Volume 2 Chapter 16 The Price of Desire and a Memory That Wouldn’t Erase Supernatural Harem
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ohh… dear, I’m completely spent…”
Kasumi, looking flushed and leaning against the pillows, could barely gather her thoughts. The sheer *effort* of using her special skill on Hirose had left her feeling overwhelmed—like she had run a marathon she hadn’t trained for.
”I’m truly done for. Could you please fetch my daughter? I can’t manage another moment!” she whispered, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
”Ah… yes… of course…” Hirose mumbled back, looking a bit dazed himself.
”…Honestly, why is it always me who has to do all the work?” a tiny, winged figure—a little *Imp* companion—grumbled softly as it hovered nearby.
The Imp, having received a substantial portion of the life-force, or Seiki, that it obtained through Kasumi’s intense exertion, finally felt its small, ethereal stomach full.
Kasumi had always been fiercely committed to her husband, despite the endless opportunities that had come her way. She had never found anyone she felt truly comfortable sharing an intimate secret with. That’s why, until now, her companion had only received the Seiki that Kasumi naturally emitted.
But then, the high school boy her daughter, Kirino, brought home, Takanashi Hirose, caught her eye. She quickly surmised they were close; he carried the faint scent of their home’s body wash, a small clue she couldn’t overlook.
Kirino, who had been shy around boys, had clearly found someone special. Perhaps because of the bond Hirose shared with Kirino, Kasumi, too, felt a strange, compelling pull toward him.
Her husband was always traveling for work, and their nights had been quiet since Kirino’s birth. Kasumi still craved connection and attention.
Fortunately, she possessed a convenient ‘Gift.’ And that’s why she had chosen this moment to use it, inviting Hirose to her home for a very specific purpose.
The Imp’s available powers were ‘Vibrant Emotion’ and ‘Suggestion.’ Vibrant Emotion makes the target highly appreciative and excited about a person, increasing their general vitality and enthusiasm. Suggestion allows for minor thought and memory adjustments. In this case, it was used to ensure Hirose wouldn’t have any lingering feelings of awkwardness about the encounter. The same went for Kirino.
However, Kasumi had seriously underestimated Hirose’s sheer enthusiasm.
With his energy and excitement amplified by the Imp, and coupled with Kasumi’s desperate instruction—“Don’t stop even if I tell you to!”—he had become a blur of focused, vigorous energy.
”—Mom?”
It was then that her saving grace appeared in the doorway.
”K-Kiri… no… please… take over with Hirose-kun… Imp-chan, the rest is up to you…” Kasumi managed to gasp out.
And with that, Kasumi completely drifted into a deep sleep, exhausted.
”Target change,” the Imp muttered. Hirose, who had been focused on Kasumi, turned and approached Kirino.
”Hirose-kun?”
Grabbing Kirino’s hand, Hirose led her over to the same spot where Kasumi lay resting.
”Kirino… I’m sorry… I just can’t stop today… I have so much energy, I can’t hold it back!” he exclaimed.
”Fufu… I don’t mind anything you do, Hirose-kun. I’m happy to share this moment with you,” Kirino replied sweetly.
Though surprised, Kirino was always ready to share her time with Hirose. So, she happily settled down, ready to join him.
* * *
After a while, a somewhat recovered Kasumi decided to wake up and share the moment with Kirino and Hirose. Since Hirose was already accustomed to handling group situations, Kasumi was amazed by his ability as she once again let her consciousness sink into the abyss of blissful exhaustion.
As the evening sun began to paint the sky in hues of orange and red, the visit finally came to an end.
”—Thank you for visiting today, Hirose-kun. Please be careful on your way home,” Kasumi said, her face still slightly flushed.
”Yes. Thank you for having me,” Hirose replied, giving a brief, polite farewell.
”I’ll walk you part of the way,” Kirino chimed in.
Kasumi saw Hirose and Kirino off at the entrance. He then started his journey home with Kirino.
About fifty meters away from the Hyoudo house, as they approached a side alley, Hirose suddenly felt a strange sensation of wrongness and stopped in his tracks.
”…Kirino,” he said.
”Yes, what is it?”
”What exactly was I doing at your house today?” he asked, a question popping into his head.
He couldn’t recall anything that had happened at Kirino’s house, where he had just been. He could only remember being invited over by Kirino, being shown into the guest room, and having a nice conversation.
”…Having tea, perhaps?” she wondered.
”Well, yes, but… hmmm…”
Kirino had the exact same memory as Hirose. But would she really invite him over just for tea? Usually, they always found time to be close whenever he visited her house. Yet, today, she had no memory of it.
”Uh, so… we didn’t… spend any quiet time together today, did we, Kirino?” he stammered out.
”N-No… I don’t think we did… Should we go back and do it now?” she asked, a slight disappointment in her tone.
”Whoa! Not today. I’ve got dinner waiting for me at home.”
”That’s too bad,” she sighed.
