D-Class Championship Match: Part Two

And then…

"Lightning!"

ZBAAAN!

Lyuka was still low-level, so I sent her out aggressively to push her levels up.

With backup from Adelia, Kanan, and Maika, Lyuka leveled up at a steady clip and her real strength kept growing.

It only took a few days for her to count as a full part of our fighting strength.

And then night…

"Lyuka… your performance today was wonderful."

"Yes…! I wanted Naoto-san's reward, so I worked hard… I think I did well today, even by my own standards."

"Ahaha… yeah, you really did. You worked hard."

Lyuka, who up until now had been clever and cool-headed, was now showing me a softer, doting side that pulled at my heartstrings.

… It felt almost like a daughter looking up to her father… is what I'd have liked to say, but my own you-know-where was absolutely not reacting the way it would to a daughter.

Well, with her done up in that lewd Spirit Garb, it wasn't exactly an outfit a daughter should be wearing.

"I'll give you a nice, generous reward today too, okay."

Smooch, smooch, slurp slurp, smooch…

I gave Lyuka an intense deep kiss. Doing this to a still-young girl like Lyuka, fiercely sucking on her tongue, was completely a crime, I thought, but Lyuka's lips were so delicious… eh, whatever, I started getting into it.

Holding hands, our bodies pressed together, we exchanged hot kisses.

While we did that, I groped her chest. The Spirit Garb, shaped almost identically to a string bikini, didn't get in the way of touching her chest at all. The texture of the Spirit Garb felt just like Adelia's soft fur, so it was actually pleasant.

And as for the feel of Lyuka's breasts…

… Hmm, almost completely flat… no, faintly soft.

I couldn't deny there was something oddly arousing about this in its own way, but maybe I really did prefer big breasts after all.

Not that it was Lyuka's fault, by any means…

"Ah, ah, aaah…"

Lyuka, on her end, was responding to my fingers. So small, but properly responding, her nipples hardening…

Y-yeah, she was still cute!

Ah, no, maybe small breasts had their own appeal, too.

Small enough I could pinch them between my fingers, and yet there was a definite softness…

I lost myself in stimulating Lyuka's breasts and gave her small nipples a little squeeze.

"Aaaaah…!"

Twitch, jolt!

Small as she was, her response was real, and Lyuka shuddered all over as if reaching climax, then went limp.

Ah… I wanted to fondle Lyuka's little breasts more…

I reached for Lyuka's chest again…

"Goshujin-sama, Adelia wants a reward too, nya…!"

Just then, Adelia took my hand and brought it to her own breast.

Squish!

The feel of breasts so big they overflowed my palm! Adelia was in her Spirit Garb too, so I got an almost direct, plump skin-on-skin sensation.

… Ahh, big breasts really were wonderful… this voluptuous feel was too much to take…!

"Good job, Adelia… I had a feeling that if we left things alone, it'd start getting unfavorable for those of us with big breasts… All right, Naoto. You've given Lyuka enough reward already, haven't you? Now it's our turn."

"Y-yeah… that's true. Then… like this, with Adelia."

I pulled Adelia close and held her tight in my arms.

And then…

"Smooch, slurp, smooch…"

I kissed her as I held her. I licked Adelia's soft tongue, sucked it, drew her sweet saliva out and gulped it down. While I was at it, I poured my own saliva into Adelia's mouth and had her drink that too.

Adelia, looking like she found my tongue truly delicious, licked it and slurped up the saliva.

While we did that, I stroked her back and her soft red hair…

Up until now, I'd been carefully avoiding touching her breasts. But now…

Once again, I brought my hand to Adelia's big breasts… and touched them.

"Hanyaaaa…"

Adelia let out a high, blissful moan.

… Of course, I felt great too. Plump, full breasts. Strong elasticity…

Adelia's breasts felt so wonderful to massage.

Of course, the deliciousness of tasting her with my lips was amazing too.

The wonderful feel of her lips and her breasts… I got to enjoy them to my heart's content.

This was, by any measure, the supreme reward for me, but…

"Hanyaa… Goshujin-sama's reward is the best, nyaa… Adelia is happy, nyaa…"

Adelia, in bliss, murmured dreamily.

