The trio climbed the stairs of the Class 5 Dormitory building in complete silence.

Koya led the way with his hands in his pockets. Disguise Master followed a few steps behind as her maid uniform swished with each step while Riffi perched on Koya's shoulders in her cat form, her tail flicked nervously.

Nobody was talking and Riffi felt uncomfortable as hell.

Was it because she'd peed on Disguise Master back in that hotel room? It wasn't her fault… okay, it was totally her fault, but the way Master had massaged her down there made her feel like she really needed to go.

She'd tried to turn away from him to avoid peeing on Master directly, but ended up doing it on Cute Maid instead which was arguably worse.

Riffi gulped and worked up the courage to speak.

"Cute Maid..." She said quietly.

Disguise Master turned to look at her with a completely expressionless face and Riffi flinched.

They'd spent way more hours in that hotel room than planned because Disguise Master had to wash her clothes and the guilt was eating Riffi alive.

Riffi lowered her head with her ears flattening against her skull.

"I'm really sorry for peeing on you." She said miserably. "I just couldn't control it and I really don't want you to hate me at all..."

Disguise Master's expressionless mask cracked and she laughed.

Riffi's ears perked up immediately. "You're... not angry?"

"I'm not angry at all." Disguise Master said, still smiling, then her eyes shifted to Koya walking ahead. "It's not your fault. It's his fault."

Koya's eyes widened.

He stopped mid-step and turned around. "What did I do?"

Both girls looked at him.

Koya shrugged defensively. "Riffi was the one who asked for the massage down there in the first place. How the hell is this my fault?"

Disguise Master turned back to Riffi with a more serious expression.

"Well Master isn't wrong but Riffi… that wasn't pee." She said matter-of-factly.

Riffi blinked. "It... wasn't?"

"No. What you experienced was an orgasm. It's what happens when a woman reaches the peak of sexual pleasure." Disguise Master explained like she was teaching a biology lesson. "The body releases fluid through intense muscle contractions in the pelvic region. It's a physiological response to stimulation of the clitoris and G-spot, combined with—"

"So it wasn't pee?!" Riffi interrupted with her eyes going wide. "It was proof that I enjoyed Master's massage that much?"

Disguise Master nodded. "Exactly."

Riffi's tail started wagging despite her being in cat form then something occurred to her.

"Have you ever had one before?" Riffi asked innocently.

Disguise Master answered without hesitation or shame. "Yes but not one as intense as what you experienced."

Riffi's eyes lit up with a brilliant idea.

"Then how about you let Master massage you so you can reach that peak too?!" She suggested enthusiastically.

Disguise Master's expression twitched and she was trying very hard not to blush.

Her internal thoughts were going in a completely different direction. She'd rather be the one massaging Koya until he shot his load all over her face, painting her with…

She slapped herself across the face.

PAH!

Both Koya and Riffi gave her concerned looks.

"I'm merely a maid serving my Master." Disguise Master said aloud as her voice slightly strained. "He shouldn't waste his valuable time trying to pleasure someone like me… Instead, I would much rather be the one massaging him and—"

"I don't mind massaging you." Koya said casually.

Disguise Master's face went red and she immediately averted her gaze, unable to look at him directly.

Riffi looked absolutely smug on his shoulder.

If Cute Maid wasn't going to make moves on Master herself, then Riffi would just have to force her hand.

Disguise Master suddenly ran forward, getting ahead of them to reach the door first then she opened it with grace.

"Master, Riffi-chan, please enter." She said formally.

They did.

The moment Koya stepped through the doorway, Ichinose appeared like she'd been waiting right there the entire time.

"Koya! Where did you go?!" She asked, her blonde hair bouncing as she rushed over to him.

"I just went to practice something." Koya said vaguely.

Then he paused, there was a smell in the air… it was something savory and delicious.

"Is Misora cooking lunch?" He asked.

Ichinose nodded enthusiastically. "Lunch is done! We've been waiting for you, but—"

Before she could finish, someone else appeared.

