Bonus chapter unlocked by your Power Stones!
"Thank you, everyone. It's thanks to all of you that I was able to gain the Divine Bird's blessing."
After expressing her gratitude, Eve turned specifically toward Takumi. "Um… Takumi, if it weren't for you, I probably would've kept running forever. No matter how you look at it, I owe you a huge favor."
"Favors are just empty words. How about you repay me directly?" Takumi raised an eyebrow, teasing her with that usual playful tone.
For once, Eve didn't shoot back. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head in silence for a few seconds—then suddenly leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
Caught completely off guard, Takumi froze. She actually stole a kiss from me…!?
"Eh—!?" Flare, Anna, Setsuna, Ellen, and Kureha all gasped at once, stunned by what they were witnessing.
Feeling her clumsy, trembling movements, Takumi slid an arm around Eve's slender waist and pulled her tightly into his embrace. His forceful kiss nearly made her faint, yet she still tried to respond in earnest.
She had watched scenes like this many times before—but doing it herself…
It felt so much better than she ever imagined.
Takumi could feel her soft body pressing against him, and judging by her reactions, she wouldn't have resisted no matter how much further he went—
But right then, something caught his attention at the base of the mountain.
A thin pillar of black smoke was rising from the direction of the Black-Wing Tribe's settlement.
"[Thousand-Mile Ear]."
He immediately extended his hearing, capturing every sound within a thousand-mile radius. Within seconds, he understood the situation completely.
The current Demon Lord had learned of Eve's whereabouts—and had already sent troops to hunt her down!
"That's fast… looks like there were Demon Lord spies stationed nearby all along."
Takumi released her lips and channeled his mana, forming a gravity barrier that enveloped everyone. The seven of them shot skyward, streaking toward the forests below the mountain.
Eve, still dazed from the kiss, blinked in confusion. "W-What's happening?"
The others looked equally puzzled.
"Something's wrong," Takumi said, pointing downward. "The Black-Wing Tribe is under attack—the Demon Lord's army is advancing."
"What!?" Eve's eyes widened as panic gripped her.
Takumi clasped her hand tightly. "Calm down. I'm here. The Demon Lord's troops haven't breached the settlement yet."
His steady tone helped her regain a little composure, and he immediately began issuing orders.
"Setsuna, Kureha—you two will strike from the rear and disrupt their formation. Flare, you're with me. We'll take down their central forces. Eve, Ellen, Anna—you three head straight for the village and defend the civilians."
With that, he expanded the gravity field and propelled everyone toward their respective positions.
The Demon Lord's officers were completely unprepared—none expected reinforcements to appear out of nowhere.
Setsuna and Kureha plunged into the enemy's rear line, cutting through them like blades of frost and steel. The fierce advance of the Demon Lord's army came to a halt amid sudden chaos.
At the same time, Eve, Ellen, and Anna reached the front line of the settlement and joined the defenders.
Radiating holy light, Eve's eyes burned with rage. "This time… I won't run!!"
"[Holy Magic: Radiant Healing]!"
Mastering both [Light] and [Darkness] attributes—something even Flare couldn't do—Eve unleashed blinding light across the battlefield. The glow washed over the wounded Black-Wings, rapidly healing their injuries.
Then she raised both hands high, channeling an overwhelming surge of darkness.
"[Dark Magic: Black Thorns]!"
Black brambles burst from the ground, blocking the Demon Lord's charge and impaling countless enemies. The vines drank their blood, staining themselves crimson with eerie allure.
"There she is! The Demon Lord Candidate—we've found her! This time she dies!!"
A hulking Night-Bat officer unfurled his massive wings, muscles bulging as his coat shredded apart. The other officers surrounding him joined in, attacking all at once.
Eve, who had only recently advanced to High Rank, struggled under the barrage of attacks.
Just then, a flash of emerald light filled the sky.
"[Area Heal]!"
"[Group Amplification]!"
The crimson gauntlet on Takumi's left arm pulsed as he expanded his magic outward. The glowing wave washed over everyone—Setsuna, Kureha, Eve—all were enveloped in its power.
"My stamina and mana—they're back! And my strength… it's overflowing!!"
Gasps of awe echoed around him as the women felt their powers surge dramatically.
Kureha swung her blade once—a slicing gale of sword aura exploded outward, cleaving through everything within a hundred meters.
Slash—!
Over a hundred demons were cut down instantly, forcing the enemy's officers to turn and regroup in panic.
"What's happening!?" Their terrified eyes darted toward the rear, unable to comprehend the sudden power shift.
At that moment, Setsuna dashed in like a streak of icy blue lightning. Her razor claws flashed—piercing and shredding a serpentkin officer before he could even react.
"Too strong—Setsuna's gotten so strong!!" Setsuna licked her lips, excitement gleaming in her eyes as she reveled in the thrill of battle.
Above, Flare raised her staff, summoning her full magical might.
"[Sixth-Rank Magic—Thunderstorm Frenzy]!"
Black clouds engulfed the forest, and bolts of lightning rained down like divine wrath.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deafening storm annihilated the Demon Lord's army, leaving nothing but charred corpses across the wasteland.
Even Flare herself was stunned by the sheer power of her spell.
[Ding! Randomly looted traits: Night-Bat Bloodline (Blue), Dexterity (White), Strength (White)…]
Takumi glanced at the notifications and ignored them all. Even the "Night-Bat Bloodline (Blue)" was trash in his eyes.
"Guess support magic still counts as me taking the kills."
Satisfied, he withdrew the magic he had spread across the battlefield. The mass amplification had consumed quite a lot of energy—thankfully, he could regulate its intensity.
As the empowering effect faded, the women's enhanced power began to subside.
"Ahhh… Setsuna's strength is gone~~"
Setsuna pouted pitifully. Just moments ago, she'd felt ten times stronger—so fast, so weightless—it was intoxicating.
Now that it was gone, she looked ready to cry.
"If Setsuna keeps training hard, you'll reach that level on your own," Takumi said gently as he descended, patting her head.
Encouraged, Setsuna wagged her tail, her sultry eyes darting toward Takumi's waist. She could barely contain her desire—she wanted to break her level limit right now.
If not for the others nearby, she would've pounced already.
Sensing her thoughts, Takumi lightly tapped her forehead. "There'll be plenty of time tonight."
Her eyes lit up instantly, tail wagging faster than ever.
...
For every 3 five-star reviews → +1 extra chapter
For every 50 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.
Read 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon! [patreon.com/METARLN]
Use code FREE2ALL for 30% OFF!