Home Visit with Shaina

"Naoto!"

After the meeting ended, Shaina once again put on her pod and came running over to me with a quick patter of footsteps.

"Ah, U-Ursula-sama…"

Bashful, stumbling over her words…

But the moment she noticed Ursula was there, the easygoing air from before was nowhere to be found, and she suddenly tensed up.

This girl really, really got nervous in front of Ursula, huh…

Meanwhile, her easygoing manner toward me…

"Come on, Shaina. Even allowing for it, if you back away that much, Ursula's going to get hurt."

"Hau… S-sorry…"

Shaina shrank back, small and crestfallen.

"Well, I do not mind it…"

Ursula gave a wry smile.

"… You do know why Shaina has trouble with you, don't you?"

"Mm, well…"

"… There are mountains of folk who pine for me. Among them are some who, like Shaina, dodge me precisely on that account.

"… So thou needest not fret over it.

"Shaina is adorable, after all. To have her goodwill turned my way pleases me too, doth it not?"

"Hauu…"

Even with Ursula gently speaking to her, Shaina's tension didn't seem to ease.

"… Well, can't be helped. Ursula, I want to talk with Shaina for a bit, so give us some space.

"We'll figure something out later."

"Hmm. Very well, then. Until later, Shaina."

"Y-yes…!"

Shaina, rigid with nerves, replied to Ursula.

"… Hafuu…"

She let out a relieved breath.

"You're a fellow S-Class Master… and right now she's your Sub-Master, you know? You can't be that nervous…"

"S-saying that's all well and good, but… Ursula-sama's just too beautiful, you knooow…"

Hmm, it would be a problem if Shaina and Ursula couldn't even hold a proper conversation…

Well, we'd figure something out later.

"So, you came over because you wanted something, right?"

"Ah, um, yeah! S-so, you know, let's have a meeting about what comes next.

"Want to come over to my place? Yours works too."

"Ah, then I'll trouble you for a visit."

I'd been invited over to Shaina's place.

I brought out only Kanan, Adelia, and Lyuka, and visited Shaina's home.

Of course Ursula and the others were tagging along too, inside their capsules.

… Shaina's home, which we were invited to, had the feel of a stylish forest villa.

It seemed expensive enough, but it gave off more of a petty-celebrity-forest-villa vibe; it definitely wasn't the castle of an S-Class Master, who counted among the world's foremost powers and ultra-rich.

"Ah, the S-Class castle, Fervey Castle, is in Lasburg, you know.

"This is my private home; I commute to the castle. This kinda place is more relaxing for me, see."

Shaina laughed warmly, even as she poured the drinks herself.

That sort of thing made it feel like we'd get along.

"Me too. I still live in a G-Class town called Amen."

"Hee. That's pretty extreme. You okay living right in the middle of town? Don't you get weird visitors?"

"Nah, I basically keep the place shut up, so there aren't many visitors.

"… Shaina, if your parents are C-Class NPCs, doesn't that make you more or less an ojou-sama?"

"Nope, nope, C-Class NPCs run the gamut, and my family was poor, you know. Once I made S-Class, though, I got to gift my parents a real mansion."

"Hee… Being able to repay your parents like that is nice.

"I can't really send money home to mine…"

Well, my parents would manage somehow. A kid didn't need to worry about it.

… Somehow, the small talk with Shaina just wouldn't stop…

It felt like our wavelengths really lined up.

"… All right, no point in just chatting. Let's get to the main topic. But before that… thank you, Shaina."

"Hm? About what?"

"No, when you said you'd back me up earlier in the meeting… I was really happy."

"Ahaha. It's fine, it's fine. We haven't known each other long, but I already think of you as a friend. So of course I would.

"… Was it a bother?"

"Not at all!"

"Then this is perfect timing. Let's properly become friends, you and me."

So she said, holding out her hand with a smile.

"With pleasure."

I reached out to shake her hand back, but…

"… Wait, Naoto."

Kanan stopped me.

"What's up, Kanan?"

It was unusual. Lately she'd been quietly leaving everything to me, content to be a wallflower.

"Don't you think you're being far too naively trusting? Sure, you can see she's not a bad person. But she's one of those scheming S-Class Masters. Should you really trust her so unconditionally?

