"Seriously, this is so embarrassing. Yu really doesn't know how to appreciate women."
In the classroom of Sobu High School, Yu was sitting in his seat. Katsura Kotonoha and Tachibana Marika were both in their respective places, their seats naturally located in front of and to the right of Yu. Only Miura Yumiko had pulled over a small chair and sat beside him.
At this moment, the girl had her legs drawn together, was lying across the desk, and looked somewhat spoiled.
"That's not true at all. I'm still very gentle."
Yu lovingly rubbed Miura Yumiko's head, a green light flashing through his eyes before he spoke.
When Miura Yumiko had said that earlier, Yu had thought the girl had a stomachache or had caught a cold while sleeping the previous night. However, after thinking about it more carefully, he realized his brain simply hadn't been functioning properly. After all, under the influence of the Wing Contract, Miura Yumiko already possessed the strength and body of a Great Knight. How could she fall ill so easily? Nevertheless, just to be safe, Yu still used Severance to check.
It had to be admitted that Severance was truly useful. No matter what condition a body was in, whether positive or negative, everything appeared before Yu's eyes in the form of [Lines].
In other words, it was like the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, but in terms of functionality, Severance was far more powerful than the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, because Severance could theoretically cut through anything.
Whether it was divinity or authority, including life and death, Severance could even cut through a person's memories. The applicability of this ability was extraordinarily high. Although using Severance came with side effects, as for those side effects...
If the holder of the authority was powerful enough, then the side effects caused by using Severance could be completely ignored.
Just like Yu now, when he used Severance to revive fresh life, the side effects and cost for him amounted to only a small quantity of magical power and a brief period of mental dizziness.
But if he used Severance to cut through the authority of a Heretic God or even the divinity of a god, the burden on Yu would be far greater than that!
It was even possible that merely cutting through a single authority would completely exhaust Yu's magical power, leaving him in a dormant state and unable to continue fighting.
Yu only had a rough estimate of this and was not sure how much magical power would be required to cut through a single authority.
After all, unless absolutely necessary, Yu had no plans to use Severance against a Heretic God. Even he had to remain cautious during battles against Heretic Gods.
Although Yu had appeared extremely relaxed several times while killing Heretic Gods, that was only on the surface. Against a Heretic God, Yu never dared lower his guard, because who knew whether a descended Heretic God might possess some heaven-shaking authority from an unknown mythology?
Who could be certain? Although Yu had been very interested in myths and legends from around the world ever since arriving in this world, he still did not dare claim that he completely understood all the mythologies of the world.
"What are you thinking about, Yu?"
At that moment, Tachibana Marika noticed that Yu had drifted off into thought and asked curiously.
"Thinking about who? Hm... let me guess, maybe the Ice Queen of Sobu High School, Yukinoshita Yukino?"
Hearing that, before Yu could explain, Miura Yumiko suddenly sat up from the side and teasingly asked while looking at the young man.
"Yumiko, you definitely looked through my phone, didn't you?"
Hearing Miura Yumiko speak so sarcastically, Yu raised an eyebrow, then reached out and pulled Miura Yumiko into his arms, rubbing her cheeks. He did not answer the question and instead helplessly countered.
"Ugh! I-it turned on by itself!"
While the young man rubbed her cheeks, Miura Yumiko still tried to defend herself, but Yu was not stupid. How could he believe such an excuse?
Still, Yu was certain that his relationship with Yukinoshita Yukino was completely innocent. He had almost no close contact with her, and besides! Yu had not even accepted the friend request Yukinoshita Yukino sent him today; he had only looked at it and left the phone charging on the bedside table.
With a completely clear conscience, Yu naturally felt no guilt. So why was he rubbing Miura Yumiko's cheeks? Don't ask. The answer was: they were pleasant to rub, and he loved rubbing them!
"Who is Yukinoshita Yukino?"
Tachibana Marika, who had been at Sobu High School for less than a month, heard the unfamiliar name and curiously looked toward Katsura Kotonoha.
"Yukino is... the school idol of Sobu High School, I suppose? That's what the boys call her. She's beautiful and has excellent grades, always ranking second in her year!"
Katsura Kotonoha, who was smiling faintly as she watched Yu and Miura Yumiko, noticed Tachibana Marika looking at her. After thinking briefly, she simply introduced Yukinoshita Yukino.
Speaking of Yukinoshita Yukino, Katsura Kotonoha actually admired her very much.
Although she was much like herself, with almost no friends around her, she could see Yukinoshita Yukino every day standing alone among people like a proud swan. That confidence was something Katsura Kotonoha had once envied greatly.
Of course, Katsura Kotonoha still envied it a little now, but not as much as before. Now, with Yu's companionship, she had gained many friends, and her confidence was gradually being built up.
"I see. Yu has never mentioned her."
After receiving the explanation, Tachibana Marika nodded, then looked at Yu and revealed a well-meaning smile.
Tachibana Marika could barely accept Yu's affection toward a large number of girls, because she was not stupid; Yu's existence was enough to overturn all rules and social norms. However, Tachibana Marika could not accept Yu hiding his feelings for other girls from her.
Whether from her perspective or that other girl's perspective, she should at least meet that girl to see whether they got along. And for that girl, Yu should give her an appropriate status! He should not simply hide her away without giving her a legitimate place; that would be too much of a bully's behavior.
That thought was not unique to Tachibana Marika; Katsura Kotonoha thought the same way.
However, Katsura Kotonoha knew that her beloved would never be the type of person who hid things and that there was surely some reason behind everything.
"Don't imagine things! There's really nothing between me and Yukino!"
Seeing that the girls had misunderstood him, Yu put on a serious expression and declared with complete certainty.
"Really?"
Hearing that, Tachibana Marika raised an eyebrow and looked at the young man with a hint of suspicion.
Unlike Katsura Kotonoha's trust, Tachibana Marika felt more pain from having someone "steal her home." She was Yu's childhood friend and had only spent a few years overseas receiving treatment and staying in hospitals. When she returned to Japan, she discovered that several girls had already "stolen her home"!
"Of course, really. I barely know her, I swear!"
Yu nodded vigorously and even raised his hand as though taking an oath to appear more convincing.
However, just as he finished speaking, a shout came from the classroom doorway:
"Nakano-kun! Yukino is looking for you!"