“R-Reina!?”

“Papa asked me to take care of you, Kenya. I’ll wash your back.”

Kenya was utterly bewildered. Right in front of him stood the girl whose naked body he’d just been fantasizing about.

Unfortunately, she was dressed in her military uniform, but something like just a bath towel would have been ideal.

“Th-that’s not what I meant!! Reina!? Why are you here?”

“Papa always asks me to wash his back when he’s tired, right? You seemed worn out yesterday, so…”

(That old man has his high school daughter doing stuff like that for him?)

Suddenly, Zeke struck him as nothing more than a dirty old pervert.

Kenya had thought he was a stern soldier, but what a guy. So damn enviable.

“Alright, then. Turn around.”

Kenya found himself half-forced to sit down.

Was he unable to resist because he was a little excited about it?

Getting your back washed by the girl you like—it was every guy’s dream. He was already worked up enough as it was.

There was no way he could stand up now! You get the reason.

Then, Reina’s hands gently touched Kenya’s back.

(Ah♥)

Having the person you love wash your back.

How blissful was that? A weird noise nearly slipped out.

Such soft, beautiful hands. And then…

Grind grind, rip rip!!

(It huuuurts!!)

Reina scrubbed his back with such powerful arms that he could practically hear the grinding sounds.

It was enough to make him imagine his skin tearing with every rip.

“Papa’s back is big and tough, but yours is so soft, Kenya.”

(Don’t lump me in with that muscle monster!! My skin’s peeling off!!)

Zeke, the battle-hardened warrior.

Kenya had felt it during their handshake before—those thick, rugged hands of a fighter.

His back must have been toughened by rivers of blood, sweat, and tears.

Physique-wise, he was on par with a pro wrestler.

By contrast, Kenya…

Just your average shut-in.

Baby-soft skin, egg-smooth, pale as can be.

No flab, sure, but compared to a ripped Terminator, it was downright cute.

He had confidence in his flawless skin, at least.

Why? Because he’d spent his life holed up playing games, never seeing sunlight.

Zero damage. Hell, his might even be smoother than Reina’s.

Just look at this fine, delicate texture.

“How’s that, Kenya?”

“It feeeeels greeeat!”

Kenya couldn’t bring himself to admit it hurt, clinging to his pointless pride.

He endured it with tears in his eyes.

“Okay, I’ll step out then. Oh, I left some clothes here for you. It’s a military uniform. And this is hair dye. Gold or silver.”

Reina set down the hair coloring agents and left the bath.

As Road had instructed yesterday, he’d dye his hair to pass as an Earthguard.

There were plenty of Asian mixes, so he’d just come off as having strong Asian blood.

“Finally over. Next time, I’ll tell her not to hold back and just say it doesn’t hurt if she goes easy. Is this punishment for using their shampoo without asking…?”

His excitement had vanished. He picked up the dye and colored his hair.

Going silver? What delinquent does that? Would it even suit a Japanese guy?

Ashen silver might fit better than full-on gold for someone Japanese.

He wavered between gold and silver but figured he’d match Reina’s silver.

It suited her childlike side better anyway.

“But why does Reina have silver hair, anyway…?”

Earthguard folks mostly had blond hair.

That was the norm.

So, was Reina a half? Wonder how that worked.

He’d ask Zeke later.

Kenya soaked in the tub.

The hot water stung his fresh wounds—mostly the ones on his back right now.

But these weren’t coward’s scars. If anything, they were proof he hadn’t run.

Scars on the back were a swordsman’s pride!

…

“Thank you. I feel reinvigorated!”

“Out already, Mikazuki? Hmm, suits you well. Silver, too.”

“You think? Kinda embarrassing.”

“Plenty of Earthguard have silver hair. It’s common for halves. Especially Asian mixes.”

“Oh, really?”

So, was Reina a half—Earthguard and Asian?

Kenya emerged from the bath and headed to the drawing room.

Tanaka swapped in to bathe next.

“We match now, Kenya. Same silver.”

Reina twirled her hair as she eyed Kenya’s.

“Y-yeah…”

Her gesture was so cute that Kenya stammered like a total otaku.

Not that he wasn’t one to begin with… Combat had toughened his mind, but this side stayed the same.

“Breakfast isn’t ready yet, right? I’ll prepare it.”

As Zeke watched her leave the room, he turned to Kenya.

“Reina’s really brightened up… Thanks to you, maybe. Turns out, peers your age have a powerful influence.”

“Really?”

Yeah, when they met, she was like a knife that cut everything she touched.

Not some middle-school phase—she’d shut her heart away.

But meeting Kenya and facing a stronger foe in KOG had shaken her, melting the ice.

Now, she was more like a cool beauty with a touch of saltiness.

Ice Princess? Nah, straight-up cool character.

“Guess I should tell you about it, Mikazuki…”

Zeke’s serious expression piqued Kenya’s interest in Reina’s past. He’d hear her out if she was willing.

Come to think of it, he didn’t fully get their relationship.

Zeke seemed like a fine, upstanding father figure, but Reina came off as more closed-off than cool at first.

She seemed brighter now, but back then? Total “don’t talk to me, I’m not interested.”

“Do you know Reina’s adopted? It’s fairly well-known, actually.”

“Oh? No, I didn’t.”

Apparently, it was common knowledge that the Military God had taken in an adopted daughter.

Kenya hadn’t heard, but it’d been a brief sensation in Earthguard.

“But this part’s not as public. I took her in at age ten, right around when Japan’s war was winding down. Nearly six years ago now.”

The war fully ended about five years back.

So six years ago, it was on the verge.

“Ah, actually, Reina is…”

Zeke started to say something but trailed off.

His face held a hint of sorrow.

“No, sorry. I found her in this country. She’d been badly scarred by the war, heart completely shut away. I was there with the Earthguard forces and decided to take her in.”

Reina was a war orphan.

After yesterday’s hell, Kenya got it.

A ten-year-old girl thrown into that nightmare? Shutting down wasn’t the half of it.

Her mind must’ve shattered, leaving her unable to live normally again.

And it’d dragged on for years.

For a powerless girl trampled relentlessly, what endless hell was that?

She must’ve lost so many loved ones.

Imagining Reina back then tore at his heart.

“I see… A war orphan. But why an Earthguard?”

“It happened plenty. No severed ties or anything. Some Earthguard lived in Japan, unable to evacuate.”

“Huh…”

Kenya thought of Tanaka.

He’d heard Tanaka got along great with Earthguard, collaborating on research.

Nations at odds, but people getting along? Everyday stuff.

Kenya knew it from news in his old world, too.

“Yeah, it’s been six years since then. She’s finally reached this point. Partly thanks to you—she even smiled yesterday.”

“Yeah, first time I saw it.”

“Same here. Lived with her six years, and that was my first glimpse of her smile.”

“It was adorable.”

“Saying that in front of her dad… Well, it really was cute.”

Both grinned, picturing her smile.

Zeke called her adopted but was total dad-baka. The Terminator was beaming.

Kenya was straight-up smitten.

In the story, she’d never smiled once, and now he had.

“Anyway, before Lord Road arrives, I need to confirm something with you.”

“What is it?”

Zeke stared straight into Kenya’s eyes.

His face was that of a man resolved.

“Do you like Reina?”