Mirei stepped out from around the corner wearing a full maid uniform that she'd gotten from God knows where. She lowered her head in a polite bow.

"Lunch is ready." She said softly. "Misora-san is calling you to the table."

Koya blinked. Why the fuck was she here?

She'd invited him to lunch earlier, then attacked him a few hours ago. Now she was in his dorm wearing a maid outfit like nothing had happened?

What the hell?

"I'm not that interested." Koya said flatly. "I already ate."

He turned and started walking toward his room and Mirei's expression visibly fell as her shoulders slumped but before Koya could make it three steps, Misora rushed to his side.

"You went out to eat food with another woman?" She asked, her voice sounding very frightening all of a sudden. "Is that why you left? To go have lunch with someone else?"

"No." Koya replied. "I just don't feel hungry right now."

"To grow stronger, you need proper nutrients." Misora insisted, moving to block his path. "If you refuse to eat, your body won't get what it needs to develop. You'll stagnate and fall behind."

She grabbed his arm.

"Come join us for lunch." She said firmly. It was not a request, rather a command disguised as an invitation.

Koya sighed and he let her drag him over to the dining table.

The table was absolutely loaded with food.

Several plates were arranged neatly across the surface as usual. Ichinose and Mirei followed behind them while Disguise Master reluctantly joined them once Misora gave her a look and everyone took their seats around the table.

Well, everyone except Riffi, who was still in her cat form but there was a small plate set out for her too, filled with what looked like fish and rice.

On the table, there was grilled salmon with a perfect char on the skin, the flesh still steaming when you broke it open with chopsticks, bowls of pristine white rice and miso soup with tofu cubes floating in rich broth.

There was also rolled omelets cut into neat slices with each one looking identical, pickled vegetables arranged artfully in small dishes and chicken karaage that was still releasing steam into the air.

It looked professional and restaurant quality at minimum.

Koya picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of the salmon first then he took a bite making his eyes widen immediately.

The fish practically melted on his tongue. The outside was crispy and perfectly seasoned while the inside was tender and flaky.

He could taste the soy-based marinade, a hint of ginger, and maybe something like alcohol mixed in. It was genuinely incredible.

Misora smiled brightly when she saw his reaction to the food and asked. "Do you like it?"

Koya grabbed another piece with his chopsticks… this time the karaage and bit into it. The chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, seasoned with just the right amount of soy and garlic.

He nodded while chewing. "I like it very much."

Misora's cheeks turned slightly pink and she looked genuinely happy. For a moment, Koya allowed himself to observe her objectively.

Setting aside the fact that underneath the disguise known as "Misora" was actually Hakua… the White King's daughter who was actively trying to find ways to turn him into her personal "Knight", she was really cute when she smiled like that.

He glanced over at Mirei, who was eating silently.

Not that he had a problem with her sitting at the table but he couldn't help wondering what her plan was this time. Was she going to try to take him off guard and attack from behind? Try to poison his food while nobody was looking? Use some kind of succubus charm magic?

He just couldn't figure out what was going on in that head of hers.

Meanwhile, Mirei was experiencing her own personal hell.

She was on the absolute verge of vomiting with every bite of food she forced down her throat. After drinking Itsuki's blood and throwing up violently, her mouth had developed this horrible bitter taste that wouldn't go away.

Everything that entered her mouth tasted spoiled and rotten.

The only reason she wasn't actively hurling right now was because she was contracting her throat muscles the instant food hit her tongue, forcing it down before her body could reject it because if she threw up Hakua's cooking, if Hakua even suspected that Mirei thought her food wasn't good...

Mirei's head would be on a spike somewhere.

She trembled just thinking about it.

Plus that blonde girl, Ichinose, was watching her carefully with those sharp eyes, looking for any sign of deception or weakness so Mirei couldn't afford to slip up… not even a little bit.

Misora cleared her throat, commanding everyone's attention at the table.

