Everyone knows that you have five senses. Well, everyone is wrong. You have a bunch of other senses that get all tumbled up into 'feel' that are actually nothing related to the sense of touch. One can sense the weight of one's own body, the sense of movements when one runs across a field, the sense of time passing by. And there were subconscious signals that no human would truly notice. For example, human pheromones too subtle to really be noticed, assuming they even really existed. Scientists were still a bit unsure about that.
So yeah, this whole 'sixth sense' thing was nonsense. That number should be a whole lot higher than 'six' if you want to talk about extrasensory perception. Which Kazumi found really funny considering she was, at present, talking to a ghost.
She snuck a sneak peek at her level upper gizmo. It was still set to 'senses' and her original Level of 21 had gone up to 30 after she had followed Sayo and occasionally sneaked in pictures of people they were trying to scare.
Hehehe! This was the absolute best thing to level up for a reporter! Now, one might wonder why she wasn't going for 'reporting' or 'journalist', but her thinking was going further afield than that. Improving one's senses would do so much more for a person and open up many other horizons that.
Plus, after experiencing magic and the dangers involved with it, she felt like she needed a way to deal with it. If this somehow let her sense magic energy before it was cast, or find a way through some “anti-muggle” charms, why that would be very useful! Her pactio was useful for information gathering already, combine that with improved senses and who knew what secrets she could snap up?
In any event. Right now she was going to use her enhanced senses to help a friend.
"Oooo, I am a spooky - Eeep!"
For example, Sayo was not the one that was meant to be getting spooked right now. Peering out Kazumi quickly realised what had probably happened when she saw exactly who the ghost had accidentally tried to frighten.
"Did you say something Konoka?" asked the ever serious swordsgirl, Setsuna. Who was standing next to a trembling Konoka, who had turned as white as a sheet. Oh boy. No sign of Sayo anywhere, which probably meant that she was currently... "Konoka? Is everything quite alright?"
"Ah? Oh, me? Oh yes everything is fine!" Konoka - excuse me, 'Konoka' said.
"I see," Setsuna said. "Have no fear. For I have already located that which has frightened you!"
It rather said something that Kazumi gained a full level by watching Setsuna move right next to her. It had been so quick, so sudden that she may have as well teleporter right next to her. "I've caught the spy now! Demon cutting blade!"
"Eeeek!" Kazumi yelped, barely able to react as Setsuna brought her sword down upon her... only for the sword to pass harmlessly through her. A moment later something like a explosion of cherry blossoms engulfed her, blinding her momentarily.
"Oh, it wasn't a demon after all..." Setsuna mused while putting her sword away. There was a ding from her level upper. "It was something worse. A nosey reporter."
"Hey!" Kazumi harrumphed, stamping her foot - and then her clothes fell apart around her. "Gah! Th-This is harassment, you know! Stripping a girl naked out in public like this - Who do you think you are, Negi-sensei?!"
"It rather serves you right for poking your nose where it didn't belong," Setsuna warned. "You would do better not sneaking around in the shadows."
“That is that, and stripping people in public is something entirely! What am I supposed to do, streak back towards the dormitory now? It is getting late already.” As if in support of her words, a sudden sneeze escaped the reporter’s mouth. “Argh.. I don’t want to catch a cold.”
Ah! She really hoped her level upper didn't set off a feedback loop of some kind where her 'sense of temperature' continually became more and more sensitive over time! That would be pretty terrible.
Then again... It didn't seem to be doing anything much right now. Sure, it was continually giving her experience for 'sensing' things. Which was pretty much as she was expecting. But... it didn't seem to be causing her to feel any colder than she would normally. Huh... Interesting. Instead it was more like she had a better idea of what the temperature was, how much time was passing, the finer details on Setsuna's clothes and face...
"I'll forgive you if you tell me what you and Konoka are up to," Kazumi suddenly said, suddenly feeling a lot less cold than she was before. "Come on, spill it. You owe me for ruining those clothes you know - or would you rather I bill you?"
"Grk! You are impossible!"
<hr>
It was a little surreal having a ghost pop out of your chest and stare up at you apologetically right after it was done possessing you. Nonetheless, that's what was happening right now to Konoka.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Sayo said. "I'm trying to be a better ghost, but... But I can't quite get the hang of it."
Cute. So cute! It was the most adorable sight, the see-through girl with a doll like face pouting at her, cheeks puffed up slightly in frustration.
