"Mm~ No, that's not... uuAANG—~~ Why, ah~ awoo—... guh~ turning into oohh!!!" In the middle of everyone's confused stares, Patchouli—who was calmly sipping hot tea in the living room—suddenly let out a long, sultry moan that she couldn't suppress.
Tea spilled onto the floor as she collapsed heavily.
She trembled on the floor like she was possessed, her body arched to the extreme, fingernails scraping wildly at the wood, like she was trying to claw it apart.
But the struggle didn't last long. Like a puddle of melted kitten, Patchouli collapsed, unmoving, with only sweat soaking her bathrobe.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
Then, just as suddenly, Patchouli sat bolt upright like she had come back from the dead.
All her fatigue vanished in an instant. She felt weightless, as if every chronic illness had been magically wiped clean.
But she hadn't cast any spell... how?
Realization struck. Her eyes locked onto Rin's room.
Meanwhile inside the backroom
Marisa regained her balance, wiped the cold sweat off her forehead, and gave a smug, overconfident grin.
"Didn't see that coming, did you, pervy boss? Your trick doesn't work on me anymore! This punch carries all the pain, restraint, and fury I've endured these past few days—let's see how you block this!"
"OORAAHHH!!" With a hot-blooded war cry, Marisa charged forward, fist raised in a desperate counterattack.
Rin watched her calmly, as if she was walking into her own grave. He simply pointed at her from across the room—
『 Sensitivity Boost [20]』
"Uuugh~!" A primal wail escaped her lips. An electric jolt surged from her spine and spread like wildfire.
Her eyes rolled back, veins popping with bloodshot intensity. Her bones felt like they evaporated, and she collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Back in the living room
Patchouli gasped like a drowning goldfish. Her mouth opened and closed, unable to make a sound.
With no air to breathe, her body locked up and slammed back onto the floor.
Her heels dug into the wood, slender legs tensed to the extreme, as she struggled to resist the tidal wave of overwhelming sensation.
But resistance was futile. Her consciousness was swallowed in an instant—
"Hrk!!" Patchouli sat up again, wide-eyed and shaken.
Now she was certain: somehow, her senses were linked to Marisa's.
It was that damn potion!!! Her face turned green. In a panic, she scrambled toward Rin's room.
She had to stop Marisa. If she didn't, she would absolutely die here today!!
But she only managed a few steps before her legs gave out. She collapsed, twitching uncontrollably as veins popped on her forehead.
"...Is Patchy practicing some new form of sit-up?" Remilia twitched at the sight.
"Her face says terror, but her body says bliss."
"Oh crap—she's not moving!"
"She's not dead, is she!?"
"Quick! Pinch her nose or something! Don't let her pass out for real!"
"Wait wait—what if whatever's happening to her... happens to us too?"
"..." At that, the whole room went quiet, everyone looking horrified.
If they ended up flailing and moaning like that in public, there would be no place left for them in Gensokyo.
"I mean, we don't need to panic. Patchy always looks like she's about to die, but she's fine in the end."
"Right right, don't overthink it. She'll wake up soon, for sure."
"Sakuya! Don't clear the dishes yet, we might need them with drinks."
"Little girl, don't hog all the snacks!!" As everyone awkwardly reassured each other and snacked loudly, Patchouli, as expected, sat up again, pupils shaking violently.
As terrified as she was of the overload of sensation, her killing intent toward Marisa exploded exponentially.
You damn idiot! Why the hell did you provoke the boss?! If you wanna die, leave me out of it!!
Shaking, she crawled toward Rin's room. Inside, Marisa had somehow stood back up again.
"Haaah—haaah—"
"I told you... that move doesn't work anymore..."
"Ha~ With my invincible reset magic, all you can do now is... sit back and take the punishment!" She sneered breathlessly, her pale cheeks flushed red.
But before she could launch her final charge, Rin's voice cut in, cold and casual.
"That magic burns a lot of mana, right? How many times can you still cast it?"
"..." Marisa's breath caught.
Realizing how much mana she'd burned, cold sweat dripped down her forehead.
She only had enough left for two more spells.
One for attacking. One for escaping.
That's enough. Determined, she grit her teeth and charged, her iron fist of justice closing in.
But the moment she got close—
『 Sensitivity Boost [30]』
Even though she triggered her reset spell instantly, that split-second of interference drained all her strength.
Her "punch" turned into a weak poke—one that made Rin feel ticklish, even.
Her face, drained of color. She immediately turned and bolted for the door.
As the overwhelming sensation struck again, her final shot at escape was erased.
Mana gone, nerves overloaded, she lunged for the doorknob with all she had.
But just as her fingers brushed it—
『 Sensitivity Boost [50]』
Like a final boss phase she never stood a chance against, the last wave swallowed her whole.
Before she could even scream, she collapsed in a heap.
Patchouli, who had just reached the hallway, also went down for good.
As the dust settled, Rin solemnly pressed his palms together and whispered—
"Thank you, Mother Gaia. For I shall accept this gift without shame."