Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa

Thereafter.

Having totally finished all of the curriculum of the monster tamer training camp, we, with nothing else to do, engaged in inconsequential things like playing with the UNO that Kyouko had brought while we waited for the last day of the camp, when the MVP would be decided, to come.

Even so, UNO…

Quite the nostalgic item she has brought.

Calm down, calm down. When going on field trips there was always at least one person in the cla.s.s who was the type to bring it.

I have the feeling that Kyouko is one of those.

“My turn. A direct attack to Kyouko with five draw two in a row[1]!”

“W-wait, Haru! Aren’t you being mean to me since a while ago!? You are only aiming your attacks at me!”

“Mm. Really? That’s not my intention, though.”

“… Is that so?”

Inquired Kyouko with reproachful eyes.

“Obviously! First, this is a game. Don’t get so heated up. Generally, haven’t you been a bit too self-conscious since long ago… Ack!”

“… Haru, could you perhaps be a do-M[2]? Do you wish so much to be kicked by me?”

“Moron. ‘S not. Like that.”

“…”

The reason why I’m provoking Kyouko is just one.

The short skirt-wearing Kyouko naturally has to raise her leg to kick me.

If I use the kinetic vision of the me who has awakened the power of the maou… Even if it’s just for a little instant, I can perfectly see with these eyes a glimpse of Kyouko’s panties.

Fufufu.

To lose a fly to catch a trout.[3]

To be caught by such a basic technique while being my childhood friend, quite the simple fellow.

Among them, just one person.

Only my sister Manami noticed my true intentions, but she made it to show me by herself glimpses of the contents of her skirt…

Since seeing my sister’s panties of course doesn’t make me happy, I’ll keep ignoring her.

With this and that… It happened when I was fully enjoying the camp with the girls.

Had I known that they’d hold the ‘Miss monster girl’ event on the last day of the camp…

× × ×

“What I want to say is as I told you before. Since, currently, the ranking of the girls of the camp seems to be all first position with the same grades, if we go like this it may become the historical first occasion of three people being awarded the MVP at the same time~.

In my opinion, though everyone being first is a foul and I wouldn’t allow anyone to go out with my son, since I think that that’s not fair, hence if you partic.i.p.ate in this contest I invite you to, I’ll allow it!”

“…”

The heck, when it comes to mom… Just when I think she’s shown up abruptly, she comes with this outrageous talk.

Summarizing mom’s talk.

Since, currently, Zonmi, Kyouko and Iris are tied together in first place with the exact same points, it seems there’s a possibility that like this the “who will become my lover?” won’t get settled at the end of the camp.

So this is why this suspicious miss monster girl contest that mom suggested.

The monsters confess various things to the monster tamers they are grateful to and the spectators who act as judges rate the depth of their mutual trust… That seems to be the gist of it.

As this event is purely recreational and not tied to the main training, usually it has no effects on the camp grades.

Exceptionally, the monster selected as ‘miss monster’ this year will have their grade subtly increased.

In other words… If one among the girls became the victor, inevitably the line of the same points first place MVP will vanish.

“Mother. Let me partic.i.p.ate in this event without fail!”

Her usual cool beauty atmosphere seems like a lie.

As if a fire was burning in her eyes, Zonmi entered hot-blooded mode.

The other two girls, same like Zonmi, looked unusually fired up.

Hmmmm. Well, then, so it’s come to that?

As there’s a high chance that they"ll outwit the other rivals in this event, it’s not like the fighting spirit is not needed.

“Hey, hey. Kana-tan. By the way, can Manami also join that event? Manami is human, though!”

“Mmm. As expected, for this time only, do I have to be an itty-bitty strict? Mana-tan, house-sit like an adult.”

“Eeeh. I don’t wanna house-sit by myself. At least Kana-tan has to remain at the cottage with me! I’m tired of looking at miss t.i.tties’ t.i.tties!"

“Manami-sama. Could you please not say such mean things so nonchalantly?”

