Chapter 10: Sleeping With Tohka in My Arms

Chapter 10: Sleeping With Tohka in My Arms

All Toma dared to do was sleep beside Tohka.

Even though they shared the same blanket, he didn't dare try anything inappropriate.

'There's plenty of time.'

'Take it slowly. There's no need to rush.'

'She's my girl anyway. It's not like she's going anywhere.'

That was how Toma comforted himself.

Oh, right.

There was something else worth mentioning.

Not long ago, Toma had exchanged for a wristwatch.

After all, wandering around a forest without any way to tell the time was surprisingly inconvenient.

The forest was extremely dim, making it difficult to tell what time of day it was.

Only around noon would a little sunlight occasionally penetrate the dense canopy overhead.

[Item: Conan's Watch — System Enhanced Version

Origin: 'Detective Conan'

Effect: Can display the current time. As a System-produced item, it will never stop functioning.

It retains the abilities of the original version. The watch face can be flipped open to fire a tranquilizer needle.

The tranquilizer needle has been enhanced by the System and can forcibly put targets below C-Rank to sleep for one hour.

Targets at C-Rank or above will be affected to varying degrees. The stronger the target, the weaker the effect.

One tranquilizer needle is automatically replenished every 12 hours.

Maximum Capacity: 2 needles

Effective Range: 10 meters

Price: 500 Exchange Points]

Toma's heart had nearly bled when he exchanged for the watch.

Five hundred Exchange Points!

Five freaking hundred!

Still, he needed some way to protect himself whenever Tohka was busy fighting, so Toma gritted his teeth and bought it.

Looking through the items available in the Exchange List, Toma eventually focused on his current goal.

[Item: Duel Disk — Original Battle City Collector's Edition

Origin: 'Yu-Gi-Oh!'

Effects:

1. Contains five Monster Card Zones, five Spell/Trap Card Zones, and one Field Card Zone.

2. Monster Cards, Trap Cards, Spell Cards, and Field Cards can be materialized, allowing them to produce genuine combat effects.

3. All cards can be controlled through the user's mind. Materialized Monster Cards possess their own consciousness.

4. Once the Duel Disk is activated, the user receives an Absolute Protective Barrier. As long as at least one Monster Card remains undefeated, damage received by the user is reduced by 90%.

The barrier possesses 4,000 Energy Points.

If its Energy Points are completely depleted, the barrier requires 24 hours to recover and cannot be used during that period.

If the barrier has not been completely depleted, it automatically regenerates while inactive at a rate of 200 Energy Points per hour.

Price: 2,000 Exchange Points]

That's right.

The Duel Disk was Toma's current goal.

Summon monsters to fight while he safely stood behind them.

A summoner-style fighting method like that was obviously much more suitable for an otaku like Toma, who had never received any combat training whatsoever.

Toma had no idea whether he possessed any talent for fighting.

But even if he did, with his current physical attributes, charging into close combat would still be a terrible idea.

Standing safely in the back and launching sneak attacks was much more suitable for him.

After all, countless veteran transmigrators before him had done exactly that!

Toma couldn't guarantee anything else about transmigrators from Earth.

But when it came to shameless things like sneak attacks?

Heh.

Transmigrators from Earth could do that without feeling the slightest bit of pressure!

Unfortunately, there was one troublesome problem.

Monster Cards, Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and all the other cards had to be obtained from card packs.

Yes.

You heard that correctly.

Every card had to come from opening card packs!

It was exactly like those card games Toma used to play.

And naturally...

The card packs had to be purchased separately.

Thankfully, buying the Duel Disk came with one free card pack.

Otherwise, Toma genuinely wouldn't have dared buy the thing.

Those card packs were ridiculously expensive!

As for that ridiculous "Original Battle City Collector's Edition" label...

Toma couldn't even be bothered complaining anymore.

At least the System hadn't written something like "Previously Used by Yugi Muto" or "Previously Used by Seto Kaiba" directly into the description.

Honestly, that was already generous by the System's standards.

After all, Toma had already witnessed how casually his System could alter item descriptions.

At this point, everything depended on whether his System had any dignity left…

...

"Toma-kun, I'm finished eating."

Tohka's voice snapped Toma out of his thoughts.

Seeing that Tohka had already finished her bread and was patiently waiting for him, Toma's expression softened into a smile.

"Mm. If you're finished, let's wash up and sleep. Oh, right, Tohka. It's pretty warm inside the tent, so how about not wearing pajamas tonight?"

Toma made the suggestion with obviously ulterior motives.

His intentions were practically written across his face.

Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—the innocent Tohka didn't notice anything suspicious at all.

Therefore...

"Sure."

Tohka casually agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Really?!"

Toma's eyes immediately lit up.

'YES!'

He secretly clenched his fist in triumph, his face filled with excitement.

After they quickly washed up, Tohka spoke to him tiredly.

"Toma-kun, I'm a little tired today. Let's hurry up and sleep..."

After saying that, Tohka dismissed her Astral Dress.

She didn't even use her Spirit power to create pajamas.

Instead, she simply crawled beneath the blanket in her underwear and prepared to sleep.

"O-Okay! Got it!"

Seeing this, Toma's face instantly turned bright red as he hurriedly answered.

'This is amazing!'

'No pajamas!'

'She's only wearing underwear!'

'Does that mean I can... Hehehe...'

With those thoughts running through his head, Toma slipped beneath the blanket as quickly as an eel.

And then...

Then Toma discovered that Tohka was already asleep.

"So fast..."

The corner of Toma's mouth twitched as he stared at Tohka's peaceful sleeping face.

Looking at that beautiful, innocent expression, completely devoid of caution or suspicion, Toma suddenly felt that the thoughts running through his head had been a little too dirty.

He silently watched Tohka sleep for a while.

Then he gently stroked her flawless cheek and finally let out a quiet sigh.

'Forget it.'

'Maybe another time...'

'She really does look exhausted today.'

Thinking that, Toma carefully adjusted the blanket over Tohka before quietly closing his eyes.

Still...

Although he had already driven those inappropriate thoughts from his mind, such a beautiful girl was lying peacefully right beside him.

Toma suddenly felt that if he really did absolutely nothing...

Wouldn't that somehow make him even worse than a beast?

But if he actually did something...

Wouldn't that make him a beast?

And so, after struggling for a while between becoming a beast and becoming something worse than a beast, Toma finally made his choice.

'Damn it!'

'I'll just be a beast!'

'That's still better than being worse than one!'

And then...

Toma carefully wrapped his arms around Tohka and pulled her into his embrace.

The moment he felt her soft body against him, only one thought remained in Toma's mind.

'Damn...'

'My life was worth it just for this...'

But right at that moment...

"Mmm... Toma-kun..."

Tohka murmured his name in her sleep.

Toma's entire body instantly froze.

He remained completely motionless for what felt like an eternity.

Only after confirming that Tohka hadn't actually awakened did Toma finally release a long breath of relief.

Then, still holding Tohka in his arms, he closed his eyes.