Shinji Matou: How much longer can I live?

Listening to the old man's additional comments, Matou Sakura's fair face instantly flushed with a deep red, and she lowered her head in silence. Although I didn't quite understand the meaning of their conversation, the old man's ambiguous smile made me feel nauseous; I really wanted to seal that smile away myself.

"Let's proceed like this," the old man's tone became cheerful. "Prepare well, and tonight we will conduct the summoning ritual during Sakura's magical power wavelength. The method for creating the [Book of Pseudo-Servants] has already been taught. I hope you two can represent the Matou family and not let me down."

With this statement marking the end of the conversation, the delighted old man tapped his cane on the floor, signaling us to leave.

This felt like a pardon to me; I didn't want to stay in this cursed place for another second. I grabbed Sakura's hand and hurried out of the cellar, the stone door eerily closed behind us. At the last moment, I could still hear the old man's disgusting laughter and the chilling sound of insects.

What kind of hellish place have I crossed into?

From the old man's cryptic words, if we exclude the possibility of him being an old middle-schooler, this world is vastly different from the one I used to inhabit. The various baffling terms I had never heard before seemed to be mocking my lack of knowledge.

Relying on my memory, I returned to the room and was about to ask Sakura something when I suddenly noticed the incredible warmth radiating from the right hand that was holding hers. Before I could react, her body had already leaned closer to me. I was surprised to see the girl pressing tightly against my arm, lifting her face to gaze up at me.

Her enchanting big eyes were clearly hinting at something.

The sudden development left me stunned, while the girl murmured, "Brother..."

It's hard to imagine that such simple two words, coming from a girl who seemed to have just entered high school, could carry such an astonishing allure. I swallowed hard, momentarily at a loss for words.

"...Brother, why have you become so gentle today..."

Matou Sakura seemed to be struggling to suppress something; her words came out in fragments, yet they only added to the breathy cadence that made one think of other things.

"Am I not usually gentle with you, Sakura?"

I realized my voice was trembling a bit. Is this really me, someone who has been through so much? The girl in front of me, clearly so innocent, could be pure and gentle one moment, and then the next, she turned seductive and open, complemented by her adorably attractive face and her curvaceous figure, creating a striking contrast that delivered a severe visual impact.

"Usually, my brother likes to get angry at me, especially when he sees me walking with other boys; he treats me very roughly..."

"Though I don't really dislike being treated like that..."

The girl's speech began to sound somewhat like a delirium. Why do I vaguely smell a hint of a submissive vibe?

Her body temperature continued to rise rapidly. If my experience was correct, then she was—aroused.

But the problem is, I'm her brother, and she's my sister!

The cases of German orthopedic issues still linger in my mind. Am I really going to step on the shoulders of my predecessors and follow in their footsteps?

I took a deep breath to suppress my impulses, grasped Matou Sakura's shoulders with both hands, and with immense willpower, I moved her away from me, looking at her with unwavering determination.

"Sakura, let's calm down for a moment. We are siblings; we shouldn't be like this. If a person cannot control their desires, what's the difference from a beast?"

I couldn't tell if Sakura heard me; all I saw was her face becoming even redder, her gaze growing more dazed as she stared at me and murmured, "But, but this is grandpa's intention. I, I cannot disobey his orders."

As expected, I had sensed the old man's ambiguous smile was not innocent from the start; now I realized it was filled with malice.

—And, are these kinds of words something a girl should be saying?

"And besides, didn't my brother used to really like my body...?"

I was left utterly speechless, completely shocked. What crazy things had the previous owner of this reckless body done? It felt like my very soul was being tainted.

"Forget what that old man said; you need to wake up! Be rational and graceful, don't be deceived by this filthy world!"

I couldn't imagine that I, a walking embodiment of depravity, would one day find myself preaching to someone.

"But, but if I don't regularly accept my brother's [beep][beep], my body will, will be—torn apart by bugs!"

"I see… Wait, bugs? What bugs?"

"Marking bugs."

Matou Sakura, as if malfunctioning, wore a charming yet chillingly sweet smile, opened her slender but powerful arms, and in the next moment, she directly pounced on me.