“Ahaha. Sorry, sorry. Mom has to now go meet an old acquaintance for work-related issues. Good grief… Even though this was a chance for my long awaited mother-daughter alone time, how disagreeable—”

Mom laughed out loud with her usual easygoing att.i.tude.

However, why is it.

It may be because of all those long years as mother and child that I noticed.

Mom’s smile seemed just a bit somewhat forced.

Speaking of which, Manami had told me previously… That mom was hiding something from us.

I think that I at last understand those words.

However, naturally, it’s not like I can ask mom “what are you hiding?” based on such an intuitive hunch.

Only a murky feeling that I can’t vent out remains in my chest.

× × ×

Finally the last day of the camp arrived.

“… Nephilim. And red dragon too. Finally the time has come for the decision dragged out for so long to be made.”

“Fufufufu. The one who will be laughing last will be me, the childhood friend… I’ll show you how I’ll definitely make Haru mine!”

“… Who will take the seat of the monster tamer’s wife? This endless battle… Will be decided at last?”

We are, currently, at the venue of the miss monster girl contest.

We were standing backstage.

“Eeeh. Then, entry number one! Newbie monster tamer Hongou Taichi-san and false slime Mich.e.l.le-chan. You two, take the stage!”

“…”

Aah. That’s right.

By the way, the one who’s acting as the host of this event is the mid-rank monster tamer who worked as my coach during the intensive training from before—Asakura Yuina-san.

Yuina-san although she was sending to us who were waiting backstage glances filled with animosity from time to time, skillfully kept acting as a host.

By the way, that we ended up in the position of last performer in the order

is it really just by chance?

That Yuina-san holds a grudge against us for shaming her has been clearly conveyed, but… I don’t feel that that has any relation.

“Eeeh. The act that, as you see, the fake slime Mich.e.l.le-chan can’t take human shape it’s because it seems that its little magic power is insufficient, but, for that, the affection for its master is especially strong. Isn’t it, Mich.e.l.le-chan?”

“… Guchuguchu. Guchuguchu.”

“…”

What the heck.

Though it has been conveyed that it frantically wanted to convey something, since in the first place it can’t speak human language, it doesn’t look like communication can be established…

Looking at Mich.e.l.le-chan’s grotesque shape, like a molten corpse of a living being, I really felt seriously that “could it be that my environment as a monster tamer is very blessed?”

Was it thanks to Yuina-san’s good hosting, having quickly gotten the knack?

After that, the miss monster girl contest proceeded all right.

However, while it’s right that the contents were ‘monsters expressing their thankful feelings to the partners they are usually indebted to’, there was never the atmosphere of a monster confessing its love to a human.

As I thought, is it that a human and a monster becoming lovers is made taboo by society’s common sense?

Such a thing… Makes me extremely worried.

“Eeeh. Now, what everyone was waiting for! Entry number 16.

Newbie monster tamer Kusumi Chiharu-san and the lovely pretty girl from the ghoul clan!

It’s Zonmi Ra McKenzie’s entry!

The couple who has caught the attention and become the talk of this camp, what kind of performance will they show us!? Everybody, antic.i.p.ate it!”

“…!”

We’ve been had.

Even though I vaguely had a hunch, she’s nonchalantly raised the hurdle.

As instructed by Yuina-san, we stood in the middle of the stage.

“Uwaah…”

I reflexively leaked out a voice of admiration.

Before us, monster tamers and their partners… Both of them together accounted for nearly three hundred spectators sitting there and watching our every action.

“…”

Contrasting with me, who was stiff from the nervousness due to being unaccustomed to standing in public, Zonmi kept a cool countenance.

As expected, the word cool beauty, wrong… Ghoul beauty fits Zonmi to a T.

Like that, Zonmi took the mike prepared onstage and, without batting so much an eyelash, spouted shocking words.

“As I’ve been introduced, I am Zonmi Ra McKenzie.

