"Wow… I really got completely crushed by you. Seriously—why do you have to be like this? It's really hard not to fall for you."
Her last words grew softer and softer.
"…Huh? What did you say?" Xien blinked.
"I said I'm very happy. And I want to learn." 1pgg1
Kaguya didn't let her emotions show on her face, but she had already figured it out: this junior of hers really did have the same kind of "something" as that famous captain—some special quality that drew people in.
The difference was, Xien had more… human warmth.
He wasn't like Ardis—purely leaning toward "good." He had a broader cognition, a fuller moral compass, a complete worldview.
Like the difference between a kid raised in the slums and a kid raised in the rich district.
Xien felt like someone who could only have been born in a "heaven" that didn't belong to this world.
Kaguya finally let go of her frustration.
If she couldn't beat him, then she'd just join him.
Unlike that damn elf, she wasn't going to cling to pride until it rotted.
"Got it!" Xien said brightly.
And so, he taught Kaguya the core method of Sun Breathing. 1pgg1
With what he'd observed while researching Transparent World, plus Kaguya's own natural talent, she learned the breathing technique and forms quickly.
But Xien soon noticed something: the breathing route of Sun Breathing didn't really suit Kaguya's body.
So he adjusted it—slightly, precisely—according to her physique.
And just like that…
Kaguya's own breathing style was born.
When she saw golden, lightning-like magic clinging to her blade, Kaguya went blank.
She had just mastered a technique strong enough to rival an actual skill—and she did it that easily.
And she believed Xien now.
Because while he was teaching her, he could even point out exactly where her breathing was wrong—down to tiny details.
That kind of observation, paired with his explanations… she finally understood what "broken" meant. 1pgg1
Honestly, unless the opponent was far weaker, she couldn't imagine how she was supposed to win with pure technique against someone who could see what even she couldn't perceive.
"Hm. Your talent is really high," Xien praised. "Looks like this derivative breathing style—Thunder Breathing, born from my Sun Breathing—fits you better."
"This set focuses on extreme speed. If you push it to the limit… you can reach what I showed earlier—"
"The ultimate realm called Transparent World."
Kaguya smiled. "Yes. I'll treasure this gift."
"My adorable little Xien."
Then she grabbed his head and shoved his face straight into her chest.
Soft.
Smooth.
Heavenly.
Xien's eyes went wide as he experienced the legendary "boob cushion" at full power.
His mouth still tried to resist, though—
"K-Kaguya… that's… this is… not really appropriate…"
"Oh?" Kaguya teased. "You don't like your reward? Don't boys usually get happy when this happens?" 1pgg1
"…I can't argue with that," Xien admitted. "But still… please spare me."
A mature onee-san was absolutely lethal.
But his heart belonged to Ryuu.
Nice try—she wasn't shaking his will.
"Fine," Kaguya sighed dramatically. "You refused it. That's on you."
"Now—no using that skill."
"Let's go again." 1pgg1
Maybe she was a little embarrassed, maybe she just wanted to discipline an unappreciative brat.
Xien, meanwhile, was thrilled.
He'd already tested Transparent World and gotten exactly what he wanted.
Now he wanted to test his real baseline.
"Okay," he agreed. 1pgg1
This time, the spar finally looked like a proper duel.
Kaguya was Level 3—and a veteran.
Now that she could track Xien normally, her advantages became obvious.
Their raw stats weren't that far apart—Xien might even have had a slight edge due to being evenly developed—
but experience and technique were absolutely on Kaguya's side.
Xien got pressed hard. 1pgg1
Without the omniscient "everything is solved" feeling from Transparent World, Xien got a brutal reminder of how sharp her blade-work really was.
Even with his two-tomoe Sharingan, he could only barely follow the attack trajectories well enough to counter.
It was suffocating.
After more than an hour, he still hadn't landed many clean hits at all.
"Hah… again!" Xien growled. "I refuse to believe this!"
