Sun Sword (太陽劍).
A straight horizontal slash.
The blade is wrapped in extremely compressed flames, maintaining its form through rotation.
The massive power, writhing as if it will break free at any moment, is continuously spun and compressed.
What is created as a result is an artificial sun.
When the sword is swung horizontally, a red line is drawn.
The extreme cutting force slices through space, instantly killing the enemy. And then, the compressed power is released.
The massive explosion shatters even the slightest chance of survival.
Indeed, fitting for the protagonist's finishing move.
It's dazzling and overwhelming.
Though it would later degrade into a mere basic attack, it's a killing blow right now.
'If I were to be hit by that, I'd be torn apart…'
With the regenerative power, I wouldn't die, but it would take some time to heal.
My body would be shredded—my head here, my legs over there, my torso here, and my arms scattered.
Lucia's body would turn into puzzle pieces.
No, it wouldn't just be torn apart; it would burn to a crisp and turn into charcoal.
Charcoal made from Lucia… That might be useful on a cold winter day. Hehe.
Should I make it and sell it? I'd make a fortune. "Charcoal made from a cute girl! I used my own legs to make it!"
Maybe a lot of perverts would buy it.
"…."
Eugene frowned, apparently displeased with the traces of destruction he had caused.
He clenched and opened his right hand. It trembled slightly.
The back of his hand was red and swollen with blisters, looking quite painful.
Did he injure himself with that last attack?
Considering the power of that move and the fact that he hadn't fully mastered it, it was almost fortunate that only his hand was slightly burned.
'Must be nice…'
I swallowed my envy.
I want to be burned too. It's unfair that he gets to experience it alone.
He's enjoying himself… sigh, I want to get burned too.
Ah… no, that's not right.
Eugene is different from me; he probably wouldn't enjoy it. He doesn't like pain.
His expression doesn't seem great either. Is he enduring the pain?
Suddenly, a good idea popped into my head.
Something that's good for both of us… a win-win strategy.
"Is your hand injured?"
I asked carefully, as if I were worried, and Eugene hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Yeah, but it's nothing serious."
"Nothing serious? Look, you have blisters."
"It's fine. It's not a major injury… but could you please step back? You might get caught in the fight if you stay too close."
I'd like to get caught up in it, actually. Please cook me with the monsters until I'm well-done. Next time, I could be sliced into Lucia steak, right?
But he probably wouldn't let me. So I guess I'll just settle for getting a little burned.
"If you leave it like that, it'll get worse. No… if you use that technique again, it won't just get worse…"
"Don't worry. Supernaturals heal faster than normal people. It's not as absurdly fast as your super regeneration, but…"
That's true.
Supernaturals are generally superior to regular people.
They don't get sick easily, and their wounds heal quickly.
I know that.
Even if he keeps using the Sun Sword, he won't receive a fatal injury.
But it'll still hurt, right? Hehe, I'll help a little.
For our protagonist.
And for me.
"Let me see."
"Huh?"
I grabbed Eugene's hand.
The heat rose from his palm.
This was the hand that had just held the intensely compressed flames.
It felt so hot I almost groaned as my hair stood on end.
"W-Wait… what are you doing?! Let go. My hand is still hot! The heat hasn't fully dissipated yet, so if you're not careful, you'll get burned!"
My skin is burning.
I could almost hear the sizzling of meat on a grill.
It felt like I was holding a glowing iron rod with my bare hands.
If it weren't for the fact that Eugene is fire-resistant, he'd never be able to use his hand again. Not everyone can withstand this level of heat.
It hurts…
My hand is burning up~♡
Ah, no. I have to control my expression. I feel like I'm going to smile too widely.
I fiddled with my fingers as I gently touched Eugene's right hand.
I had to be careful not to touch his burns, but Eugene's hands were really big.
I didn't notice it just by looking, but now that I'm holding it, it's incomparable…
A hard palm, with calluses.
It's incredibly firm between the fingers and palm, having held a sword for a long time.
Is it because Lucia's hands are small?
Or because Lucia's hands are soft?
Without realizing it, I became transfixed by Eugene's large hand and calluses.
What if he slapped my cheek with this hand…?
Just imagining it sent a shiver down my spine.
The strength of his body, trained consistently without missing a day.
If he hit with all of that strength, it wouldn't end with just a tooth or two falling out.
It's big…
This time, it wasn't a comment on his hand.
I looked at Eugene again, realizing something anew.
He's more than 10 cm taller than me, with broad shoulders.
Muscles built from sweat and effort over the five years since awakening his supernatural ability.
Though his muscles don't protrude like those of a bodybuilder, there's a solid physical beauty about him that contrasts with his slim appearance, which becomes evident up close.
Lucia is strong too, but she's nothing compared to Eugene.
If Eugene grabbed my wrist and threw me down, I wouldn't be able to resist.
Without even needing a sword, his sheer strength could rip my arm off.
If Eugene decided to…
Ah…
What am I thinking right now?
This isn't the time for thoughts like that.
"You're supposed to apply ointment or rinse a burn with water, but since we don't have any here… sorry, but bear with me for a moment."
Slowly, I brought Eugene's hand to my face.
The heat pricked my skin. I opened my lips and carefully bit down on Eugene's finger.
"…?!"
Eugene let out a silent scream.
And I was the same.
The heat spread in my mouth.
The roof of my mouth burned, and my tongue felt like it was burning.
The inside of my cheeks was so hot it felt like it might tear.
'Mmm…'
I stifled a moan. But suppressed the scream.