"Tomorrow is Buffer Day." She announced seriously. "On the surface it looks like a simple free day, but it can get extremely heavy and competitive very quickly if you're not properly prepared for it."

She leaned forward slightly, her brown hair falling over one shoulder as her expression became more focused and strategic.

"I bought some detailed information about what Buffer Day actually entails and cross-referenced everything with intelligence I got from a friend who graduated from this academy last year." She continued methodically. "Buffer Day is specifically designed as a day when different classes can steal Class Points directly from other classes by challenging them to official sanctioned competitions. These can range from academic tests to physical challenges to strategy-based games to pretty much anything the school approves. The challenging class puts up Class Points as a wager, and the challenged class can either accept the terms or decline the challenge entirely."

Ichinose nodded along.

"We should probably only take challenges we're confident we can win… At the end of the day, even if we don't gain points from Buffer Day, we should still be able to accumulate enough through normal means to outrank at least one class."

"True." Misora agreed then she turned her attention to Mirei. "What does Class 1 have planned for Buffer Day?"

Mirei raised both hands defensively. "We haven't discussed any concrete plans yet."

Misora shook her head, clearly disappointed with that answer then she looked directly at Koya.

"What are your thoughts on Buffer Day?" She asked.

Koya swallowed the food in his mouth before answering.

"Maximize wins… Earn as many Class Points as possible… Rank up." He said simply.

Misora smiled. "Exactly my thinking."

She clapped her hands together once.

"Enough strategy talk for now." She said cheerfully. "Let's eat."

…

Later that evening, Koya sat in his room with his laptop balanced on his lap. He was staring at the interface, reviewing the numbers.

Almost every student in the academy had purchased something from his underground marketplace. The Applied Exam questions had been the biggest seller… priced steep at 20,000 IP each, and split into separate packages for Class 1 through Class 5.

He scrolled through the transaction logs then something caught his eye.

He'd been given Class 1 exam questions to answer instead of the usual Class 5 questions for the Applied Question stuff.

Koya paused, thinking about that for a moment then he shrugged. It didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

He navigated to the account summary page.

[Gross Earnings: 2,300,000 IP]

All of it sitting in his account right now.

Koya felt a small sense of fulfillment wash over him… The plan had worked and the marketplace was a success. Now all he had to do was pass the midterms, secure better dorm accommodations, and prepare properly for the Main Exams.

He sighed and leaned back against his headboard then someone knocked on his door.

"Who is it?" Koya called out.

"It's me." Mirei's voice came through the door.

Koya closed his laptop and sighed again, this time with more annoyance.

"I'm not interested in talking to you." He said flatly.

"Please!" Mirei's voice came out desperate and almost stuttering. "Please just hear me out! I'm begging you!"

Koya blinked.

Was this some kind of manipulative technique? Fake begging to lower his guard? Koya ultimately sighed and gave in.

"Fine… Come in." He said.

The door opened. Mirei stepped into the room and closed it behind her carefully.

"Say what you want and leave." Koya said bluntly.

Mirei looked down at the ground with her hands clutched the fabric of her maid dress nervously.

"I'm in love with you." She said quietly.

Koya blinked.

"You're in love with someone who beat you up?" He asked incredulously. "You need professional help. Like, an asylum or something."

"No, it's different!" Mirei said quickly, looking up at him with desperate eyes. "It's not me who's in love with you. It's my body…"

Koya stared at her.

"Your... body?"

"Let me explain!" Mirei said, the words tumbling out in a rush. "A succubus's body can fall in love with someone. When that happens, that person becomes extremely important to them on a biological level. I physically cannot kill you anymore even if I wanted to. And... and any blood that isn't yours is poisonous to me now."

She swallowed hard.

"I tested it… I drank someone else's blood and threw up everything in my stomach. I feel like I'm going to hurl right now just thinking about it. Please... I need your blood."

Then Mirei dropped to her knees. She pressed her forehead to the floor in a full kowtow, like some cultivator begging their master for enlightenment.

