The tentacles holding Emilia's limbs moved slightly, causing her restrained body to move along with them.
Her large breasts, hanging like fruits on her body, swayed inside her clothes.
"Hnn."
"Priest!"
I defended her from the remaining tentacles with a knife in hand.
[Oh no. This is so shameful.]
Two thick tentacles were wrapped around Emilia's slim waist and solar plexus.
Four tentacles were holding each of her limbs.
Two tentacles that vaguely resembled male genitalia were moving around Emilia like snakes, seemingly waiting for an opportunity.
When they tried to get closer to Emilia, I swung my knife threateningly.
'It's acting just like a tentacle monster. How is this supposed to be helping?'
The two tentacles kept trying to approach Emilia's chest.
Worried she might get hurt, I put away the knife and blocked the tentacles with my hands.
Slap-
I hit them whenever they tried to approach.
This continued dozens of times.
Slap.
"Ugh!"
Emilia squeezed her eyes shut.
Oops.
I accidentally hit her chest instead of the tentacle.
Boing. Boing.
Her breasts bounced.
Honestly, her chest was quite large, so I wanted to say it wasn't 100% my fault.
If an insurance agent came, they might call it an 80:20 split, right?
Of course, I have a conscience, so I'd say I was the 80.
"Oh no. Priest. I'm sorry."
"N-No. It's alright."
But then,
The two tentacles that had been annoyingly hovering around suddenly retreated as if scared.
"Huh?"
"Mr. Castoloni. Look. Something's changed!"
"You're right."
I wiped off my sweat, breathing heavily after using so much energy to block the tentacles.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Castoloni. Because of me..."
"No, Priest. Who could have known something like this would pop out?
It seems to have backed off, so I'll try lighting a fire with the matches I picked up earlier.
It might let go and run away if we bring fire near it."
"Please do. I'm so sorry..."
Honestly, I doubted something that wasn't even cut by a knife would be affected by fire, but we'd need fire anyway, so I decided to light it in advance.
I started gathering dry leaves and twigs near her.
When I was about five steps away, Emilia called out to me.
"Um... Mr. Castoloni? Those things are moving again..."
The two tentacles that had shrunk back were slowly approaching Emilia again.
I ran over and threatened them with my hands.
No matter how many times I pushed them away, they kept targeting Emilia's chest.
Their movements were fast, making it difficult to block them.
"Huff huff huff."
Nevertheless, I desperately blocked the tentacles while panting heavily.
Then suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
'The status window description said this thing helps with relationships.
Wait... Is this how it's helping?'
I looked at Emilia's chest.
Damn.
It looked at least as big as Lucy's.
Ah, Lucy.
Lucy knew I liked her breasts, so she'd come out of the shower in the morning and put her nipples right in my mouth.
'Get a grip, Ikan.
No. Ikan Castoloni.'
I shook my head.
Coming to my senses, I said to Emilia while pushing away the tentacles.
"Priest."
"Yes?"
"Excuse me."
"...?"
I grasped one of Emilia's breasts with my hand.
"Huh? Ah? Mr. Castoloni?"
She looked at me with a bewildered face while suspended.
I nodded towards the tentacles.
"Look over there."
The tentacles retreated and shrank back just like before.
"Oh?!"
Emilia's eyes widened.
I said to her.
"I'm not a monster expert, but I remember seeing this somewhere.
Tentacle monsters are most afraid of seeing the female they've caught showing affection or having a sexual relationship with another male. So if we do this-"
As the tentacle tried to approach again, I lightly squeezed Emilia's breast.
"Ugh."
Emilia's face flushed.
The tentacle quickly shrank back.
"It seems to get scared and shrink like that."
"Oh... It really does."
Emilia's face showed mixed emotions.
She looked perplexed and embarrassed, but also somewhat relieved.
Bibik, was it?
Pretending to be a tentacle monster, threatening to make the male protect the female and have a relationship.
This seemed to be the behavior pattern of this monster.
I started gathering leaves and dry branches around Emilia again.
"Um... Mr. Castoloni?"
When she called me once in a while, it meant the shrunken tentacles were moving again-
I ran over like a wasp man and lightly grasped one of Emilia's breasts.
Then the tentacle guy would shrink back again as if scared.
This repeated several times.
I piled up leaves and twigs near Emilia and tried to light a fire with matches.
Click- Click-
Most of the matches were wet and wouldn't light.
"Um... Mr. Castoloni?"
"Yes."
I put down the matches and stood up.
The tentacles weren't moving.
Emilia said to me.
"I know you're really busy. I'm sorry, but something feels strange... Is there any change in the lower part of my body?"
Suspended as she was, she couldn't see her own stomach area well because of her breasts.
I examined Emilia's body.
"Oh... no."
"What, what is it?"
Something like a secretion from the tentacles was dissolving Emilia's clothes.
"The tentacles are dissolving your clothes. Fortunately, your skin seems fine, but..."
Especially around her abdomen and under her breasts, the clothes were quickly dissolving, revealing her smooth belly and the firm underside of her breasts.
'Black priest's robe with underboob. Crazy.'
At that moment, the tentacles over there started moving slightly again.
I grasped Emilia's breast.
My thumb touched the bare skin of her underboob. Her underwear seemed to have already dissolved.
"Nngh."
"I'm sorry."
"I-It's okay."
But.
The tentacles that had shrunk back for a moment started approaching us again.
"Huh?"
"Mr. Castoloni?!"