Kaguya stared, numb.
"…What the hell are you?" 1pgg1
"Are you a monster? Why is your stamina so ridiculous?"
Unlike Xien's frustration, Kaguya was the one getting mentally crushed now.
How could someone have this much endurance?
Was he… not getting tired?
And in the back of her mind, she couldn't stop cursing a certain elf.
What kind of freak did you train? Was this stamina beaten into him!?
Fighting him, Kaguya realized his values were horrifyingly even.
He had almost no obvious weak points.
Which meant her speed-specialized build—only a little faster than him—was being countered instead.
She tried to win through technique and ultra-fast chained combos, aiming to overwhelm him—
but he could actually see and follow her tempo, so that plan collapsed.
And Xien's power was higher.
If she got clipped even once, the entire situation could flip.
So she had to stay hyper-cautious, trying to accumulate small hits and drain his stamina to build an advantage—
But—
It didn't work.
Not for long.
Xien's endurance and recovery were so absurd that her hits felt like scratching an itch.
At this point, she was the one burning out. 1pgg1
The scary part?
She couldn't put him down.
But if she slipped even slightly, he could put her down.
Of course, this was just raw "knife-fight" sparring—she wasn't using magic or skills.
But neither was he.
Even so, it was already outrageous.
And… she felt relieved.
With this level of strength, Xien didn't need constant protection anymore.
He could survive on his own.
"Again, Kaguya-nee?" Xien asked.
Kaguya snapped back to reality—
and immediately decided to act like a princess.
She sheathed her sword with a crisp motion, then propped her cheek with one hand, wearing a disappointed expression.
"Aww. Xien, you really don't know how to treat a girl gently."
"Can't you see I'm exhausted?"
"You're the worst." 1pgg1
Xien's mood, in that moment, could be summed up as—
Old man. Subway. Staring at phone.
…Lady, you were the one who asked to spar.
What are we doing right now?
"Hmph. A foolish junior who can't even care for his senior."
"Go train by yourself." 1pgg1
And with that, Kaguya walked off to rest.
Xien watched her leave, chuckled, and shook his head.
What even was that?
Since he still had time, he stayed and continued training. 1pgg1
A Suspicious Sound from the Kitchen
Kaguya returned indoors, thinking she should hit the baths after sweating so much.
On her way past the kitchen, she heard surprised shouting.
It was Laila's voice. 1pgg1
That was weird—Laila didn't usually make that much noise while cooking.
Curiosity got the better of her.
Kaguya crept up and peeked through the doorway.
And what she saw nearly made her fall over.
Ryuu was standing there.
Next to her was the pink-haired prum girl, Laila, staring in shock at Ryuu's hands.
And the damn elf was…
Cooking. 1pgg1
…Excuse me?
Did Laila forget what happened last time Ryuu cooked?
Kaguya still remembered the kitchen exploding—and the repair money that still hadn't been fully paid off.
After that, the culprit had been permanently removed from the cooking roster by unanimous agreement.
So why was she allowed back in!?
Kaguya was about to step in and stop this—
when she heard Laila say, excited:
"Ryuu, you're amazing!"
"This is totally fine—aren't you actually talented at cooking?" 1pgg1
Laila sounded genuinely thrilled.
And she didn't look like she was lying.
At this point, Laila herself felt she had to apologize for her prejudice—because she hadn't expected it either:
The infamous kitchen murderer was… learning fast.
Maybe the "kitchen explosion" had been half accident—
and the other half was simply that nobody had ever taught Ryuu properly.
An hour earlier, Ryuu had begged Laila to teach her cooking.
Laila had nearly sweated through her shirt on the spot.
Who understood her fear!?
She tried to reject politely—
but Ryuu's determination was terrifyingly firm.
In the end, because her relationship with Ryuu wasn't bad, Laila could only grit her teeth and offer simple instruction, praying nothing would go wrong while she supervised.
