Winter vacation had kicked off, bringing with it the snow and biting cold. Many people had gone home for the break, while some, like me, stayed behind in the dorms despite the chill. Everyone was bundled up in thick clothing to fend off the cold, and I was no exception.
Today, I had a date with Titania, just as I’d promised her. She was bubbling with excitement, her arms wrapped around mine, her breasts pressing against my arm. We strolled through Academy City with plans to visit a cafe, but when we arrived, we found it was closed. To our disappointment, we learned it was shut down for good.
“It’s too bad,” Titania sighed, “Their food was delicious.”
She pouted, and I could sympathize with her. It felt a bit like discovering your favorite place has closed down after your parents had secretly enjoyed a meal there while you were asleep.
“I wonder why they closed so suddenly?” Titania said, her voice laced with confusion. “I mean, as far as I know, their business wasn’t that bad.”
“Maybe we don’t have the full picture,” I said. We had no way of knowing how well a business was really doing; only the owners would have that insight.
“Aren’t they being ungrateful for shutting down their shop, even though I kept coming here?” Titania complained.
Her habit of feeling slighted and calling people ungrateful was coming back into play.
“Yeah, totally ungrateful,” I teased her with a smirk.
She puffed out her cheeks in a pout, her eyes narrowing at me. The way she looked—cheeks bloated, lips pursed—was almost too cute, making it hard to resist the urge to laugh.
“Just kidding,” I said with a playful smile. “But hey, we can always make our way to the Leonamon Cake Shop, right?”
We had chosen this cafe because the Leonamon was a bit too far for a casual visit. But with the cafe now closed, we were set to venture to our original destination.
“Well, I guess,” Titania replied, her own smile brightening. “That means I’ll get to spend more time with you, doesn’t it?”
We climbed into a carriage, and I asked the coachman to drive us to Pleasure City, where the nearest Leonamon Cake Shop awaited.
The ride was smooth as we traveled to Pleasure City, and I handed the coachman four gold coins for the fare.
***
Pleasure City buzzed with its usual vibrancy, though now it was dusted with snow, which had accumulated along the roads. The people bustled about, wrapped in winter clothing, busy with chores like clearing snow from rooftops and other tasks.
As we walked, a man who looked like a thug came up beside us. His hand was outstretched, clearly aiming to grab Titania’s backside. Before he could act on his crude intention, I seized his wrist.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
“What?” he said with a cocky attitude. “I’m not planning on doing anything.”
“Then what’s your hand doing?” I countered, holding his wrist firmly.
“Nothing,” he said with a cocky grin. “Maybe my hand just happened to stretch out. What, are you going to punch me or something? You’re acting all high and mighty, trying to look impressive in front of your girlfriend. Is that why you’re accusing me of something I didn’t even do? But clearly, you’re not going to try anything, are you?” He brandished a knife, the metal glinting in the cold light.
As he spoke, more shady figures began to gather around us, their eyes cold and calculating. I noticed a tattoo on the thug’s wrist—an intricate design that looked like a crescent moon partially obscured by a dark shape, resembling an eclipse.
“If you don’t want to get hurt, hand over your girlfriend, pal,” he threatened, his voice dripping with menace.
“What do you want to do?” I demanded.
“Hey, we don’t need this woman to be a virgin anymore, right?” he said, addressing his goons with a smirk. “That means we can do whatever the fuck we want with her, right?”
The goons licked their lips, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
Their behavior was a textbook example of rapists, all too predictable. I sighed. With a sudden, vicious twist, I snapped his wrist, the bone breaking with a sickening crack.
“Gahhh! W-What the fuck?!” he screamed in agony.
He attempted to stab me, but I quickly bent his arm back, forcing him to stab himself with the knife. Then, with a powerful kick to his head, I sent him sprawling through the snow.
“Raaaagh!”
Others charged at me, weapons drawn, their faces twisted with rage. They swung at me with wild, desperate strikes. With barely a flick of my wrist, I dodged their attacks effortlessly. I responded with mana-coated punches, each blow landing with a powerful impact. Their bodies were hurled back, crashing into the snow with sickening thuds. I didn’t hit them with enough force to kill, but they were left completely incapacitated—unable to move for the rest of their lives.
“Looks like you didn’t even need me,” Titania said, her face bright with relief and gratitude. “Thank you for saving me, Leon.”
“Of course,” I replied. “Now, let’s get out of here.”
“O-Okay, but what about them?” she asked, glancing back at the fallen men.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. As we walked away, I noticed vines slithering into view from the corner of my eye. They wrapped around the men and dragged them away, disappearing into the shadows.
I noticed that their targets had shifted from virgins to non-virgins, which explained the recent spate of kidnappings involving women who were no longer virgins. I had no clue what Sesillian was plotting with this new development, but he clearly had a sinister goal in mind. I needed to discuss this with Professor Rose as soon as possible. For now, though, I intended to make the most of my day with Titania.
As she giggled beside me, her warmth enveloping my arm, we continued towards our destination.
