How was this possible? Why couldn’t I spot any openings? It was as though I was facing an impenetrable brick wall, so towering that the top seemed unreachable. The challenge was monumental.
But this was Leo—the same guy who’d been labeled the weakest student. Why was he suddenly displaying such impressive skills? This didn’t make sense. Unless, of course, he’d been concealing his true abilities from everyone.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!”
With a battle cry, I charged at him once more, determined to break through. This time, I faced him directly, confronting him head-on. He remained rooted in his stance, unmoving. I crouched low, then thrust my body upward, my claw extended and aiming straight for him.
Instead of dodging by moving behind me like before, this time he just leaned back, avoiding my strike. Then, I felt a sweep kick at my feet, sending me crashing sideways onto the ground.
I had just been taken down.
“Again,” he said, already positioned on the opposite side of the stage.
I growled, my teeth clenched in frustration. He was clearly toying with me. I dropped to all fours and charged at him. When I got close, I leaped at him, but he dodged effortlessly and ended up on the opposite side once more.
“Raaaaaaaaagh!”
I let out a primal roar, slashing wildly with my claws, each swing aimed to tear through him. He danced around my strikes with effortless grace, dodging them one by one. I poured every bit of strength I had into my arms, striking his blade with a forceful impact. The clash erupted in a deafening thunder, his sword, hand, and arm recoiling from the force.
His posture was shattered! This was my moment!
“Raaaaaaagh!”
I followed up with a blindingly fast attack, but to my dismay, he was even quicker.
“…Wha…?”
In a heartbeat, he had slipped behind me, his blade pressing coldly against my neck.
I whipped around and slashed at him, but my claws only cut through empty air. Then, without warning, a crushing force slammed into my stomach.
“Gaah!”
He’d delivered a brutal punch to my stomach, expelling every ounce of air from my lungs. I tried to strike him with my claws again, but once more, I connected with nothing but air. Then, without warning, I felt a jarring impact slam into the side of my head—his kick had landed hard. I was sent sprawling sideways, my vision blurring. Defeat washed over me, and my consciousness began to slip away.
***
Leon’s POV
“W-We have a winner!” the referee declared, his voice echoing in the silence that followed. The crowd remained eerily quiet, no applause or cheers breaking the stillness. Then, as if breaking a spell, Titania sprang to her feet, clapping enthusiastically.
“Whoo! That’s my boyfriend, y’all~!” Titania shouted, her face lighting up with a triumphant grin. Her claps were met by Johanne, who also stood and joined in the applause.
The spectators were bewildered, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. I had just taken down Trill in a mock combat, restricted to basic skills, and with nothing but a rusty sword. The battle was over, and the outcome was clear.
The physical exam raged on, with students continuing to test their skills in combat. I had lost interest, and many students had already left, drained and disenchanted. They had only stayed to see me get embarrassed, but instead, they witnessed me defeat Trill. The laughter they had anticipated never came.
I was heading toward the Sanatorium, intending to visit Trill. However, when I arrived, Trill was nowhere to be found.
“Well, I guess she’s awake now,” Titania said, her arm wrapped around mine, her ample breasts pressing against me.
“I guess we’ll head back then,” I replied. “Shall we?”
“Yes!” she answered, clinging to my arm even tighter.
As we made our way back to the dorm, I reviewed the requirements for dominating Trill. I had already completed the first one, “Meet Trill’s Standard,” which simply meant defeating her. Now, I was on to the second requirement, which seemed straightforward to complete.
As we made our way towards the dorm, I sensed that someone was trailing us again. It was Ella, the same person who had followed me yesterday. She was trying to hide behind a post, but her upper body was fully visible, making her attempt at concealment laughably ineffective.
“Do you know her, Leon?” Titania asked, having noticed Ella as well.
“I don’t really,” I replied.
“Are you thinking of adding her to your collection too?” Titania inquired, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
“I’m not,” I replied decisively. Ella had nothing to offer. Her skill was mediocre, and there was no advantage in making her one of my women. That’s why I hadn’t bothered before, and I had no intention of doing so now.
“Really?” she asked, a hint of mischief in her voice. “I think she’s worth it, though.”
“Worth it? Why do you say that?” I questioned, intrigued.
“Just intuition,” she replied with a nonchalant shrug, her eyes sparkling with a secretive glint.
Intuition, huh? I wasn’t one to put much stock in a woman’s intuition about who might be worth adding to my circle, no matter how strong it seemed. But Titania’s input made me pause and reconsider.
“Well, since you’re not interested in her for now, why don’t we head to the dorm?” she suggested, her bright smile lighting up her face.
With that, we turned and headed towards our respective dorm rooms.
***
Ella’s POV
“You haven’t found anything?” the woman demanded, her eyes blazing with rage as I knelt on the floor, feeling the cold beneath me.
“I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered, “but all I saw was him going to his dorm with his girlfriend.”
“You really are worthless,” she growled, grinding her teeth in irritation. “I assigned you this task because I trusted you to get results, but you come back with this pathetic excuse. What’s the matter with you? Am I not terrifying enough anymore, huh?!”
She yanked on my hair, forcing me to look up at her. Her eyes were icy daggers, stabbing through me with every piercing glare.
“I-I’m not saying that…”
She released my hair with a sharp tug, making me wince. “Well, no matter,” she said, her tone dripping with cold satisfaction. “This Leon guy seems like quite the catch. It makes sense that Charlotte is reaching out to him.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, her gaze calculating. “If I can dig up some dirt on him, I could make Charlotte’s life a fucking nightmare. She’d be completely shattered. Isn’t that just deliciously fun, Ella?” Her laugh was a chilling blend of malice and amusement.
“Y-Yes, it is,” I stammered, shrinking back from her intimidating presence.
“Then why aren’t you laughing?” she snapped, delivering a sharp kick to my side.
I recoiled from the pain, my body curling instinctively. To avoid further torment, I forced a laugh.
