Chapter 117: Invasion at the Hot Springs!

An hour had passed since the rescue exercise ended, and nothing in the world could have prepared Ren for the pleasure running through every muscle of his body at that moment. After a morning of hauling logs, dodging stone bears, and running down the mountainside from the beasts Pixie-Bob had launched at him without mercy, the hot water felt like a gift dropped straight from heaven.

"Ngh..."

The steam wrapped around him and pulled a sound of relief out of him as he sank in up to his shoulders, letting the heat undo every knot of tension he'd built up throughout the day.

Finally, something good on this mountain of torture.

He sighed, eyes closed and head resting against the stone edge.

I'd forgotten the Pussycats even had hot springs... Damn, how could I forget this delicious paradise?

Should I be worried about that? Nah, none of what's happened looks anything like the anime anyway. They could tell me I reincarnated into DxD and I'd happily believe it.

"WOOOOOOOW!! THIS IS AMAAAZIIING!!"

Ren opened one eye, and with it he also said goodbye to his precious peace.

"Did you guys see the size of these hot springs?! They're HUGE! I could soak in here for a whole week and I'd still be happy!"

The voice came so loud from the other side of the bamboo wall that Ren could picture Mina bouncing around inside the water, splashing anyone unlucky enough to be nearby.

"Mina, keep it down a little," Mandalay's calm voice answered right away. "Ren's resting on the other side."

"Huh?! Oh, right! Sorry, Ren!" Mina answered instantly, though she barely lowered the volume. "But this is WAY TOO COOL! Just look at this place! You can't expect me to stay quiet when we're at hot springs this amazing!"

Yep, gotta give you that one, dear pink girl.

"Fufufu! What contagious energy!" Ragdoll laughed, splashing softly in the water. "That's the spirit! After the rough day you two had, a bath like this deserves to be enjoyed with your whole heart. I love seeing you this excited, kitten."

"Heh, heh, heh! And that's nothing," Pixie-Bob chimed in. "Just wait 'til tomorrow. The second trial is gonna hand you a super special training session... one where more than a few of you are gonna end up crying. And no, I'm not exaggerating!"

"H-Huh?! Why do you say that so cheerfully?!" Mina gulped. "No, no, no! That's never a good sign!"

"Don't let what Pixie-Bob says scare you too much," Mandalay answered with an amused sigh. "But... don't ignore her completely either. Take her seriously enough that you don't get cocky and end up face-first in the mud again."

"'Seriously enough'?! That sounds a whole lot worse than pretending she never said anything!"

The three heroines laughed at the same time, and Mina, far from letting herself be intimidated, seemed to ignore the ominous comment entirely.

"Bah, whatever! Right now I just wanna soak until I turn into pink jelly! Aaah, this is the purest bliss in existence!"

The commotion kept filling the mountain with an energy impossible to ignore, and Ren closed his eyes again, certain that his peaceful afternoon had officially died.

Funny how ironic this is. Any other day I'd already be pumped about the idea of sneaking a quick peek at the other side of the wall... A... peek.

He stayed still for a moment, a dangerous idea creeping into a corner of his mind.

One peek wouldn't hurt anyone... I've got X-ray vision and just a bamboo wall in the way. It'd be a criminal waste not to take advantage. Almost a moral duty, I'd say.

Just as he was about to activate his vision, a shout snapped him out of his plans.

"Reeeen~! Don't be shy! You're really gonna leave four beauties enjoying themselves alone over here? Come on, come on! I'll wash your back myself! It's an exclusive service for handsome young heroes, and today there's a special discount for charming bald guys!"

"You just keep relaxing, Ren. Don't listen to her," Mandalay said calmly before he could answer.

Then she slowly turned her head toward her teammate.

"Ryuko..."

There was a brief silence.

"...quit messing with the apprentices. We've talked about this like ten times just this week."

Pixie-Bob puffed out her cheeks in an exaggerated pout, and Ragdoll couldn't hold back a laugh that made the water splash around her.

"Hahahaha! I knew Mandalay was gonna say that!" Ragdoll laughed with a huge smile. "You always kill the fun right when it's getting good!"

"Bah! What a killjoy you are, Shino!" Pixie-Bob complained. "Well, if the hunk doesn't wanna come to the hot springs... then the hot springs will come to him! Here I go!"

"I'm not gonna let an opportunity this good slip through my fingers! Ren, get ready! The lovely Pixie-Bob is on her way!"

"Ryuko...?" Mandalay asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I'm just gonna tease him a tiny bit! Don't be such a grouch, a bath without a little mischief isn't a real bath!"

Before anyone could stop her, a louder splash announced that Pixie-Bob had already climbed out of the water on her side.

Ren opened one eye slowly, not bothering to move from the corner he'd claimed as his own territory.

