The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

Everyone acted pretty much the same as at the Academy.

Naturally, those who commonly hang out together gathered.

Edgar and Zeke exchanged friendly jests, while Perda often played with the girls he brought along.

Out of them all, Perda was the most social butterfly, but even then, most of the time was spent with his own crew.

None of them were easy to get along with, and it seemed that no matter how much Perda tried poking around, nothing came of it.

Some people preferred to wander alone.

Shaara, originally used to leading other students around like subordinates, frequently lingered in the lounge with a view of the outside while reading a book.

In a way, the group that formed around me felt the most uncomfortable.

First off, River and Amy are close.

From the start of the new semester, they got along like a house on fire, and they did fine even without me.

However, things started to go south from Lucia.

Though they didn’t lack for attempts to get closer, they didn’t seem to be succeeding.

It wasn’t that they were enemies, but there was a distinct awkwardness between them.

They had become friends of friends.

Casey took it a step further.

There wasn’t even an opportunity to get closer, and Casey didn’t seem to have any desire to bond at all.

Honestly, I think she might hit it off better with Shaara.

Getting a conversation started between them was a huge task, though.

Given the circumstances, if I stepped away, the atmosphere became weird, making it hard for me to leave.

And so, the sun set on the first day of vacation, and night fell.

.

.

.

.

I really spent the day lazily.

After getting ready in the guest room and waiting, I heard a knock.

Two quick knocks, and I didn’t even need to ask to know.

Just as I said during the day, River had arrived.

When I opened the door, there was River, but he looked completely different from earlier.

His eyes were relaxed, yet his gaze was sharp, and he was breathing heavily.

His face was flushed, like his hot breath escaping.

I hadn’t really considered the lunar cycle, but it seemed that the full moon had already arrived.

“It’s already that time again.”

But somehow, it felt like something had gone a step further.

Noticing something off, I looked closely and saw a new pair of triangular ears protruding sharply from his head.

They were twitching, reminiscent of a wolf’s ears.

“… Ears?”

The sight startled me, and my body froze.

Ears? What in the world?

I knew that River had a temperament that seethed with energy as the full moon approached.

I had helped him relieve it before, after all.

But this was the first time I’d seen him like this.

Usually, the changes would only result in his eyes or hair gleaming golden, but now animal ears were perked up on his head.

Though it was cute, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on as River moved.

“What’s happening…. Uh?!”

Before I could finish, my mouth was forcibly covered.

Not by a hand, but by his lips.

‘Am I getting eaten?’

That thought couldn’t help but cross my mind.

With a wild grip on my waist, River leaned in, exploring my lips and tongue as he boldly advanced.

Naturally, I stumbled backward and bumped into something with my chin.

It was probably the bed.

River pushed me down onto the bed.

“Ugh… ha…”

Buried in the fluffy bed, River held me down on top, pinning me in place.

Being smaller in stature, it felt like I was being forced beneath him like prey.

Like a wolf grasping its prey by the neck to deliver a kill, River held me tightly for a while.

Though, in this case, it was more about licking my lips and tongue than my neck.

After a lengthy exchange of tongues, as if satisfied, he pulled back and buried his nose in my neck.

“Phew…”

I didn’t particularly enjoy being forced, but I just let it happen.

‘Since it’s cute, I’ll let it slide.’

This wasn’t an everyday occurrence, and it felt refreshingly strong.

“Let me smell… a bit more.”

With his face buried in my chest, River was inhaling my scent, while his peach-like rear wiggled around.

Seeing that was so cute that I pulled him close and inhaled his scent too.

The citrus aroma that had always been fresh felt a bit sweeter today.

Although he didn’t have a tail, if he did, it would have been wagging uncontrollably.

“… Huh?”

Wait a minute.

Looking closely, there actually was a tail.

A golden tail, sparkling like his hair, was wiggling around from his backside.

In the time I hadn’t seen him, he seemed to have transformed into a beastman.

“River, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s something I’ve never seen before?”

Curious, I reached out to touch it, but my hand simply passed through.

Golden light radiating from his body was only gathering enough to take shape.

His hair was shining along with it, making it look so plausible.

“Ow…!”

But River responded as if it really had sensations.

Even though my hand passed through, it felt like he sensed it.

“Do you feel that?”

“… It tickles.”

It was strange that there was no tactile response, yet a sensation was connected.

“I don’t know why this is happening, but it’s all because of you.”

“Because of me?”

What did I do wrong?

I felt like the Commander might also think he was being slandered for no reason lately.

“You’re always flirting with girls around you… and I can’t even move at the Academy while you go off to God-knows-where. Do you know how much that worries me?”

“Flirting? I was just living my life to the fullest.”

“Nice excuse.”

I could feel a hand subtly moving up along my body before sharp pain hit my neck.

He was biting me on the neck.

“Why do all the girls gravitate to you? I just want to keep you to myself.”

“You’re already monopolizing me anyway.”

He held my face, locking eyes with me.

His golden aura flickered like it was piercing through me.

Standing so close I could feel his hot breath, we gazed at each other for a long moment.

“I wanted no one to know how adorable and amazing you are, just me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he kissed me again.