"Please! Even just a drop! I'll do anything for it!" She begged, her voice muffled against the floor.

Koya raised an eyebrow.

"Anything?" He asked.

"Anything!" Mirei confirmed without lifting her head. "If you want to use my body... if you want me to do anything at all... I'll do it but I feel weird and scared right now and I really need your blood."

Mirei kept her forehead pressed to the ground, waiting for him. Koya stood up from his bed without saying anything and Mirei's mind raced.

What was he going to ask for? What would he demand in exchange?

She heard movement then something splashed onto the floor right in front of her face… It was blood.

His blood.

The smell hit her immediately. It had this incredible fragrance that made her head swim. It was rich… intoxicating and perfect. She could only stare as more droplets splattered onto the floor in front of her, forming a small puddle.

Mirei couldn't hold back anymore.

She started licking the blood directly off the floor. Unlike Itsuki's blood that had made her vomit violently, Koya's blood was sweet.

Impossibly sweet like the finest wine mixed with honey. She lapped up every single drop from the floor then she stood up quickly and grabbed his hand, finding the small cut on his thumb where he'd drawn the blood.

She put his thumb directly in her mouth and started sucking.

Koya found it genuinely weird to watch a beautiful woman like Mirei suck on his thumb like an infant but he had to admit… her mouth felt really good. Her tongue was coiling around his thumb and he wondered how it would feel like to have it around his di–

'Stop being a pervert…'

She released his thumb with an audible pop. Mirei finally felt good… better than good. She felt stronger too.

Was this because she'd consumed blood from someone her body had fallen in love with? Why hadn't her mother mentioned this phenomenon?

Then Mirei looked down at the ground, her face flushing completely red. Slowly, she reached down and lifted the hem of her maid costume… lifting it higher and higher until her pink panties were fully visible.

"If you want to put a baby in me..." She said quietly. "You can do it right now."

Koya immediately placed both hands on her shoulders and pushed her backward out of the room then he closed the door in her face.

'I don't want to take chances…'

What if succubus could somehow take over your mind while having sex with them? What if that was part of their whole seduction thing?

He'd read enough fantasy novels to know that demonic entities and sexual encounters rarely ended well for the human involved so he was just being cautious.

Koya walked back to his bed and sat down heavily.

'Besides, I need to focus on tomorrow.' He thought, rubbing his temples. 'Buffer Day is going to be chaotic… I can't afford distractions right now.'

Then another thought crossed his mind.

'I wonder if I'm still going to have that date with Saki.'

…

The next morning, Koya walked out of his room shirtless, yawning loudly. Riffi was curled around his neck in her usual cat form, still half-asleep herself.

Koya walked over to the refrigerator near the dining area and pulled it open, he reached inside blindly for one of the soft drink cans he kept stocked.

He grabbed one, pulled it out, and cracked it open with a satisfying hiss then he took a long drink and immediately grimaced.

It was that bitter health juice Misora had been pushing on him… She'd actually thrown out all of his normal drinks and replaced every single one with this garbage.

'Talk about being a complete psychopath.'

He heard voices coming from the dining area so it sounded like Misora was talking to someone.

Koya turned his head to look and saw who it was.

"Yoru?" He said, genuinely surprised.

The heir of the Shadow clan was sitting at the table across from Misora. She looked up at him and gave a small wave, her eyes immediately traveling down to examine his torso and blushed… Koya had a six-pack… Maybe eight-pack?... He was seriously fit.

"Morning, Koya-kun." Misora said cheerfully. "It seems you're already familiar with Yoru from Class 3. She came to me this morning with an interesting proposition."

Koya walked closer, still holding the disgusting juice.

"What kind of proposition?" He asked, genuinely interested now.

Yoru cleared her throat and sat up straighter.

"I want to propose that for the remainder of the exam period, Class 3 and Class 5 coordinate with each other." She said formally. "Essentially, I'm suggesting we become partners."