"… Lyuka, are you fine not stopping him either?"

… Kanan had been worrying about me, it seemed.

"I believe it is best for Naoto-san to do as he wishes. If it causes any inconvenience, I think we should give it our all to support him then."

"Geez… that's just your stance, Lyuka. You really do have an NPC temperament…"

"Kanan's such a worrywart, nyaa～. Even Ursula didn't speak ill of Shaina, nyaa.

"And from what we've actually seen of her, there's no doubt Shaina's a good kid, nyaa."

Adelia seemed to recognize Shaina. Though not blindly trusting; she'd worked through a fair amount of skepticism first.

… Even silent, everyone was thinking, each in their own way, about what was best for me.

That made me happy to realize.

"Yeah, thanks, Kanan. I really do already pretty much trust Shaina, but…

"You're right, maybe my caution's been lacking. Let me ask her once."

I turned back to face Shaina.

"Shaina, let me ask you just one thing. Why are you being so kind to me?

"Sure, we get along well in conversation… It's nice being with you… I get it on a feeling level.

"But we're S-Class Masters. We each have power and territorial interests.

"There's a saying in my world: 'Nations have no true friends.' We can't trust each other too naively.

"… Could you tell me the reason?"

So I asked.

"Hmmm, well, of course there's calculation involved."

Shaina answered matter-of-factly.

"Like I explained already, I rode a winning streak all the way to the A-Class Tournament finals, lost there, but climbed straight up to S-Class.

"I assumed I'd keep right on climbing to the top of S-Class. I was that naive.

"… But then I came to a dead halt.

"Two losses in a row in the S-Class ranking matches… I finally won last year, but my opponent was Zeiros.

"I'm right in the middle of a slump…"

So Shaina lamented.

"Isn't that obviously because you're only three? With six people, it'd be completely different, right?"

"That's part of it.

"When I lost to Gidsen, I panicked and went looking for someone to bring on as a companion.

"But, you know… I couldn't find anyone who really, from the heart, struck me as 'this is the one.'

"I'm not stupid either.

"I figured that even with merely decent companions, if I had six, it wouldn't be strange to beat Gidsen.

"But that's no good. That just makes you a decent Master.

"There are plenty of Masters who become S-Class and that's all they ever amount to.

"Or rather, most Masters cap out there.

"The ones who become truly great Masters whose names go down in history… only a handful. Maybe I can't be one.

"But I don't want to give up either.

"I swore I'd struggle and struggle and get as strong as I could possibly get.

"I know stronger people who only had three.

"If it was Wallace-ojii-chan, even with just Tomoe and Nisa and Sfila, he was strong enough to reach about mid-S-Class.

"And they say that was after a huge drop from his peak.

"So at his peak, he was even stronger.

"That much strength is possible with just three.

"… If I can get stronger with just three, then there's no need to add people I don't want as companions.

"That's the thinking that made me stop the half-measures.

"I trained hard for a year. But the result was losing to Fergus… getting violated again…

"I just couldn't get as strong as I wanted.

"My LV growth slowed down too, and my growth basically stopped.

"… The three of us can't get any stronger as we are now.

"So I thought about it. What I need is a rival and friend I can hone myself alongside!"

"… A rival and friend?"

"Right! Someone of about the same skill, who can polish their craft alongside me… the higher their growth potential the better. If I stick with someone like that, I figured I could climb to the top with them!

"And the one I finally found… was you, Naoto!

"… So I… was determined to absolutely become friends with you, get close, and latch on…

"That's why, before the S-Class meeting, I steeled myself and called out to you.

"… Well, partway through I just genuinely wanted to be friends with you anyway."

Shaina laid out all her calculations.

Her eyes were sincere; there was clearly no further hidden motive.

… Though, I couldn't really call what she'd said a "hidden motive" to begin with.

"… Even if it were a case of 'using the other person'… seeing potential in someone's qualities and talents and using it to make yourself stronger… that's an honor, if anything, and not a problem at all, is it?"

I posed that to Kanan.

If you started calling that kind of thing 'calculation' or 'exploitation,' then a baseball scout assessing a player's ability and recruiting them because they'd be useful to the team is nothing but calculation.

