Under a clear, translucent sky, wisps of clouds piled up into a boundless sea. Gazing out from her "standing" position on this sea of clouds, Yurine saw the edge of the clouds merge with the heavens, forming a hazy, silver-blue horizon. It was impossible to tell where the clouds ended and the sky began. She had only ever seen such a view on screens before. To witness it in person was a breathtaking experience that she couldn't describe with words.

"Psssshhh—!"

A faint hissing sound suddenly broke the silence.

Ryohei Tanaka, holding the Water Conversion Gas tank in his left arm, twisted the valve with his right hand. He took the spray nozzle attached to the tank and began spraying the clouds below him. The once fluffy, soft clouds instantly transformed into a pool of clear water, shimmering in the sunlight.

"It turned into water!" the Second exclaimed in delight. Kouji cheered quietly beside her.

Their voices snapped Yurine out of her reverie. She looked at the pool of water, her eyes sparkling like the rippling surface.

"You should try it, Yurine," Ryohei said, having had his fun. He offered the Water Conversion Gas tank to her.

Yurine took it, feeling a small thrill of excitement. There was no doubt she wanted to try. She held the tank and aimed the nozzle at the clouds, spraying them with gusto.

"I'm next!" Jashin-chan raised her hand and sidled up to them.

"Beg me," Yurine said with a disdainful smile.

The shameless snake had an incredibly thick skin. She immediately started rubbing up against Yurine in an exaggerated, cloying manner, her voice saccharine. "Yurine, pretty please, let me play with it for a little while~"

"Eww—!" A shiver ran down Yurine's spine. "I really don't know what to do with you!" she said, exasperated, and passed the tank over with a look of disgust.

"Aha—!" Jashin-chan, unfazed by her disgusted expression, hugged the tank, turned her head to the side, and let out a comically exaggerated grin.

Action director: Crayon Shin-chan!

Ryohei stood with his left hand on his hip, watching the scene with a gentle look in his eyes. He then began to fly around over the sea of clouds in various poses. The "flotation" magic Lucoa had cast on them didn't just allow them to float; it also gave them a degree of maneuverability based on their thoughts. The speed was a bit slow, however, maybe around 5 to 10 miles per hour. Ryohei wasn't sure if Lucoa had put a speed limit on them or not.

"Heh—! Witness my act of subordination..."

Just as Ryohei was happily gliding along the surface of the cloud sea, he heard Lucoa's mature, bewitching voice in his ear, laced with a hint of slyness. Before he could react, a slender foot wrapped in black stockings lightly stepped onto his back. The pressure wasn't heavy, but it had an undeniable presence.

"Subordination Technique, First Form: Master Flight!"

Another strange phrase to add to the list!

Ryohei was utterly speechless. He tumbled downwards, did a flip over the cloud sea, and flew back up, aiming a playful kick at Lucoa's rear. "You've even come up with a whole set of moves!" Is the second form going to be her riding on my face?!

"Ehehe~" Lucoa didn't dodge, giggling as she took the hit. She raised her hands as if to pounce, deliberately drawing out her words. "The second form..."

Stare—!

Sensing a faint gaze from somewhere, Lucoa suddenly stopped. She brought a fist to her mouth, cleared her throat, and said in a prim and proper tone, "Never mind... I'll let you appreciate it next time."

"I don't think 'appreciate' is the right word for that!" Ryohei retorted instinctively. Honestly, though, he was a little disappointed and curious to know what her "second form" was and just how improper it would be.

Meanwhile...

"Hey—! Jashin-chan, you've had your fun, right? It's our turn," Minos said, flying in front of Jashin-chan and holding out her hand for the Water Conversion Gas.

"Hmm..." Jashin-chan hesitated. Her old habit of causing trouble was acting up. She really wanted to hog the tank and make everyone else watch her with envy. "How about you all just watch me play?" she suggested.

"I don't think so!"

Justice from above! Yurine flew in front of Jashin-chan and planted a clean fist right in her face, knocking her head to the side.

"Ow, that hurts!" Jashin-chan's face contorted in pain. She stopped mid-air and instinctively clutched her stinging cheek. "Why did you suddenly hit me?!" she yelled angrily at Yurine. She didn't dare suggest they just watch her anymore and handed the tank to Minos. Then, right in front of Yurine, she pouted and grumbled, "Yurine is so violent, always hitting people!"

"You deserved it!" The Second gloated, pulling down one of her eyelids and sticking out her tongue in a taunting gesture. Kouji even started clapping his small hands beside her, just short of laughing out loud.

"You jerks!" Jashin-chan fumed, seeing the two small-fries daring to mock her. "You two... I'm going to kill you!" She balled her fists and was about to charge at them.

The Second and Kouji, seeing this, cleverly darted behind Minos and Yusa for protection.

"..."

Ryohei glanced over at the commotion, thoroughly used to such scenes. He flew over the newly formed pool and looked down. It was about two-thirds the size of a basketball court. He turned to Lucoa. "Lucoa, you can bring out the inflatable boats and pool floats now."

He had bought three inflatable boats at the supermarket earlier, along with water guns for everyone and a floating tray specifically for fruit platters and drinks.

"Okay," Lucoa replied, casually pulling the items from her pocket dimension.

The sudden appearance of the items on the water immediately drew everyone's attention. Ryohei landed on one of the inflatable boats, grabbed a water gun, and deftly filled it. He raised it, smiled at Yurine as she flew over, and pulled the trigger. Yurine dodged out of the way, then flew through a spatial portal Lucoa opened. She was going to change into her swimsuit.

~~~

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