… Well, going straight to the point, I hold romantic feelings for this man here called Kusumi Chiharu.

The trust as a monster tamer’s partner… Not in that sense, I love him as a man.”

“““!?”””

The instant after Zonmi voiced such shocking words.

I felt as if the flow of mood that had been drifting until then at the venue instantly changed.

“And it seems that the other two girls who will be coming later onstage hold the same feelings as me.

As I don’t like being roundabout, I’ll tell it clearly now; the monster who wins this contest from among the 3, me included, is arranged to marry our partner Chiharu.”

“““…”””

The people at the venue couldn’t hide their bewilderment because of Zonmi’s bombsh.e.l.l announcement that she had fired as if expecting an answer.

Well, to be fair, if we say that disclosing the news with the att.i.tude of facing a duel is much like the overly serious Zonmi, it was Zonmi-like?

“Eeh!? That ghoul girl… Is she serious!?”

“I can’t believe it. For starters, such a thing as a human and a monster in a relationship… I’ve never heard of it!”

“Though, personally, it’s not like I want to act in such an emotion-garnering way… I’m already at a relationship level with Chiharu-kun of being both stark naked under the same blankets heating each other’s bodies… That’s why I absolutely can’t afford to lose this showdown.”

“““!?”””

“Having shown once my naked body to a man is the same as if my body had been already sullied.

If I can’t make Chiharu take responsibility at any cost, I, in the future… I’ll possibly end up stranded on the roadside without being able to find any one to take me.”

“…”

Zonmi kept pleading to the spectators with a tone filled with emotion.

I see.

This Zonmi chick… I don’t know if it"s intentionally or by chance, she’s been saying clever things.

That said, appealing to the feelings of the audience is better in garnering votes than saying outright “vote for me”.

Nevertheless.

“That girlie… She’s heavy[4].. No matter how pretty she is, that’s a bit…”

“Calm down[check]. They’ve only slept together once, pretentious woman!”

“That’s right! Gross[5]”

Contrary to my expectations, Zonmi’s strategy seemed to be extremely unpopular with the judges of the venue.

The love philosophy (?) that Zonmi has which was, to put it nicely, modest, and to put it badly, old-fashioned, wasn’t understood by the children of modern times who were at the venue.

“… This means, since we already have parental consent, that the only thing left now are Chiharu’s feelings! Everyone at the venue! Could you please vote righteously for my and Chiharu’s cheerful family!?”

“…”

Without noticing the completely chilled atmosphere of the venue, Zonmi kept pleading.

Erm, the people at the venue have been taken aback in quite a diligent way.

“… Z-Zonmi-san.

For your 30 minutes long explanation of your future plans… Thank you very much.

Who will be taking the stage next is Iris Scarlet Linwurm-chan the red dragon~. Everyone, let’s give her a warm applause~”

In second place, it’s Iris.

Prompted by Yuina-san the people at the venue gave some applauses, but once they saw Iris, the claps stopped and they directed chilly glares to me.

“Hey. Such a little kid is also a bride candidate? This Kusumi Chiharu guy…”

“No matter how you look at it he’s a lolicon… Even if just the monster fetish was already quite that, on top of it, a lolicon… Really the worst…”

The words I hear from the venue are quite severe.

“…”

Perhaps because, totally different from the time with Zonmi, she was not used to appearing before a crowd of people, nervousness could be picked up from Iris’s gait.

“… That, erm… I…”

The moment Iris started to say something.

*KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!*

Perhaps because the mike wasn’t adjusted, it produced a grating noise that could be said to be a kind of a staple at these sort of events.

“Fue…”

From Iris, who was exposed to public attention, none of her usual high-handed att.i.tude could be felt.

The one who’s now before me, suited to her age… If we put aside the fact that she’s from the red dragon clan, was just your run-of-the-mill 12 year old girl.

“… Hey. That kid, isn’t she cute?”

“… Yeah. I may have said that before, but I think that I’ve understood a bit that Kusumi Chiharu guy’s feelings.”

