Akira woke to sunlight streaming through unfamiliar curtains and the smell of cooking bacon wafting from another room.

For a moment, he was disoriented and didn't know where he was. Then the memories flooded back: Lilithia, the battle, coming to Mei's apartment, and everything that followed.

He slowly sat up. Surprisingly, his body didn't hurt one bit, even after the brutal fight he had only a few hours before. The system's health restoration had done its job perfectly.

He was in Mei's bed, alone, wearing nothing but his boxers. His clothes from the night before were folded neatly on a nearby chair, clean and mended.

The clock on the nightstand read 11:47 AM. Sunday morning, almost afternoon.

"Akira-kun? You're awake!" Mei appeared in the doorway, wearing a casual sundress and an apron; her hair was pulled back. She looked radiant, completely different from the exhausted, thoroughly satisfied woman from last night. "Perfect timing. Breakfast is almost ready."

"You didn't have to do all this," Akira said, standing up and stretching. "I could have…"

"Nonsense. You were very, very exhausted last night... completely drained." She crossed the room and placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "And then you came to me for help. The least I can do is make sure you're properly fed and recovered."

There it was: that unique blend of motherly concern, lover's intimacy, and the easy comfort of two people who'd shared bodily fluids with each other. Mei wore all three roles naturally, seamlessly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her hand sliding down his stomach, checking for any lingering injuries. "Any pain? Soreness?"

"I feel great, actually. Better than I have in weeks."

"Good." She smiled, satisfied. "That's what I like to hear. Now get dressed and come eat. You need protein after last night's... activities."

She said it with a slight blush, the memory of their marathon session clearly fresh in her mind.

Akira dressed quickly in his cleaned clothes and followed her to the kitchen. The table was loaded with food: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and fresh fruit. Enough for three people, easily.

"Mei-san, this is too much."

"No, it's not. Sit. Eat. You burned a lot of calories last night." She poured him orange juice. "Besides, I like taking care of you. It makes me feel... needed."

There was something vulnerable in that admission. Akira reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "You are needed. More than you know."

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Mei spoke again. "The way you arrived last night…" She paused. "Whatever you're involved in, it's dangerous. Really dangerous."

"I know."

"And you can't tell me about it."

"Not all of it, no. Some things are better left unknown."

Mei nodded, accepting that. "Then just promise me you'll keep coming back. That whatever happens out there, you'll always find your way back to me."

"I promise."

She seemed satisfied with that, returning to her meal. They finished eating, and Mei insisted on packing him extra food "for later." As she wrapped containers, Akira realised his phone was still back in his apartment… he'd left in such a rush last night that he hadn't grabbed it.

"I should get going," Akira said, standing. "The girls are probably wondering where I am."

"The girls?" Mei raised an eyebrow. "More like Mia. That girl watches you like a hawk. She's definitely noticed you're gone."

Akira knew Mei-san maybe knows or suspects something between him and Mia, but for some reason, she haven't brought it up… yet.

"I know. I'm handling it."

"Are you?" Mei turned to face him fully. "Because from where I'm standing, you have a lot on your plate… maybe too much for your age."

She wasn't wrong… handling multiple romance routes, the gates, the SPIU… it really was a lot. Akira sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm doing my best."

"I know you are." She moved closer, cupping his face. "Just... be careful, okay, Akira-kun?"

"I understand."

"Good." She kissed him softly. "We see when we see?"

"Sure."

—

Akira slipped out of Mei's apartment and headed down the hallway. As he reached the door, he nearly collided with Ayaka who was coming out.

"Well, well," she said with a knowing smirk. "The conquering hero emerges from the landlady's den."

"Don't start."

"I'm not starting anything. Just making an observation." She crossed her arms. "For what it's worth, I covered for you with Mia. Told her you went for an early morning run to clear your head after the stress of everything yesterday."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. She didn't entirely buy it, but she had to run an errand for her aunt, so she left about an hour ago. She'll be back soon, though, and she will want answers."

Akira nodded grimly. "I'll deal with it."

"Good luck with that." Ayaka stepped past him. "Oh, and Akira? Last night's battle was impressive. Reckless and insane, but impressive. We should talk about it later when you're not busy juggling angry girlfriends."

She disappeared down the hallway, leaving Akira standing at the door alone.

He walked in and headed straight for his room. The apartment was quiet, exactly as he'd left it before the emergency alert. His phone sat on the coffee table where he'd dropped it in his rush to leave.

He picked it up and his stomach sank.

Multiple missed calls. Multiple texts. All from Mia.

5:47 AM: "Where are you?"