You could just as easily criticize wanting to be with someone you love as 'calculation for your own happiness'… but calculation isn't really something you need to criticize, right?

"… Yeah. If that's the case… I think there's no problem either."

Kanan seemed to accept that. I accepted it too.

"Just one thing… if you'd reached out to Ursula, you'd have gotten your friend and rival, right?

"If anything, your ages are close, and you're both futanari Masters…"

"Hauu… Asking Ursula-sama to be friends… is too daunting, I'd be too tongue-tied…"

Shaina fidgeted, looking down.

Hey, you went from that ideal-and-passion-burning figure earlier to this… what's with the spinelessness?

… This contrast was one of Shaina's cute spots, though.

Well, I could sympathize. Even I, if I'd been back in my original-world self, wouldn't have been able to call out to a beauty like Ursula either.

"I-I'm a guy on the inside, so I get bashful around cute girls! With guys, I can talk easy…"

"… Honestly."

I was exasperated, but… still, I was newly fond of Shaina, struggling hard to grow stronger.

"Take care of me going forward, Shaina. The top of S-Class — I'm aiming there too. Let's get stronger together."

This time, I extended my hand.

"… Yeah! Take care of me too."

Shaina shook my hand back.

A soft little hand.

… And so, after about a year's bitter effort… I'd finally made a friend.

"So! Naoto, this Shaina-san here will guide you as your senpai, so count on me."

She puffed out her ample chest as she said it.

"Oh, reassuring. I'll be counting on you."

I clapped my hands in mock applause.

"Thank you, thank you."

Yet Shaina bathed in the praise with full confidence and waved both hands. What was this easygoingness?

This was what people meant when they said "we just click."

For me, who'd never had a friend, it was almost a first-time sensation.

What… had Haru been? It hadn't been this easygoing. Looking back now, our relationship had been like new lovers, careful with each other.

"All right, there's lots I want to do. The biggest thing, of course, is the strategy meeting for the 300th-anniversary tournament, but before that… Ursula."

"Hmm."

I called Ursula over.

"Hau…!"

Shaina stiffened up with tension.

"… We have to do something about Shaina's allergy to Ursula.

"Honestly, this'll get in the way going forward."

"Hau… I-I'm not allergic to her or anything… I'm just a little bashful…"

"That bashfulness is exactly the problem.

"If you're going to be all on edge every time we talk things over or fight alongside each other, we can't get anywhere.

"So we'll take the rough-treatment route and force you to be close, all at once. Which means…"

KaPOON…

I brought Shaina along and headed to Leone's inn.

"Welcome, Shaina-san. We're all ready."

Leone called out kindly, and…

The four of us — me, Ursula, Shaina, Carla — entered the big bath.

"Hawawa… With Ursula-sama, n-naked, in… in the bath…"

Shaina was rigid with tension.

… No, in fact I was the one who should've been more nervous.

Suddenly being faced with Shaina's and Carla's nude bodies.

… A beautiful pale skin, soft-looking round large breasts. Pink nipple tips… Shaina's nude form was wonderfully attractive.

Carla had glossy black skin like a black pearl. Her large breasts were splendidly black too. And in the midst of that, her nipples alone were a transparent pink… lewd.

And both of them were of course futanari. Their penises were both quite impressive in size.

They seemed rigid with tension, but, faced with Ursula's overwhelmingly beautiful and attractive nude form, they couldn't help but get erect.

Both of their penises throbbed and stiffened.

"My home country, Japan, has a phrase: hadaka no tsukiai — naked friendship.

"Maybe it's originally figurative, but it also literally means that getting naked together like this, sharing a bath, you can open up and get close.

"So, Master and Sub-Master, let's bathe and get to know each other."

"Hau, uu…"

Shaina still seemed nervous, but.

"All right, let's wash each other's backs."

"Hau, n-no… I can wash my own back…"

"It's a customary thing, so it's fine."

"Hau… Ursula-sama's back is way too beautiful…"

Goshi, goshi…

"Haaa… I'm touching Ursula-sama's bare skin… I might get a nosebleed…"

Shaina rubbed Ursula's back in a daze.

"Hmm… rather pleasant, Shaina."

