Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

"Master, are you looking forward to being eaten by me?"

A sweet, satisfied laugh echoed close to his ear, accompanied by warm breath that carried a peculiar charm, tickling his ear in an almost magical way.

Amamiya took a steadying breath, reluctantly acknowledging that his heartbeat had indeed quickened.

In fact, resisting the allure of the succubus girl's charms would be nearly impossible for anyone.

"I was only gone for two days," he murmured. "How did you get so… skilled?"

"Hehe," Umi chuckled with a smug smile. "I wasn't just lazing around, you know. I bought a few succubus-themed manga for research."

"Now I've mastered some signature succubus techniques. For example…"

She suddenly leaned in, lightly biting Amamiya's neck.

"...the surprise attack!"

Wait a second—what kind of unique skill was that? Anyone could pull off a surprise attack!

Umi gave a triumphant smile. "You say 'no,' but your heart rate tells another story."

Amamiya: "…"

Clearly, the passive "succubus" attribute had taken over Umi; she'd never be so bold otherwise.

After a moment of consideration, the succubus girl stood up proudly, placed her hands on her hips, and declared, "The role-playing level has finally hit 50%."

Rubbing his neck, Amamiya said, "Keep going."

"Huh?"

"Since Sajuna isn't back yet, let's see if we can push your acting skills even further."

"Good idea." Umi nodded thoughtfully.

A few moments later…

"I can't take it anymore. I'm exhausted." Umi slumped onto the sofa, throwing herself down in surrender. "My role-playing level didn't improve at all."

"That actually proves one thing," Amamiya said, scribbling notes in his journal. "Your approach is all wrong."

Starting in the wrong direction from the beginning meant any effort afterward would be wasted.

"And your last attempt didn't show any breakthrough. All you did was keep biting me, which, frankly, just left my neck covered in saliva."

Umi clenched her fists and swatted his arm in frustration.

"As if there's anywhere else I could bite you!"

Amamiya raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "This is the result of two days of intense study?"

"It's only been two days, and I only managed to read one manga volume. I haven't even gotten to the others yet," she admitted, feeling a bit guilty. She bent down and retrieved a book from the drawer. "Here, let's take a look now—there might be some new techniques in here."

Amamiya glanced at the book's cover: 'The Office Slave Wishes for the Succubus Girl's Tender Care'.

A prominent "18+" label adorned the cover.

Where most girls might blush or shyly avoid such material, Umi had no reservations. She could recommend 18+ games without blinking, so reading a comic together was no big deal.

Umi sat beside Amamiya, opening the manga.

On the colorful cover, a black-haired, red-eyed succubus girl with a cool, captivating presence looked back at them.

"She kind of resembles Shinomiya-san," Umi observed thoughtfully.

'Except for the figure,' Amamiya silently noted, mentally comparing the two. Their hair color and vibe might match, but when it came to physique, they were worlds apart.

The comic's storyline was straightforward: the male protagonist, a worn-out corporate worker, toils alone in a bustling city. He wakes earlier than a rooster and works later than a dog, burdened by endless tasks. The bleakness of his life practically oozes from the pages, pressing on readers' chests.

One day, in his despair, he purchases a book on the occult from a second-hand website. The book contains a ritual for summoning a demon. Lonely and desperate, he tries it—and the succubus girl materializes before him.

What follows is a heartwarming exchange between the weary office worker and Miss Succubus.

"It's got a bit of a 'Virtuous Young Fox Lady' vibe," Umi said with interest. "I'd love a super-cute fox lady, too! She'd be so soft to cuddle."

"Just one?" Amamiya chimed in. "I'd want two—one Miss Fox for hugs and the other for housework."

"Greedy!" she teased.

They kept reading.

But this was more than just an ordinary romance comic, and soon enough, Miss Succubus couldn't hold herself back.

Smack!

Umi's face flushed as she abruptly snapped the book shut.

"That's enough!" she declared, cheeks red. "That kind of role requires way too much… dedication. And besides, it doesn't guarantee an increase in role-play accuracy."

"From a logical standpoint," Amamiya suggested, "the succubus Liz you're playing could act similarly to the succubus in this book."

"You…" Umi puffed her cheeks, eyeing him before suddenly widening her gaze, "Charm!"

Caught completely off-guard, Amamiya found himself captivated by the spiraling, kaleidoscope-like effect of her eyes. A strange dizziness crept over him, making his emotions surge. Instinctively, he reached out, wrapping his arm around the succubus girl's slender waist.

"Eh?"

Umi's eyes went wide.

Did… did the charm actually work?

What was Amamiya-kun trying to do?

Why was he holding her so close?