Is this what they call a lucky break?

Iris’s loveable blunder seemed to have touched the attendance’s heartstrings.

In all honesty.

The glares the attendance has been sending to us until now were relentless, but seeing Iris’s pure acts, they slowly started sending her “fight on!” cheers.

“Fuu…”

Iris, taking one big, deep breath, seems to have succeeded in recovering her usual mood.

“Monster tamer. I must apologize to thee for one thing.”

“Mm. Why so sudden?”

Iris wants to apologize to me?

After all, as she was born into the elites called red dragons, Iris is the top (number one) most prideful person I know.

I think it’s rare for Iris to apologize to me.

“The pledge of marriage I agreed with thee… For now I want to retract it.”

“… Eh?”

The words that Iris spouted, as if contrary to all of her insistence until now… Were too astounding.

“… Why the heck?”

As I asked the reason, Iris, slowly shaking her head,

"This… Is something I’ve been pondering for a while.

Unfortunately, I don’t meet the requirements to be betrothed to thee… Nowadays, suddenly I came to think like that.”

“… Do you mean that age-wise you can’t get married?”

Has she learned about the fact that to get married in the human world she needs to be 16 or more[6]?

When I voiced what I thought, Iris just grinned broadly.

“… Missing the mark but surprisingly striking the essence… It’s truly like thee to say that.

However, unfortunately, thy expectations are amiss.

I… Since I lost both my parents at a tender age, I led a life of being shut alone inside my sh.e.l.l, knowing nothing about the outside world.

For that very reason… Compared to the feelings the ghoul or the Nephilim hold for thee I ended up not being confident enough of my own feelings.

Right now, these feelings I profess thee, like those of a just-born fledgling who takes the first being they see as their parent… Can someone deny that they are that kind of blind devotion?”

“…”

I didn’t know.

Really, was Iris hiding these kind of feelings in her heart…

Yet, I think I understand what Iris is saying.

About Iris’s marriage proposal, ‘she’s ignorant of the ways of the world, therefore I rushed out’… I had that kind of recognition.

“Moreover… As right now my experience is insufficient in regards to many things, I cannot possibly act as thy support.

Ever since meeting y’all… And coming to live together… I keenly realized that. For that, I, for the moment, if the strife dies out I shall return to the Netherworld and try to attend school.”

“… S-school!?”

Right now at this moment, surely I’m not the only one who could picture Iris dressed in an sparkling uniform and holding a schoolbag.

“… It’s not that surprising of a thing.

Rather, I find myself more questionable that such a thing hadn’t come to my mind until now. If I go to school, I shall part from thee for a minimum of 3 years…

However, just if…”

Instantly, Iris, who was casting her eyes down with a weak voice, with a face of having made some sort of decision, firmly raising her head,

“Just if… Yet notwithstanding, these feelings of mine were unchanged… I want thee to listen to my confession. Although… For the one confessing to say “I want thee to wait” may be really foolish…”

“… I’ll wait.”

“… Nu?”

“Iris. The one who should apologize would rather be me.

I… Till I heard your words, I was regarding your ‘marry me’ speech half as a joke.

… But, in fact it’s different.

I’m glad that you’ve thought so hard about it.

That’s why I’ll stop being half-baked.

3 years…?

Once they pa.s.s… If your feelings don’t change, I’ll definitely put off my answer like I’m doing now.

I’m resolved to take your feelings on wholeheartedly!”

As I voiced my honest feelings, Iris let out a daring smile,

“… Fu! Is it so?

However… This very minute, I’m convinced.

This feelings I hold for thee, shan’t fade never ever, in all eternity.

I love thee, Kusumi Chiharu.

I like thee more than any other person in the world.”

“…”

After declaring that with an extraordinary smile, Iris quickly left the venue.

I give up… After a while, my heartthrobs don’t give (show) any signs of calming down.

… That and all, wasn’t that the first time that Iris called me by name?