"Hafuu… Ursula-samaa…"

Utterly entranced.

The order was Me → Ursula → Shaina → Carla.

Ursula washed my back, which felt great.

"All right, switch front and back."

The opposite.

I washed Ursula's back, and Ursula washed Shaina's.

"Hafu, a-aah… Ursula-sama's fingers on my back… hafuu… bliss…"

"Fufu, Shaina. What a lovely back. You adorable thing.

"… A friend of Naoto's is a friend of mine.

"From now on, don't be bashful. Be friendly with me."

"Hafuu… yes…"

Little by little, she seemed to be relaxing.

"Next, let's shuffle the order…"

Ursula → Carla → Me → Shaina.

I washed Carla's back, Shaina washed mine.

"… Oh, as expected of a guy. You're surprisingly sturdy."

"Ahaha… thanks. Carla, you too — take care of me from here on."

A beautiful black back. Her skin was fine-grained and pleasantly springy. Nice… a soft touch. This girl was cute too…

"… N, mm… f-feels good. Naoto… take care of me too. Ursula-sama, beautiful…"

"Fufu, thank you. Take care of me as well, Carla."

Switch front and back.

I washed Shaina's back. A soft back. Her breasts peeked out from behind, and as I scrubbed her back they bounced purun, purun. Cute.

"Hau… Naoto, you're good… feels good…"

"… You're surprisingly built, Naoto…"

"Fufufu… what nice, soft skin."

… And so we washed each other off, and then… we all relaxed and soaked together in the bath.

"Hafuu… nice bath…"

"Feels good…"

"Hmm… it's pleasant…"

"… Fufufu."

Bathing with three wonderful futanari girls like this… splendid.

Shaina seemed to have relaxed considerably as well.

"… Actually, Shaina, if it were just the two of us, you wouldn't be nervous bathing together at all, would you."

"Eh? With just you, Naoto, what's there to be nervous about?"

I wasn't being recognized as a guy at all…

Well, mentally she was a guy, so it figured.

"In that case… Naoto, Carla. Stick closer to Shaina."

At Ursula's word, Carla and I sandwiched Shaina between us.

Shaina's soft body pressed against the line of mine… soft, and pleasant.

"… How is it? If thou art pressed against thy friend and beloved, thou canst feel at ease, no?"

"Y-yes… very… reassuring."

"Then… like this."

Munyun…

From behind, Ursula embraced the three of us.

"… How is it? Pressed against me too… yet thou shouldst not be so tense, no?"

"… Fwee… Ursula-sama's… b-breasts… are…

"B-but… funyaa… t-true… my heart's pounding… but it feels so good… I feel at peace…"

Boo…

As if a touch dizzy, Shaina was utterly entranced.

"Hmm, no need for such nerves.

"… From now on, be close with me too."

"… Yes, Ursula-sama…"

Gyuu…

Ursula and Shaina, both nude, embraced each other.

The beautiful Demon Lord and the beautiful Light girl.

The two of them in embrace were so beautiful…

"There, Naoto, Carla. Thou too."

"… M-mm."

"Mn…"

Carla and I joined the embrace too. Soft skin. Soft breasts.

My erect penis brushed her soft thighs…

I couldn't help thinking lewd thoughts.

But I bore down somehow, focusing my consciousness on this melting softness and the happy feeling.

I had to endure…

If Shaina's heart was really a guy's, then having an erect penis pressed against her would be the worst.

I had to pull my hips back, somehow… and not touch her.

Even as I thought that, Shaina wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me in tight.

"… Thanks, Naoto… Somehow… even facing Ursula-sama, I don't feel… too tense anymore…

"H-hadaka no tsukiai's amazing! As expected of where you're from!"

"Ahaha… y-yeah. Glad to hear it."

"I-I… liked this.

"From now on, um… let's do it again sometimes. The bath together. Next time Shita, and Kanan and your other companions too…"

"Y-yeah, that'd be nice."

It really was nice, but having to stay celibate was rough…

But to Shaina, who looked so happy, I couldn't say that.

A relationship where you can bathe together is one you can call best friends without issue.

I'd gotten a little closer to Shaina, so for now I'd be content with that.