Flustered, I grasped both of Emilia's breasts.
"Huh?"
When it still didn't stop, I started kneading the breasts I was holding.
Only then did the tentacles finally return to their original position.
"Haa."
Emilia hung her head low.
She seemed quite shocked.
"It looks like it's becoming more resistant. We need to light a fire quickly."
"Uuu. Y-Yes..."
[Ugh. What should I do? The tentacles seem to be not only dissolving my clothes but also doing something strange to my body.
Every time Mr. Castoloni touches my breasts... it feels too good... What should I do?]
"Priest. It must be hard, but hang in there.
We talked about this earlier, right? Stay positive. Don't give up.
I'll light a fire soon."
Emilia suddenly lifted her head.
"Yes! I understand! Mr. Castoloni."
Her eyes once again blazed with resolute will.
Emilia gathered strength to give me strength.
I could see her nipples poking through her thin black priest's robe.
It seemed that once the clothes started dissolving, they continued to do so even without the tentacles touching them.
It looked like her areolas and nipples would be revealed if they dissolved just a little more.
I tried lighting a fire with matches again.
Quite some time passed.
"Ah. It almost worked."
"Mr. Ca-Castoloni?"
I reflexively looked up at Emilia's voice.
The tentacles that had been quiet all along were slowly approaching us.
Emilia's clothes had dissolved considerably by now, revealing about half of her breasts.
Her pink areolas and nipples were starting to peek out.
The afternoon sun shone down, illuminating her white body.
The curves of her body suspended by the tentacles were beyond beautiful, almost divine.
I touched Emilia's sacred body without hesitation.
I casually kneaded her breasts.
The tentacles shrank back for a moment, then started approaching again.
"Mr. Castoloni. They're coming. What should we do? Aah!"
I pinched both of Emilia's nipples like tweezers and rolled them between my fingers.
"Hnng. Mr. Castoloni..."
She squirmed her body while tied up.
The tentacles slunk back.
When I let go, Emilia's pink nipples were fully erect.
I nonchalantly turned around and tried to light a fire with matches.
Fizzle-
Failure.
Fizzle-
Failure.
Hiss-
The fire seemed to catch with some smoke, but then went out.
Failure.
Whether the tentacles help or not, fire is essential to survive on this deserted island.
But the fire wouldn't light at all, which was frustrating.
"Phew-"
I sighed and wiped my sweat.
Emilia spoke from behind.
"Um. Mr. Castoloni? Don't be too discouraged. You'll be able to light a fire.
I believe in you, Mr. Castoloni."
I stood up and approached Emilia.
"Priest."
"Yes?"
"What should I do the next time that thing starts moving again?
I already feel like I've committed a sin just by touching your body."
Emilia squirmed and said.
"You don't need to think of it as a sin.
It's an action you took to save me, right?
Ne-Next time... if... if the tentacles don't stop... that..."
Emilia's face turned bright red.
At the same time, the tentacles started moving stealthily again.
I grasped Emilia's breasts and circled her nipples with my fingers.
The tentacles hesitated for just a moment, then started slowly approaching us again.
"Forgive me, Priest."
"It-It's okay. Hnng!"
I bent down and took Emilia's nipple in my mouth, sucking it.
I licked the tip of her nipple, swirling my tongue around it.
"How is it? Did they go back?"
"Haah. Y-Yes. Yes. They're going back."
Slurp.
I cleanly sucked off my saliva from Emilia's nipple before letting go of her breast.
[Oh no. It feels too good.
I wish he would suck a little more.
No. Emilia. What are you thinking?]
I silently went back to the pile of leaves and tried to light a match.
Fizzle- Fizzle- Fizzle-
Hiss-
"It worked!"
The fire caught.
I put the lit match into the dry leaves and blew on it.
Soon, along with white smoke, the fire slowly rose.
"That's amazing, Mr. Castoloni."
"It's thanks to you, Priest. Because you cheered me on- Oh!"
The tentacles started moving again.
I stood up and frantically kneaded Emilia's breasts.
I pinched her nipples with my fingers, and when the tentacles still didn't stop, I licked her nipples greedily.
"Hnng!"
The two tentacles seemed to retreat, but then they angrily lashed out at a nearby tree as if enraged.
Thwack.
Hissss-
Smoke rose from where the tentacle hit the tree, and it was deeply grooved and melting.
'Damn. Is it really angry? If this isn't an act, we're in trouble.'
The two tentacles had now approached Emilia's face, seemingly targeting her mouth.
I quickly grabbed each of them with both hands and squeezed tightly.
[Vajra]
The tentacles extended further, wrapping around my arms like vines.
Hissss-
Hot steam rose from my arms, just like the tree earlier.
"Oh no. Ugh."
The tentacles wrapping around my arms felt unpleasant.
"N-No! Mr. Castoloni!
Let go! No more!"
Emilia twisted her body in agony.
I frowned and approached Emilia's lips, saying.
"K-Kiss, kiss."
Without even a second's hesitation, Emilia kissed me.
We started kissing and intertwining our tongues.
Her soft tongue explored mine.
My arms actually didn't hurt at all. It felt more like having a cooling patch on, if anything.
It was refreshing.
I thought it might be because I was using Vajra, but that wasn't it.
The secretion-like substance from the tentacles seemed to be making my body stronger somehow.
[Your body is strengthened for unknown reasons.]
[Vajra's proficiency is increasing abnormally quickly.]
It was certain.
The tentacles were strengthening me.