'Damn you, Marisa!!! I should've never trusted a single word out of your mouth!!' Patchouli leaned against the wall, her entire body trembling violently.
She wanted to flee back to her room, but her bones felt like they'd been liquefied—she couldn't even take a step.
"Ngh—! Mmm... hnngh...!! Haah... haah... nn~" She clamped a hand over her mouth, desperately trying to stifle any compromising sounds.
But the shared sensations flooding through the empathy link shattered her defenses, leaving her crumpled on the floor in a boneless heap.
'Rin , you bastard! That's not where you're supposed to bite!!!'
Her back arched violently, her entire frame shaking as she fought to suppress the scream rising in her throat.
A few seconds later, she exhaled shakily, her mind blank with static.
Sweat soaked through her nightgown, tracing slick paths down her thighs. As her breathing steadied, the restless heat in her core finally ebbed away.
But before she could recover—
It started again.
"W-Wait—! I'm not— ngh!! Mmph—!!!" Patchouli bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but Marisa had no such restraint—a high-pitched wail tore through the room and into the hallway.
'Too fast—I'll die at this rate!!!'
Patchouli's breath hitched. Summoning every ounce of willpower, she forced herself upright, stumbling toward the door to stop them.
Yet the moment she stood, her legs gave out, nearly sending her face-first into the floor.
'The door's right there— why does it feel miles away?!'
The empathy link's feedback grew even more intense, threatening to drown her consciousness entirely. At this rate, she'd collapse before taking a single step.
Gritting her teeth, Patchouli activated her Reset Magic.
All discomfort vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of unnatural vitality.
Though the spell drained a significant chunk of her mana, she seized the opportunity and lunged for the door— only for another wave of shared sensation to crash over her, bending her body into an involuntary arch.
'Reset Magic, one more time!!!'
With the sensations purged again, she finally reached the door and slammed her fist against it.
BAM!!!
"Hyaahn~! Ngh—!" Patchouli staggered, barely choking back a cry.
That last strike had nearly sent her flying.
But thankfully, the commotion inside the room ceased.
Exhaling in relief, she knocked again, forcing her voice into something resembling calm—
"Marisa, did you find what you were looking for? If it's not in your room, you can check on mine."
"J-Just a sec!"
Marisa's reply was strained. She frantically shoved at Rin , signaling him to get off.
'Shit, I forgot Patchy was waiting outside!'
But instead of retreating, Rin flashed her a predatory grin.
Before she could react, he struck—
"HYAAAA—!!!" Marisa's back arched violently, her nails carving bloody crescents into Rin 's shoulders.
As he lifted her and carried her toward the door, Patchouli's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
'MARISA!!! DON'T YOU DARE MOVE IN WEIRD WAYS NEAR ME!!!'
She raised her hand to knock again—
Click.
The door creaked open a sliver.
And that was all it took.
The overwhelming feedback from the empathy link nearly obliterated Patchouli's consciousness on the spot.
Somehow, she stayed upright—barely—and through the gap, she saw Marisa's flushed face, her lips trembling with suppressed sounds.
'MARISA!!! SINCE WHEN DID VANILLA STOP BEING ENOUGH FOR YOU?!'
Marisa, meeting Patchouli's glare, was terrified. She pinched Rin 's arm hard, fighting to keep her voice steady.
"P-Patchy, I— ngh! I think it's... too late to make a fuss now. We sh-should just... haah... let it go. Wouldn't wanna... hnn~... wake anyone."
Her attempt at nonchalance was ruined by the way her pitch kept jumping.
Patchouli, fully aware of what was happening behind that door, felt her own breathing grow ragged. Sweat drenched her as she gripped the doorframe for support.
But her grip tightened at the worst possible moment—
"HYEEEE—!!!"
Marisa's eyes rolled back, her entire body seizing.
"Where's... your earlier bravado?"
"E-Everyone's... pant... asleep anyway..."
"I promised to back you up. I'll... hngh... cast a sound barrier. No one'll hear." Patchouli's persuasion was desperate.
'I need to lure her out. If she stays in that room with Rin , I'll lose my mind!!!'
"Patchy, why's your voice so... weird?"
"J-Just a nn~... sore throat. Not feeling great." She lied smoothly, even tugging at the door to scare Rin off.
But Rin didn't budge—instead, Marisa panicked, slamming her hand against the door to keep it from opening further.
'If Patchy sees me like this, I'll never recover from the shame!!!'
"P-Patchy, if you're sick, you should... haah... rest! Health comes first. I'd feel awful if— hnn~ if you got worse."
"And I'm... pant... kinda tired too. Wanna sleep soon— I MEAN, WANNA SLEEP NOW!!"
Marisa's face burned crimson. Patchouli's vision swam.
'Rin , you animal, you're not even pausing!!! AND YOU'RE SPEEDING UP?!'
"He cheated on you. You're just letting that slide? If he gets away with it today, he'll push further tomorrow. This 'family' will crumble. We hnn~... must nip this in the bud— HOT! Ahem. We must punish him."
Patchouli's slip-up made her heart stop but Marisa, eyes glazed and unfocused, didn't seem to notice.
Finally, Marisa whimpered—
"To err is... human, right? Let's just... pant... scold him tomorrow. Tonight's... haah... a write-off. Really wanna sleep now!"
"Wai—"
"GOODNIGHT, PATCHY!!!"
Marisa pried Patchouli's fingers off the door and slammed it shut.
If she had to keep talking, she'd actually lose her mind.
Right now, all she wanted was to destroy Rin for putting her through this!!!