And just when I thought things couldn't get any more exhausting...

Moments later the heroine appeared around the corner of the wall, wrapped in a white towel and with a cheeky grin painted across her face.

"Ta-daaa! Reinforcement has arrived for the boys' bath!" Pixie-Bob announced, raising a hand like she'd just made a triumphant entrance. "How's it going, young hero? Were you already bored to death without my charming company?"

Ren looked at her for a second, evaluated the whole situation, and instead of tensing up or covering himself, he settled back into the water with total calm.

"Come on in, I saved you a spot right here next to me," he said, patting the water beside him. "The corner is the best spot of them all, the temperature is perfect. Don't be shy, there's plenty of room."

For an instant, Pixie-Bob's confident smile froze on her face.

"H-Huh?! Y-You're going along with it?! You're supposed to be as red as a tomato right about now!"

From the other side of the wall came a brief silence, immediately broken by Ragdoll's laughter.

"Hehehe! I think the tables just got turned on the huntress. Pixie, you got got first, kitten!"

Pixie-Bob pointed at Ren with her finger, completely indignant.

"Huuuh?! That's cheating!" she protested, wagging her finger accusingly. "Young heroes are supposed to get nervous when a beauty shows up out of nowhere! Why are you so calm?! It's no fun teasing you like this!"

"No, no, no! Redo the scene! I want a way more dramatic reaction!"

Pixie-Bob blinked several times, tilting her head from side to side as she examined Ren from head to toe.

"Huuuh...? Hold on a second..." she murmured, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "There's gotta be some kinda trick! Nobody stays this chill after an entrance as spectacular as mine!"

"Confess! Were you already mentally prepared for my teasing before you even got to camp?! 'Cause otherwise this makes no sense!"

"No tricks. I always take offers from pretty girls seriously," Ren said, turning in the water and casually presenting his back to her. "And since you insisted so much, go ahead, here's my back. Scrub it with love, I'm a little delicate."

Pixie-Bob's silence stretched on for several seconds.

"AAAH, don't play with me like that!" Pixie-Bob exclaimed, waving her arms dramatically as she took a step back. "I was supposed to leave you speechless! Not the other way arou..."

"So yes or no? My back's gonna get cold with all this suspense," Ren pressed, holding back a laugh.

"T-Tactical retreat! Tactical retreat!" she declared right away, crossing her arms and turning her head away with a loud huff. "This wasn't in the script! I'm gonna rethink my strategy and come back once you've got a proper shy-protagonist reaction!"

Then, from the other side of the wall, came a much more energetic splash and Mina's excited voice.

"Huh, huh, huh?! What's happening over there?!" Mina yelled between laughs. "Pixie-Bob, don't tell me you already chickened out! A minute ago you were saying you were gonna leave him speechless!"

Pixie-Bob let out an indignant squeak.

"Me?! Chicken out?! Not in a million years!" she shot back immediately. "I'm just... uh... reevaluating my strategy from a safe distance!"

Pixie-Bob took another step back as she said it.

Mina couldn't hold back a burst of laughter.

"Hahahaha! That sounded exactly like someone who's losing! Come on, Pixie-Bob, show us all that confidence you had five minutes ago!"

"Hey, pink girl, quit sticking your nose where nobody called you!" Pixie-Bob protested instantly. "This is a duel between that hunk and me! No nosy spectators allowed!"

From the other side of the wall, Mina let out a laugh full of excitement.

"Huh?! No way! If you say 'hunk,' that automatically makes me part of the gossip!" she answered between giggles. "Besides, my curiosity is already at a hundred percent!"

Ren caught a loud splash and the hurried sound of someone climbing out of the water.

"I'm coming over! I've gotta see this with my own eyes! I'm not gonna miss this moment!" Mina announced from the other side.

"Mina, wait!" Mandalay called out, her tone a bit firmer, though she still kept her calm. "I don't think it's a good idea to barge into the men's bath just out of curiosity..."

But Mina didn't even let her finish.

"I know, I know! I shouldn't go!" she answered between laughs, completely shameless. "Buut I can't let this slide! I wanna see Ren's face when someone finally gets him nervous! I've been waiting days for this moment! It'd be a crime to miss it!"

Mandalay let out a small sigh, bringing a hand to her forehead.

"...You've got way too much enthusiasm for this kinda thing, Mina."

"I don't think it's gonna work," Ren muttered, resigned to his fate.

Not even ten seconds passed before Mina's head popped around the same corner of the wall, her pink hair dripping water and her yellow eyes shining with mischief. She was wearing the top half of a black polka-dot bikini over her rosy skin, and an expectant smile on her lips.