And Iris’s straight feelings that I felt seem to have reached the spectators.

“W-what a praiseworthy kid.”

“… Strange. I don’t know why but… I want to root for that child.”

Different from the time with Zonmi, Iris’s brave request had reached the hearts of the people at the venue.

“Iris-chan, thank you very much—.

Now, bringing an end to this miss monster girl contest, the Nephilim Kurose Kyouko-chan. Everyone, let’s give a grand applause suitable to the last entry!”

“…!”

In third place, Kyouko.

Standing on the stage, Kyouko’s nervousness doesn’t lost to the one from Iris earlier.

By the way.

It has been bugging me since before.

I… Don’t understand very well Kyouko’s reason for joining this event.

I mean, really?

Kyouko, from among the three girls I have a contract with, is the only one who hasn’t told “I like you” to me and her marriage proposal was made on the nonsensical grounds of “it’s unbalanced”.

“Was it necessary for you to enter this by force?”

When I voiced my heartfelt thoughts, Kyouko made a sullen face and raised her eyebrows.

“W-why!?”

“I mean, you… Isn"t it that you don’t like me in a romantic way?

Being that the case… What need did you have to join a showdown where they betted who"s marrying me?”

“…”

Hearing my words, Kyouko dropped her glance looking downcast.

… Have I been a bit too harsh?

However, there’s no helping that.

If she married a partner that she doesn’t love, Kyouko would only become unhappy.

As for me, for Kyouko… I want her to find someone she truly loves and become happy.

Kyouko, after a bit of silence,

Of course I love you, moron!

For some reason, Kyouko shouted an astounding statement in anger when I should’ve been the angry one.

“You… Cut it out! Stop being so thick headed!”

“… Eh? Wait!? Could it be that Kyouko loves me!?”

“That’s… That’s what I’ve been telling you for a while, you moron!”

“Since when!? Since when the heck do you like me, Kyouko!?”

Since the childhood friend I’ve known for years has dropped that bombsh.e.l.l, I unconsciously also became panicked.

“Of course since the start, moron!”

“…”

Hey.

Someone explain it to me.

What the heck, I’m being confessed or I’m being told up… Which is it?

“Haru, you moron!

Moron, moron, moron!

Even though for over 7 years I’ve aaaaaaaaaaaaaalways felt like that… Haru, all the time… You flirt with other girls before my eyes…”

“Woah!? My bad! Don’t cry!”

Suddenly, Kyouko broke into tears right there.

“Uwaah. That guy… The worst.”

“I can’t find a bit of anything to sympathize.”

“…”

The booing I heard from the venue were painful.

“Eeeerm. Hey. Could you stand? Kyouko?”

There’s no reason to keep being on the stage any more.

I, to pull up Kyouko, who had broken into tears, I grabbed her from her clothes’ sleeve, and then it happened.

“!?”

Kyouko’s bewitching lips plugged up my own lips.

“… Kyouko?”

“…”

While unconsciously sliding a finger through my lips, I stood stock still dumbfounded.

On my mouth that had been touched by Kyouko lingered traces of a faint warmth.

“D-don’t misunderstand!”

Same as usual, Kyouko—with a way of speaking like taken from the template of a tsundere character, stated that to me.

“I’ve already said it, but… That the other girls have done it and only I haven’t is unfair or because it’s unbalanced… It’s not like that…”

After that introduction, Kyouko,

“The kiss from just now comes from my piled up feelings of seven years… Gratefully accept it… Moron!”

Stating that clearly, she left the stage.

“…”

I ended up being left alone on the venue.

I didn’t know.

Unexpectedly, that Kyouko has always… Liked me.

Thinking about it carefully, though this event, I… From all three girls, Zonmi, Iris and Kyouko, have received confessions and ended up with the shocking experience of having kissed all of them.

Kyouko, who until now put herself aside in romantic matters, by confessing to me… Is now standing on an equal line as everyone?