6:15 AM: "Akira-kun, I'm getting worried. Please answer."

7:30 AM: "I went to your room. You're not there. WHERE ARE YOU?"

9:45 AM: "This isn't funny anymore. Call me NOW."

11:23 AM: "Ayaka said you went running but you should be back by now. Did you go somewhere else? Stop lying to me."

"Shit," Akira muttered, scrolling through the increasingly frantic messages.

He typed out a response: "I'm sorry. My phone died and I lost track of time. I'm home now. Are you okay?"

The reply came within seconds: "Am I okay? AM I OKAY? I've been worried sick! Where were you really?"

"I told you. Running, then I grabbed breakfast. I needed to clear my head."

"You're lying to me. I can tell."

Akira sighed. This conversation needed to happen in person, not over text. "We'll talk when you get back. I promise."

"You better be there when I get home."

"I will be."

He set the phone down and collapsed onto the couch. Now that he was alone, he could finally check what the system had given him from last night's battle.

"Ai, display the full battle summary."

[LILITHIA BATTLE COMPLETE - FINAL REWARDS]

[BASE REWARD: +5000 PP]

[CHOICE BONUS: +10000 PP (Surrender Gambit)]

[MEI RECOVERY SESSION: +250 PP]

[INSATIABLE BEAST OPTION (activated during recovery): +1200 PP]

[PASSIVE GENERATION (Landlord's Sanctuary): +40 PP]

[TOTAL PP GAINED: 16,490]

[CURRENT PP BALANCE: 3480 + 16490 = 19,970 PP]

[NEW SKILLS UNLOCKED]

[DOMAIN OF DESIRE (Territory Skill) - Creates a 50-meter radius zone where your influence over others' emotions and desires is significantly enhanced. Useful for controlling group situations or establishing dominance in contested spaces.]

[HEART STRINGS (Emotional Manipulation) - Allows sensing and subtle manipulation of emotional bonds between individuals. Can strengthen desired connections or weaken unwanted attachments.]

[SOUL SEED (Special Item) - A crystallised fragment of Lilithia's essence. Can be planted in a willing host to grant them minor supernatural abilities or used as a powerful crafting material. One-time use.]

"Nearly twenty thousand PP," Akira breathed. "That's more than I've ever had."

"Indeed, darling," Ai's voice purred in his mind. "You could buy some very serious upgrades with that. Want to see what's available?"

"Show me."

[SYSTEM SHOP - UPDATED SELECTIONS]

[COMBAT UPGRADES]

Flow State Cooldown Reduction (Permanent) - 2500 PP - Reduces cooldown from 24 hours to 12 hoursFlow State Mastery (Permanent): 5,000 PP - Removes the 1000 PP activation cost for Flow State.Essence Capacity Expansion (Level 3): 2000 PP - Increases total essence reserves by 50%Combat Precognition (Level 1): 3000 PP - Brief glimpses of enemy attacks 0.5 seconds before they occur

[UTILITY SKILLS]

Perfect Recall: 1000 PP - Never forget anything you've seen, heard, or experiencedLinguistic Master: 1000 PP - Instantly understand and speak any human languageSocial Chameleon: 2000 PP - Automatically adjust behavior and speech patterns to match social situations

[DEFENSIVE ABILITIES]

Essence Shield Upgrade (Level 3): 2000 PP - Shield can now absorb and redirect hostile essenceMental Fortress: 3000 PP - Immune to all mind control and mental manipulation below Grade-ARegeneration Factor (Level 1): 3000 PP - Slowly heal from injuries automatically

[SPECIAL ITEMS]

Gate Compass: 3000 PP - Detects nearby gates before they fully manifestEssence Purifier: 1000 PP - Removes contamination markers from your body (useful for avoiding SPIU detection)Harem Bond Token (x3): 1500 PP each - Strengthens connection with a chosen harem member, unlocking special combined abilities

"The Essence Purifier," Akira said immediately. "After that battle, I must be radiating Grade-S contamination. If SPIU tests me again..."

"Smart thinking, darling."

[PURCHASE CONFIRMED: ESSENCE PURIFIER - 1000 PP]

[CURRENT PP: 19,970 - 1000 = 18,970]

A small vial materialised in Akira's hand, filled with clear, shimmering liquid. He uncorked it and drank it in one gulp.

It tasted like nothing, but he felt a tingling sensation spread through his body as the supernatural contamination was systematically eliminated.

[ESSENCE CONTAMINATION: CLEARED]

[SPIU DETECTION RISK: MINIMAL]

"Much better," Akira said, feeling the relief wash over him. "Now for the heavy hitters."

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