What Do You Do on Holidays? (1)
While I was lost in deep thought about the protagonist I absolutely had to track down and eliminate, Friday evening rolled around. I figured they'd sorted out the order on their own, and sure enough, I got to meet the first one.
"I never expected Unia to call me out on Friday evening."
"Why not?"
"Dunno. Felt like you'd pick Saturday night or something?"
"Ehehehe..."
Out of the time slots allotted to me, Friday evening belonged to Unia. If I asked whether it had to take a chunk of Phoenix's schedule, well, it kinda did.
"You want me to check out one spell, then give you a mana massage after, right?"
"Yes!"
It was part research time to verify her personal theories on magic, part excuse to get that mana massage. My massages had the power to melt away a whole week's fatigue. Unia had been the first to experience the full benefits, and from Instructor Esta on down, the others had gotten a brief taste too.
"Time's precious, so shall we dive right in?"
With that, Unia stripped off her clothes in one fluid motion.
Light T-shirt and skirt—lighter than her usual getup. She conjured four spheres of mana around herself.
"Step back a bit. Here goes... Hya!"
Unia channeled a burst of mana, and—pop, bang bang!
The spheres detonated in a controlled Explosion spell, dialed way down for minimal blast. The shockwave rattled the room's decorations for a split second.
Mana control failure? Did she botch a new configuration and lose harmony, shattering the mana?
Nah. Unia had deliberately triggered an explosion spell—aimed at herself.
Pssshhh.
White smoke billowed out from around her, and Unia emerged from the blast cloud with flair.
"Ta-da! What do you think?"
"Hmm... impressive."
Was Unia actually naked from the explosion? Not quite. Her clothes were shredded bad—not just partial damage, but barely 30% fabric left clinging on.
Holes riddled her shirt and skirt as a baseline; her bra straps were gone, the cups fully exposed, and her panties had been blasted away until just a sliver barely hid her pubic bone.
"Impressive," I said.
I could tell exactly what Unia wanted to show off.
"Mana skin check: skin's a pass."
I reached out toward the chest she proudly thrust forward.
Swish.
I brushed her collarbone, tugging lightly, and something invisible and transparent definitely caught on my fingers. Like a sheet of acetate film—or coating paper—laminated over human skin. But this wasn't some physical film; it was a body-hugging protective barrier woven from mana.
"The explosion was localized but still packing some punch, and it shielded your whole body like this."
"That's not all," Unia said with a sly smile, tugging at her clothes.
Swish, swish.
Shirt remnants slid down, baring her abs, and her underwear crumbled away until it barely, barely covered the essentials.
"Whoa."
This was straight-up magic—and tech—worthy of an awed "whoa."
"How'd you pull that off?"
"One of Master's secret techniques."
Unia gestured to her clothes.
"Absolute Censorship Magic."
Ensuring her clothes—or what was left—clung precariously to the vital spots.
This technique doesn't even exist in hell.
Not even Hell's seven dukes had this. They could invent techniques, sure, but nothing this precise.
"No matter the crisis, it keeps the important bits decently covered," she explained.
"So it's magic to prevent 'sudden R-rated vibes'?"
"Exactly."
Unia cupped her mana pouch from below with one hand.
"Everyone's coverage varies, but academy rules have stuff about not exposing certain areas in public, right?"
"Fair point."
Esdinas Academy's own brand of censorship. The kind that gets you modded on the boards, or a "take it to the adult section" warning.
This spell was the last line of defense—the thin veil that kept things from tipping straight into R-rated territory if it slipped even a little.
"It won't come off no matter what, right?"
"Yep. It bonds and locks in place. You'd have to will it off yourself, or run out of mana entirely."
"By then, censorship's the least of your worries... wait, no. Censorship matters, but R-rated could veer grotesque."
Zero mana, clothes shredded from further attacks? You'd be screaming not from embarrassment, but survival—worried about getting eaten alive.
"Master said even in a '[dungeon full of clothes-melting slimes],' you could ditch your starting outfit and still keep that final scrap."
"Sounds like some ancient tribe in a storybook, fig-leafing their way around."
"Kinda. We all cover up now, but there's a social pact: don't flash this much."
Unia teasingly flicked the last layer, smiling faintly.
"Showing this much means she's okay with that guy having her body. Right?"
"Can't argue."
Going nude is permission. Rational acceptance of whatever they do with your body—medical or sexual.
"Phoenix, what do you think? Wanna try?"
"Me?"
"Sure! I'll teach you the spell. Oh, don't worry—I'll layer an extra shield over that bronze skin of yours. Just leave it to me!"
"Doesn't that mean channeling mana inside your clothes?"
"Uh, well..."
"To demo 'clothes rip but you're safe' post-explosion, I'd have to strip first, coat up, then redress... right?"
I nodded downward suggestively.
"Planning to blow me up?"
"B-but Instructor Cardisha let you touch!"
"Huh?"
"N-no, nothing?"
"Nothing."
Cardisha might joke like that, but she'd never even held a guy's hand.
"And honestly? Useful for other girls in the old school building, but I don't need it."
"Wh-why not...?"
"I know a similar spell. Different weave."
"...For real?"
Unia eyed me suspiciously.
"What is it? Something more reliable?"
"Obviously. Hold on."
I turned away from Unia and—whoosh—yanked off my top.
A sharp gasp from behind—"Gasp!"—but I kept going.
Slide.
"Ph-Phoenix?!"
"Come closer if you wanna see."
"S-sorry...! No, that's not it!"
Unia stumbled back in panic. No surprise.
I'd gone beyond shirtless—pants and underwear too.
Sexual harassment? Nah. This was unveiling a masterpiece sculpted by a hell duke.
And no censorship issues.
Women going nude? Trouble. Men? Barely raises eyebrows. Bathhouse scenes in dramas cover the goods and air just fine.
Water, wind, fire, dark, illusion attributes. Perception hindrance magic, multi-attribute activation.
It produced the exact same effect.
"Ta-da."
"...Huh?"
"Well?"
I spread my arms wide before her. Unia peeked through her fingers, flustered.
"How'd you...?"
"Illusion magic, applied. Simple. Like a barrier field."
Right now...
"Unia. See anything?"
"......You telling me to look?"
"Couldn't if you wanted to—that's why I can stand here bold as brass."
I struck poses like a bodybuilding shoot.
"Impressed?"
"Uh, um..."
"Yours locks unbreakable. Mine hinders perception."
Hers guarded modesty; mine was straight censorship.
"Illusion magic: Mosaic. How's that?"
No modesty issues at all.