Kirino, however, had indeed shared a very close moment with Hirose today. The memory of the entire event had been completely wiped clean. Kirino herself felt a vague sense of unease, but she couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong.
”Well, then, next time you come over, please take care of me!” Kirino said cheerfully.
”Yeah… I guess so,” he murmured.
Kirino entwined her arm through his, leaning her body close. After walking with him a bit longer, she saw him off and started her own walk home.
”—What was that, honestly? Why can’t I remember…”
The answer wouldn’t come no matter how much she thought about it. But as she walked, a single point of unease finally made itself known.
Hiding in the shadow of a residential fence, Kirino reached down to her clothing. She lightly felt around and—
”Did… I just spend quiet time with Hirose-kun today?”
A subtle, familiar feeling, that sense of closeness she always felt afterward, seemed to linger.
Yet, Kirino still had absolutely no memory of it. Just like Hirose, she had the exact same question.
”Hmm. I don’t understand… If it doesn’t affect my daily life, I guess I’ll just forget about it,” she decided, giving up on finding an answer.
* * *
”Phew…”
Back inside her house, Kasumi was taking a shower alone.
She washed away the sweat and reflected on the recent passionate event. It was an unbelievable pleasure she hadn’t tasted in over a decade. A shock of pure electricity running through her entire body. She’d almost passed out countless times, but barely hung on.
”I should go to bed early. My body won’t last otherwise.”
The sheer exhaustion from the act was immense; she could fall asleep the moment she let her guard down. But this, she knew, was a happy kind of ache.
”When should I call him next…” she murmured to herself.
Screeech.
Turning off the shower, Kasumi tossed back her long hair. Her beauty, still far from faded, was a woman who was finally blooming again. This was the place where Kasumi, after years of child-rearing and housework, could finally shine as a woman.
It was a one-sided, selfish desire, but she decided she would be borrowing him for a while longer.
* * *
—Buzz, buzz.
The vibration of a smartphone rang out. It was a message notification.
An employee of the Adventurer’s Guild had just finished her shift. She took the phone out of her bag and checked the message.
”Ah…”
Seeing the sender’s name, the staff member immediately knew who the message was from.
It was the person whose contact information she had exchanged about six months ago, and whom she hadn’t contacted since. Since she herself had been on a suspension, she was fine with the silence. She hadn’t dwelled on it.
Yet, he was someone who had always remained in her heart.
As a woman, she was deeply intrigued by his Gift. It wasn’t him personally that held her interest.
Knowing the sheer power of that Gift, she had offered him some words about his future.
He had walked the path she had predicted: being surrounded by multiple beautiful girls due to the power of his extraordinary Gift.
But he had also grown in a way she hadn’t expected. Or perhaps, that was the man he was always meant to be.
She had believed any man with such a Gift would inevitably misuse it. They would drown in its power and eventually be caught. Even if not, she expected him to grow complacent and just chase women.
Yet, the women around him truly trusted him from the bottom of their hearts, connecting with him on a deeper level.
‘I’m sorry for the late reply. —Again, may I finally return the favor I owe you from all that time ago?’
The message was from him.
The moment she saw it, her heart leapt, and she began to eagerly await the day they would meet.
—
Summary:
The sheer power of Hirose’s Buff Effect is fully realized as Kasumi is physically pushed to her absolute limit, showcasing the danger of her Lust Demon Gift and her selfish need for connection. This desperate act forces her innocent daughter, Kirino, into the fray as a temporary replacement.
Later, a rising narrative tension is created when the Hypnosis Skill fails to erase all trace of the adulterous event, leaving Kirino with a lingering physical memory and Hirose with baffling amnesia, setting the stage for future complications in their supernatural harem relationship.
—
Character Insight:
This chapter is crucial for Kasumi’s development, revealing her as a highly capable but emotionally withered woman who is willing to use her own daughter’s relationship to satisfy her neglected desires. Her selfish motivations are painted not as pure evil, but as a desperate bid for female validation after years of marital neglect, explaining her obsession with Hirose’s Beauty Gift and its unique ability to bring her back to life.
—
Behind the Scene:
The author focused on the Recoil Effect to emphasize the raw power and physical cost of the Imp’s skills, ensuring the encounter wasn’t just simple erotica but had consequences, thus raising the stakes in this urban fantasy story. The inclusion of the Adventurer Guild Staff Member at the end serves as a plot hook, suggesting that a new, more mature figure from the protagonist’s past is about to enter his complex harem dynamics, moving the overall Gift plot forward.
Notes:
• Kasumi – Kirino’s mother (F, 41yo, navy medium hair, H-cup, 165cm), so attractive and youthful she’s mistaken for Kirino’s sister. Kasumi’s presence adds complexity to family and beauty dynamics, and she shares scenes reflecting the story’s focus on transformation and relationships.
• Kirino – Strikingly beautiful with blue long hair (F, 168cm), Kirino is gifted with ice magic and feels isolated because of her appearance. Hirose’s Beauty skill helps her improve her self-image and social comfort, directly affecting Kirino’s relationship with her family and classmates.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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