Chapter 28 Lycoris Noire in Power Saving Mode the Chibi Version

The intimate moment inside the barrier was shattered by explosion. A large section of the stainless-steel wall was torn inward, and through the hole strode Instructor Arata.

He scanned the apocalyptic scene—the molten floor, the shattered walls, the whole arena turned to steel, the dozens of fading clones, and Enji still kneeling, gasping for air. His eyes finally landed on the blue barrier containing Shota and Mirai.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS MESS?!" 

 He pointed a finger at Mirai.

  "OSANAI! What is the meaning of this destruction?! Since you're not a student here, you will be facing serious legal and financial consequences for vandalizing academy property! If you were, it would be no problem, but you are not a student of this academy! Or am I mistaken?"

Shota dropped his barrier. The manic euphoria faded from Mirai's face, replaced by a serene, gentle, girly smile.

"Sensei, I think I may have given you the wrong letter yesterday. I must have mistaken it for a 'Get Well Soon' card I was making. May I have it back, please?"

"What letter? I don't know what you're talking about. And Osanai, don't tire yourself out. I'll see you tomorrow in class... and welcome back, I'm glad you worked out what was troubling you."

A genuine, small smile touched Mirai's lips.

 "Thanks for having me back, Sensei~!"

"GREAT! Now that we've sorted out the drama, FIX THE DAMN TRAINING ROOM! ALL THREE OF YOU! NOW!"

 Instructor Arata stomped out of the ruined training arena. Enji, his mana and spirit completely spent, simply lay back on the floor, one arm thrown over his eyes.

Then a soft, pink flame flickered to life from the black rose tattoo on Shota's hand. The flame grew, swirling until the form of Lycoris Noire stood between Shota and Mirai.

She was, as always when manifesting fully, gloriously and unselfconsciously naked, her long, flowing black hair artfully arranged to preserve a semblance of modesty. 

Before anyone could react, she leaped forward, her eyes streaming with tears, and enveloped a stunned Mirai in a tight, warm embrace.

"Oh, my poor, dear Mirai-chan! I could no longer endure it, I simply had to give you a hug! My poor, poor Mirai-chan! You are such a good girl! Shota did not deserve you! He is a foolish, foolish boy! If not for you, Mirai-chan, not only would Shota have ended himself a long time ago, but he would have taken me with him! Thank you! Thank you for being there for him all these years!

I was trapped within Shota for the past ten years. I saw it all. I saw what you did for him. Even when you were just a little girl, that fragile little girl with your own burdens... despite your own weak little body, you still came to Shota every single day to keep him going. It must have been so hard for you... You are such a good, strong girl!"

From the ground, Enji peeked out from under his arm, took in the scene of a naked goddess-figure weeping over Mirai, and decided he was definitely hallucinating from oxygen deprivation. He closed his eyes again, wishing for unconsciousness.

He squeezed his eyes shut, opened them again, and the vision was still there, his brain refusing to process the scene. A naked woman who looked exactly like the national icon enshrined in half the city's monuments was hugging the girl who had just tried to turn him into a pincushion. 

With a grunt of pure effort, he pushed himself up and pointed a trembling finger at the woman.

"Oi! What the hell is going on here?! I am not seeing things. She is real. That face... I've seen it all over the place. Statues, posters... It's the Witch Queen! Care to explain?!"

Lycoris's heartfelt monologue cut off.

"Ara ma! He is awake. I thought he was unconscious. Oops, I think I messed up. I got too emotional and showed myself." 

She clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, tilting her head with an angelic smile.

 "Enji-kun, could you please forget you saw me? Te-he."

Enji's jaw dropped. He stared, flabbergasted, from the blushing, naked ghost of the greatest witch in history to Shota's mortified expression.

"Like HELL I will! Someone needs to start talking! Now! Is that really... her? How is she here? And why is she... like that?!" He made a frantic, circular gesture with his hand, encompassing her entire lack-of-attire.

But before Shota could even form a lie, or Lycoris could attempt another charming deflection, the sound of curious voices echoed from the corridor outside the arena. A crowd of students was gathering drawn by the noise of the explosion and the colossal mana fluctuations.