Wasn't someone under a charm supposed to look dazed?

As Amamiya's face came closer, their distance dwindling to mere inches, Umi's heart raced wildly.

Uh-oh, uh-oh.

Should she move?

But he was holding her so tightly…

"A-Amamiya-kun, snap out of it!" Umi stammered, cheeks aflame.

But her voice sounded faint to Amamiya, and the dizzy haze remained. Driven by instinct, he leaned in and pressed his lips to the soft, warm lips of the succubus girl.

Umi's eyelashes fluttered, then she quickly shut her eyes.

(We… really kissed…)

(If I'd known, I would've used the charm skill ages ago!)

Tingling with nerves, Umi started to lift her arms, ready to wrap them around Amamiya's neck.

But just then, the sound of the door opening broke the spell.

"...JuJu-sama is back!"

Umi snapped back to reality, jerking her head away from Amamiya, only to bump foreheads with him in a hurried attempt to separate.

Thud!

"What's going on?" Sajuna's eyes widened in mild surprise as she took in the scene.

"Nothing!" Umi quickly straightened, her face still flushed. "...We were just seeing whose forehead is harder!"

Amamiya rubbed his forehead, the haze gone, finally returning to his senses.

Seeing the red haired girl blushing and blinking at him, Amamiya wiped the corners of his lips and remarked, "I may have lost, but it wasn't exactly a loss."

Umi shot him an exasperated look. "I'm not a child…"

Meanwhile, Sajuna stood off to the side, observing them with a hint of exasperation. There wasn't much point in hiding their antics from her anymore.

Clearing her throat, Umi quickly shifted the topic. "JuJu-sama, how is your role-playing going?"

"It's the same as before." Sajuna bit her lip, looking somewhat distressed. "I haven't improved at all, even though I've already modified the outfit."

"Don't worry," Umi said, "We'll figure out a way to improve little by little." Suddenly, she gasped, "Wait—"

"What is it?" Amamiya looked over, curious.

"My role-playing skill…" Umi pursed her lips and glanced at Amamiya. "It just improved."

Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them.

It seemed clear that Umi's succubus character truly gained a boost from a more… suggestive approach.

Amamiya suggested, "Maybe we should try it again later?"

"No!" Umi's cheeks flushed deeply as she quickly refused. This wasn't as simple as neck-biting; something like that couldn't just be "tried out."

"Well, we can talk about it later." Amamiya turned his attention to Sajuna. "Right now, it seems pretty clear that clothes help establish a character, but actual role-playing skills need real actions to improve. What do you think a magical girl's purpose is?"

Umi raised her hand. "Fight evil and save the world?"

"The world isn't as fragile as that," Amamiya quipped, smiling. "It doesn't really need saving."

Sajuna didn't answer immediately, her expression hesitant. After a moment of thought, she said softly, "When I was younger, I was pretty frail and got sick a lot, so I'd often get isolated by my classmates…"

Looking a bit self-conscious, Sajuna pursed her lips before continuing, "Back then, I used to wish I had a magical girl as a friend."

Umi reached out and hugged her affectionately. "That's just awful. JuJu-sama is so adorable—who would be so cruel as to treat you that way?"

"What about now?" she added. "Is anyone bullying you at school?"

"Just tell us," Umi said, turning serious. "Amamiya-kun and I will go teach them a lesson!"

"No, no," Sajuna squirmed. "Since high school, everyone's been busy studying, so they don't have time to bully anyone. Now let me go."

Amamiya looked at her thoughtfully. "Magical girls might not be about saving the world, but they should bring joy and hope to others. If you want to be a real magical girl, you'll need to venture outside and actually help people—not just practice in your room."

"That…makes sense." Sajuna paused, processing his words. After a moment, she nodded slowly, seeing the logic in it.

"I just realized something," Umi said, crossing her arms in thought. "We can't bring actual clothes into the game. So how would we even start role-playing once we're inside?"

"We prepare ahead of time," Amamiya answered. "Now, before a game begins, there's time to get ready. If you put on the uniform before starting, it should automatically be brought into the game as it's considered a necessity."

Umi looked thoughtful. "But how do we improve our role-playing skills in-game?"

Amamiya replied, "Once you receive the game notification, do your best to boost your role-playing skills in that preparation window."

Umi nodded. "That makes sense… but if the prep time is too short, what then?"

"Then we do what we can," Amamiya sighed.

"True." Umi agreed, then lit up as an idea came to her. "We can test this out now. I'll role-play as a bullied girl—"

"And JuJu-sama," she continued with a grin, "you'll rescue me as the magical girl!"

"It's a perfect scenario!"