"Elijaaahh-saamma!" Rishya squeals sensually in my ear, trying to wrap her legs around me again despite literally being doused in sweat and other things.

I shiver and pull away from her deliberately.

Cripes... this one was a secret boss encounter!

I thought Aria and Kiku had a serious appetite, but Rish is crazy!

Its twice already, and she is just gone... her body still craving more.

Though my timely boost to endurance means I could go on, and she is lovely enough, I honestly don't think I it’s a good idea for her first experience to be that savage. So...

"Rish... that's it. It’s over." I say, quite forcefully. I need to finish it.

She blinks repeatedly at this. Her red eyes never scared me before... but swimming with barely restrained lust like this... she's like some loli-succubus or something, sent to drain me dry and turn me into a desiccated corpse. A secret demon operative!

"Hah... hahh... it is?" She says, her chest expanding and contracting furiously. A tiny bit of reason leaks in there, at last.

Then her stomach gurgles furiously.

"Ah!" She blushes.

Well, she used a lot of energy.

"Y-yes... err... I guess that will... suffice! Ahem!"

I sigh in relief, and sit down.

She pulls herself up after falling flat a couple of times, crawls over, and snuggles up to me.

We've totally crushed some of these luminous flowers. I feel a bit guilty. But the cavern floor wasn't really a good idea.

"Ah... that was little like I imagined... My hair is ruined! And everything is buzzing quite peculiarly..." she muses, laying her head against my shoulder.

"Did you dislike it?"

I don't think that was the case, but both Aria and Kiku had such comments after.

"Hehe... no... the initial pain was considerable... but... it was truly amazing... it felt like you were adding a piece I was missing for some time!"

She grins, rubbing her own body and flicking fluid off herself. She looks at me sweetly.

"We will have to do this a lot in coming days, Elijah sama! W-when I feel like it, o-of course! Hmmph!"

Oh gods, save me. So tsundere!

"Ah... but it appears I need to eat more next time. I... I guess I don't have to worry about diets if I can indulge in this variety of exercise!"

Oh gods, save me. What have I done!?

"E-Eh... are you warm now, at least?" I try to change the subject.

"Quite so." She nods. "Still wet though... it seems... ugh..."

She picks herself up and staggers around for a second.

"Ouch! Oh... it feels like my legs are numb as well. My goodness..."

It's probably a good thing I stopped when I did. It would have developed from intense to agonising, I imagine.

"Uwah! It’s all dripping as well!" she exclaims. "D-do you think dipping in the lake is a good idea?"

Skinny dipping now, is it?

"Not really..." I say.

It's still chilly in here, and I bet the water is crazy cold. I shiver at the thought.

She looks around and clicks her fingers.

"Ah! Why did I not consider this before! It seems... hehe... my perversion overwrote my sense!" She exclaims, and then she sweeps her arm upwards.

I jump as Michael suddenly leaps from the flowers in a burst of petals, and into her grasp.

"I am more powerful now. Seria-sama said so. Hence..."

A magic formation suddenly bursts around her, her naked body swirling with light.

"Cresisus Supus Unisalis!" She cries, swinging Michael in a wide arc and then tapping the ground.

What's with the sudden crap psuedo-latin, translation-function san?

But then, the magic circle condenses, and a nova of red light explodes from Michael, making me blink.

I suddenly feel warm again, like I was still engaged in our previous activity.

What? A resistance buff, then?

Light spirits, little motes of light, hover around me and Rishya.

"Yes! Yes! I did it! Yesss! Master Manato's best spell! I'm brilliant, aren't I, Michael!?"

She dances around happily. Her jiggling is very distracting.

"Yes, Rishya. Your power is excellent. I am proud."

What? Who? It wasn't me!

"Wow... you can speak better now, Michael, eh? Hehe."

I'm gobsmacked. I blink. Michael can talk? She doesn’t just talk to him…?

"He... certainly can." I say.

Rishya suddenly freezes in place, goes wide-eyed, and stares at me.

"W-what? Y-you heard that, Elijah-sama!?"

"I did." I nod.

"Meeting of our first principle. This spirit offers greetings to the Etranger." Michael says.

"I... indeed. Nice to meet you." I nod, not certain where to look.

"Please do take care of my contractor. Your influence thus far is appreciated. With much love, a light spirit receives much power. So, my power now is quite high. You have my thanks... that is what humans call gratitude, is it not?"

Rishya's mouth is wide, staring at her staff.

"Wow!" She then jumps, giggles furiously and leaps into my arms, laughing and nuzzling me.

"A man I love. Who would have thought... it would be like this?! Someone else can speak with Michael! At last!"

She looks happy. He was speaking all this time in her head? How strange.

Is this normal with spirits? Mine hasn't had a peep. Though there was that odd dream... I'll ask Seria at some point.

I snicker, though.

"You love me, then, Rish?"

"I do." Her response is instant. I didn't expect that, for sure.

"Elijah-sama. I love you very much. You have gained another stupid girl in your collection!" She exclaims, reinforcing her awakened resolve.

With this, at least, her tsundere is finally buried.

"So... do you want to clean up with me?" She grins, sweetly.

I see. With this resisting warmth, even freezing water will be tolerable.

She dashes up the water, giggling, starting to splash around like an excited little girl at the beach.

Her joy is infectious.

Rish really has awakened in lots of ways, hasn't she?

I smile, and walk up to the water, joining her.