Chapter 178: Human-Machine Unity!
[What is happening before your eyes is simply too shocking for you.]
[To the point that in the next few seconds, your entire body becomes completely paralyzed, your brain unable to give any command at all.]
[By the time you react, you've already missed the best chance to stop Jeanne…]
"Mn~… wait, Jeanne…"
Inside the cramped cockpit, a few strange sounds echoed from behind.
Up front, Britomart heard the small noises, but she had no idea what they meant.
Her sharp ears twitched—her fairy senses could pick up everything, from tiny crackling whispers to Eikou's slightly heavy breathing, making Britomart feel something was very, very wrong.
"Eikou-sama, you…"
"Don't—don't turn around!"
Britomart had just begun turning her head to check on him when he hurriedly stopped her.
"O… okay?"
She hadn't even gotten a proper glance before immediately turning back, obedient to an almost extreme degree.
"You…"
Eikou realized he had shouted too loudly, so he quickly lowered his voice,
"Just keep… keep driving. Don't mind me… uhm, I'm just going to rest a little…"
Honestly, with the situation between him and Jeanne right now, there was absolutely no way he could let this pure fairy girl see anything!
He lowered his head, looking at Jeanne with a mixture of reproach and frustration in his eyes.
She was being too much—Britomart was right there, all she had to do was turn her head and she'd see everything, what was Jeanne thinking?!
No—Jeanne was exactly using that to her advantage.
Because Britomart was there, this was the perfect moment to succeed!
Eikou's naturally shy nature made him so overwhelmed with embarrassment that he couldn't even form a normal thought anymore.
In this chaos, his first instinct was: "don't let the girl see this."
From that, came the next thought: "I need to finish this quickly."
Eikou himself felt that his mental state was starting to resemble that of a "married woman who got flustered and accidentally agreed while soft-hearted."
How terrifying… he had fallen into an awful situation like this again…
So the thing she meant by "doing something Alter hasn't done yet"… was this?!
And right now—during his date with Baobhan Sith, with Britomart right in front, inside a cockpit while piloting a mech?! What kind of advanced Play was this? Humanity wasn't ready for this level yet!
Obviously this was his fault—Disaster With Women had completely corrupted Jeanne; she no longer resembled a Holy Maiden in the slightest.
[You lower your voice, wanting to talk seriously with Jeanne…]
[But she has zero intention of listening to you, determined to open your heart in her own mouth.]
[…]
[Even though your current situation is… quite special…]
[Don't forget—the date with Baobhan Sith is still ongoing.]
Damn it, as if forgetting were even an option!
Eikou screamed internally.
Just kill me already…
He even started hoping Britomart and Baobhan Sith would discover his situation and give him a swift, merciful end!
Even though his heart was in total chaos, he still forced himself to act normal, trying desperately not to let Baobhan Sith or Britomart notice a single hint of abnormality.
"Hey, small fry, next, where are we going on our date?"
Baobhan Sith turned her head toward the mech behind her and raised her chin, asking.
"Mn…"
"'Mn' what? Can you sit down and talk to me? I really don't like having to look up at someone. You're supposed to look up at me, got it?"
"W-well… let's go to the amusement park."
Eikou tried to keep his voice steady.
"Amusement park?"
Baobhan Sith furrowed her brow after a moment of thought.
"I'm sure you came up with plenty of date plans, but if your plan can't keep up with reality… do you really think wearing a mech to an amusement park lets you play any rides?"
"We'll figure it out when we get there…"
"Why does your voice sound so nasal? Are you sick, you weak little trash?"
"I don't want to argue…"
At this point, Eikou felt almost relieved, barely able to speak.
"Actually, I've noticed something since earlier…"
Baobhan Sith looked down at the mech's legs, noticing a slight tremble as it walked.
"Why does it look like the mech can barely stay upright? Is it about to break?"
"No way," Britomart said seriously, "this is our family's pride, a magic armor. I've been taking good care of it; it can't suddenly break. It's fine."
"Uhm…"
The two people behind Britomart also felt a bit uneasy upon hearing that.
Eikou roughly understood the cause.
It was probably because his "A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands" skill level was too high. Whatever weapon he wielded, he mastered it perfectly, so when piloting, his body subconsciously synced with the mech to an extreme degree—almost achieving human-machine unity.
Other mech pilots would go wild with excitement when connecting with their mechs—but why did he have to resonate in such a weird way? Damn it!
...
[Time passed like this, with Britomart piloting the mech behind Baobhan Sith.]
[You successfully arrive at the Academy City amusement park.]
[And Jeanne forces you to spend a portion of your mana.]
[You're so aroused you nearly lose your balance!]
[A portion of your mana is lost.]
[Jeanne's mana temporarily increases.]
[You initially thought she just wanted a simple date, but reality proves you were still too naive… She doesn't just want a flirtatious game—she demands more than even Jeanne Alter.]
"Eikou-sama, we're here!"
Britomart turned with a bright smile.
Before her were Eikou, red-faced, and Jeanne, smiling like a freshly watered flower.
"Is that so… we've arrived already…"
Eikou sighed, still blushing,
"Good… finally, it's almost over here…"
"? We just got here," Britomart said, puzzled.
She felt something was off about their state.
But her simple, innocent mind couldn't imagine why.
[You've successfully arrived at the amusement park.]
[You realize that every time you try to date Baobhan Sith, it always comes with difficulties and quite a cost…]
[In short, the date continues, and your Disaster With Women hasn't ended yet.]
[You also recognize this, so at your strong request, Jeanne is positioned in front of the cockpit so that both of you remain in Britomart's line of sight, preventing her from doing anything strange again.]
[Jeanne d'Arc—the extremely dangerous woman! Must remain on high alert!]