Just like that, I gradually intensified the stimulation to her breasts, and her cries grew louder and louder, until at last…

"Aaaaah, hnaaaah… nnnyaaaah!"

Twitch, jolt!

Adelia arched her back hard and reached climax.

As long as she was wearing her Spirit Garb, even if love juice spurted from her crotch, it was easy to wipe up and reassuring.

"Naoto…"

"Naoto-kuun…"

Watching all that, Kanan and Maika sidled up to me with melted, dazed expressions.

"… Come here, Kanan, Maika…"

I pulled them close and kissed them.

Ahh… to think the day had come when I could do this with the academy's two greatest beauties. I'd never even dreamed of it.

Kissing Maika… swapping plenty of saliva, then kissing Kanan… swapping saliva again, then back to Maika…

I kissed them in turn, swapping saliva three ways.

While I did, I stroked their backs, their hair, their stomachs, their butts. I caressed them all over, languidly, and then…

"Haa, ahh… N-Naoto… please, don't tease me anymore…"

"Naoto-kuun… I-I, I can't take it anymore, it's so painful…"

The two of them pressed their breasts tightly together to appeal to me, asking to be touched.

Compressed by their arms, four breasts deformed softly into different shapes…!

Teasing them any more was impossible. I couldn't hold back.

With my left hand on Maika's breast and my right hand on Kanan's, I grabbed hold tight.

"Aaaaah…!"

"Hnaaa…!"

What the two of them let out were cries of joy.

Having me massage their breasts to my heart's content, they were genuinely delighted.

"Hnaa… no, anymore, anymore, I can't… aaaah… Naotooo, I'm cumming!"

"Naoto-kun, ahh, Naoto-kuun!"

Twitch, jolt…!

The two of them spasmed almost simultaneously and collapsed as if losing consciousness.

Their crotches were soaked, drenched as if they'd wet themselves.

"Haa…"

All four of them slipped into sleep as if they'd lost consciousness. They'd be able to rest soundly through to morning like this.

So they wouldn't catch a chill, I wiped away the moisture, then draped blankets over them.

Maika… up until now, she'd never lost consciousness like this.

She'd been tense somewhere inside, never able to truly relax.

Now, finally, she could enjoy her own pleasure too, opening up to us as one of her own companions.

That fact made me genuinely happy.

"Haa, haa, haa…"

… Just, the fact that Maika wouldn't help me out with fellatio or paizuri was, honestly, a problem.

For me, my own arousal was at its limit.

Carrying my fiercely throbbing penis with me, I stumbled into Leone's room and, with only a perfunctory greeting, pushed her down.

"My, my… well then, I'll have to hurry."

And then…

Squelch, squish, squelch…

Paizuri with Leone's wonderful breasts, jiggling boldly. The same wonderful feel as ever, and I shot off in no time.

Then on to fellatio…

Ahh… it felt so good. She let me unload three rounds in one go.

"Haa, haa… mm, even after coming three times, you're not settling down at all…"

… She was right. It was almost abnormal.

Before, no matter how much my libido had built up, no matter how aroused I'd been, one round of cumming was enough to satisfy me for a while.

Satisfied, but feeling a little something missing? I'd go for round two, round three… but doing that much would satisfy me completely.

But now, even though the pleasure was on a totally different level than what I used to do by hand, the satisfaction was missing far too much.

I didn't know how to explain it. It felt incredibly good, so it wasn't that I wasn't satisfied… but it felt like something was missing, and there was no helping it.

Even with this wonderful Leone-san using her erotic, amazing breasts and her mouth to make me cum… I still felt that something was missing.

What was going on. Was desire really this bottomless?

"I'm sorry, Naoto-san. I… I wonder if I'm not very good at this… I thought my previous master had been properly satisfied…"

Saying that, Leone-san looked dejected. The fact that I was feeling unsatisfied was apparently obvious.

"Ah, no, that's not it. It really does feel good. It's just…"

Maybe I really wouldn't be satisfied unless I went all the way.

"But… we're almost there. The money's coming together steadily, too."

