"Phew~ Is it autumn already?" Kars, waking up and going out to sunbathe, felt the change in temperature, and his expression turned slightly glum. Starting from autumn, and until spring, the sun wouldn't be very strong most of the time, and he might not even catch any sunlight at all.
During this time, he would have to fly above the clouds to get a satisfying sunbath. However, maintaining that altitude was exhausting, though the temperature wasn't a big concern, as it prevented his body from overheating. But this was only autumn. In winter, catching the sun in the morning would be even harder, especially since passing through the clouds felt deathly cold. Therefore, Kars disliked autumn and absolutely hated winter, as both seasons prevented him from properly enjoying his sunbathing.
"I wonder if Nitori's device will work in winter?" If the device could achieve the same effect in winter, it would be wonderful. Being able to enjoy such strong sunlight in winter would be a very fortunate thing for Kars.
So, Kars decided to go to the Genbu Ravine around noon to find Nitori Kawashiro and ask about the situation. He could also drop by the Field of the Sun for Yuuka Kazami. Now that he thought about it, once winter came, it would be nearly impossible to sunbathe and nap with her in the Field of the Sun.
"Why does a hateful season like winter even exist?" Kars sighed emotionally. Then, after leaving the Terakoya in the afternoon, he arrived at the Genbu Ravine. Here, he saw many Kappas dressed similarly to Nitori Kawashiro. His presence drew the attention of the local Kappas.
"Excuse me, where does Nitori Kawashiro live? I need to find her for something."
"Nitori? Fly in that direction. You'll see a building with a row of blue panties hanging from the window—that's Nitori's house." One of the Kappas pointed him in a direction. Kars thanked the Kappa and flew off in the indicated direction. He saw a round, metal building. After confirming the row of blue panties hanging from the window of the balcony, as the Kappa had described, he stopped at the door and rang the doorbell.
"Who is it? I told you I'm very busy lately!" After Kars rang the bell, Nitori's slightly annoyed voice came from inside. The door quickly opened, and she appeared before Kars.
"Huh? Kars, it's you. But you're back to being a child again? Is your body that bad at storing energy?" Nitori was surprised to see Kars. She was also surprised that he had reverted to a child so quickly and commented that his body had a large capacity but poor endurance.
"No, I used it all up myself."
"Oh, so you want to do it again? Then I'll go prepare. Come in first." Thinking that Kars was here to give her energy, Nitori became enthusiastic. Why would I turn down precious energy?
Kars walked into Nitori's house and felt a little uncomfortable with the messy environment. Mechanical parts were scattered everywhere, and there were half-eaten cucumbers on the table.
"Why don't you ever clean up?" Kars, unaccustomed to the environment, asked. Isn't it miserable to live in conditions like this?
"I don't really have the time. I've been busy researching new gadgets lately. It's a waste not to use the energy I got from you." Nitori searched through the pile of things for the tools she needed, quickly putting on her massive backpack.
"Alright, let's go. Oh, right, did you bring clothes this time?" Nitori asked beforehand, recalling the last time. She didn't want to see Kars running around naked in front of her again.
"I did." Kars shook the bag in his hand. Knowing his clothes would be ruined, why wouldn't he bring a change? Especially since he was planning to go to the Field of the Sun afterward.
"That's good." Seeing Kars was prepared, Nitori said nothing more. With the necessary equipment, they returned to the spot on Youkai Mountain where they had been before. Kars watched as the mechanical arms emerged from Nitori's backpack, quickly grabbing various devices and assembling them. Soon, all the equipment they used before was properly set up. This time, Nitori even brought sunglasses for herself to avoid seeing anything she didn't want to.
When everything was ready, Nitori signaled Kars to step up. She was stunned to see Kars quickly take off all his clothes by the side.
"Why didn't you say anything when you took your clothes off!"
"I didn't expect you to suddenly look over! It's not like I can take them off once I'm already on the device, right?" That sounded logical. Nitori then watched Kars run towards the device, butt naked, with his back to her.
Nitori silently put on her sunglasses. She quickly started the device, planning to collect the energy and send this guy on his way so she could go home and continue working on her gadgets.
"Oh, right, there's one thing I wanted to ask. Can this device be used in winter too?" Kars, almost forgetting the important question, asked Nitori.
"That's hard to say. There's barely any sunlight in winter. Achieving the same effect as now is almost impossible. If the weather is good, maybe it would work, but good weather is rare in winter." Hearing the answer, Kars felt a little disappointed. In that case, he would need to find a way to conserve more energy. Or maybe he could talk to Little Auntie Yuuka and ask her not to be so intense next time.
"Well then, let's begin." After Kars was ready, Nitori started the device. The familiar scene repeated, but with the sunglasses on, the sensation wasn't as intense for her this time.