[Ding, keyword condition triggered: Host and Ellen are the only ones present. The Charm limiter has been removed.]
'Wait, system, what did you say?'
Wise froze at the system's words, his gaze immediately locking on Ellen.
As for why he was acting like this, it was simple.
The Shark Thiren's sharp teeth and overwhelming strength were nothing to take lightly. Even he could get hurt if he let his guard down.
Fortunately, Ellen didn't show any signs of unusual behavior. Or perhaps not, because the way she kept staring at him was a little unsettling.
But at least she hadn't lunged at him the way Belle had.
"Ellen, how are you feeling right now? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
With his Charm fully unsealed, even guys should be feeling something for him. Ellen acting totally normal right now made Wise a little concerned about her.
"Ah? No, I, I'm fine..." She replied, giving her head a slight shake.
"Phew, that's good..."
"It's just, I really want to bite you."
"Ah?"
Wise didn't even get a chance to sigh in relief before Ellen's last words made him freeze again. The next moment, he was tackled to the ground.
Her mouth stretched open, ready to bite, and a fleeting memory rose about sharks biting their mates during reproduction to keep them still.
However, the problem was that Wise clearly remembered it was something a male shark did to a female, not the other way around.
Why was it different with Ellen? Was this instinct carved into her genes, shaped further by Ellen's own personality?
Wise really couldn't tell. All he knew was that if he didn't move fast, he was truly going to get bitten, and badly.
Looking at Ellen's mouth full of sharp, serrated teeth, Wise struggled, pushing against her chin with his hands.
At that moment, Ellen's eyes mirrored Anby's from before, but there was a hint of untamed wildness.
[Ding, Target: Ellen is about to be captured. Host, please keep up the good work!]
'System, how dare you! This is all your fault. Restore my Charm Value to normal immediately!'
Wise, who was already busy dealing with Ellen, immediately flared up in anger upon hearing the System's words. Under his scolding, the system obediently complied.
[Understood, Host. Adjusting for you now.]
Wise thought that once his Charm Value returned to normal, Ellen would surely recover.
But his plans hadn't lasted long because the video store's door suddenly opened right at that moment.
"Nya! I'm here again, Belle. Has your brother come back yet...?"
Nekomata barged into the store and froze when she saw Ellen pinning Wise to the floor as he fought back. She immediately got angry.
"Hey! Who the heck are you? How dare you do that to Wise! Even I... Nya! Get off him, nya!"
"Nekomata, wait! Don't..."
Nekomata rushed forward, totally ignoring Wise's warnings. What happened next was totally obvious.
Now Wise had two girls clinging to him.
"Nya~ nya~, Wise, you smell so good. Scratch my belly, nya~."
Nekomata, instead of helping Wise pull Ellen away, had actually joined her side.
Wise found himself passively struggling, using one hand to restrain each of them and enduring their combined strain. Nekomata wasn't much of a danger, able to deliver only light nips with her tiny fangs.
The problem was Ellen. Acting the way she was, Wise was pretty sure that one bite would either rip out flesh or leave deep teeth marks.
He definitely had a reason to complain about the System.
Why did adjusting his Charm take so long when releasing it happened instantly?
He just hoped Belle and Anby didn't come downstairs right now.
"Brother, we ran out of towels at home, so I borrowed yours... Eh?"
'Well, speak of the devil,' Wise thought when he heard Belle calling him.
She paused on the stairs, staring at him with a bewildered expression.
"Belle, you're just in time... no, wait, don't come over yet." Wise tried to stop her, but it didn't work.
"Brother~"
Belle, of course, wasn't spared, but because Wise was already tackled, she couldn't reach him right away.
"Move aside, Brother is mine!" Belle yelled and grabbed Nekomata's tail, making the Cat Thiren girl jump in fright.
"Nya!"
Nekomata fell straight onto his face, momentarily cutting off his sight.
"Wise, I've finished washing. You should go... eh?" Anby called out a few seconds later.
'No way... seriously?'
Wise expected the same thing to happen again. Instead, he felt the Nekomata being shoved aside as Anby dashed to his side.
"Wise, are you alright?"
As he caught his breath, Anby's worried face came into view as she helped him sit up. He wondered why she stayed unaffected by the charm when everyone else had fallen for it.
Maybe his Charm Value had finally settled at 100 again, yet Ellen and the others still refused to stop.
[Ding, Host, Target: Anby recently received your favor, so she still retains some resistance.]
'Is that why? But there's no way I can do it with everyone here right now.'
[It's not entirely impossible, Host.]
'Get lost! Quickly change my Charm Value back!'
Wise scolded the system in his mind. It was a good thing there were no customers in the Video store at the moment. If someone walked in and saw this scene, who knew what they would think?
Strange rumors might spread the next day, like a group orgy at the video store named Random Play or the owner filming special videos with several beautiful girls.
Good thing Anby remained unaffected, and she quickly helped Wise get away.
With Ellen and the others fully distracted, Anby subdued them without effort.
Afterward, she and Wise carried them to the sofa on the first floor. Once everything was handled, Anby faced Wise with a serious look.
"Wise, about earlier, what really happened?"
Her face made it obvious how worried she was.