Chapter 184: My Fault?
Haruto looked at the girls with a face full of question marks, especially Amano Yuuma and the other two. No wonder Mittelt was laughing so happily...
Even they, who weren't particularly close, knew about it. Why did they have to keep it from him?
Yuuto didn't keep Haruto wondering for long. Since things had come this far, there was no point in hiding the rest—it would only create misunderstandings.
"I'm also an orphan. When I was very young, I was taken by the church along with many other children to undergo artificial Sacred Gear experiments..."
What Yuuto described was largely similar to the Holy Sword Project that Haruto vaguely remembered. In simple terms, it was human experimentation where all the other children died, and only she survived.
However, what followed somewhat exceeded Haruto's understanding.
As Yuuto began removing her clothes, she continued, "I don't know if it was because enough experimental data had been collected or if I was just lucky, but the final experiment—on me—succeeded. However, at the moment of success, the experimental center was destroyed by the massive energy generated."
Yuuto removed her final piece of clothing, revealing her naked body completely.
Haruto stared blankly at this body that lacked female characteristics but also didn't possess male features.
Having seen many things in his own way, he wasn't shocked at all. It was just asexual—he had even prepared himself for the possibility that Yuuto might be a futanari.
After showing Haruto the evidence, Yuuto blushed and began putting her clothes back on.
"As you can see, while obtaining the Holy Sword, my body was affected by an unknown force and transformed into its current state."
"Sorry, I was too impulsive earlier."
After offering a sincere apology, Haruto asked in confusion, "But what does that have to do with telling everyone else and only keeping me in the dark?"
"Because... because..."
Yuuto mumbled for a while, his face flushed and head lowered, but he never managed to give a proper explanation.
Haruto covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight.
That expression would have been absolutely adorable on a beautiful girl, but on Yuuto, it was somewhat cringe-worthy.
Purely in terms of appearance, Yuuto's image leaned more toward masculine, but his behavior and mentality were entirely feminine. This was precisely why Haruto had always found him peculiar.
"Alright, Yuuto, put your clothes on first."
Rias took over the conversation, explaining to Haruto, "As I mentioned earlier, Yuuto's body is technically male, except for lacking... that thing..."
As she spoke, she glanced at Haruto's crotch, and the scene from the bathroom a while ago suddenly resurfaced in her mind.
Her delicate face flushed slightly, and Rias turned her head away somewhat awkwardly. "I've examined Yuuto. Aside from lacking that part, his hormone levels are all within the male range."
Yuuto did, in fact, have an Adam's apple—otherwise, his voice wouldn't sound the way it did.
It was just that the Adam's apple was so small that it was nearly invisible to the naked eye unless touched.
Haruto nodded in understanding but still couldn't grasp why Yuuto was so adamant about keeping him in the dark.
"Despite his physical condition, perhaps due to that energy, Yuuto's inner self hasn't been affected by his body. Over all these years, he has remained completely feminine. In fact, because of his physical state, he's even more girlish than the average girl."
Rias sighed helplessly, locking eyes with Haruto as she slowly explained, "You must be aware of your own uniqueness. Because of this peculiarity, Yuuto is more affected by it than any of us. If not for his physical limitations, he would have tried to sneak into your room on the second day you joined the club."
"Uh..."
Haruto was momentarily at a loss for words. Was it his fault?
If possible, he would love to rid himself of the Cuckold Protagonist Template, along with the peculiar allure that came with it.
As if seeing right through Haruto's thoughts, Rias played with her crimson hair tips and chuckled, "Yuuto doesn't want to live with you because he's afraid he won't be able to control himself. I doubt you'd want to be sneaked up on by a man's body, right?"
"Uh..."
Imagining that scenario sent a shiver down Haruto's spine, goosebumps rising all over.
"President, is there a way to solve Yuuto's problem? Does he have to live like this forever?"
Haruto decided to change the subject. He was the only true male present, and since Yuuto was also a victim in this matter, continuing the discussion would only lead to trouble for him.
"Ara ara, what a pragmatic man. You're already addressing him so intimately."
Akeno covered her mouth, delightfully teasing Haruto.
Rias also shot Haruto a sidelong glance and replied, "It can be resolved, but for now, it's not possible."
"The Holy Sword Project was a scandal for the Church. After the incident, all records were sealed away. To solve Yuuto's physical issue, we'll need the experimental data from back then."
Haruto expressed understanding. Not to mention organizations like the Church that cared most about reputation, even evil forces had to conduct human experiments in secret.
Human experimentation was an evil practice jointly prohibited across the three realms. Today's devils and angels were born from such foundations, and no one wanted similar situations to reoccur.
"Additionally, according to my research, having those materials alone isn't enough. If Yuuto cannot fully master that energy, there's no way to restore his normal body."
Rias walked over to Yuuto, pinching his arm as she said: "That energy has altered Yuuto's body, but it's also the source of his power. If we forcibly expel it, the best outcome would be reverting to an ordinary person and starting over completely."
"What about the worst scenario?"
Rias glanced at Haruto and said gravely: "Death. Complete collapse from soul to body - irreversible death with no possibility of resurrection."
Haruto fell silent. Originally, he had planned to help Yuuto restore his female form as soon as possible. The thought of Yuuto craving his body made him deeply uncomfortable.
Losing power wasn't a big issue—once his body normalized, Haruto would specially assist him. While satisfying his desires, he could quickly regain his current strength.
But if the worst scenario were to occur...
Thinking about Yuuto's potential death, Haruto dismissed the idea from his mind and asked: "Yuuto, how much of that energy have you mastered now?"
"Very little, very little. Even though I train hard every day, that energy remains like stagnant water, completely unresponsive to my commands."
Currently, having mastered only a small portion, he already possessed A-rank strength. When fully mastered, he would at least reach High-class Devil (SS) level, possibly even Dragon King (SSS) level.
The idea was beautiful, but mastering this energy was no easier than breaking through via personal cultivation. Moreover, due to his physical condition, he couldn't benefit from Haruto's dual cultivation ability.
...
After clearing up the misunderstanding, Haruto had Asia stay in the activity room temporarily, planning for her to move into the villa with everyone once arrangements were complete.
Asia initially felt somewhat embarrassed and afraid.
However, after the white-haired loli played with her for a while and Haruto promised to visit daily, the golden-haired little nun quickly adapted to her new environment.
Having lived this long, it was Asia's first time being with so many peers. All the girls liked this gentle, delicate little nun—even the relatively cold-natured Kalawarna made efforts to soften her expression.
Koneko was particularly happy, finally finding a companion in physique. The two lolis quickly became close.
During evening rest, Koneko specifically stayed to sleep with Asia. However, during their shared bath, the white-haired loli suffered a great shock.
While concealed by loose nun's garments it wasn't obvious, but undressed, Asia's bust measurement was quite substantial. On her slender frame, one could rightly say she had excellent development.
The next day, Haruto rose from among the soft bodies of the young women. Gazing at the jade-like forms scattered throughout the room, he slowly paced to the window.
Watching the golden morning sun, he temporarily set aside Yuuto's matter. Helping restore his normal body couldn't be rushed—they could only proceed gradually.
After this incident, Yuuto might behave even more strangely around him. For example, after yesterday's explanation, he had been sticking close to Haruto.
Haruto really wanted to push him away directly, but the main problem was that uncontrollable attraction—frankly speaking, he himself was the root cause...
Rejecting him didn't work, and accepting him was even more impossible. Haruto was almost developing a psychological shadow because of Yuuto.
After fleeing in panic, he returned home and threw a massive orgy, barely managing to dispel that indescribable sense of revulsion.