The following morning at the Mercenaries of Good's Base

Meanwhile, back at the base of the Mercenaries of Good.

Room number three, top floor.

The faint morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtain.

Himeno began to wake up slowly, feeling something warm under her hands.

When she opened her eyes, she saw her own palm resting on someone's bare chest.

She looked up and met Hiroshi's face, still lying beside her, both of them covered by a sheet up to their shoulders.

Himeno 's heart raced immediately, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"So you finally woke up," Hiroshi said with a slight smile, his voice hoarse from sleep.

Himeno quickly withdrew her hands, turning to the side.

"Don't tell me that... even after everything that happened last night... you're still embarrassed?" he teased .

She looked away.

"It was my first time... and I never imagined it would be with you. Especially someone I... don't really like," she replied.

Hiroshi let out a soft laugh.

"But did you enjoy the evening we had or not?" Hiroshi asked .

Hymen remained silent.

Then he took a deep breath.

— …I liked it. I enjoyed it. — he replied honestly.

Hiroshi's smile widened.

"I might be a terrible guy in many ways... but when it comes to this, I like to make sure we both feel pleasure. I don't see the point if it's any different," Hiroshi said .

Himeno 's face turned completely red.

"A guy like you saying these things... it's strange," he said . Hymen .

But then her expression changed rapidly. Worry took over her face.

" Yuuki ! If she woke up and realized I didn't come back to the room... and if she comes here and sees us like this... it'll be the end of me. She'll lose all trust in me," he said . Hymen is worried.

Hiroshi let out a laugh.

"Why are you laughing?! I'm serious!" he asked. Hymen, not understanding.

"Relax. Lysandra went to the room last night when Yuuki was already asleep. She used a sleeping powder potion. Yuuki should be out cold until noon," Hiroshi replied.

Himeno let out a breath of relief… and then smiled in an unexpectedly sweet way.

She moved closer and gave Hiroshi a quick kiss on the lips.

"You think of everything... I'll thank Lysandra later too," she said . Hymen relieved.

Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, surprised by the gesture.

But then, suddenly, the doorknob turned slowly.

They both froze.

The sheet trembled slightly as Himeno gripped Hiroshi's arm tightly.

The door opened slowly, making a heavy creaking sound.

— Who… is there? — he murmured. Himeno , with a low and tense voice.

Someone's silhouette appeared in the opening sequence.

It was Lysandra .

"Do you want to scare us to death?" Hiroshi frowned, maintaining his provocative tone.

Lysandra entered with firm steps, her arms crossed.

"If you had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened," she replied coldly.

"And you know that I won't be here from this afternoon onwards and I won't be back until tomorrow. I won't be able to stop some stupid plan of yours from being thwarted," she warned . Lysandra .

Hiroshi sighed and gave a short laugh.

"My dear Lys , have you forgotten that I know how to make things work in my favor?" Hiroshi said confidently.

Lysandra simply shook her head indifferently.

"I really hope you can keep everything under control. Because if you fail... you and I will be kicked out of here without a chance to defend ourselves," he said . Lysandra looked worried.

Her eyes turned to Himeno , still in bed next to Hiroshi, covered by the sheets up to her shoulders.

"By the way, you had a good time yesterday, didn't you, Himeno ? It seems you didn't hate Hiroshi so much after all. I bet he managed to satisfy you better than Fujimoto ever could," he said . Lysandra , with a sharp smile.

Himeno pressed her lips together, staring at Lysandra .

"And how are you so sure of that?" he asked. Hymen .

Lysandra raised her chin.

"I can tell when someone has the ability to do that just by looking at their appearance and personality. And Fujimoto ... he doesn't have any of those things. At least, not yet," he replied . Lysandra .

Hiroshi smiled arrogantly.

"And that will never happen. In six days he will cease to be a man forever. Fujinomiya will be a woman forever… and when that happens, I will make her live for me. I will ensure that she never wants to run away from me again," Hiroshi said confidently.

He turned his face towards Hymen .

"Regarding what we discussed last night... what is your decision? Will you fight to bring Fujimoto back, or would you prefer to leave him as he is... permanently?" Hiroshi asked .

Himeno took a deep breath. Then she smiled, a strange, gentle, and resigned smile.

"If he can be happy... and if he can stay by my side... then I don't care if Fujimoto becomes a woman forever. And if that means you'll have three women... I don't care either. The important thing is that Fujimoto and I are happy. Then... I'll figure out how to make Yuuki accept it," she said calmly.

Hiroshi chuckled softly, satisfied.

"We should go downstairs for coffee," he said . Lysandra , calm down.

Hiroshi stretched out his arms, relaxing.

Himeno nodded slowly, her face still flushed.

"Okay," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

Lysandra walked to the door, opened it just enough, and peered down the hallway, carefully observing both sides.

After a few seconds, he made a hand gesture.

"There's no one here. Get dressed quickly and go out first," he instructed .