Yeah, we were almost there.

"… Fufu, things are going smoothly, then."

Picking up that I wanted to talk about it, Leone-san had asked.

"Ah, yes…! Even with Lyuka added, our pace hasn't slowed at all. In fact, it's the same. Today we even set a new record. With Lyuka over LV10 and getting stronger, she counts as part of our fighting strength now. Just from being able to keep going until all four of them have used up their skills, we're earning 25% more."

… If things went well, before the defense match at the end of this month netted us another 100,000G, we might even have 490,000 saved up.

Leone was finally going to be mine…!

I'd have this erotic body all to myself…!

… No, no, it wasn't just that. Leone-san was genuinely charming, a wonderful person, so I wanted her as my companion.

If her previous master was part of what shaped the wonderful Leone she was now, I'd accept all of it and love her, the whole package.

I wanted to be the kind of man who could do that.

… At any rate, the fact that I could love Maika, Noda's experience and all, had given me confidence in myself.

"But, are you really okay with me being your first? I mean, Kanan, Adelia, Maika… Lyuka, of course… I'm sure they're all looking forward to the day you embrace them…"

"N-no, no! Leone-san, you're the one I want!"

If I were free to pick someone fitting for my precious first time, my first love Maika, my partner Kanan who'd fought beside me ever since I came here, Adelia who'd first met me in this world and accepted me… there were plenty of fitting candidates.

But Leone-san, the first woman to do anything erotic with me in my life, who'd helped me deal with my unrelentingly built-up libido more than anyone since I'd come to this world… I thought she was the most fitting.

And, well, Kanan and Maika were out anyway, since it'd mean we couldn't go back to the original world.

After that, the days proceeded smoothly. The D-Class battleground was thriving.

Doesn't fighting against me just mean money getting taken away from them? was something I wondered, but apparently the chance to fight a strong opponent safely was something to be grateful for. Easier to level up.

There are cases where lower-class Masters challenge upper-class Masters to a Garumon Battle.

Sometimes it's a "I've prepared everything I need to win, going for the upset!" kind of thing, but apparently far more often, they challenge knowing they can't win.

Why would they do that? For their Garumon's level grinding.

In this world, the system seemed designed so that you gained a lot of experience even when you lost.

Unlike games where you don't gain experience without winning, here, true to reality, you can grow from defeat.

But in a normal Garumon Battle, losing meant your Garumon got taken, so there was no experience or anything else gained.

Of course, from an upper-class Master's perspective, the Garumon would be worthless, so there was a high chance they'd let them go without taking them, but in that case, taking the battle yielded no upside for the upper-class Master either, so the battle wouldn't be accepted.

So when challenging upward, you'd put up a large sum of money (several times the value of your most valuable Garumon) and ask, "If we lose, we'll pay out this money, so please don't take our Garumon," when submitting the challenge.

That way, the upper-class Master got an easy win and a big payout, so it wasn't a bad deal for them.

… So yeah, when a low-class Master challenged a high-class Master, they got fleeced an astonishing amount.

But the experience efficiency from fighting strong opponents was extremely high.

So lower-class Masters tearfully saved up money to challenge stronger opponents, apparently.

In that respect, with me, you'd already be going up against a strong opponent on the level of an upper-class Master, but at very low cost (though the loser still ended up out 2,000-3,000G).

It was like a paid leveling spot.

Of course, I got 1,000-1,500G per battle as a matter of course, so I was grateful for it.

Even if the opponent was weak, you still gained experience. Lyuka's level kept climbing, and even if leveling was slow for the others, experience wasn't only the game's experience points. Like ordinary athletic training, there was growth that seeped into your body. For that, just being able to put in repeated combat training was something to be thankful for.

So, win-win on both sides, we kept on fighting.

In the middle of those smoothly going days, an unusual visitor came to Leone's inn.

"… Oh, my apologies. Our inn is currently fully booked…"

When Leone-san went out to refuse him,

"Leone."

A man called out to her familiarly.

"… Frige?"

A reasonably handsome, sturdily built adult man, around his mid-twenties.

