Chapter 9: A Clever Way to Take Down a Cheat-Powered Woman 3

A wave of confusion rolled through the grounds where the so-called A-Class summit showdown was set to take place between the party led by Shion Harukaze and the party to which Aileen Hearn belonged.

The spectators weren’t just from Class A; students from other classes and even other grade levels were in attendance, hoping to learn something, but…

Not a single person could comprehend the meaning of what was happening before their eyes.

“What the heck is that…? Are they setting up for… an outdoor tea ceremony?”

In the center of the grounds, a red rug and a large red parasol had been set up.

It looked like a set for what is commonly known as a nodate, an outdoor tea ceremony.

But why was it on the grounds today?

“Hey, look! Here they come.”

Before any questions could be answered, the respective camps appeared from opposite ends of the field.

Shion, dressed in a suit with a purple shirt and a black tie, was accompanied by four others at his side.

They too were in formal wear, and the group, clad entirely in black, gave off an unnerving presence.

Meanwhile, from the other side…

“Huh, there’s only one of them. I wonder what happened to the other four?”

Aileen arrived, also dressed up in a sexy dress.

Though it was a dress, it wasn’t overly extravagant and appeared to allow for ease of movement.

“Alright then, we’ll be getting ready, so off you go—Leader.”

“Yeah, I’m heading out. (Ugh… I can’t believe there’s such a huge gallery. If I lose, this is going to be insanely embarrassing… Man, I hate this, I hate this.)”

He separated from the four and headed toward the center of the grounds alone.

On the surface, he wore his usual iron mask, but inwardly, he was panicking considerably.

The thought of having a one-on-one meal with a cheat-level woman was terrifying, and the formal wear Rudolph had prepared was so flashy it looked like something out of the mafia, putting him in the worst possible mood.

“The etiquette, I am not familiar.”

“It doesn’t matter. This is just a meal. Let’s just take it easy.”

The two faced each other, sitting in the formal seiza position on the rug.

Though the two of them were a mismatch for the Japanese-style setting, they were both stunningly attractive, making for a picturesque scene.

Of course, on the inside, Shion was on the level of some sleazy host or a total delinquent.

No, that was probably an insult to sleazy hosts and delinquents.

“…”

“What is it?”

“…It, suits you.”

“? Oh, ah. You mean the suit? (Don’t talk in single words, it’s hard to understand! You socially awkward freak!!)”

The compliment, delivered with a slight blush, seemed incapable of moving Shion’s heart.

“Very, dashing.”

“You look great yourself. You’re beautiful.”

Spouting words he didn’t mean had practically become a physiological reflex.

“Y-You’re making me blush…”

“Still, for you to also show up in formal wear without us planning it is quite something.”

“I cannot be discourteous.”

Facing an important battle, to lack courtesy would be a disgrace to the name of a warrior, she said.

That was precisely why she had gone to the trouble of wearing a dress.

Well, there was also a maiden’s desire to have Shion see her a little dressed up.

“Well then, shall we begin our meal?”

“I am grateful for the meal.”

Seeing Aileen bow her head and express her gratitude, Shion felt a pang of anxiety.

She herself was simply expressing thanks for the meal he had prepared for her, for the sake of their battle, regardless of whether it was poisoned or not.

But the one being thanked couldn’t help but suspect: Does she have some kind of countermeasure?

“A formal course meal?”

“Yes, though it’s quite a bit different from a proper one.”

A waitress brought over rice, soup, and a side dish, placing them before the two.

Normally, the host who should be providing the hospitality would bring it, but it was best to overlook that.

“You can use chopsticks, right? I hear you’ve been in Japan since you were ten.”

“No problem. Well then, let’s begin.”

“Let’s begin.”

First, they took a small bite of rice, then immediately brought the soup to their lips.

“Cough—!!”

The two had started the meal in the same way, but the difference was stark.

Shion continued to eat with a cool expression, but Aileen had suddenly coughed up blood.

“How is the taste? (Fuhaha! This match is my victory!!)”

Hey, stop that. It’s making me uneasy for some reason.

He’d asked sarcastically, but she didn’t seem to catch his meaning.

“Delicious, thank you.”

Aileen wiped away the blood, a faint smile on her lips.

“Kyaa! B-Blood!? What’s going on! Teacher, shouldn’t you stop this!?”

The ones who were truly shocked were the spectators who didn’t know the circumstances.