“… I’m really worried. Even though you’re with me, you leave for a foreign place overnight… and you end up getting hurt and everything.”

“I felt bad about that time.”

“You’re not saying you won’t do it again, are you?”

“I can’t promise that.”

River smiled at my firm response.

“Right. That’s who you are. I really worry you’ll collapse somewhere I don’t know… So…”

-Bang!

Just then, there was a loud crash from the shower room, interrupting River’s words.

“Wha??”

I turned my head, startled, to see Amy peeking through the shower room door, her face crimson red while toiletries lay scattered around her.

Amy, who had been crouched down, looked just as shocked as us, and her belt buckle was undone.

“Ah… that’s…”

She didn’t even think to cover her face, turning even redder.

“I… I didn’t see anything…?”

Only then did I remember the promise I had forgotten.

Right, I called for Amy, didn’t I?

—————————-

As dusk approached, Amy spoke to someone closest to her.

‘… don’t come out until tomorrow.’

-Hmm… okay.

Amy briefly had her companion take a break.

Although she referred to them as a companion since they were always there, the companion would momentarily step away when she strongly desired it.

Every time, she wondered where they disappeared to, but when they left, she could certainly feel the presence reliably vanishing.

Unless she really didn’t want to show it, that hadn’t happened before, but today was different.

She needed to talk to Atlas separately.

It involved something so personal that she hoped her companion wouldn’t see it.

“Can you come in my room for a moment tonight?”

“My room?”

“I feel like today’s the best opportunity.”

Amy didn’t need to explicitly explain what Atlas meant by opportunity; she already knew.

There had been instances where they had been searching for chances after causing some trouble together.

It couldn’t be hidden forever.

They could maintain their relationship even longer, but she couldn’t feel justified about it.

So, she had entered the room in advance, as Atlas had requested.

Since Atlas was scheduled to have a talk with River to check how he was doing, she had secretly hidden inside the shower booth.

The plan was for River to come in, chat, and if it seemed fine, she would come out.

“Huh??”

As soon as River arrived at Atlas’s room, Amy was taken aback.

The moment River walked in, she was caught off guard witnessing Atlas and River passionately making love.

River’s primal desire ravaging over Atlas was a scene she’d never have imagined under regular circumstances.

She was just hiding there, but the heat radiating from them was palpable.

‘Wow…’

This was the second time witnessing River and Atlas in such an intimate act.

She could have felt disgruntled that they were doing this among themselves after calling her, but it became a trivial matter in her mind.

Hiding there watching, a heated surge ignited in her lower abdomen.

The powerful Atlas appearing helpless in that situation excited her.

‘Ugh… I must be a pervert…’

She knew how twisted this was.

Getting excited while watching her friends’ intimate moments was the absolute worst in her own view.

‘Just a bit more…’

Yet, even while thinking that, she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Vivid memories of that night with Atlas flashed through her mind—when she first felt pleasure from his touch.

She felt she shouldn’t be doing this, but her hand instinctively slid downward.

With a click, her belt buckle came undone at that moment.

-Thud

“Huh?”

-Crash!

She accidentally knocked against the support pillar of the shelf.

—————————

“Amy?”

“This… this is what I mean…”

The intensity in River’s eyes, which had been filled just moments ago with heat, now trembled.

Amy was flustered too, but River was so shocked to the point of freezing up.

“I called you.”

“You did?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something for a while.”

Amy hesitated before speaking first.

“I like Atlas too.”

“Amy?”

“I knew you were in love with River, but while you didn’t know, I… I embraced him.

I felt like I had to say it.”

River stood up frantically, clearly taken aback by Amy’s confession, spinning in place.

“I’m sorry, is the atmosphere a bit weird? I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this…”

“This situation is absurd!”

“But really, I called you to talk, then you walked in and caught us like this.”

For a second, River held his head in his hands, trying to process it all.

His golden ears flicked nervously.

It didn’t take long for him to organize his thoughts.

“So, it was you, Amy…? I’m fine with it. Actually, I was waiting for you to tell me.”

River nodded as if he found it understandable.

Whether he was resigned to it or genuinely grasped it was uncertain.

“I was surprised, but I’m okay. I never thought I could monopolize someone who would become a Master.

You disappearing for a while and coming back smelling like unfamiliar scents… Do you think I wouldn’t catch on?”

There had been moments when he felt uneasy, and apparently, he had sensed every one of them.

He must have assumed this would happen, and perhaps the timing aligned just right.

“… But since you spoke honestly, I’ll forgive you.”

“I’m sorry I took too long by being overly cautious.”

He reached out to embrace her, but instead, he pressed his palm against her forehead.

“Don’t try to gloss over this. I want you to understand that aside from Amy, there are others… I’ll think it through, so promise me instead.”

“Is this a guaranteed increase?”

River didn’t respond but frowned slightly and continued speaking.

“Just because you’ve gained others doesn’t mean to forget about me… Although I say I’m fine, think of me just a bit more than other people, and… want me a lot more than you do now.”

River took my hand and placed it on his chest.

I could feel his rapidly beating heart.

“Will you promise me?”

He looked at me with eyes that were reddening as if he might cry.

Without needing to hear what my answer would be, I knew it all along.

“I will, without a doubt.”