Chapter 98: Master, Who Do You Think is Prettier? (Bonus Chapter)
Shingetsu's hint was far too subtle; Otonashi Chiya didn't pick up on it at all. Even with the extreme perception of the Mangekyo Sharingan, no amount of insight could help him decipher "female intuition" like that.
He did, however, notice that Shingetsu seemed shy based on her unnatural posture. He figured this was perfectly normal—someone who had lived as a man for years would naturally feel embarrassed suddenly wearing such a revealing swimsuit.
Seeing no reaction from Chiya, Shingetsu intentionally moved closer, almost to the point of pressing against him. Yet, Chiya still couldn't figure out what she wanted. Instead, he asked in confusion, "Is something wrong?"
"..."
Shingetsu fell silent for a moment before finally speaking up. "Do you have nothing to say?"
"Nothing to say..."
Chiya blinked, and combining that with her bashful expression, he finally understood. She probably wanted him to tell her if the swimsuit fit well.
"I think this swimsuit suits you very well. But that's mainly because of your own face and figure; you'd look good in anything," Chiya said honestly. His evaluations were usually straightforward—he didn't like empty flattery, nor did he like senseless criticism.
Shingetsu's figure was truly beyond reproach—tall and slender—and even the "flat chest," which he'd thought was her only flaw, had turned out to be a misunderstanding. Standing a bit over 1.7 meters, she didn't look much shorter than Chiya. Given her personality, she likely hated high heels; if she wore them, she would be nearly his height.
"That's fine, then."
On the surface, Shingetsu showed no emotion, but internally she had to admit she was delighted by the compliment.
Chiya suddenly thought to himself: Since Shingetsu was so easily 'jealous' and wanted my opinion on her swimsuit, she clearly has feelings for me, right? However, the system hadn't triggered any achievements. It seemed this was because Shingetsu wasn't a major character from the original series.
Just then, Reze emerged from the locker room.
Her swimsuit was much bolder and more revealing than Shingetsu's; she had picked it out specifically. Ever since becoming an operative, she had long since discarded her sense of shame. Her heart was as calm as still water; she didn't feel the slightest bit shy.
Of course, her face was still doing all the acting. She looked at Chiya with an expression of "distress" and asked, "Master~ what do you think?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're very beautiful, of course."
This time, Chiya wasn't acting; he gave a sincere evaluation. Reze gave off a different vibe than Shingetsu. If Shingetsu was a cold, arrogant "Ice Queen," then Reze felt like the "girl next door" who could be both sweet and spicy. Each had their own unique charm.
"Master, with you complimenting me like that, I'm practically going to fall for you~" Reze said with a face full of joy.
Heh... Chiya chuckled inwardly. He didn't know if Reze would ever actually "fall" for him, but he knew that if he were just a normal boy who knew nothing, he'd be head over heels by now.
"But I want to know... compared to Miss Shingetsu, who does Master think is prettier?" Reze asked provocatively.
Hearing this, a shimmer appeared in Shingetsu's beautiful eyes. She was clearly very interested in the answer to this question as well.
"Well... you two aren't even the same type. I don't think there's any basis for comparison."
(AN-Good job,bro)
Otonashi Chiya gave a slight shake of his head.
"Ehh~~? Master, how can you be like that~~~"
Reze was clearly unsatisfied with that answer. It wasn't just dissatisfaction for the sake of her acting; she felt her plan was hitting a hurdle. In her view, Chiya's response indicated that she wasn't the top priority in his heart.
But on second thought, it made sense. Chiya had spent much more time with that woman Shingetsu than with her; it was just that he hadn't known Shingetsu was a woman until now. Now that her true gender was exposed, she would undoubtedly occupy a significant place in Chiya's heart.
At that moment, Reze made up her mind: her next offensive had to be even more aggressive. She had to make Chiya fall for her completely to prevent Shingetsu from sabotaging her mission!
In reality, Reze was overthinking it. Chiya truly just felt that different types of beauty weren't comparable and didn't want to judge; he had no idea Reze was constructing such an elaborate mental drama.
Aside from Reze, Shingetsu was also slightly disappointed by Chiya's answer.
"Let's go in. Didn't you both want to swim?" Chiya said, changing the subject.
Entering the inner area of the swimming center, they were greeted by a large outdoor pool. At this hour, there weren't many Military Devil Hunters around; only a few women were in the water.
When they saw Shingetsu walk in wearing a women's swimsuit, they didn't realize who she was at first. They simply thought a very stunning beauty had appeared—and besides her, there was another gorgeous girl and a very handsome guy.
For the moment, they only recognized Chiya, as they had seen him once recently and he'd left an impression. Could these two rare beauties be new Devil Hunters? they wondered.
After a while, they began to feel that Shingetsu looked more and more familiar.
"Wait a second... why does... that tall beauty look like someone I've seen before?"
"Right! I feel the same way! Her face looks so much like the 'Tsar'!"
"It's more than just a resemblance. It's identical!"
A bold suspicion took root: was this beauty the "Tsar" herself? Was the "Tsar" actually a girl who had been cross-dressing as a man? Still, they weren't certain; it wasn't impossible for her to be the Tsar's older sister, younger sister, or a twin.
"Otonashi, let's have a race. Let's see who can swim from this end to the other first," Shingetsu suddenly challenged.
However, Chiya rejected it without a second thought. "I'm not racing you. Unless we use Devil powers, I'm definitely no match for you in a pure contest of physical stats."
Shingetsu's martial arts were top-tier, and her swimming speed would certainly not be slow—unless she didn't know how to swim at all. But if he used his "Devil powers," his Kamui ocular jutsu could teleport him to the other end of the pool in an instant, making the race pointless.
In terms of raw physical ability, the only one present who could rival Shingetsu was Reze, who might even be faster. But Reze wasn't that bored. Moreover, it didn't fit her persona; an innocent, delicate young lady might know how to swim, but she shouldn't be too fast. In her scripted role, she was barely a beginner.
"Master, Master! Ignore that person who only knows brute force."
Reze tugged on Chiya's arm, her voice honeyed and coquettish. "I don't really know how to swim yet. Could Master teach me?"
AN-
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