They thought a battle was about to start, and instead, the two began elegantly dining in the middle of the grounds.

To then see one of them vomit up an alarming amount of blood—it would be impossible not to be shocked.

“…Ah, I see. So that’s what this is.”

It went without saying that the yakuza who was their homeroom teacher had his students’ data drilled firmly into his head.

Thus, he was well aware that Aileen was Irish.

“A meal, poison… so she possesses that kind of creed. No wonder she’s so strong.”

From just these fragmented pieces, he saw through to the yearning for the Hounds of Culann that dwelled in Aileen’s heart.

He realized that while this was a bit irregular, it was similar to the path Cú Chulainn walked toward his end.

“T-This isn’t the time to be impressed, Yakushiji-sensei!”

“It’s fine. More importantly, all of you, be quiet. You’ll disturb their meal.”

He glanced over at Rudolph and the others and let his cheeks relax into a slight smile.

The waiting members all had good expressions on their faces.

Not too tense, but not too relaxed either. You could call it their best condition.

Just because Aileen had coughed up blood, they hadn’t let their guard down one bit.

If anything, it was as if their fighting spirit was rising, knowing the real battle was about to begin.

“B-But! This is…!”

“—I don’t like children who can’t listen. I won’t say it a third time. Be quiet.”

A quiet pressure fell over the field, silencing it.

The faculty, starting with the yakuza, watched the pair’s meal with deep interest.

A look of admiration was on every face, seemingly impressed by both the handling of this battle and by Aileen’s creed.

“She’s a minor, but… well, I suppose we can let it slide for today. There’s a certain charm to drinking at school, wouldn’t you say?”

“Indeed. This, too, has its own elegance.”

Lightly raising their sake cups, the two drained them in one go.

What assaulted Aileen after she finished drinking was an intense numbness.

Her tongue grew heavy, and her eyes wavered from a paralysis so strong it was difficult to even speak.

(…Huh? Isn’t this bad? Why isn’t she collapsing? Was my bad feeling right on the money?)

Though he had considered the possibility, it was the nature of a small-minded man to want to cling to faint hopes.

Seeing Aileen still maintaining her posture without so much as flinching, even while trembling, his anxiety mounted.

“S-Someday…”

“Someday, what is it?”

Aileen was desperately trying to form words. Seeing this, his anxiety lessened slightly.

So it is working—what a simple-minded man he was.

“It is not as fine as this, but I will treat you to my favorite.”

She had a favorite apple cider, and while it wasn’t as high-class as the sake they just had, she wanted to treat Shion to it someday. Aileen conveyed this with pure goodwill, but…

(A declaration of revenge is heeeere!! Crap, if I don’t kill her here today, I’m screwed, aren’t I!?)

Calm down.

It went without saying that this message was completely lost on this man.

The degree of their misunderstanding was so bad you wouldn’t see it even in some sappy primetime drama.

“Hmph… I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Even so, to be a show-off, to be stubborn, and to want to be seen in a good light by others—that was Shion Harukaze.

He kept his composure, never once losing it, and maintained a nihilistic smile.

One could say that his ability to keep up appearances, even when he was at his absolute limit internally, was worthy of praise.

“To show you my homeland, also sounds fun.”

He had given her a taste of Japanese tradition, so she wanted to share the splendor of her own country.

That was what she meant, but…

(You mean you’re going to bury me in foreign soil!?)

I said, calm down.

At this point, there was no need to say any more about this guy.

“Tofu skin?”

“Yeah, it’s tofu skin. This is actually pretty good. (I’m sorry, tofu skin. To be honest, I was totally looking down on you.)”

After that, the simmered dish, the grilled dish, the side bowl, the soup, the assorted appetizer, the final rice and pickled vegetables, and the dessert were all cleared away one after another, but…

“—!!”

With each one, more poison was added, violating Aileen’s mind and body.

“This is the last of the tea.”

“…I will, accept it.”

She tilted the teacup and drank it all in one go.

With that, a total of ten poisons had now been inflicted upon Aileen.

(Can I do this…? If possible, I want this to be the end—)

“gh”

Aileen stood, her footing unsteady, but…

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

In terms of fighting spirit alone, she had never been more filled with it.

Snatching up the spear that had been placed nearby, she unleashed a god-speed thrust aimed at Shion’s heart—

“We’re not so kind as to let you take the king right off the bat.”

