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...
Blood splattered across Flare's face. Yet rather than recoil, she pushed forward with even greater effort.
For the first time, she wasn't fighting alone. She was fighting beside her sister—fighting to surpass Takumi together.
But the struggle was hopeless from the very start.
Sweat and tears mixed with blood, washing away every trace of dignity. The two sisters fought desperately… and were utterly crushed.
Their defeat was absolute—humiliating beyond words.
Soon, the pink collar mark of the [Master–Servant Contract] glowed faintly around Norn's neck, sealing her fate.
"Be grateful, Norn," Takumi said with a smirk. "It's thanks to me that you two can share such honest sisterhood—living and falling together."
When Norn didn't respond, he cracked a whip through the air.
Snap!
"Th-thank… you, Master♡~~" she gasped faintly, half-conscious.
Hearing the word Master escape her lips filled Takumi's heart with intoxicating satisfaction. But when he glanced at their affection readings, he frowned slightly.
Flare [Affection: -30]
Norn [Affection: -89]
"How troublesome. Forcing submission doesn't trigger any new traits."
He sighed, then pressed his hand against Norn's cheek.
"[Corrupt]."
A faint shimmer enveloped her, and a new personality was born within her—Ellen.
[Ding! Ellen's affection threshold reached. Trait copied: Extraordinary Insight (Blue)]
[Extraordinary Insight (Blue): Grants exceptional comprehension and clarity of understanding.]
As the trait merged, Takumi's mind cleared as if fog had been swept away.
Concepts that once felt distant now aligned perfectly in his thoughts.
He began to see new possibilities—especially with [Gravity Magic] and [Healing Magic.]
"So far, I've only used gravity to train my physical strength. But if I focus the pressure on my magic itself… I can compress it. Compress it until it refines itself."
He paused, his eyes narrowing.
"As for Healing Magic—it's more like resetting existence itself. If I can control that reset… I might be able to erase any state, even revert someone to their pre-awakened, or perhaps even child form."
His imagination spiraled, fueled by his newly awakened brilliance. While applying Healing Magic in that way was still complex, the principles of gravity compression were now crystal clear in his mind.
Hum—!
Holding both sisters in his arms, Takumi's body suddenly sank several centimeters.
"Urgh—!"
"Heal."
He coughed up blood, then instantly repaired his wounds.
Magic flowed through his body like a living current—vital and dynamic. That meant gravity pressure had to move as well, adjusting with that flow. The instability caused violent backlash at first.
But Takumi endured.
With Healing Magic to sustain him, he could afford to fail—again and again.
For a full day and night, he trained without rest. Three hundred eighty-two times, he suffered critical injury. Six hundred eighteen times, he endured minor ones.
And finally—success.
"The inner gravity stabilized at five times the normal level. That's optimal for internal compression. The external field… twelve times. That'll balance the flow."
Controlling the circulation of magic within him, Takumi's aura began to tremble—then solidify. Though his overall energy seemed lower, its density had multiplied many times over.
"With my magic now refined, my combat strength has skyrocketed. At the same level, even without the Boosted Gear, I'm at least ten times stronger than any opponent."
He exhaled slowly, adapting to the crushing pressure that surrounded him.
Even now, under both internal and external gravity, his body moved freely. Combining [Chosen Hero] with [Healing Magic], he could push his limits without restraint—breaking, healing, and evolving in an endless cycle.
For anyone else, such training would be suicide. But for Takumi, it was evolution.
"Setsuna. Anna. We're heading out."
Calling his companions, he left the Interdimensional Realm and returned to a corpse-strewn road.
Anna's face went pale at the carnage, while Setsuna's eyes burned with eagerness.
"Master Takumi," she said, tail flicking, "please… use Setsuna more often. I want to fight for you!"
Her devotion ran deep—body and soul.
"Hahaha, alright, alright. Next time, I'll let you handle things."
He ruffled her hair fondly, smiling with genuine warmth. How could he not adore such loyalty?
Setsuna's tail wagged faster, her wolf ears twitching as she practically melted under his touch. The sight made him chuckle. She was so cute, he almost wanted to train her again right there—but reason prevailed. He was, for once, in [Sage Mode.]
He had work to do.
"Takumi," Anna asked softly, "which city are we heading to next?"
He pointed toward the horizon. "Across the border lies Branicca—a city where humans and demons coexist. That's our next stop."
He intended to meet a Demon Lord Candidate there before making his next move.
…
Meanwhile, word of Princess Norn's disappearance spread across the Jioral Kingdom.
When soldiers discovered the corpses of the royal escort—and Hawkeye's body among them—the capital fell into shock.
"Both princesses are missing? And Hawkeye is dead!?"
Even the old king, usually composed, wore a grim expression for the first time.
After lengthy deliberation with his ministers, they reached a decision: to declare the demons responsible.
The motive was simple. They needed a scapegoat. If the truth of the princesses' disappearance remained unsolved, the kingdom's stability would collapse.
And what better way to unite the people than a war?
The Jioral Kingdom swiftly organized an expeditionary force—its first target: Branicca.
Years ago, when demons invaded, the kingdom had abandoned Branicca and the southern towns to form a defensive line. To survive, Branicca had chosen coexistence with the demons.
That decision was a stain on the kingdom's pride—and now, it would serve as the perfect excuse.
"Blame the demons. Attack Branicca. Redirect the people's anger."
Leading the vanguard was none other than Kureha Clyret.
Her beautiful face bore a faint trace of sorrow as she whispered, "Takumi… please be safe."
While others only mourned the missing princesses, she worried for the man who had healed her severed arm—a debt she had yet to repay.
...
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