I'm living the dream inside the nightmare. A tanned juvenile girl with naught but taunt bandages covering her top is affectionately nuzzling me.

Whilst I'm surrounded by seven other mostly unimpressed girls.

Aria, still bearing an eye twitch, advances on this situation, grabs the girl under the armpits, and picks her up.

It looks absurd.

Kali... is that her name? She continues to look like a cat that has been hoisted up by its owner.

She flails with some strength, and tries to stagger onto her feet, but trips, and both of them fall over in a pile. A whipping arm, trying to find support, also grabs Rishya by the top and pulls her down with a squeal. There is a slight tearing sound. Through sheer chance, the falling mess of girls collapses right atop the still prone Kiku as well.

Wow. I leap up so fast you'd think I'd get whiplash.

Ah... my lolicon problem is quite severe for me to instantly recognise the value of this situation and even subconsciously use Precognitive Dodge to get a view!

The view is indeed extraordinary. A groaning trio of red, silver, and golden blonde haired girls are writhing atop each other and the green haired one.

Best of all, Kali's bandages have gotten loose, Rishya's top has torn right down her cleavage, and Aria's clothes have ridden up to show both her midriff and her panties.

My blood pressure rises rapidly. I'm probably grinning like a madman.

Life is good.

Of course, Kiku also chooses this moment for both of her big green eyes to snap open.

"Eh wot!!? What in the holy fuck! The shit!" She panics, kicking out involuntarily.

The mad reaction from rowdy Kiku only makes things worse. It becomes a menagerie of limbs and sweaty panic.

I snort. Steam should probably come from my nostrils.

"Goodnight Nii-sama."

Kaede assassinates me. I didn't even see her coming.

As I spin backwards from being slammed in the gut, I puzzlingly see Kurono watching the whole affair with a feverish intensity similar to my own whilst Seria and Yuuzu are jointly face-palming.

I pass out.

...

...

When I come to, I have been left on the cold stone floor. How cruel.

Kiku, Aria and Kaede appear to be picking over the huge bones left behind by the remains of the skull beast.

Our two mages, plus Yuuzu, are sat at the side, eyes lightly shut, presumably recovering their power. Rishya is grinning with her eyes closed being next to Yuuzu, and is cuddling her arm. They really do look and act like close siblings. It's a pretty adorable scene of the two.

And both Kali and Kurono seem to both have been forced to sit in a kneeling pose the opposite side. They are both clearly grimacing from this posture. I feel like they need matching signs around their necks stating "I'm repenting."

I notice Kurono keeps looking up and smiling sinisterly at Kali as well... Weird.

I feel a prickling sense of danger.

"Ah, Nii is ~finally~ awake. ~Perhaps~ you want to help us out here?" Kiku musically states.

Holy shit, she is smiling so sweetly but I have never felt such a palpable sense of menace in my life.

"Yessir!" I jump up involuntarily with a shudder.

What did I do?

I momentarily cause all the girls to pause and look at me as I approach.

No really... what the hell did I do?!

"Why do you have such a dumb face, Elijah? When you really looked like you were enjoying us in a tangle earlier, I thought you'd still be absolutely overjoyed." Aria states, absolutely deadpan.

Maybe... maybe I might have been making the face of a sexual predator to a writhing pile of young girls.

Yeah. Ok. Maybe I became trash for a minute there.

I dogeza in front of the massive skeleton, my forehead kissing the stone.

"I apologise. I was distracted by a beautiful field of flowers and dozed off. I am awake and in control and now I am deeply regretful for my actions."

I feel like more than just a beat goes by.

"You wot? Flowers?" Kiku just sounds confused.

I look up. Aria and Kiku do look confused... and sad.

I exhale.

"I was being an irredeemable pervert. Please forgive me."

Another beat goes by.

"Pffft... sorry Aria, I can't... bwhahaha!!" Kiku suddenly bursts out laughing.

"So what's new, Elijah?" Aria snickers.

Then Aria also starts giggling. I can only be gobsmacked.

...

...

"So you were just messing with me?" I sigh.

"Um... actually..." Kiku starts "...you did have a scary face then, Nii... but when it's y..."

"But males are just this variety of creature, yes?" Kaede interrupts her.

"Too true. Though this one is a special breed of lolicon pervert." Aria adds the fatality.

I sigh and it feels like a ghost pours out of my mouth again. Though I have no one to blame but myself, do I?