“Unfortunately for you, our boss is a back-liner. This part is rather out of his field, you see. We’ll be handling the hospitality from here on out.”

But a spear of woven thread and a spear of silver crossed to block Aileen’s strike.

Shiori and Rudolph, who had been ready for battle, had launched themselves forward even before their enemy made a move.

And that is why the god-speed thrust did not pierce Shion’s heart.

“Urggghhh…!!”

“What incredible brute force!? She is like a demon god…!”

“But we won’t let you pass! We have to live up to the expectations of Shion, who put his body on the line, trusting in us!!”

It was only natural that the moment the meal ended, Shion would be the first target.

He was the closest, after all; it would be strange not to aim for him.

It was Shion’s bold decision to take on the role of facing Aileen for the meal, accepting that risk.

If he believed that they would absolutely defend him, how could they call themselves his comrades if they didn’t live up to that trust? The two were fired up.

(I thought I was gonna die! I thought I was gonna die!! I thought I was gonna die!!!)

Stop yapping like a puppy!

But, of course, Shion hadn’t been aware of any such risk.

Although he had factored in that Aileen would be able to move, he honestly hadn’t thought she would actually overcome the poison and attack.

That lack of foresight was just so very like Shion.

“Hah haa! We’re not the only two who could react, ya knoooowwwwwww!!”

Placing his hands on the shoulders of the two who were holding back the spear, Tenma did a full rotation in the air and, with that same momentum, brought his heel down on top of Aileen’s head.

It seemed the blood was truly boiling in his veins, as his eyes glittered fiercely.

(I need to fall back during this opening and use that! Dammit, I can’t believe the poison didn’t lead to a dead end!)

The moment he took off running to get away…

“GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

A tremendous roar vibrated the very air.

When he glanced back, he saw that Aileen had caught the heel that had been brought down on her head and, with a single arm, she was swinging Tenma around and slamming him into the ground.

A deafening boom echoed as a crater formed in the earth, and Tenma coughed up a spray of blood—how completely absurd.

(What is that creature!?)

Witnessing this monstrous display, Shion’s feet moved even faster until he reached the spot where Rudolph and the others had first been waiting.

A massive magic circle was drawn there.

“…Sorry to make you go to the trouble.”

“It’s all good. Well then, I’m countin’ on ya. I’ll head over to heal when I see a chance.”

The magic circle had been drawn by Mai while Shion was having his meal.

“—For he was one who loved to fight, so may strength reside within his very being.”

This magic circle was for using a rarely seen and laborious enhancement magic.

It was only really used when lying in wait to ambush an enemy at a certain point inside a dungeon, and since it took so much time and effort, it wasn’t used often, but for all the trouble, its effects were on a whole other level.

Even Shion’s enhancement magic, which was mid-tier C-rank, could produce effects equivalent to a low-tier A-rank.

“For he was one who did not wish to die, so may death keep its distance from him.”

He sang out as he held the spear, his medium, horizontally before his chest.

“For he was one who did not wish to die, so may death keep its distance from him!”

A powerful chant. To an onlooker, it would seem as though he were filled with fighting spirit.

Well, the truth was that the chanter himself was so desperate he was on the verge of tears.

“Let this power seep into his gut like water, into his marrow like oil. Let the power he dons become the sword that shall slay his foes!!”

He spun the spear in one hand, pointed the tip to the heavens, and shouted.

“I will not say more—Seize victory!!!! (Win win win win! And kill that thing!!)”

As if in response, his comrades let out a battle cry.

“Tch… Annoying!!”

Shiori’s spear unravels into threads to restrain Aileen, but she neutralizes them with a single sweep of her own spear.

“Now, don’t be like that! As a fellow spear wielder, I’ve been dying for a match with you!!”

Next came Rudolph’s thrust, aimed to pierce her skull. She dodged it with minimal movement, by a hair’s breadth, and countered with an attack of her own.

“Gah…!?”

He likely had his enhancements to thank for being able to dodge the strike aimed at his heart, but he couldn’t evade it completely, and his left shoulder was pierced.

The gushing blood was hot, so hot, and it boiled uncontrollably.

“I’ll cover ‘im!”

But Mai, who had closed the distance in an instant, slapped Rudolph’s body, healing him.

The way she ran through with her momentum and immediately took distance again was nothing short of masterful.

“Heeheehee, I get that you’re head over heels for Shion-kun, but don’t ignore me, ‘kay♪”

“…Shallow!”

