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Setting aside Bokue and Asagi's side of things for now—
As the sun gradually dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with soft hues of twilight, Nagisa stood in her bathroom holding a rather heavy glass cup. Her breathing was slightly rapid, her pale, delicate cheeks flushed with suspicious traces of pink.
"Hah…hah…this should be about enough…right?"
She lifted the cup carefully, inspecting the contents under the bathroom's bright overhead lights. Through the transparent glass, a small portion of milky-white liquid—approximately 150 to 200 milliliters—was clearly visible inside.
A bit less than usual, she mused regretfully.
Recalling the amounts from yesterday and the day before, today's yield was undoubtedly lacking. On any other day, filling the entire cup would have been effortless.
Yet today's unexpected events at Keystone Gate had drastically cut short her precious "cream-making" time with Big Brother to barely an hour. Even extracting this modest quantity had required an extraordinary amount of effort.
Sigh… After waiting all day, there's barely enough… And now I'm supposed to share it with Yukina-chan…? Nagisa felt a pang of reluctance.
Ugh…Next time, I'll have to make Big Brother pay me back double! she resolved firmly. Besides, the "Love You 3,000 Times" achievement still stood at 2,995 to go.
I've got a long way to go… Ganbatte, Nagisa~!
With these cheerful thoughts, Nagisa placed the cup down beside the sink, grabbed two sheets of tissue paper to quickly tidy herself up, pulled up her clothes, took the cup again, and headed out the door.
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Meanwhile, next door at Yukina Himeragi's apartment—
Knock, knock, knock.
The rhythmic knocking echoed from the entryway, causing Yukina, currently prepping dinner in her open kitchen, to pause momentarily and glance toward the door.
"Coming—just give me a moment!"
She placed the ingredients aside, quickly rinsed her hands, shook off excess water, and removed her apron. Slipping into her indoor slippers, she trotted lightly to the entrance and opened the door.
Standing in the hallway was Nagisa, smiling warmly as she presented a glass cup filled partially with a suspicious "cream."
"Sorry for the wait, Yukina-chan~! Here's the cream we talked about earlier. I just took it from the fridge. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time earlier, so there's only this little bit left."
"The… fridge?"
Puzzled, Yukina carefully took the glass.
Despite having spent her childhood isolated in the Lion King Organization undergoing rigorous Sword Shaman training—leaving her inexperienced in some everyday matters—she still knew basics like "things taken straight from the fridge should be cold."
In fact, her hands had just been immersed in cold water moments before, enhancing her sensitivity to temperature. Clearly, the liquid inside the cup felt quite warm, radiating gently through the thin glass, definitely at least human body temperature.
This…was taken from a fridge…?
"Ahaha~ This cream is pretty special, you know?" Nagisa quickly explained, waving her finger matter-of-factly. "Unlike regular cream, this kind maintains its viscosity without needing refrigeration. It even stays warm in colder environments because it contains very potent spiritual energy. So cakes made from this cream are practically like legendary elixirs you'd find in novels—they greatly boost your strength after just one bite!"
"Ah, I see…"
Yukina's expression shifted from confusion to understanding.
That explanation actually made perfect sense to her. After all, until recently, Nagisa had been just a normal girl without any natural vampiric traits or habits. Drinking blood, typical for vampires to replenish their magical energies, would indeed be an uncomfortable experience for Nagisa.
Thus, it made perfect sense that Bokue-senpai had cleverly infused spiritual energy into this cream, allowing Nagisa to consume it comfortably through baked goods instead.
"Alright, Yukina-chan—give it a taste~!" Nagisa urged eagerly, hands clasped together as she leaned forward slightly. "Remember, you promised you'd give me your honest opinion!"
"Um…I really don't think I can offer useful suggestions. I've never even eaten cake before…"
Yukina admitted sheepishly, embarrassed by her own lack of experience. "Besides, this cream was specifically made by Bokue-senpai for you. It wouldn't be right for me to—"
"Don't worry about it! It's fine, really~! Just a little taste won't hurt, right?" Nagisa insisted even more enthusiastically.
Unable to refuse Nagisa's earnest gaze, Yukina reluctantly nodded. Holding the cup cautiously, she sniffed its contents first, noting an unusual scent—distinctly different from typical food aromas.
But since she'd agreed, backing out now felt rude. Perhaps it only smelled odd?
Tentatively, she raised the glass to her lips, taking a small sip of the warm, thick liquid.
As expected, the taste was somewhat peculiar, slightly salty and a bit…fishy? But surprisingly, it had an oddly pleasant and smooth texture.
Lost in curious thought, Yukina absentmindedly took another sip before realizing it.
"So? How is it?" Nagisa asked, trying not to look too upset about losing another precious mouthful.
Yukina struggled to find the right words, finally settling on honesty.
"It tastes a bit strange… Actually, it doesn't have much flavor, just a slight…um…fishiness? But otherwise, it's okay, I guess…"
"Eh, really? It didn't taste sweet at all?"
Nagisa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Strange. We definitely put sugar in it. Maybe we need to tweak the recipe a bit. Perhaps adding honey next time would help… Ah! Yukina-chan, why don't you join us next time we make cake?"
"H-huh? Me? Make cake together?"
The Sword Shaman flustered instantly at the sudden invitation.
"But…I've never baked anything before…"
"That's totally fine! It'll just be fun learning together," Nagisa encouraged brightly, her smile filled with innocent enthusiasm. "Besides, I only just started myself, so we're basically both beginners!"
"I…I suppose if I'm free, we could try…" Yukina finally relented, helpless against Nagisa's infectious cheerfulness.
What neither of the girls noticed was that after those two small mouthfuls of "cream," a subtle yet profound transformation quietly began stirring deep within the young Sword Shaman's spiritual pathways.
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