Coupling Practice 1
In the heat of battle, coupling partners often naturally evolved into lovers or sex partners. It would be strange if young men and women didn't develop feelings for each other amid the endless life-or-death struggles. Sex helped synchronize their coupling wavelengths, too. As a result, pilots inevitably became open-minded about such things.
In fact, perhaps because of that, all of Netoru's coupling partners from various battlefields had already been with other men.
"……"
But Karen... why her?
It was odd. Objectively speaking, Karen was the kind of stunning beauty who could make anyone passing by on the street do a double-take. Sure, she had her moments of prickliness, but that was easy enough to overlook.
So why hadn't Natsuo touched a girl like her? Was there some problem? A fatal flaw as a man?
No, that couldn't be. If there were a real issue, he couldn't have become a Holy Knight pilot in the first place.
Then why? It couldn't be premarital chastity or something...
As he pondered for an answer, a tiny spark like a grain of sand flashed in Netoru's mind.
Ah... so that's it.
He'd overlooked something crucial. He'd never been assigned to a unit as young on average as the 393rd before, so it had taken him this long to realize.
Natsuo hadn't refrained from touching Karen. He simply couldn't.
Reaching what felt like the right conclusion, Netoru unwittingly twisted his lips into a smirk. It was a smile born of pure delight.
No man could fail to feel joy at the thought of being the first to leave his mark on a pristine white canvas untouched by anyone else.
2. Everyone's mana had a unique nature. So the process of accepting Netoru's mana into her body through the mana path wasn't exactly pleasant for Karen.
It felt like a foreign object invading her insides... She distinctly sensed the discomfort in her lower abdomen.
Normally, matching coupling wavelengths allowed mana to blend smoothly, but with their compatibility scraping the bottom at rock-bottom levels, Netoru's mana was playing by its own rules inside her.
And that made things harder for Karen. The man just had to send his mana; the woman receiving it had to work to assimilate it into her own.
It wasn't painful or agonizing, but the awkward, ticklish sensation made Karen furrow her brow inwardly.
I feel this every time we couple...
'...Does mana really take after its owner?'
How to describe it? Netoru's mana was capricious, like a mischievous child impossible to pin down.
Once inside her, it acted just as willful as its owner. Still, she'd grown somewhat used to it by now, so Karen coaxed it without much trouble, guiding it toward her mana nerve system.
The guided mana blended moderately with hers and began transforming into special "fuel" via the mana nerve system in her lower abdomen.
In ancient times, knights might have drawn superhuman strength from this process, but for Karen and other female pilots, their implanted mana nerve systems were artificial organs designed solely to generate power for Holy Knights.
The key ability demanded of female pilots, then, was how efficiently they could convert their coupling partner's mana—received through the mana path—into Holy Knight fuel using their mana nerve systems.
This was also why male pilots handled the controls. While women focused on producing the power to move the Holy Knight, men concentrated on combat.
Of course, no matter how skilled the woman, mismatched coupling wavelengths meant the man couldn't properly pilot...
But that was irrelevant for Karen's current partner, Netoru. He could handle a Holy Knight freely, regardless of wavelength.
It was an obvious talent—and a burdensome one for Karen. Still, it would be a waste to ignore it. She had to make use of this man's gift until Natsuo returned...
That was when it happened.
'......Huh?'
Karen's eyebrows twitched as she focused on her mana nerve system. She felt something hard tapping against her butt from Netoru's lower body, where she was straddling him.
Realizing what it was didn't take long.
'What the hell is this guy thinking during training?'
Just identifying it flushed her face red. She barely suppressed the urge to jump up in shock.
Her body trembled faintly from the unexpected contact. Natsuo was one thing, but this was her first time touching another man's.
In her embarrassment, Karen slowly opened her closed eyes.
"“……”"
Their gazes met naturally. Netoru looked utterly nonchalant, as if nothing was amiss—even with his rigid shaft pressing against her lower body right then.
"……You."
She started to say something but clamped her mouth shut. Should she tell him to move it? But Karen knew better. This was an unavoidable male reaction.
And she was well aware of how stimulating coupling practice could be for male pilots. Seres had even warned her back when she first taught it: partners often got erections, so don't panic—just brush it off gently. That was consideration as a female partner...
Come to think of it, it had happened plenty with Natsuo too. She'd even helped him finish by hand a few times after sessions. He'd begged so much...
Karen had found his puppy-like pleading too cute to refuse. Plus, he'd been suffering with that hard-on throughout training—it was pitiful.
"……"
Recalling the past, Karen swallowed to steady herself.
...Yeah, he's a guy too. It's unavoidable.
Convincing herself of that, she closed her eyes again and refocused on the coupling practice.
But concentration eluded her.
3. The training somehow wrapped up without incident.
In the showers, Karen rinsed off her sweat under the cold spray, her mind wandering.
Had coupling practice with Netoru today really been the right call?
Truth be told, she'd had no intention of doing it with him. As he'd warned beforehand, it could strain her body.
Coupling practice was meant for those with matching wavelengths. Given their abysmal compatibility rate, it posed a real risk to her.
By now, she almost lamented how she'd ended up with such a fragile constitution.
'...Or maybe I'm holding up this well precisely because it's me?'
What if Netoru coupled with another female pilot? Could she endure it?
Karen had never seen it firsthand, but she doubted anyone could last long. Though she was currently the type to collapse after one session, she'd never considered herself physically weak.
Just think of coupling with that idiot Natsuo. She'd kept pace with him every time, pushing limits and fighting her hardest.
Maybe she was even tougher than Natsuo. Proof? She'd been discharged way sooner.
If even she was struggling like this... what would happen to another female pilot partnering with Netoru? Could she handle it?
"...Dangerous."
Just imagining it sent chills down her spine. The nasty rumors about him flooded her mind endlessly.
Sure, he'd seemed more rounded lately, but that didn't erase his reputation.
Squelch─!
"Kyaa!?"
That's when it happened. Lost in thought, Karen yelped and spun around as someone suddenly grabbed her breasts.
A familiar face greeted her with that signature soft smile.
"Hmm... I'd say about a D-cup, roughly."
"S-Seres..."
Her long purple hair, reaching her waist, barely veiled her breasts as Seres stood naked behind her.
"Ugh... L-Let go. It's embarrassing."
"Just a bit longer. I'm enjoying this."
"Ah... seriously...!"
Blushing at Seres's playful touch, Karen gave up resisting. Long experience had taught her it was pointless—she'd never win.
After poking and prodding with chuckles for a while, Seres whispered in her ear.
"...Hehe. Natsuo must love these, huh? You'll be an adult soon enough, Karen."
"W-Why bring him up out of nowhere?"
"Because..."
Seres smiled faintly.
"Once you pass your 19th birthday, you'll get to know the pleasures between men and women."