Turning to the presence behind her, Aileen saw Tenma attacking from the air.

To attack from the air where your movement is limited—how shortsighted!

Scolding him thus, Aileen used the momentum of her turn to swing her spear, forcing Rudolph to back away as she shifted into a defensive stance.

“You won’t know if it’s shallow unless you try, now will you?”

In that instant, countless footholds formed in mid-air.

“My threads are ever-changing, endlessly versatile. Now, behold the thread-spinning of Shiori Daigo.”

Tenma kicked off the numerous footholds, feinted, and sent a kick flying into the side of Aileen’s head.

“…What an incredibly high-level fight.”

One of the spectators watching the series of attacks and defenses muttered to himself.

The battle, which seemed far beyond the level of mere students, was so fierce that it made them forget to breathe.

“Such beautiful coordination. Aren’t those kids first-years? What kind of trust is that for a team that just formed?”

“In Class A, you aren’t grouped with your friends. To think they built such an unshakable bond with people they’d never even met, and in such a short time.”

The upperclassmen let out sighs of admiration for their underclassmen, who didn’t seem like underclassmen at all.

“The key to it all is him, Shion Harukaze. No matter how you look at it.”

“Yeah, from the looks of that exchange, he’s clearly earned their absolute trust.”

“So he’s the kind of leader you can entrust your life to. I’m a little jealous.”

“But as amazing as they are, that Aileen girl they’re fighting is a monster.”

“Indeed. To think she’s holding her own against that demonic coordination all by herself… and while riddled with poison, no less.”

If you had to ask who the real cheat-level fighter was, it would have to be Aileen.

She was unbelievably strong—so strong that no other words could be found.

“T-Teacher. Why did Aileen-san eat the meal? And why aren’t her other four teammates here? In fact, this whole battle has thrown the rulebook out the window.”

The one who posed the question about this battle, which lay outside the bounds of all reason, was a student from the same Class A as Shion and his team.

Having had the gap in skill with her classmates so vividly displayed, she looked somewhat frustrated.

“Just as I thought, this has been good stimulation for you all. Very well, I shall give you a brief explanation.”

The yakuza began his lecture, his cheeks loosening into a smile at the stimulus Shion’s battle had provided.

“First, the reason Aileen Hearn is the only one here is likely because the others were eliminated beforehand.”

“…Eliminated?”

At the dangerous-sounding words, not only the student who had asked but the others as well frowned.

“Most likely two days ago, he attacked them individually, incapacitated the four of them, and then abducted and imprisoned them. By doing so, he eliminated any unknown variables. And don’t give me any of that tired talk about it being cruel or inhuman.”

You haven’t forgotten the words Shion and his team delivered with their own bodies three days ago, have you? “Get serious.”

The students who knew the circumstances fell silent at the yakuza’s words.

“I was contacted in advance. ‘Is it acceptable to assume the battle has already begun?’ he asked. Seeing the current situation, you understand the meaning, don’t you? Harukaze-kun was the only one who came to me with such a question.”

In other words, he was telling them that the others had already fallen behind due to a difference in awareness.

“Now, for the next question. Why did she eat the poison, was it? He struck at Aileen-san’s pride. Through meticulous information gathering, Harukaze-kun found his golden opportunity. He saw through the one line that the person known as Aileen Hearn would never cross, even if it meant throwing her life away.”

He recounted the tale related to Cú Chulainn, which he was fairly certain was correct.

“He is shrewd beyond measure. If she had refused… We wouldn’t have been able to see it, and we probably wouldn’t have even noticed at the time. Even so, Shion Harukaze and his team would have claimed a priceless victory along with a trivial defeat.”

Forcing her to abandon a creed she was willing to die for—how could that not be called a defeat?

It might not be a victory in the eyes of an adventurer.

But you couldn’t say it was entirely without value.

After all, it would mean he had completely crushed the pride of a champion as great as Aileen.

And yet, even if she accepted the meal, what awaited her was a full-course of deadly poison.

A chill spread through the crowd at the sheer ruthlessness of the plan, a plan with no room for games.

Shion Harukaze—he would go that far?

“There’s a saying about a boy meeting his moment, but you’d have to say he was transformed over the weekend. The loss of his temporary comrades, however brief, changed him into a champion and changed his comrades along with him. I don’t know what feelings he poured into that spear he inherited… but still, it’s a magnificent sight.”