Next, the only thing left is waiting for the results of who’s been chosen as the MVP of this camp.

“What the… Ein…”

It was when I was thinking those things.

The scene unfolded before my eyes of the sky being painted up in black as if hinting the end of the world—.

The sun’s light blocked by something darkish, as far as I could see, all light was lost as if it had become night.

That which suddenly appeared at the human world—

Was the beginning of the end.

× × ×

Turning back the time to twenty minutes before the end of the miss monster girl contest.

Near the Abyss Gate in Fuji"s Sea of Trees — aka h.e.l.l"s Red, two monster tamers were facing each other.

The first tamer was Luka the Snake Charmer.

She, who was the youngest in history to be promoted to top rank monster tamer, had the hopes of many who called her a ‘genius of once in 10 years’ put on her, but… As if she had lost her way somewhere, her other ident.i.ty was that of the top of the evil organization of the Black Tamers.

“Ufufu. My, my. The last boss’s entry… Should I call it like that~?

Truth is… I though there were too many few people protecting the largest Abyss Gate of the world.

Immortal Tamer—Kusumi Kanae.”

“…”

The name of the other monster tamer was Kusumi Kanae.

She, who’s widely regarded as the strongest both in name and in fact from all the current top rank monster tamers, has enough skill to be called a ‘living legend’ by her peers.

“… Oh, my, Haruka.

Have you forgotten how to use respectful speech in the while I haven’t seen you?

Long ago, you were a child who’d respectfully call me ‘senpai! senpai!’. Good grief… Something I don’t want the time to change.”

Luka, dropping her glance a bit,

“Haruka… Is it? That way of addressing me… No one but you use it anymore, Kane-san.”

She directed Kanae a piercing glare like a snake aiming for its prey.

“Then… What would you be doing here?

According to my research, shouldn’t you have been entrusted with guarding your son?”

“No~. Certainly I was told something like that by that grampsmaou from the IMA, y’know~.

Sorry, but just waiting doesn’t sit with me.

If I stop your rampage, I’ll be killing two birds with one stone by protecting my dear Haru-nyan and protecting world peace.

So, hey?

I-it’s not like I’m skipping work, y’know?”

Hearing Kanae’s claim, Luka deeply sighed.

“Haah~. Really a, befitting of you… Irresponsible reply.

Besides… There’s a line I can’t overlook.

Stopping me to save the world, you say? That you make me to be something like an evildoer taking revenge on mankind… How vexing.”

“… Oh, my. If that’s not the case then what are you doing here?

Don’t tell me that by chance when you were taking a walk… You pa.s.sed by this globally important location?”

Before Kanae’s questioning, Luka slowly shook her head.

“Not at all. It’s by chance.

By chance, when I was taking a walk, I turned up to rebuild the world.

So, Kanae-san. Please make way.

At the other side of that gate there are monsters of the anti-human faction numbering over a million lying in wait.

They are eagerly awaiting the day I destroy this Abyss Gate.”

Confronted with Luka’s speech, Kanae raised her eyebrows.

“… You.

Do you really understand what you are saying yourself?

h.e.l.l’s Red is the largest Abyss Gate in the world where thousands of monsters can cross to the human world at once. If the barrier were to be momentarily disrupted, won’t the balance of the world crumble in an instant!?”

“…”

Luka, after a moment of silence.

“Of course I’m taking that into account.

If we liken it to games, this gate is just like the world’s reset b.u.t.ton.

To properly remake this wrong world… I’ll push the world’s reset b.u.t.ton. If I weren’t allowed to do that… I’ll could only adopt the wrong methods to straighten this wrong world.

Kanae-san.

I thought that if it were you, who opposed alongside me the research from ten years ago, you’ll understand that.”

“… I don’t understand and I don’t want to.

But, Haruka.

That you mistook your way is my responsibility as your former superior.

Tha’s why… I came here.

I won’t allow it. I definitely stop your rampage here!

Summon—Phoenix.”