He seemed to be an acquaintance of Leone-san's.

Leone-san had him wait, and came back inside.

"… I'm sorry, Naoto-san. He's… a friend of my late master. His name is Frige. He was also a former classmate of mine."

"He's an old acquaintance, huh. In that case, why not have him come up?"

… Getting jealous would be uncool, I'd figured, and put on a magnanimous front.

"… No, I'll talk with him outside. If we open the windows, you should be able to hear our voices from the living room…"

She wanted me to listen in? An assurance there was nothing untoward going on, I guessed.

… Leone-san didn't look very pleased about it, so out of concern I decided to listen in.

So, the two of them talked on a bench in the garden. Even from inside the house, I could make out the two of them clearly.

"… It's been a while, Leone. Since Aike's funeral, isn't it… That was a real shame about him."

"… Yeah."

Aike… that must have been the name of Leone's late master.

"You haven't changed… still as beautiful as ever."

"… Frige, what is it you want? I'm busy too."

Leone-san's tone was a little stiff and curt.

"… Take a look at this, would you."

"A C-Class license… So, Frige. You've moved up to C-Class. Congratulations."

"… Yeah. Back in our school days, I never could beat Aike, always No. 2. In the end, he took you, too… I'd been stuck in misfortune, but I've finally bloomed. I've reached C-Class, where even Aike couldn't go. Out of Melk Academy's class of '92, the most successful one is going to be me."

Frige said this proudly.

"… I see. Congratulations, Frige. Good for you."

Leone-san smiled gently.

"… And so, Leone. If you keep on running an inn forever, your talents and beauty are going to waste. You think so too, don't you? I'll ask you again… Become my Garumon."

Frige… was inviting Leone-san… A bad feeling stirred in my chest. Surely… she wouldn't agree, would she? When I was so close to making her my companion. But with someone she'd been close to since their school days, maybe…

I started feeling a little anxious.

"I'm sorry. I can't go with you."

But Leone, almost without missing a beat, refused him flatly.

Yes, just brushed him off easily.

"… Why, Leone. Four years ago, you said… if I was going to invite you, I had to be C-Class first. That's why I struggled all the way here. I'm a C-Class Master now. I should have the right to claim you."

"Yes, that's right. So I'll grant you the right to invite me. But whether I accept the invitation is another matter."

"Don't mess with me! What kind of nonsense is that!"

BANG!

Frige struck the table in anger… Things were getting tense.

I stood up, ready to dash out at any moment.

"… Hey, Leone. When Aike was about to part with Firil and Elise, he handed them over to me, didn't he? The one Aike could trust to leave his Garumon with is me. In other words, he'd intended to leave you to me, too."

"… Frige. No matter how good a friend you were, stop putting words in his mouth. It's offensive. It's true that we placed Firil and Elise with you. Firil, Elise, and I discussed it together and decided that being bought by you, a former classmate, was better than being bought by someone we didn't know. He was a man who took his Garumon's wishes into account. So there's no way he'd have intended to hand me over to you."

"But you wanted to keep fighting, didn't you? You used to discuss with me how you could do it even at C-Class and above."

"As his friend, however imperfect, I'd hoped you might be able to encourage Aike. But it was a failure. You actually told him to retire, didn't you."

"There's no point telling things to a guy who's lost his drive. Which means you should set out with me. Right?"

"Frige, that's enough. I've already refused you. I'll set out with someone I can trust from the bottom of my heart."

Even though Leone-san had refused him flatly, Frige kept pressing.

"Leone, that body of yours… You're letting it go to waste sleeping alone at night, aren't you? If it were me, I could satisfy you… Hey. You won't get another chance to become a C-Class Master's Garumon, you know? Letting this chance slip is the act of a fool. You're a smart woman, aren't you, Leone…"

Frige reached out to touch Leone-san familiarly.

"If you come any closer, I'll call the guards. Even a C-Class Master can't carelessly lay hands on an NPC and walk away unscathed… As an old classmate, please don't make me do this. Go home now."

… I wanted to leap out right then, but Leone's response was perfectly fitting and there was no room for me to cut in.