It was a gross overestimation, but for Shion, who always wanted to be seen in a good light, it couldn’t be better.

Well, it might also cause him to shoulder some unnecessary trouble down the line.

“…’Shion of the Shoelaces,’ so this is the path he walks.”

Right now, Shion’s lips were pressed into a firm line as he intently watched the tide of battle.

At first glance, it looks like he isn’t doing anything, and in fact, he isn’t, but that’s fine.

Because he had already done everything he needed to do to get to this point and had entrusted the rest to his comrades.

Gathering information, formulating a strategy, mobilizing people, and taking a meal in a spot where he was liable to be the first victim of a spear thrust.

None of it was easy.

And that’s precisely why his comrades were fighting so hard—to live up to the struggle of Shion Harukaze.

The reason they could draw out more than their usual strength was that they wanted to be comrades he wouldn’t be ashamed of.

Or so—that’s what all the spectators thought.

Now, as for the man himself…

(I can’t take this anymore… I-I wanna go home… And what are the three of you doing, still screwing around!? Why isn’t this over yet!?)

He was cursing them out in his head.

Right now, his heart was surely stained with nothing but anxiety.

After all, she was fighting off three people while being afflicted with a poison potent enough that she should already be dead.

No, if anything, Aileen might even have a slight advantage.

He just didn’t have a spirit strong enough to not be shaken by such an absurd sight.

…Hey Shion, is that woman actually human? She doesn’t look human to me.

“(I know, right?! I mean, look at her! She’s a monster in human form!)”

Aileen, catching a blade formed from thread with her teeth.

It was absurd beyond belief; you had no choice but to call it a real-life cheat.

Wasn’t the game balance completely broken?

“Hah… hah… ugh… I… will… go… beyond… my idol…”

Blood gushed from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth—from every orifice—but the fighting spirit in her eyes never faded.

Because for Aileen, this battle held a special meaning.

It was a stage set by her beloved rival, and a chance to finally reach the one she admired.

I don’t want to lose, I don’t want to lose, I want to win, I want to win.

For the first time in her life, she desired victory from the bottom of her heart.

With Aileen already being so strong, and now with her heart in the fight, the current situation may have been, in a way, inevitable.

“Haha, you’re magnificent. Any guy would fall for you, don’t you think? But still…”

Even if he tried some trick, it wouldn’t work if it only cost him an arm.

So what to do? How could he weaken this monster, even a little?

His thoughts accelerated in the midst of battle. Tenma arrived at an answer.

“—To reach the end of your dream, you have to get past Shion-kun and the rest of us, ya know?”

Tenma grinned—and slashed his own neck with the side of his hand.

His heart was already pounding at its max from the intense exercise. Naturally, the force of the blood was tremendous, and the gushing spray blinded Aileen.

His gamble—that she would be at least somewhat shocked by an act of self-harm—paid off brilliantly.

“What kind of crazy stunt was that!?”

But using a slashed artery as a smokescreen was not the act of a sane person.

Mai immediately touched Tenma’s body and healed him.

It was only because her concentration had been heightened to its absolute limit in the deathmatch that she could react instantly.

However, if she had been even a fraction of a second later, Tenma, while he might not have died, would have suffered a drastic drop in his specs.

“But this is our chance!”

“Wait, Mai!”

If I touch her, we win. That rash thought, born from impatience, caused Mai to make a mistake.

“The healer is finished…!”

Aileen dodged the outstretched hand with her extraordinary intuition, grabbed Mai’s head, and slammed it into the ground.

Judging by the massive cracks that formed, centered on where her face hit, a recovery would be impossible.

That was one down, and the one taken out was the healer.

“A short, decisive battle is unavoidable now…! I will stop her movements!!”

Shiori unleashed her threads, but they were useless against Aileen, whose sixth sense had been sharpened by the loss of her sight.

Her threads were caught by the spear, and she was pulled in with great force—

“Gofh…”

A merciless blow to the body.

With a boom so loud you’d think a bomb went off, her slender body collapsed.

That was two down. All that remained were Rudolph and Tenma—the outcome of the match was already clear.

“But I won’t give up until the very end! Behold my spear!!”

Forced into a corner, Rudolph’s skill with the spear had risen dramatically.

One clash, two clashes, spear met spear, sending sparks flying through the air.

“Hraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!”

“…Impressive!”

A strike from Rudolph tore into Aileen’s side.

