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Asakura glanced at the mission reward, which seemed to be a potion called 'Developer Potion,' completely useless for the current situation.
So he refocused his attention on Hoshino Ai on the ring's face.
"How do you feel now?"
"I'm already prepared."
Hoshino Ai even hummed an improvised, off-key tune: "I'm already prepared, I'm already prepared~?"
"As expected of a former idol, it sounds a bit nice..."
Gotō Hitori, who also sings and plays some improvised tunes when alone, looked at the small figure on the ring's face with sparkling eyes.
"I'm not a 'former' idol!"
Hoshino Ai said proudly: "A girl is an idol until death!"
"It seems your mindset is good, but perhaps trying to awaken her with this kind of feeling, rather than nervousness or worry, will indeed have a better effect."
Asakura said approvingly.
"Huh, is it my imagination? Has Asakura-kun's attitude towards me improved too much compared to before?"
Hoshino Ai looked at Asakura with surprise, as if she had discovered a new continent, marveling.
"Because relying on Hitori would affect her life and health. Now that I've peeled you off, there's no danger, so it's a different matter naturally."
Asakura said: "In short, it's like the feeling of a wild mouse versus a hamster."
"Even for examples, use cuter ones, like mice..."
Hoshino Ai grumbled with some dissatisfaction.
"Hamsters are quite cute, aren't they?"
Gotō Hitori looked at Hoshino Ai and said, "Hoshino-san looks so small right now… and very cute too."
Perhaps due to this novelty and the undeniable cuteness of Mini Hoshino Ai, it briefly overcame Gotō Hitori's social anxiety, making her speak without the previous timidity.
"Hitori, do you like hamsters?"
Asakura casually handed the ring to Gotō Hitori, asking her to hold it, freeing his hands to check Tendoji Sarina's physical condition, so he could use [Candle] to set fire later.
Gotō Hitori showed a somewhat sticky, silly, and cute smile like a slime: "Hehe, because I always feel that hamsters like to hide in dark, small places, which feels a bit like me…"
So, she's empathizing with hamsters? Asakura instinctively muttered.
"But rats also like to hide in dark, small places, right?"
Hoshino Ai said even more directly.
"…So, um… I actually don't particularly dislike rats."
Gotō Hitori said softly, taking the ring and instinctively wanting to put it back on her finger.
"I told you to hold the ring, not wear it."
Asakura said exasperatedly, "Otherwise, wouldn't Ai go back into your body?"
"Ah, right…"
Gotō Hitori immediately came to her senses, carefully holding the ring.
"What a strange name, 'Ai'! Can't you just call me Ai-chan like my fans do?!"
Hoshino Ai pouted unhappily.
"You don't wobble, so what kind of Ai-chan are you?"
Asakura refused without hesitation: "Besides, that expression was cute when you used Hitori's body, but how old are you to still act cute? Don't you feel ashamed?"
"What's 'wobble'… Even if you don't call me Ai-chan, you can just call me Hoshino."
Hoshino Ai continued, "And I'm also a fresh fifteen-year-old! Why is Asakura-kun so doting on Bocchi-chan?!"
"Huh, Hoshino-san is also fifteen?!"
Gotō Hitori, also fifteen, was greatly shocked: "Y-You clearly look so mature… I thought you must be almost twenty…"
"Do I look that old…"
Hoshino Ai was also greatly struck, becoming even more transparent.
"Hitori, be careful what you say. She currently doesn't have a proper vessel and exists almost entirely as a soul. She's very fragile. If you keep provoking her, she might vanish before fulfilling her obsession."
Asakura said from the side.
"S-Sorry!"
Upon hearing this, Gotō Hitori immediately bowed and apologized to the ring in her hand.
"It's okay. If I think about it, I'm wearing my stage outfit now, and my face must still be made up. To debut more smoothly, my makeup was done to look mature. It's natural for Bocchi-chan to misunderstand…"
Hoshino Ai was quite open-minded and quickly dispelled her minor emotions: "But Asakura-kun over there, have you had enough of touching that little girl?"
"Almost."
Asakura retracted his hand.
He had no ill intentions towards Tendoji Sarina, who was still lying unconscious in the hospital bed.
Although the girl looked delicate and had beautiful features, making her a very promising beauty, the sickly pallor caused by her illness did not significantly affect her appearance; instead, it added a touch of pitiful charm.
It was just that the girl probably hadn't eaten normally for a long time; her body was emaciated, and touching her might even feel more bony than Hirano, completely lacking the plumpness that girls should have, which typically means about twenty percent more body fat than boys.
Asakura naturally could not harbor any wicked desires towards such a young girl.
As mentioned before, the essence of [Candle] is not fire, but rather a peculiar flame that transforms a specified existence into a candle-like fuel, burning it away; the Heavenly Flames are merely a byproduct of the Magic.
Asakura's palpation was merely a way to infer the efficiency of activating the Magic in that particular area, by sensing it at a critical state just before activating the Magic, while touching the girl's skin.
After a rough palpation, he could almost confirm that the Magic was most efficient near the heart, allowing for the highest effect with the lowest Magic expenditure.
"The ring."
Asakura beckoned to Gotō Hitori, who immediately, like a lackey, quickly presented the ring—at first, she misunderstood and tried to put the ring on Asakura's finger, but after he dodged and flicked her forehead, Gotō Hitori finally understood, turning pale as she placed the ring into Asakura's hand.
"After I put this ring on her, I will eliminate the illness in her body, but at the same time, the accumulated ailments and weakness from her frail body could erupt at any moment. You must awaken this child's consciousness before that happens."
Just before the final step, Asakura warned Hoshino Ai again.
"Hurry up and do it—"
Hoshino Ai showed no hesitation whatsoever: "I've long been prepared."
So Asakura placed the ring on the unconscious girl's hand.
The next moment, an eerie, phosphorescent green flame rose out of thin air, sweeping towards Tendoji Sarina, instantly engulfing her body.
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