He was still, however imperfectly, a friend of her former husband. If he could go home peacefully, that would be best.

"Leone… seriously, give it a rest. You sure about this? I've become Lord Baris's subordinate, you know?"

"Baris…?"

"B-Class Master Lord Baris. The authority of a B-Class Master is on a different scale from a C-Class Master. Acquiring a single NPC isn't even a chore for him… Lord Baris will get his hands on you, fully enjoy you, and after that, deign to bestow you upon me. I don't mind getting my hands on you that way at all, you know? Lord Baris has a reputation for tormenting Garumon thoroughly. I don't want to put you through that, Leone…"

Frige threatened her.

… Hmm. At first this guy had looked like a slightly more decent man, but his sleaziness kept oozing out more and more.

That was it. I was past my limit.

"Leone-san, sorry. I can't keep quiet any longer."

I stood in front of Leone and looked Frige square in the face.

"Naoto-san…"

Leone was just worried for me.

"… What? Who's this brat?"

"D-Class No. 1, Eora Champion, Naoto Akai."

"… Eora Champion, you say? This brat…?"

Frige looked me up and down rudely.

"Threatening Leone-san like that… I won't let that pass."

"… Hah, you brat. Don't stick your nose into adults' conversations."

"If I'm a brat, what does that make you? A loser?"

"What did you say!?"

"Once, you couldn't beat Aike-san, and now you're wagging your tail at this Baris guy… Do you really think someone like that has the right to take Leone-san away?"

"… You bastard! I'll kill you!"

Frige flew into a rage in an instant.

"… There's no point talking any more, then. Two men fighting over a single woman. You know what we do to settle it at a time like this."

"… Hah? Are you serious? I'm a C-Class Master, you know? Brat, you don't even know the difference between D-Class and C-Class."

"You're a C-Class newbie, aren't you? I'll be C-Class starting next month myself. Let me get a taste of the C-Class level, senpai."

I said it provocatively and operated the System.

… Three SR-class Garumon. And on top of that, all three with base values in the upper 3000s, and over 4000 with level adjustments. Their values were quite high.

So this was… C-Class. Definitely the strongest opponents I'd faced. Stronger than anyone I'd fought up to now.

"Don't, Naoto-san. Frige is by no means weak. Firil, Elise, and Etna are the No. 2 through 4 of my year at the academy."

Leone-san was worried about me.

"Leone. In that case… watch. I'll prove that I have the strength worthy of making you my companion."

… His showing up at this exact moment… maybe it was a trial set by her former husband Aike, like, "If you want Leone, prove you're worthy."

"Naoto-san… All right. I'll believe in your victory."

Saying that, Leone gave my back a light push, sending me on my way.

"… Huh? What did you say? You son of a bitch…"

"Leone is mine."

"… Hah, well then, if I beat you to a pulp, that means Leone is mine! That's how it'll go, Leone, right!"

"… Yes, Frige. I promise. If you can beat Naoto-san, I'll be yours. In exchange, accept this battle, on whatever terms he sets."

"Hahaha! Fine! Brat, I'll smash you!"

Leone-san's assist was much appreciated. So my conditions were: his entire fortune… oh, he had 800,000G on him. Stake the whole amount.

Plus, an approach prohibition against Leone-san for one year, and a ban on bringing up the subject of her.

This way he wouldn't be able to go crying to that Baris person either.

My side's payment if I lost: my whole fortune of 450,000G. Plus, I'd cooperate in making Leone Frige's companion.

My side's payment was smaller, but he agreed. If I won, it'd be a huge windfall.

We moved to the battleground, and the battle started.

Our stats were currently like this.

Compared to his Garumon, mine might still fall short on raw power, but I'd do this.

Letting Leone-san feel any worse than this was something I wouldn't allow.

"If we win this, Leone becomes our companion, right? … Then there's nothing to do but go all out."

"Nya! Going all out, nya! Leone is finally joining us, nya! I can't wait, nya!"

"… Fufufu. That's right. For Leone-san's sake too… we absolutely can't lose!"

This time, the high-LV trio of Kanan, Adelia, and Maika was the obvious choice.