If Eugene saw me in pain, he'd pull his hand away.
No, I didn't want that.
"L-Lucia…?!"
"Sorry. It's uncomfortable, right? But it'll be better than leaving it untreated."
"Ah, no, it's just that…"
My pronunciation was a bit off because his finger was in my mouth.
I closed my eyes and started licking Eugene's finger.
From the tip of his knuckles to the very end of his fingernail.
The heat was so intense that my saliva quickly dried up, but I still moved my tongue diligently.
His fingers are thick… and so firm…
When I was a man before, my hands couldn't even compare…
After applying my saliva to the back of his hand and palm, I opened my eyes and said.
"Okay, this hand is done. Will you give me the other one?"
"Huh? Oh, mm…"
Eugene, flustered, extended his other hand.
I stared at his held-out hand, then casually placed it against my cheek./8
It's really big. My cheek fits entirely in one of his hands.
Hot, big, and strong…
I started to suck on his thumb.
Like a child sucking on their thumb, I sucked on Eugene's finger.
Golden hair blurred my vision.
I pushed my bangs back behind my ear and looked up at him.
Eugene's face was so red, I thought it might burst.
It felt like I was eating candy.
Eugene's hand… somehow tastes sweet. Yeah, I like it.
My mouth was completely torn up, and the burn was incredibly painful, but I couldn't help but suppress a smile that was trying to escape.
I carefully applied my saliva and pulled my mouth away.
What was supposed to cool down the heat somehow felt even hotter.
"Actually, this might not be very effective. But it should ease the symptoms a little. How do you feel? Is it a bit better?"
"…Yeah, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Eugene's face was as stiff as his finger had been.
Hmm? Did he not like it? That's strange.
Sure, a classmate I'm not that close to wouldn't enjoy having their hand coated in saliva.
But if a cute girl like Lucia did it, wouldn't that be a reward…?
Maybe he really is a lolicon? Should I have figured it out when Alice was the main heroine?
"Be careful. Burns are said to be the most horrible pain a person can feel. You handle fire, so you're more prone to getting burned. You need to be more careful than others. Understand?"
Maybe if he was actually upset, I'd tease him a little to make him feel better.
Actually, I'd rather be the one teased, but Eugene probably wouldn't do that… How disappointing.
I raised my hand, brought it to my cheek, and bent my finger.
I pretended to bite it and grinned.
"If you're careless and get burned again, I'll bite you like this. Rawr~"
Huh? Why did his face get redder? Wait, is he mad? It was just a joke, but it seems like I made him mad…
I blushed and awkwardly smiled.
Well, not every man has the same taste.
It seems Eugene didn't like that.
So what should I do now…?
Honestly, I pushed him because of my own desires.
Lucia is a beautiful girl, no, an ultra-beautiful girl! I just assumed Eugene would like me and ended up causing trouble.
Clearly, it was my mistake.
I need to make it right, don't I?
What should I do… maybe let him touch my chest? Could it be that he's really a lolicon and doesn't like that either?
No. I remember when Lucia was being bold, Eugene clearly reacted.
He probably just didn't like having his hand licked.
"Eugene."
I called his name and grabbed his hand again.
His hand was still hot. Despite my earlier efforts, the temperature hadn't dropped at all; if anything, it seemed to have gotten even hotter.
"I didn't say this earlier."
"What, what do you mean?"
"Thank you for saving me. If you hadn't come, I would've definitely been in a terrible situation."
I held Eugene's firm hand with both of mine and placed it near my chest.
I subtly let it graze my cleavage. Honestly, I wanted to just let him touch it, but that would be too straightforward, wouldn't it?
…But isn't Lucia already a bit straightforward?
"Repaying your kindness…" I said. "If you need anything, just ask."
"Anything…?!"
"You're my lifesaver, so I want to repay you accordingly. Heh, maybe this is a little too much pressure? Let's call it a wish. Any wish, any request, I'll grant it. Just tell me what you want."
"…?"
Eugene stared at me intently.
He looked like he had a lot to say.
Is he even angrier…?! That's strange. I didn't really say anything to make him mad, did I?
This should be the kind of thing that fulfills a guy's dream, right? Could it be… could he really be a lolicon?! I should've noticed when Alice was the main heroine, right?
Alice… run away!
"…Ahem."
At that moment, I heard a cough from behind.
It was only then that I remembered there was another person here.
"I don't think you have the luxury of wasting time here."
Angelica was awkwardly avoiding eye contact.
Her face was slightly flushed too.
It wasn't like her, but what she said was definitely typical of her.
Right. This isn't the time for that.
Noticing that he had wasted time in an urgent situation, Eugene quickly ran off after I let go of his hand.
As I watched him leave, Angelica, who had come up beside me, spoke.
"Lucia."
"Yes?"
"You… never mind. Just don't bother Eugene too much."
"…?"
Bother him? Me? Why?
I never did anything like that.
In fact, it was the opposite, wasn't it?
Did my thoughts show on my face?
Angelica sighed.
"You're going to need some sex-ed classes…"
Why, though? I'm an adult who knows everything too, you know?
Though I'm still technically a minor.
KWA-AA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A—!!!
A flash.
Then a loud boom.
The same firestorm that I'd seen before covered the ground.
Eugene's overwhelming aura once again swept the monsters away in an instant.
Somehow, it seemed even more powerful than before.
The remaining monsters were all wiped out with that one attack.
…Another power-up?
The protagonist buff is scary…
I wonder what triggered it this time?
It couldn't be me, right?