Himeno had already put on her clothes, adjusting her hair while taking a deep breath. Then she turned to Hiroshi and, without hesitation, leaned in to kiss him on the mouth.

"See you in a bit," he whispered , before leaving discreetly.

Lysandra closed the door carefully and let out a soft laugh through her nose.

"You're lucky, you know?" he said. Lysandra .

Hiroshi smiled with sharp confidence.

"I truly hope you don't ruin everything while I'm away," she warned . Lysandra , serious.

Hiroshi gave a cynical laugh.

"I managed to humiliate and enslave that bastard Shouta all by myself . Besides, I made Yumi my possession too. Of course I can make things work on my own," Hiroshi said confidently.

Lysandra looked away, taking a deep breath as if trying to suppress her irritation.

"Let's go downstairs," he said , as Hiroshi finished putting on his shirt.

They walked down the hallway to the dining room.

The atmosphere was bustling, the smell of fresh bread filled the air, and several members chatted quietly while drinking coffee.

Occupied tables:

Koharu , Shana , Max, and Himeno sitting together.

Yumi , Shouta , and Filna are sitting at another table.

Aioze and Gerald talking discreetly in another

Lysandra touched Hiroshi's shoulder lightly.

"I'll go over to where Mr. Aioze and Gerald are, but first I'll ask the people at the other table if you can sit there," he said . Lysandra .

"Okay," Hiroshi replied confidently, crossing his arms.

Lysandra leaned down and lightly kissed his cheek, maintaining a perfect appearance.

Then, he walked over to the table where Yumi , Shouta , and Filna were sitting .

"Excuse me. May I ask if you could let Hiroshi sit with you? There's still a chair available, right?" Lysandra said in a gentle voice.

Filna smiled, innocent and peaceful.

"Of course he can. In fact, my sister told me last night that, after the afternoon training, Hiroshi came to apologize to her and Shouta for everything he did. It's good to see that he really wants to change," Filna replied.

Lysandra 's expression stiffened for a moment, surprise and tension hidden behind an elegant smile.

(So that was it. Hiroshi must have instructed Yumi to make up that story. And Filna has no idea that yesterday afternoon Hiroshi had sex with her sister and also enslaved Shouta …) — Lysandra thought , understanding the situation.

Lysandra smiled in an impeccably fake way.

"I'm so glad they accepted him. Thank you," she said . Lysandra .

Lysandra walked over to Hiroshi and leaned in slightly to speak softly.

" Filna authorized you to stay at the table with them," she said , with a restrained smile.

"Great," Hiroshi replied confidently.

Lysandra then walked to the table where Aioze and Gerald were sitting, maintaining a calm and elegant expression. As she approached, she gave a brief bow of her head.

"Good morning, Mr. Aioze Gerald," Lysandra greeted.

"Good morning, Lysandra ," they both replied .

She took a seat in the chair next to them, maintaining impeccable posture.

"It's strange not to see Yuuki here yet..." he commented curiously.

"She always wakes up early," he continued . Lysandra .

Aioze frowned, showing concern.

"I spoke with Himeno . She told me that Yuuki is still sleeping. That's very strange, Yuuki doesn't usually sleep that soundly," she said . Aioze .

"Perhaps she's just worried about the mission we have this afternoon," he suggested . Lysandra .

"Maybe," Gerald agreed casually.

Aioze took a deep breath, lost in thought.

"By the way... about this afternoon's mission, I wanted to say something," he said . Aioze .

(Damn... I hope Yuuki wakes up now. If he asks Shana to check on her and they discover the sleeping powder, it'll be the end of me.) — he thought. Lysandra is worried.

The moment tension gripped Lysandra 's chest , quick footsteps echoed down the stairs.

Yuuki went downstairs.

Lysandra let out an immediate sigh of relief, but the sound escaped too loudly. Gerald raised an eyebrow.

"Why that sigh, Lysandra ?" Gerald asked .

"Ah... I was afraid Yuuki had died of worry," he improvised , laughing lightly.

Aioze stared at her with a strange, doubtful expression.

But Gerald smiled naively.

"That's true, I've heard of cases like that," said Gerald.

Aioze looked away, dropping the subject.

Yuuki approached the table and bowed slightly.

"Sorry I'm late. I don't know what happened... I suddenly passed out," Yuuki said.

"Sleeping in late isn't like you. Is that alright?" he said. Aioze , seriously.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied , trying to force a smile.

"You can sit down," he said . Aioze , with a brief gesture.

Yuuki sat down and looked around quickly, trying to understand the strangely heavy atmosphere of the room.

Aioze then lightly slapped his palm on the table, drawing the attention of everyone in the upper area.

"Pay attention to what I'm about to say," he said . Aioze firmly.

The conversations around them died down.

"I've thought it over and decided we won't wait until the afternoon. As soon as we finish breakfast, we'll begin the search for Fujimoto . Himeno was right: the longer we delay, the greater the chance of the worst happening. So, finishing here, we'll leave immediately," Aioze announced.

All the commanders and Gerald nodded in agreement without question.