"… The opponent's a higher class. And it's a battle we can't lose. Everyone, change into your Spirit Garbs."

"Yes!" "Nya!" "Got it!"

Whoosh… rustle, rustle.

The three of them changed into their lewd outfits.

"…! What, the quality of those Garumon… d-don't mess with me. Go, Firil, Elise, Etna!"

Three women appeared. All three quite beautiful.

"… It's been a while, Leone. Frige's always wanted you. For Frige, who picked me up after Aike threw me away… I won't lose this!"

Firil, an ogre with red skin and horns, swung her iron club around.

"Leone… it's not fair, only you. Aike too, Frige too, they only looked at you… I can't forgive it."

Elise's features themselves were beautiful, but she was glaring at Leone with dark eyes.

"Ahaha… it's been a while, all of us getting together. I'd like to chat happily… ah, ugh."

Etna was a cheerful-looking girl, and seemed reluctant about all this.

"Kanan, Wind's Blessing. Adelia, Boost Power. Maika, Dance of Frost."

After endless combat training in D-Class, our way of fighting had been established. Or to put it less charitably, it had become a one-pattern routine.

The moment the battle started, Kanan stepped one pace forward and Adelia and Maika dropped back, forming a 1-2 formation, then we started stacking buffs.

"Get her, Firil! Crush her! Ogre's Strike!"

"Haaaaaah!"

DOGAAAAAH!

A slamming attack. But she couldn't get past Kanan to attack the two in the back.

Kanan's Wind Shield blocked it beautifully.

… Still, the firepower looked strong. If I hadn't blocked, who knew how much damage we'd have taken.

"… Oho, a shield. Then, how about this? Flame Sword!"

Whoosh! Slash!

A magic attack, huh. Wind Shield couldn't block this. About 10 damage… decent firepower.

"Whoa, hard! Frige, this kid is strong against magic! She's Wind-element, but she has fire resistance too!"

"… Hah, looks like she's not just any kid… Elise, Protection."

"Yes… Protection."

She raised the whole party's Defense. I saw, with Elise giving them defense buffs and healing, they could run a 2-Attacker formation without a Defender.

Next turn.

"Kanan, Wind's Blessing. Adelia, Boost Power. Maika, Accel Mirage."

"Here I go!"

Maika dashed in and kicked up at Etna.

The damage was about 1/8 of her gauge. Her HP must have been around 100. As expected, more than the enemies up till now.

"Forget the shield, smash through it! Frenzied Beatdown!"

… Right, a multi-hit attack to counter the shield.

"Kanan!"

"Hmph, you ogre, over here!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

She showed off three perfect dodges in a row. The combination of evasion and defense bought us many turns.

Kanan's polished defensive technique worked even against C-Class.

"Gaaah! You little…!"

CLANG! A four-hit attack, huh. As expected, she did take one hit.

The shield wouldn't last much longer…

"Here I go… Fire Circle!"

When Etna swung her sword around, an enormous ring of flame filled the entire battlefield.

… An all-target attack. We couldn't leave this to Kanan alone.

"Everyone, jump!"

They tried to jump at the right timing to dodge. Maika and Kanan succeeded, but Adelia got caught.

About 10 damage.

"… Tch, they dodge well… they're tough."

Etna seemed to be communicating the situation to Frige, helping with strategy planning.

Elise continued Protection.

Next turn began. Sparkle, sparkle…

At last, the freezing from Dance of Frost activated. Elise was unable to move. It didn't work on the Fire-element Etna, that was expected, but,

"… Gaaaah! You little…!"

Firil immediately broke out of her unable-to-move state. Some kind of trait, probably.

Around here, I had to decide whether to attack or keep stacking buffs. The question was whether Kanan could still defend…

Looked like we could stack a bit more.

"Adelia, Boost Power. Kanan, Wind's Blessing. Maika, Accel Mirage."

Maika attacked Etna. That was 1/4 damage.

"Crush her! Frenzied Beatdown!"

"Aaaaah!"

CLANG! CLANG!

This time two hits… it was tough to dodge them all.

"… With fire resistance this dialed in, it's rough for me… Fire Circle!"

