The next day—
“Good morning, Lord Albert! I wish to speak with you again today! Might you accompany me to the training grounds?”
Kaname called out to me, so I headed to the training grounds with Luna and Silvia in tow. Since I had decided to recruit her into my camp, I figured it was time for a proper introduction.
I wasn't ignoring Milia, for the record—she was just impossible to pin down. She lived like a nomad on school grounds and only showed up on a whim. Apparently, there were plenty of assassins coming for me since I stood out like a sore thumb, and she treated their disposal like a cat bringing dead mice to its owner.
When we arrived, Kaname was already waiting.
“Lord Albert! And the two behind you are...?”
“My companions, Luna and Silvia. You’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, so I thought you should meet.”
“I am Luna, the mage. I look forward to working with you.”
“And I’m the magic swordswoman, Silvia. We met during the mock battle, didn’t we? Can I call you Kaname-chan? Nice to meet you!”
“This one is named Kaname. You may call me as you see fit.”
Once the introductions were out of the way, I turned to the matter at hand.
“So... what did you need me for?”
“Ah! Indeed! I wished to confirm a legend passed down through my clan! Shiun—”
She almost said Shiunin. Wasn't that supposed to be a secret?
I shot her a sharp glare, and Kaname seemed to catch my drift immediately.
“...It is said that if one receives the lightning cast down by a certain individual, it feels as though they are ascending to the heavens. It is a joy, a favor bestowed by that person. By all means, could I receive yesterday’s lightning as well?!”
In short: Shoot me with a Lightning Bolt!
Under normal circumstances, I would have refused on the spot. It's dangerous; you could die. But I’d heard the truth from Shiunin yesterday. Her clan was built for this. Apparently, they had been doing exactly what the ancestral legends described for generations. Even so, I wasn't exactly thrilled about it.
Silvia spoke up, her voice cautious.
“You shouldn't underestimate Albert-kun’s Lightning Bolt, Kaname-chan. You’ll be turned to ash.”
“No, according to the tales of my ancestors, there should be no problem.”
“Isn't that a bit of a shaky foundation to bet your life on?”
“As Silvia-dono likely knows, this one can use a thunderclap slash.”
“I know. It was incredibly strong.”
“That technique uses lightning stored within the body. However, when I embraced Lord Albert the other day, that lightning was greatly restored!”
“”Wait, embraced?!””
Silvia and Luna’s voices overlapped perfectly. Two sets of sharp, piercing eyes bored into me.
Ah, crap.
“There must be something special about Lord Albert. Therefore, this one wishes to bathe in that lightning!”
“Um, Albert-kun? What’s this about an ‘embrace’...?”
“No, that... she just got overwhelmed by the moment and acted on impulse, okay?”
I answered as fast as I could. Luna, standing just behind Silvia, had a terrifying look in her eyes. There was nothing scandalous about it, and my explanation was the absolute truth, but being interrogated like this was psychologically exhausting. I quickly changed the subject.
“Fine, fine! I’ll give it a shot!”
I’d learned how to adjust the output, and it was true that I could act as a battery for her. According to Shiunin, her people used to ‘receive it with joy.’ She probably wouldn't die. Probably.
I leveled my right index and middle fingers at Kaname like a gun barrel.
“Spell: ‘Lightning Bolt.’”
The activated ‘Thunder Emperor’s Flash’ struck Kaname dead center. It was the same intensity I’d used on Silvia’s mother, Katerina. It shouldn't have been lethal.
“Nguhii!”
Wait. That was... a very strange sound for a scream.
Kaname’s body began to tremble, her face flushing a deep, vivid red.
“Did it hurt?”
“...N-No, rather than pain... I desire another!”
“Spell: ‘Lightning Bolt.’”
“Oho!”
I fired with a bit more power this time. Kaname let out a louder cry than before and began to writhe. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving.
“More... more! Give me the next one!”
The sight stirred a strange sense of nostalgia. Claude, the man who taught me magic back home, used to act just like this whenever he witnessed my spells.
What is it with these people...?
“Could I have a more intense strike? One that lasts longer?!”
“I don’t mind, but...”
Her reaction was bizarre, but at least she wasn't dying. I decided to fire a ‘Thunder Emperor’s Flash’ with increased output and a longer duration.
“Spell: ‘Lightning Bolt.’”
“Ohooooooooooooooo!”
Kaname let out a long, high-pitched wail as she rolled around on the ground.
“Hey, are you alright?!”
“I am f-f-fine! This one is accustomed to pain! If anything, a-a-a-a... it’s painfully good!”
“Are you sure? Because you don't look okay!”
“No issues whatsoever! More! Give me more lightning! Aaaah, aaaaaah, ngi-mochiiiiiiii!”
She writhed across the floor with a look of pure ecstasy. Her eyes were glazed, her mouth was half-open, and a bit of saliva was starting to leak out.
Wait, did she just say ecstasy?!
While still being bathed in my lightning, Kaname pleaded with me.
“Haah... haah... haah... Lord Albert...! Bestow more favor upon me! Aaaah, aaaaaah, haaaaahn!”
Shiunin had said her ancestors ‘received it with joy.’ I’d interpreted that as them being ‘proactive’ or ‘grateful,’ but did she mean it in a purely hedonistic sense?!
Kaname’s ancestors were perverts in the truest sense of the word! And that blood was clearly running thick in her veins...
The moment I cut off the spell, Luna cried out.
“Lord Albert! It’s unfair for Kaname to be the only one! Me too! Please, bestow your favor upon me as well!”
What is with everyone calling it ‘favor’?! It sounds like some kind of lewd euphemism!
“Please, I beg of you, hit me with a Lightning Bolt! If it feels that good, I want it too!”
“No! Normally people just die! She’s just a special kind of pervert!”
“I would be satisfied even in death!”
“Don't let the momentum do the talking, you idiot!”
I swear, Luna’s IQ occasionally drops to about three. You’re supposed to have the talent to become a Sage!
“Albert-kun... are those your hobbies?” Silvia asked, her voice cold. “Are you the type who enjoys making girls squeal? I’m... a little repulsed, honestly.”
“No, no! I only did it because she begged me to!”
“I have to report this to Mother... I have to tell her Albert-kun is a pervert...”
“Don't you dare export such a massive misunderstanding to another country!”
I didn't mind a bad reputation, but being branded a pervert was a bridge too far. Besides, the real pervert here was Kaname!
In the original game, she was a dignified, Japanese-style beauty—a legendary samurai who topped the popularity polls. Now, that image was lying in tatters on the floor.
I heard Kaname’s ragged breathing as she slowly sat up.
“I have accumulated a significant amount of lightning. My thanks... I would ask for more, but—”
We all froze, staring at her in astonishment. Kaname was glowing with a brilliant, golden light.
“Whoa, what?! What’s happening, Kaname?!”
This girl was constantly jumping from one surprise to the next.
She looked as if she were clad in a suit of golden armor, but a closer look revealed it was composed entirely of crackling electricity. The lightning covered her from the neck down, masking the upper half of her face in a jagged visor of light.
“O-Oh! This is... the ‘Thunder Beast Shroud’!”
I remembered it then. It was one of Kaname’s signature skills from the game. It allowed her to don a raiment of lightning, exponentially increasing her combat capabilities.
“To think this secret art would manifest simply by Lord Albert charging my stores!”
“Well... good for you, I guess.”
“Since I have achieved this state, I would request a mock battle!”
Silvia and Luna traded looks, silently debating who would step up. Before they could decide, I took a step forward.
“Fine. I’ll take you on. But use your favorite blade. I don’t mind if it’s a real one.”
I figured I might as well see exactly how strong she’d become.