to oppose the idea.
“M-Maybe you're right. Iris and Yurina… both of you are unfair.”
Crunch.
Lanez bit her nails nervously, her hollow eyes devoid of light glaring at Iris and Yurina as if cursing them, her lips murmuring,
“IrisandYurinaalreadykissedDaleandmorewhydotheygettohaveanotherchanceit’snotfairnotfairnotfairIonlyhaveDalehe’stheonlyoneformeIwannahaveitwithhimtoobutwhydotheygettokeepitallthemselveswhenIcoulddobetterwhyonlymewhywhywhy…”
“I’m not entirely sure what Candidate Lanez is trying to say, but she does seem to have a point,”
Said Professor Elisha, leisurely crossing her legs as she folded her arms.
“Iris and Yurina have already progressed with Dale, haven’t they? It does seem a bit greedy to ask for another kiss on top of that.”
“T-That’s unrelated to this!”
“Exactly! This is a once-in-a-year opportunity!”
As the argument grew more heated, the gazes of the four women intertwined.
‘Wait, why is the atmosphere suddenly like this?’
It was so warm and friendly just moments ago.
‘You’re all supposed to be comrades! You said we’d all live together someday!’
Unable to voice my thoughts aloud, I swallowed hard amidst the tension between the four women.
And one more thing—there was a bigger issue than who got to kiss whom.
‘The heart-shaped fireworks don’t even exist.’
Yes.
The rumor about heart-shaped fireworks was nothing but nonsense Seto spread to gather couples in the central square.
“Come to think of it, there’s an old saying from the Republic: Jangyu-yuseo.”
“…What does it mean?”
“It means the young shouldn’t covet what belongs to their elders.”
Wait.
But Professor Elisha, you know the heart-shaped fireworks don’t exist either.
Why are you so adamant about this?
“Don’t you agree, Candidate Dale?”
Seeing Professor Elisha smirk, I suddenly recalled what she had said back at the hot springs.
-I’ll remember this humiliation.
“…”
Could it be… she’s trying to get revenge for what happened then?
“Fufu. Why are you hesitating? Answer me.”
Damn it.
Judging by that expression, she’s definitely teasing me.
“Hmph! Anyway, I refuse to yield on this matter!”
“M-Me too! I understand Professor Elisha and Lanez, but… I don’t want to miss this chance either!”
To an outsider, it might seem trivial to argue over such a small thing when we’re all essentially agreed to be in a shared relationship.
But the truth is, there are certain trivial matters people can’t compromise on—especially those who’ve never experienced anything like the sweet romantic events such as “If you kiss when the heart-shaped fireworks go off, you’ll be together forever.”
“Well, it seems like… the only option is to split things… somehow.”
Just as the fierce debate over “management rights” seemed to lead to an inevitable division of assets(?),
“Everyone, calm down.”
Unable to let things go on like this, I exhaled deeply and opened my mouth.
“So… all we need to do is kiss while heart-shaped fireworks go off, right?”
Slowly, I steadied my breathing and began drawing upon the primordial flames.
‘Ugh.’
Perhaps due to my unhealed exhaustion from the battle with the Archbishop of Madness, the moment I summoned the flames, an overwhelming fatigue rushed over me.
It felt like wringing water from a bone-dry towel.
‘Still.’
Clenching my teeth, I mustered every ounce of energy.
Fwoosh!
A glowing ember lit the darkness and shot high into the sky.
And then—
Boom!
A dazzling heart-shaped blaze illuminated the heavens.
Compared to the fireworks bursting over the central square, my enormous flame completely overshadowed them.
“This is…”
“Wow.”
Couples gazing up at the blazing heart in the sky sighed in admiration.
While they were marveling at the sight, I quickly approached Professor Elisha.
“Professor Elisha, could you contact Professor Bianca? Tell her it’s a surprise event, and that we’ve secretly prepared heart-shaped fireworks.”
After all, given that these fireworks weren’t part of the original plan, someone might mistake them for a terrorist attack.
“Hmm. To think you'd escape this way...”
Professor Elisha chuckled regretfully, then shrugged before activating her Hero Watch to send a message to Professor Bianca.
“Well then…”
I slowly approached the couples gazing up at the fireworks made from ashes.
Since they weren’t real fireworks but rather crafted from ash flames, they wouldn’t burn out and disappear quickly.
“Iris.”
“Yes? …Mm.”