"Reinforcement has arrived!" she announced triumphantly, jabbing a thumb toward Pixie-Bob. "Move over, Pixie, don't let some bald guy be more daring than a pro hero! Get ready, Ren, 'cause now it's two against one and you've got no escape!"

"Ah, yeah, sure, whatever you want," Ren replied without flinching, sinking a little deeper into the water. "The more the merrier. The corner is big and there's enough water for everyone."

"Alright, alright," Mandalay interrupted, her tone taking on an amused resignation. "If you're all gonna be on the same side, at least stop yelling. This is still official training, even if it looks like a slumber party."

A soft splash announced that Mandalay herself had come around the wall too, followed closely by Ragdoll, who arrived hopping along with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Meow! If the party moved over here, I'm not staying alone on the other side!" Ragdoll declared, settling into the water with a happy sigh. "Besides, the water feels just as nice, and all the fun is happening right here!"

Pixie-Bob turned toward her leader with wide eyes.

"Ehhh? Wait, wait... so we can all stay on this side?"

"Yes, but with conditions," Mandalay answered, crossing her arms as she sat on the edge with her legs in the water.

"Conditions?! With this leader, fun is never free, it always comes with fine print!"

"First condition: no over-the-top teasing," Mandalay listed off. "And second condition: Ren doesn't get out of the water more stressed than he was before he got in. The kid came here to rest, not to survive a round two of surprise training."

"Ugh, y'all are such buzzkills!" Pixie-Bob complained. "I'm just offering a premium relaxation session! A pretty girl, a hot bath... that's good for the body and the soul!"

Ren raised a hand above the water, his serene smile still intact.

"Um... Honestly, it's not stressing me out," he admitted. "After the hellish day I had, watching Pixie-Bob get all confused and not know what to say is the best medicine they could've prescribed. Better than any massage."

"Hey!" Pixie-Bob splashed water at his face. "Quit saying witty stuff!"

Pixie-Bob, already recovered from the previous blow, dropped into the water next to him from the other side and threw an arm over his shoulders with total shamelessness.

"Alright, getting serious for a second, handsome. A mysterious, strong guy with all this leading-man attitude... how are you still single?" she asked, pressing a little closer. "'Cause if nobody's claimed you yet, this big sis is putting her name at the top of the list."

"Fufu, this is all so exciting!" Ragdoll clapped with wet hands. "Turns out our mysterious kitty is a real heartbreaker too! So much juicy material to gossip about with the girls on the team later!"

"Mandalay," Ren said, turning toward the leader with an almost pleading expression, "are you absolutely sure there isn't a third condition that protects me from these two?"

"I'm afraid not, apprentice. That part you're gonna have to survive on your own," she answered, an amused glint in her eye. "Consider it mental endurance training. Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll working together have broken heroes way more experienced than you."

"Wonderful, exactly what I needed to hear after hauling logs all day," Ren muttered, sinking a little deeper into the water.

The steam kept rising between laughs and splashes, and for a moment Ren let all the noise wrap around him without putting up any resistance. Four rowdy heroines, hot water up to his neck, and no sign of Tiger around to bring order to the chaos. Things could be a whole lot worse.

"Hey, come to think of it... where's Tiger?" Mina asked, looking from side to side with curiosity. "Isn't he coming to relax with you guys?"

Mandalay let out a soft laugh before shaking her head.

"With Tiger it's never that simple. He follows his training schedule to the letter. Around this hour he's usually meditating under the waterfall."

She paused briefly before adding with an amused smile:

"He says cold water tempers the body... and forges the spirit of a true man."

"No wonder it's so peaceful around here without him yelling 'HARDER, ROOKIES!' every two minutes," Ren commented, imitating the man's deep voice. "Part of me kinda misses it, though I'd never admit that to his face."

The four heroines laughed, and Pixie-Bob took the chance to rest her head against Ren's shoulder with an exaggerated sigh.

"You know what, handsome? I actually like you," she said, without the combative energy from before. "You're fun. Most guys get so nervous it looks like they're about to bolt any second... but you handle my teasing like a total champ."

"That's 'cause most guys haven't had to survive what I survive every week," Ren answered, letting her lean on him without pulling away. "After a certain point, you kinda become immune to these ambushes."

"Meow, that sounds like you've got a bunch of juicy stories tucked away!" Ragdoll floated closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Tell us one, come on! The night is long and the water is amazing."

Ren opened one eye, looked at the four women who had already surrounded him completely in his corner, and let out a long sigh that got lost in the hot steam.

I reincarnated into another world, learned to move things with my mind, survived a sports festival, ended up with a girlfriend who declared herself on her own, had a quintet at a haunted house, and now I'm surrounded by three gorgeous cat heroines and a rowdy pink girl in a mountain hot spring... Yeah, that's not exactly an easy story to tell.

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Author's Note:

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