Seiji felt that maybe he said something he shouldn't have after seeing Kaede's expression.
Yet, that was what he truly felt. He couldn't possibly be unmoved by such a beauty who was silently trying so hard to be with him.
But, his like for her wasn't to the degree of having her join his harem. Just as he said, his like was a half-rate scumbag man's type of like. Starting a relationship with only this degree of like wouldn't be good for either of them.
Should he have acted more coldly there?
But, he was unable to do so! Seiji preferred to be a scumbag man rather than acting coldly to a woman who was so good to him. Even though he clearly knew that being more decisive and direct would be better for the future, he was unable to stop his own feelings, or more accurately, desires.
Kaede had seen through this part of him. That was why she started acting so aggressively.
She was being serious. If Seiji didn't agree to go out on a date with her, she really would do something adult-rated right here and now!
That would be bad if Reo saw them. Yet, this sense of immorality excited Kaede as she was a "bad girl" after all!
Seiji felt like he was slowly sinking into a swamp… yet he also chose this path for himself.
Could he only resolve himself in the end?
No… he couldn't be so hasty.
"A date is no good," Seiji sighed. "But, we can go out together with Reo-chan for some fun."
Something flashed in Kaede's eyes upon hearing this.
"Sure." She could tell that this was the limit of what Seiji was willing to accept, so she readily agreed.
Although she wanted to move their relationship along quicker, she knew that she couldn't be impatient. Taking things slow and steady, step by step, would be the best process.
His admittance that he liked her just now was already proof that all her efforts hadn't gone to waste. Now, she simply had to get closer to him at an appropriate rate and slowly get him into her grasp.
Kaede couldn't help but lick her lips as she imagined the future.
It was almost as if she was a snake, staring at its prey that it wanted to devour… well, a beautiful female snake, that was.
"Where should we go out together to have some fun?"
On the next day, Seiji went to Natsuya's residence.
After meeting up, the two of them went together to the spellcasting room.
There was a black long rectangular leather suitcase in the room. It was large enough to contain a person.
Natsuya opened the suitcase to reveal that there was indeed a "person" inside.
She had faint silver long hair, crescent-shaped bangs, an exquisitely soft and beautiful face, and was wearing only black clothing. She had her eyes closed and was lying there quietly within the suitcase filled with white stuffing. There was an indescribable beauty to this scene.
This was Akatsuki Mitarai's creation, a human puppet… his final creation before he died, Shinobu Miaki!
After the duel against Akatsuki ended in his death, the Mitarai Family had used the reason of investigating his death to delay sending Seiji and Natsuya the human puppet that they had won as per the terms of the duel. Only now did the Mitarai Family finally send Shinobu over.
The Mitarai Family had been unable to find out the real reason for why the human puppet turned on and devoured her own creator. The Mitarai Family offered to pay a high price to purchase this human puppet back, but Natsuya of course adamantly refused.
She had already given the Mitarai Family two whole months to finish their investigation. That was quite generous of her already.
And now, Seiji finally obtained this victory loot of his.
A human puppet… Well, if one ignored how Akatsuki created her, her physical appearance was truly beautiful.
While he admired her body, he was also mentally chatting with his bonded female spirit Yomi inside his mind.
"Shinobu-chan's soul within your body is ready," Yomi told him.
"Will she really be alright?"
"It'll be pushing it a little, but it's also good to have her get used to having her physical body again. Just don't let her be too far away from you."
And so, Seiji carried the human puppet out of the suitcase.
Shinobu's body felt cold and soft to the touch. He could also smell a faint fragrance… Apart from the fact that she didn't have any body temperature, he couldn't tell the difference between her and a real human at all.
In fact, Seiji even felt as if he was simply holding onto a normal sleeping girl.
Seiji placed Shinobu in the middle of the spell formation on the ground. He then pressed both hands on her body and began his spellcasting.
The spell formation immediately began glowing golden. Golden runes appeared on the puppet's body as her long silver hair began to wave about and glow brilliantly.
"Wandering spirit, return to your body…
"Nonliving body, and soul that's yet to die…
"Yin and Yang of heaven and earth, divine universe…"
Seiji uttered an incantation in a serious tone, causing the gold runes on the puppet to begin glowing with an additional silver light on top. Shinobu's body began floating in midair as her glowing long hair spread out, seemingly like it connected to another realm.
"…The Netherworld takes care of your soul. Awaken!!" Seiji shouted while finishing the incantation.
Silver and gold runes appeared on the puppet's forehead. Seiji sensed the tiny and weak existence within himself being transferred into Shinobu's physical body, taking her portion of Mana with her.
The spellcasting ended and the spell formation's glow faded. The human puppet dropped back onto the ground.
The runes on her forehead vanished and her hair stopped glowing. She then slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked and a look of realization appeared when she saw Seiji.
"Master…" she spoke in a pleasant-sounding young girl's voice.
"Shinobu-chan…" Seiji smiled in greeting. "There's no need to call me master. You can just call me Seiji."
"Master Seiji…"
"No, there's no need for Master. Just call me directly by name."
"That's no good… Sister Yomi said that I have to call you Master."
Seiji was rendered momentarily speechless.
"Yomi, just what have you been teaching her?"
"Things that a cute little demon like her should know." The female spirit chuckled.
"I don't want her to be my servant."
"Then what do you want her to be?"
This question… he had never considered this at all!
Seiji exchanged glances with Shinobu.
"Let's stand up first." He reached out his hand to her.
Looking at his hand, she slowly lifted her own hand and softly gave it to him.
Seiji pulled her up. Seeing her innocent expression, he patted her on the head.
Shinobu felt that this was really comfortable.
It felt really wondrous to have a physical body for the first time ever since her soul was born. Being too young, she didn't know how to describe it. She just felt that it was very good that he was touching her.
She wanted him to touch her even more… this thought entered the puppet girl's mind.
Meanwhile, Seiji was in some internal turmoil. Accurately speaking, their relationship was most similar to adopted father and daughter. Yet, calling her his daughter would seem really strange to him.
Shinobu's physical body was identical to that of a normal human teenage girl's. If she called him 'Daddy' in public, just imagining the scene felt really awkward to him!
The more he thought about it, the more Yomi's idea of master and servant seemed more appropriate.
…Or was it more like master and pet?
'No, no! What am I thinking!!'
Seiji did his very best to suppress his sudden urge to tell the puppet girl to put on cat ears and a collar to cosplay for him!
Seiji helped her to stand up. However, Shinobu's movements were rather stiff and she couldn't stand steadily.
Seiji hugged her and helped her to stand.
"Take your time in getting used to your body."
"Yes, Master…" Right now, Shinobu wanted him to hug her even longer.
Seiji was quite unaccustomed to being addressed as "master". He figured he could only slowly get used to it.
"Let me introduce you. This is Natsuya Yoruhana, my girlfriend." Seiji introduced Natsuya who was walking over towards Shinobu. "It's all thanks to her that you were able to obtain this physical body."
"Sister Yomi told me… that I should call her Female Master Yoruhana, and Lady of the House."
Female Master and Lady of the House? Natsuya revealed a subtle expression at this.
"You can just call me sister."
"Female Master Sister…"
"No, call me Sister Yoruhana."
"That's no good… Sister Yomi told me that I have to call you Female Master." Shinobu was all serious.
Seiji felt as if he heard his female spirit chuckling in his mind.
"Did you laugh just now?" he asked her directly.
"Not at all, heehee~"
"And you say you aren't laughing… Just what did you teach her?"
"I simply taught her what she needs to know~"
"If that's really the case, why are you laughing?"