Seeing his skill, which was incomparable to what it had been when the fight began, she, a fellow spear wielder, offered a short but sincere word of praise.

“I couldn’t… reach… No, this is… regrettable…”

Rudolph, still impaled through the gut, was swung around by the spear and slammed into the ground.

He lost consciousness, looking thoroughly frustrated—making it three down.

“Why, your hands?”

Her question was, why hadn’t he attacked together with Rudolph?

Tenma shrugged, as if to say, don’t ask such boring questions.

“To win. I needed to rest my body, even for a moment, and bet everything on a single strike. I’m not a fan of that kinda thing.”

Rudolph probably hadn’t said anything because he understood that intention.

If it had been Shion, he definitely would have said, We’re both attacking!

“Well then… this is the last dance.”

Tap, tap. He lightly kicked off the ground and closed in.

In terms of speed alone, Tenma had the upper hand.

He probably intended to harry her with his footwork before landing a finishing blow—

“!”

But Aileen, who had predicted as much, was splendidly mistaken.

Just when she thought he had feinted to the side, he instantly corrected his trajectory and came at her from the front.

She was sure his attention had been directed anywhere but straight ahead…

“I’m pretty good at lying, you know♪”

A kick wrapped in blackish-red light pierced Aileen’s stomach.

Could her already severely depleted body withstand an impact that felt like it was tearing her limb from limb?

There was no need to even consider it.

“—You really are strong, you know.”

Because she had decided to endure, there was no way she couldn’t.

It might be an absurd theory of pure guts, but in the end, that’s what matters.

“…One, left.”

Having put his all into that last blow, Tenma collapsed, his spirit and energy spent.

And with that, the only one left was Shion.

(*Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!)

Shion didn’t even have the composure to curse his defeated teammates in his head; he was in a state of panic, imagining the tragedy that was sure to unfold in the next moment.

And yet his expression didn’t change, making him a show-off of demonic proportions.

“Shion, Harukaze.”

Aileen approached unsteadily, spear in hand.

Just looking at her, like some kind of ghost, was enough to make him feel like he was going to pass out.

“Your…”

Loss?

“No, your team’s…”

No, that’s not it.

“—Victory.”

Coming right up next to him, Aileen dropped her spear and leaned against Shion’s body.

Having finally come close to the man she wanted to be near, the thread of her tension snapped.

Corroded by poison, covered in wounds large and small, she had fought to the very end, and now her limit had been reached.

(Ugh… I-I ended up catching her…)

Shion, who had caught her reflexively, groaned with a look of utter disgust.

Sure, it’s understandable that he’s scared, but that’s just too rude to a woman.

Actually, forget her being a woman, show at least a little respect for an opponent who fought with all her might.

“My idol… I couldn’t reach them…”

Her voice was faint, as if she could lose consciousness at any second.

And yet—she desperately held on to her consciousness because there was still something she wanted to say.

“But—if I’m to lose to you, then that’s fine.”

Mustering the last of her strength, she pressed her own lips to Shion’s.

They parted after only an instant, but with a satisfied smile, Aileen lost consciousness.

(My first kiiiiiiiisss! I-I have to go rinse my mouth out, now!!)

The relief born from victory, the confusion born from having his lips stolen.

Shion’s mind was in chaos.

“Harukaze, give this to Aileen.”

The one who stopped the chaos was Mojo, who had approached after seeing the match was over.

Mojo pressed a small vial containing a blue liquid into Shion’s hand.

“Don’t worry about your comrades. Arrangements for their treatment have already been made. So now all that’s left is Aileen.”

(Eh… I have to save… this woman? I mean, can she even be saved?)

“She’s unconscious, so it’ll have to be mouth-to-mouth… but well, seeing what just happened, I doubt that’ll be a problem.”

Mojo left quickly, trying to be considerate.

The reason he seemed to be smiling was perhaps because he found the two of them to be a charming sight?

But regardless, since he’d been told to do it, he had no choice.

Because he couldn’t think of an excuse if he defied him and got killed for it.

(M-My… my second kiss, too…!)

While crying tears in his heart, he reluctantly took the vial’s contents into his mouth and gave it to Aileen.

(I’m the winner, so why am I the one going through this…)

And with that, the battle was truly over.

To end with a kiss is a classic trope, so for reality, you could say it was a rather clean ending.

Well—if you exclude Shion’s true feelings, that is.