But surprisingly…
Step by step, Ryuu picked it up quickly.
And now she had a finished lunch in front of her that actually looked good.
Laila's view of Ryuu shifted on the spot. 1pgg1
Ryuu, on the other hand, stared at her own hands, then at the lunch she had tasted and confirmed was safe.
She still looked like she couldn't believe it.
Earlier that morning, during patrol, Ryuu had consulted her friend about how to get closer to the person she liked—what she could do to deepen their bond.
That question had nearly fried her friend's brain.
"Ryuu… are you betraying us?"
"How do you have someone you like and you didn't say a word!?"
That friend—who had long carried certain complicated feelings toward Ryuu—immediately grabbed her and demanded to know which bastard had secretly stolen her heart.
But after Ryuu—red-faced—finally admitted it was the boy who caused that miracle, and explained the rough story…
the friend's disappointment turned into nothing but blessing.
If it was him—
then Ryuu's feelings were unquestionably right.
After the previous incident, their unreliable goddess had issued strict orders forbidding them from spreading what they'd seen.
That only made the sisters understand how seriously the Guild and their Familia were treating it. 1pgg1
The boy who created a miracle now held a very special place in her friend's heart.
Like a beam of light in a world being steadily swallowed by darkness—lighting the way, strengthening her resolve.
Not because of his ability that surpassed even gods—
but because of his gaze that day.
Firm.
And yet filled with compassion.
Not the lofty condescension of a god looking down—
but a human being recognizing and reaching out to another human being.
That kind of person, in her eyes, was the living definition of a single word:
Hero. 1pgg1
Her friend had said:
"Ryuu… congratulations. And I'm also worried for you."
"With this one-of-a-kind love, you'll become unbelievably strong in the future."
"As your friend, I bless you."
"May you always stay by his side."
Then she suggested a very practical first step:
Start by making him a bento.
In Orario, preparing food for an adventurer heading out was a common and meaningful gesture.
And it also laid the groundwork for the two of them to eventually end up together.
Ryuu had taken that advice to heart.
That was why she'd been so determined when she begged Laila to teach her.
Now—
Ryuu whispered, still dazed:
"…Did I really make this?"
"Yes," Laila said firmly. "No doubt. Congratulations, Ryuu."
"You overcame a weakness." 1pgg1
Laila was genuinely proud.
Helping Ryuu fix this shortcoming was a huge win for the Familia—less trouble, fewer disasters.
And honestly?
Ryuu had been teased for her cooking for ages.
"Th-thank you, Laila…"
Laila rubbed her head awkwardly. "I should be the one apologizing."
"I decided you couldn't do it before you even tried…"
Ryuu shook her head.
"No… maybe you weren't wrong."
Because if it were yesterday's Ryuu, she absolutely would have repeated the disaster.
But now…
She had the right to chase after him. 1pgg1
And as if confirming her thought—
the new skill that had appeared yesterday flickered faintly in the background.
Chasing Wind.
Her will to make him lunch had been acknowledged.
And with that, she crossed a mountain that used to be impossible.
It was proof.
This emotion was real.
She wanted his recognition.
She wanted his response.
Realizing that, Ryuu's face heated up, turning red.
And it was so obvious that the two girls beside her noticed immediately.
"…This is…" (x2)
Ryuu snapped out of her fantasy.
Her shame detonated instantly.
She hurriedly packed the lunch, tossed out a quick "thank you," and fled. 1pgg1
In her panic, her perception dulled—so much that she didn't even notice Kaguya standing nearby when she bolted out.
Kaguya and Laila stared at the lovestruck elf's retreating back.
Then looked at each other.
"…So?" Kaguya asked.
Laila nodded solemnly. "No mistake."
"…She's in heat."
"—Huh!?"
Laila rolled her eyes so hard it was practically a weapon.
These two really were mortal enemies.
They wouldn't miss a single chance to insult Ryuu, would they?
....
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