“So cu- ehh.. I mean, so that is what you are trying to improve with your Level Upper?” Konoka said quietly, trying her best to not catch the attention of Setsuna who had rushed off to deal with something hidden in the bushes.
“Y-yes, Kazumi thought we could scare some couples.. but I didn’t expect Setsuna’s sword to well..”
Well Konoka could sympathise with that. She'd set her level upper to improve her strength, after all. It was something she genuinely thought that she needed improvement in. Setsuna had gone for 'swordfighting', but she didn't really need that. She was already a really high level as it was. But she had insisted. Because it would help her protect Konoka even more effectively.
Konoka let out a weary sigh. Then a bright and brilliant idea popped into her head. "Hey, Sayo! Do you think you could possess Setsuna?"
"Eh? Well... Probably, if she wasn't paying attention. I am not sure how long it would hold since she is a half-demon though."
"That's fine, that's fine! If anything, you should gain levels from it anyway right?" Konoka said. "Possessing people is a pretty ghostly thing to do, after all. No need to frighten anyone when you can simply possess them instead!"
"Ah, Konoka! You're so smart!" Sayo gasped.
"And while you're possessing Setsuna, could you maybe do me a favour...?" Konoka pleaded.
<hr>
Nosey gossiping busybodies were the worst. The worst, the worst, the absolute worst! Evil spirits and their ilk were at least compelled into doing wicked things by their very nature, but humans intruding on the personal space and time of others? Unforgivable!
"Come on, what are you hiding?" The naked journalist asked. The nudity was really not helping the situation. Especially the fact that she didn't quite seem all that bothered by it anymore. "Could it be that you weren't training but going on a D.A.T.E?"
“D-da-date? I-I w-with lady Konoka? N-no way. W-we are both girls anyway! Th-there is no way, and it wouldn’t be pr-proper as her bodyguard.” The normally always calm and battle-ready Setsuna had turned a bright crimson and was stuttering like a teen with stage fright who had been saddled with the main role in a school play.
"The lady doth protest too much..." Kazumi mused. "I notice that you're trying very hard not to look at these." Gesturing at her own chest. "Could it be that you're afraid of staring at them? The fourth-biggest chest in class? Because you're secretly into girls? Nothing wrong with tha~at... Ah! It might make your girlfriend jealous. Right?"
"W-Will you stop reading into things that aren't even - "
And that's about the point where a ghost dove into her back. Setsuna went cross eyed for a bit there. Then her hand mechanically reached up to the level upper and changed what it was levelling up away from 'swordfighting' and onto 'flirting with Konoka'.
Kazumi heard a quiet, barely perceptible beeping sound and noticed that suddenly a second Level Upper was hanging onto Setsuna. One that her eyes clearly saw was showing “Ghostliness” at Level 37- no now it was Level 38 and now Level 39. And even now the exp was slowly but steadily increasing.
"Yipe!" Sayo gasped. "Oh, hi Kazumi!"
"Hi gaping maw of an endless abyss from which all life as we know it vanishes into boundless despair and regret," Kazumi said. "Uh, I think you have the whole 'scary' thing down pat now Sayo."
"Really? You think so?" Sayo chirped, seemingly not noticing the way Setsuna’s hair was whirling behind her like it was a living thing. Not to mention the way her eyes had glowed like burning hot embers when she had possessed Setsuna. "Yay! I'm a real ghost! Yay!"
"Buh..." Setsuna burbled, probably reeling from the effects of the sudden possession. Or something. It must've been an intense experience for Sayo to suddenly gain thirty levels in a single go. "Wha - What was I doing again?"
"Setsuna!" Konoka called out. "Look, look! I found a pretty flower!"
The swordswoman blinked, then turned around to look at her lady. Kazumi also peeked around, noting that Konoka was carrying a pink camellia flower towards them.
"It suits you well Lady Konoka," Setsuna said. "The pink brings out the kindness in your eyes."
So far as flirtation went it was a little bit basic, but then again that's how levelling up is meant to work. You start small and end up big.
- Saya is learning how to be a proper ghost. So what now?
- Asuna is trying to level up her studying ability.
- Evangeline finds this whole thing tremendously amusing. As if this could make her a better spellcaster!
- Nodoka is trying to work up the courage to seduce Negi.
- Something else
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