Dodging again, dodging… again about 10 damage to Adelia.

"I mean, my hits aren't landing! Frige, these guys are seriously well-trained!"

"What are you doing, Etna! Land your hits properly!"

"I'm doing my part!"

They were bickering…

So far, things were going smoothly. C-Class… was this all? At this level, it seemed like we could win easily.

Buffs should have been about enough by now. Time to switch to attack.

"All right, everyone, let's go. Kanan, Tornado! Maika, Blizzard! Adelia, Flame Claw on Etna!"

"Yes! Tornado!" Whoooosh!

A tornado struck the opponents, shaving about 1/6 off all three of their gauges… For Tornado to do this little was unusual. Their defense was quite high.

Stacked Protection effect was part of it, too.

"Blizzard!" Tiny damage on the Fire-element Etna, but it shaved about 1/5 off Firil and Elise.

Magic stat differences from LV difference, huh. With this much shaving, finishing them off was plenty doable.

"Nyaaaaah!"

SLASH!

There, Adelia's Flame Claw, with firepower more than tripled, landed on Etna. Her gauge dropped to 0 in one go.

"… Bgh… what an attack power… you're strong. But I won't go down easy! Self-Destruct!"

"… Nya!?"

Flash, BAKAAAAM!

"Adelia!"

Etna self-destructed right before going down. The massive damage caught Adelia in the blast and pushed her right to the brink of death.

"Nyauuu!"

In fact, only being on the brink of death was thanks to Maika's Spirit Garb's Endure activating. The damage actually was a one-hit kill.

… As expected of C-Class. They didn't go down for nothing.

"Adelia, fall back!"

"Crush her with the follow-up! Firil!"

"Die!" Firil chased the retreating Adelia.

"I won't let you!" Kanan cut in between!

Kanan unleashed her wind shield, head-on against Firil's iron club.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, swish

Kanan protected Adelia all the way through.

Adelia's HP was at 1, but we had the numbers advantage now.

"… Resurrection!"

But just then… Elise used a skill, and Etna revived at HP 1.

"… Pwah, baaack to liiife! Phew, thanks, Elise!"

"Resurrection magic! There's even something like that…!"

… This combo was tricky. Self-destruct on death, plus revive, meant we got self-destructed on as many times as they wanted.

But couldn't we prevent the self-destruct by killing her with a long-range attack like Tornado or Blizzard?

Next turn.

"All right, Kanan, Tornado, Maika, Blizzard, Adelia, Flame Claw on Firil!"

"Tornado!"

Kanan's Tornado blasted, and Etna's HP dropped to 0 again.

But the moment she was about to fall, Etna came flying at us.

"Daaaah! Self-destruct!"

… No good. Even when we'd drop her at a distance, she just ran at us still wreathed in the light of the explosion. She wouldn't stop until she self-destructed.

"… I'll try to stop her! Blizzard!"

Maika fired Blizzard. Freezing her to stop her was a clever idea, I thought too, but Fire-element Etna didn't freeze and just kept coming.

"… You're not getting through!"

Maika gave up on freezing her and stood in her path with both arms outstretched.

BAKAAAM!

"Kyaaaaa!"

Maika got blown away by Etna's self-destruct. Shadow Step, by bad luck, didn't activate.

"Maika…!"

The firepower was enough to one-shot even Adelia. Maika, weak to Fire, was no match for it.

Endure, in the end, was just a low probability. Naturally it wouldn't trigger twice, and Maika went down.

… So far, it was an even back-and-forth.

"Maika…! Nyaaaah! Flame Claw!"

DOGAAAH!

"Gah!"

Firil got blown back in one strike… But what HP, what endurance. She'd been chipped away little by little this whole time and even after eating Adelia's attack she still didn't fall.

… That said, she was now near death. One more push and Firil should go down.

… However, the problem was Elise's healing. If she revived Etna again…

"Resurrection!"

… But the light fizzled. Thank goodness. So it wasn't 100% activation.

"W-what!? What are you doing, Elise!"

"… Ngh, I hate her…"

Next turn.