Lycoris's expression shifted.

"I think we need to leave, quickly, now."

The air behind her tore, ripping open a void of darkness edged in pink light, and the gate sealed shut behind them, leaving the curious students with nothing but a ruined, empty room.

They reappeared with a soft pop of displaced air in the middle of Shota's apartment. 

The strain of the high-level teleportation hit Shota like a physical blow. He staggered to a wooden chair and collapsed into it.

"I am so sorry, Shota-chan. I consumed too much of your mana... I must let you rest..." Her spectral form dissolved into a shower of faint pink embers that flowed back into the black rose on his hand.

Mirai looked at Shota nearly comatose in his chair, and Enji leaning heavily against the wall, looking pale and swaying on his feet. 

"Alright. We all need to stop before we fall down. Things are... crazy. I am about to collapse. I'm using your bath, Sho-kun. We can talk after the world stops spinning."

Enji just grunted in agreement, his pride completely eroded by fatigue.

 "Yeah... talk later... just... a bit..." He didn't even make it to the couch. He took two stumbling steps forward and face-planted directly onto Shota's narrow bed. 

----------------

Few Hours Later

Enji was the first to stir. He pushed himself up on Shota’s narrow bed, blinking in the gloom. His eyes adjusted, taking in the room properly for the first time.

It was… profoundly sad. 

"Man. This is one hell of a depressing room. At least open the blinds. I bet this room hasn't seen the sun in years. Damn, Shota. What a gloomy bastard."

His gaze then fell on Shota himself, who was slumped over the wooden table, his head resting on his arms, asleep. 

"OI! Wake up, Ultra Extra! Nap time's over. You've got a hell of a lot of explaining to do!"

Shota jolted awake. He opened his mouth, his mind scrambling for a plausible lie.

"Enji... you... you probably didn't see what you think you saw. After a fight like that, with the oxygen deprivation... your mind can play tricks. It was probably just a shared hallucination from the mana feedback—"

POOF.

A small, cute puff of pink smoke erupted in the center of the table. As the smoke cleared, a miniature version of Lycoris was revealed, no taller than a coffee mug.

The chibi Lycoris waved a tiny hand. 

"Hello there, everyone! Nice to meet you all! I am a mini-Lycoris Noire, in power-saving mode—the chibi version!" 

She struck a cute, hero pose. 

"The big me is napping with Shota-kun, but she felt you had questions! So, I will answer them! Ask me anything!"

She blinked her enormous, sparkling eyes, looking back and forth between Shota's horrified expression and Enji's dumbfounded one.

From the sofa, Mirai finally stirred, propping herself up on an elbow. She took in the scene—the adorable, pocket-sized goddess on the table. A slow, deeply amused smile spread across her face. 

Enji looked at the chibi, then at Shota, then back at the chibi.

"...Okay. First question. What. The. Actual. Hell."

The chibi Lycoris giggled.

 "Oh, this? My chibi form? This is just a cute avatar! I'm using it to save as much of Shota-chan's mana as possible. Appearing in my full-body version consumes way too much. I don't want Shota-chan going back to the hospital from mana loss. That would be terrible!"

Shota slumped further in his chair, burying his face in his hands with a low groan. There was no lying his way out of this now. The secret was not only out, it was currently sitting on his table, explaining its own existence in a squeaky, adorable voice.

"Okay. Fine. Cute avatar. Mana conservation. Great. Next question. The big one. How are you even here? The whole world watched you die ten years ago! You died saving Tokyo! There was a funeral!"

"I did not technically die. My physical body is gone, yes, but in that final moment, I sealed my soul and my mind away for safekeeping. I sealed it inside Shota-chan. I could not appear earlier because Shota simply did not have enough mana to sustain even a whisper in his mind. 

But when he began his training here at the academy, using his magic, his mana reserves slowly began to grow. It was like a battery finally charging after a very long time. It took a great deal of it, but I was finally able to manifest. So, in simple terms, you could say I am something close to a ghost now. A very persistent one!"