One by one, I kissed each of them until they were satisfied with the “event.”
Under the primordial flames beautifully lighting up the sky, I shared a kiss with all four of my lovers.
Only then, as the ash flames illuminating the night sky faded away with a soft crackle, did I let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew. That should do it, right?”
Feeling a sense of relief after overcoming the ordeal, I turned to my lovers.
Yes, I had kissed each of them as they wished, so surely, they were all content now...
“Dale…”
“…It’s not enough.”
“Y-Yeah, it’s not nearly enough…”
My lovers, panting with excitement and staring at me like ravenous beasts, made me realize one thing.
“Uh?”
I had overlooked several important points.
First, even though there was no time limit, the time spent kissing each of the four was not particularly long.
Second, eating just a little bit, instead of nothing at all, can leave you feeling even hungrier.
Third, though they all seemed fine outwardly, they had already been drinking before the fireworks started.
And lastly…
“Please, just a little more…”
“Dale, c-come here.”
“Let’s start by making sure… he can’t escape. Tie his legs first.”
“I’ll handle the tying.”
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When people are in a group, they might do things they wouldn’t dare to alone, thinking, “If everyone else is doing it, why not?”
“W-Wait! Calm down, everyone… Ack!”
Siiing.
Professor Elisha’s spider silk bound my body.
Normally, I could have easily broken free, but with my mana depleted from my battle with the Archbishop of Madness and my reckless use of the primordial flame to conjure the ash fireworks, I had no strength left.
In other words…
“Hehe, Dale~.”
“This time, I’m going first!”
“Hah, hah… Dale…”
“Well, this just got a lot more interesting, didn’t it?”
There was no way to resist as my lovers, eyes gleaming like predators closing in on their prey, surrounded me.
“Calm down, everyone… Mmph… Mm!”
And so, the curtain fell on the Seven-Star Festival.
* * *
“He fell asleep so quickly.”
“Now that I think about it, Dale did seem a bit tired earlier. Do you think something happened?”
“Hmm…”
Professor Elisha glanced at the unconscious Dale with a conflicted expression.
Her face betrayed a flicker of regret, as if wondering whether they had overdone it.
“Professor Elisha, do you know anything about this?”
“Well… You’ll have to hear it from Dale himself later.”
It was better for Dale to explain the situation with the Mad Archbishop in his own words.
“By the way, Professor Elisha…”
“Yes, Yurina?”
“Should I, um… start calling you ‘big sister’ instead?”
“…”
Big sister?
The unexpected term made a soft chuckle escape from Professor Elisha’s lips.
“That might be a bit difficult while we’re still in school.”
“Ah… Y-Yeah, that’s true.”
“Fufu. If we end up living together someday… Well, you can call me that then.”
Professor Elisha shrugged, feeling a ticklish sense of happiness.
‘Big sister, huh?’
Even though they were in love with the same man, Elisha had never considered Iris, Yurina, or Lanez as her younger sisters.
‘…It doesn’t feel bad, though.’
For someone who had lost her family at a young age and lived alone, the concept of having “siblings” brought an unfamiliar yet comforting feeling.
“Come to think of it, none of us have intact families.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
Iris was an orphan, Yurina was estranged from her mother, and Lanez had narrowly survived being killed by her own mother during one of her rampages.
“It’s amazing how we, with no connection to each other, came together like this… All thanks to Dale.”
Iris gently stroked Dale’s hair as he slept, a faint smile on her lips.
“Does Dale even realize how much he’s saved us?”
“Honestly, I doubt he’s ever thought about it.”
“Agreed.”
The four women gazed down at the sleeping Dale, lost in thought for a while.
“By the way… When we all move in together someday, right?”
Lanez cautiously broke the silence.
“Well, I suppose that’s how it’ll be, like Professor Elisha said.”
“Then… Does that mean we’ll… d-do other things together besides kissing?”
“What?”
Iris’s eyes widened at the unexpected bombshell from Lanez.
“A-Actually, that might be a bit…”
“Hehehe. It’s fine!”
Lanez smiled brightly, clenching her fist with determination.
“I already have a great plan for that!”
“…?”
Sensing that asking for more details might not be wise, Iris quickly changed the subject.
“W-Well, since Dale’s asleep, how about we have another drink together?”
“Great idea.”
“I’m in!”
“…Yurina, not you.”
“Whaaat?! Why not me?!”
Under the veil of night over the rooftop of the party house, their private celebration began anew.
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