"Adelia, take Elise down! Flame Claw!"

"Nya!"

"I won't let you! Firil! Buster Shot!"

Firil tried to slam down on Adelia.

"That goes for me too. I won't let you!"

But, a beautiful interception by Kanan. Becoming Adelia's shield, she perfectly blocked with Wind Shield, not letting Adelia's advance be obstructed.

"… Resurrection!"

But, an instant earlier, Elise's skill activated.

"Now you'll really come back!" Etna revived.

ZGAAAAN!

In the same beat, Elise fell.

… Good. Firil was near death, Etna was near death.

On our side Adelia was near death, but Kanan's HP was still plenty high. With this…

"This is the finishing blow. Tornado!"

This should have done it in one shot.

"Kanan, run from Etna with everything you've got… Here she comes!"

"… Uoooo! Self-destruct!"

"Twice, three times, give it up, why don't you!"

Kanan tried to flee, but Etna's tenacity was just an instant faster…!

"Kanan!"

But Adelia leaped sideways and tackled Etna head-on, and then…

BAKAAAM!

Etna's self-destruct. Adelia, caught up in it, fell… but Kanan survived.

"Gaaah!"

On the other side, Firil also remained. Endure activation, perhaps?

"Oooooooooh! Frenzied Beatdown!"

And Firil's attack came down on the surviving Kanan.

"Kanan!"

"… Don't worry. Adelia threw herself in to protect me… An attack at this level, what kind of girl would I be if I couldn't dodge it!"

Whoosh, whoosh, CLANG, CLANG!

Two dodges, two blocks.

"… Gaaaah! Ogre's Strike!"

CLANG!

Eh, two actions per turn?

… What was that. The moment she went down to 0 HP and Endure activated, taking two actions…

Looked like there was some kind of skill or trait.

… If I'd taken that Ogre's Strike, Kanan would have been one-shotted.

If I hadn't kept the last shield in reserve, that'd have been close. But blocking that just-now hit meant the match was over.

Endure wouldn't activate twice in a row.

"Leone belongs to Naoto, and to us, so don't come near us anymore! Tornado!"

"Gaaah… damn it…"

Next turn, Kanan's Tornado finished her cleanly… We won!

… Adelia went down, Maika went down… before I knew it, it was a win on a thread of ice.

"You did it! Naoto-san, you did it! Amazing!"

The one happiest about it, even more than me, was Leone.

"I-impossible… I… lost to a D-Class Master…? D-damn it, Leone… she was supposed to be mine…"

Frige was hanging his head in despair.

"… There were times I thought, if only Aike had had as much passion as you do. Goodbye, Frige."

Leone said her farewell to him without ceremony.

"Uwaaaah…"

And then, the defeated Frige put down the money, no longer able to come within range of Leone for a year, and fled.

"… I thought saying anything more would only pile on him further… There were a lot of things I wanted to say to you, Naoto-san, but just one for now… I love you."

BANG.

That gentle smile of hers… uh oh. My heart got shot through.

Ah, all the suffering had paid off.

Everything I'd gone through since coming here… no, it wasn't a big deal at all. Kanan and Adelia were the ones doing the suffering. I was just giving orders.

But still, it felt like it had all paid off.

And then, defense match day.

"Welcome, the long-awaited defense match! The day Naoto Akai, beloved by so many D-Class Masters as a leveling dojo, ascends to C-Class! Thank you, Naoto Akai! Even after going up to C-Class, please don't forget about Eora! At long last… it's the second defense match!"

The announcer, and everyone else, was certain of my victory. Probably even my opponent.

The opponent was a D-Class Master we'd fought many times before.

The lineup wasn't particularly different and there were no surprises.

If anything, the issue was that when I tried to send my girls out in normal clothes, there was a huge round of booing, and I was forced to fight in Spirit Garbs.

"Whoa…! Our new addition, the magical girl, is a loli-loli beautiful girl! Putting a beauty like that into such a sinful outfit… this is so erotic! It reeks of crime, I'm so jealous, Naoto Akai!"

This commentator was funny, too.

Thank you, Eora.

And so, we successfully ascended to C-Class.