What Haruka summoned with a speed that couldn’t be picked up[7] was her beloved partner the Immortal bird—Phoenix.

The flame-covered three meters long bird spirit sprayed scorching flames against Luka.

“… The legend cla.s.s from the bird beast tribe. Phoenix, is it? The monster that you employ hasn’t changed from ten years ago.”

Luka sighed, talking to no one.

“Summon—Basilisk.”

She summoned the huge snake with a body that spans one kilometer—Basilisk.

Basilisk shut down the fierce attacks from the immortal bird that rained down by coiling around Luka.

“Summon—Bahamut.”

Next, the one Kanae summoned was a five meters long… Sapphire blue scaled flying dragon.

Legend cla.s.s.

The three monsters summoned here right now were monsters appropriately crowned with the reputation of the strongest, to whom only a handful even from among the top cla.s.s monster tamers had made pacts with.

Legend cla.s.s were monsters close to G.o.ds of which only one could exist in the world, and currently there was just one of them for each of the twelve monster tribes.

Legend cla.s.s monsters boasted the battle prowess of the strongest cla.s.s from among the monsters of all twelve tribes, and word was sent that they were the monsters that started each of the tribes.

“Haruka. Let’s stop with the formalities. From here on it will be a clash of power against power. Baah-kun. Have at it!”

“… Kuh! The only monster that Kusumi Kanae could summon should have been just the immortal bird…! Unnoticed, with such a powerful monster, she…!”

The highly calorific ray of light that Bahamut shot from its mouth seemed to be effective against Basilisk’s solid scales.

“… Ufufu. A reckless person, like always~. Commanding two legend cla.s.s at the same time is an irresponsibility.”

However, in spite of the overwhelming handicap, Luka’s smile didn’t fade.

It was definitely not a bluff.

To Luka, even against two legend cla.s.s, that she would be able to achieve victory was a given.

“Two… is it? But I never said a word about the legend cla.s.ses I"m contracted to being just two.”

“…!?”

“Haruka. I’ll tell you something good that you can take to the afterlife.

My contracted legend cla.s.ses are six.

Half of the legend cla.s.ses in the world are already my friends!”

“… Six!? What nonsense is…!?”

“If you don’t believe it, what about confirming it with your own eyes? It’s not like we have let the years pa.s.s pointlessly.”

Kanae, approaching the ring with her mouth with a composed smile,

“Summon—“

She next summoned her third legend cla.s.s.

× × ×

“… I beg your pardon, milady.”

That… Was too one-sided to be called a fight.

The six legend cla.s.s monsters that Kanae indulgently summoned kept pouring attacks with a power that would exterminated any normal monster in one hit onto Luka’s summoned Basilisk.

Basilisk, receiving on its body the simultaneous attacks from six legend cla.s.ses, unable to keep monster form, undid its transformation in less than two minutes.

The untransformed Basilisk became an aged man in a butler suit and kneeled down on the ground.

“… It looks like your trump card has depleted all of your magic power, but… What about meekly surrendering? If you surrender now, I may lessen your spanking from a thousand smacks to nine hundred smacks.”

“… Yeah. I lost. It surely is utter defeat.

What’s truly astounding is not the power of the legend cla.s.s… But your magic power quant.i.ty that, even while supplying magic power to six legend cla.s.s monsters at once, lets you crack jokes.

Just about everything is absurd.

… I wish you didn’t carry power inflation to extremes.”

With that preface, Luka,

“So… I concede victory to you in the duel as monster tamers, Kanae-san.”

She showed a bewitching smile.

“!?”

Next instant, Kanae witnessed firsthand an astounding scene that didn’t look to be from this world.

To Kanae, who didn’t know under what principle it worked, it was something utterly incomprehensible.

Luka, after taking in the Basilisk’s body inside her own, in the blink of an eye had her body turned into that of a monster—.

She changed into the form that would be later spoken of as ‘ultimate perfect form Great Luka-san’.