S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 41: The Super Strong Vampire

Chapter 41: The Super Strong Vampire

“I get that you’re in love with me… but why? We only fought for a single night, didn’t we?”

Unable to handle the way Raynare was showing off—plus the stares from the other three—I changed the subject.

“I’m kind of curious about that too. Mind telling us?”

“Of course. Though it’s nothing complicated. I guess you could call it love at first sight.”

“Love at first sight… during a fight? Is that even possible?”

“It’s not that strange, really. It’s not like there was any hatred between me and Abel.”

“Well… that’s true, I suppose.”

The reason I fought the Progenitor a year ago was because he stood in the Hero’s Party’s way.

The party ended up getting stalled, but honestly, there was a reason for that. To put it plainly, they just didn’t have enough strength back then.

The northern part of this continent was basically the Demon King’s domain. He had gathered all kinds of powerful monsters from around the world.

Because of that, the entire region had become a deadly zone—frozen wastelands filled with dangerous creatures.

If things had continued as they were, the Hero’s Party would’ve taken heavy losses. Seeing that, Raidlake—well, at the time—decided to stop them.

Though apparently, he was just doing it to kill time.

“So then, Millia and the others trained for a while, got stronger, and finally became strong enough to enter the northern regions. In a way, Raidlake helped them.”

“But even if they got stronger, whether I let them through or not depended entirely on my mood. The one who came to challenge me, trying to force me to back down… was Abel.”

“Back then, I just wanted to see Millia as soon as possible. So it’s not like I held any grudges. But still—how does that turn into love at first sight…?”

If anything, didn’t I do something worth being hated for? I was just some random guy who suddenly attacked him out of nowhere…

“Love at first sight doesn’t need a reason to begin with.”

I hadn’t meant for anyone to hear that—it was just me thinking out loud.

But Raynare smiled and answered anyway.

Looking me straight in the eyes, she spoke.

“Abel… That night, when we fought—when we bared everything and clashed with no holding back… I fell in love with your heart. With your will. That sheer determination that brought you that far on obsession alone… That’s what made me fall for Abel Sixam. I was drawn to how you could carry those overwhelming emotions without breaking, and still face me head-on.”

“I-I see…”

“—Which is exactly why… the woman who stomped all over those feelings of yours—I hate her so much I want to kill her.”

A chill ran down my spine.

There was a wave of killing intent so strong, it made me instinctively want to raise my guard.

On that now beautiful face, a vein popped as she clicked her tongue in fury.

But in the next moment, she tucked it all away again.

Thank god.

Elmie and the others were definitely freaking out.

“Well, whatever. Watching you find happiness might be the best kind of revenge anyway. More importantly—I’m going to focus on winning your heart now.”

“…Wha—?!”

She shook her head and stood up from her seat.

I didn’t take my eyes off her for even a second.

And yet—

“Hey… would it really be that bad? As a woman, I’ve got a body to die for, you know?”

“Huh?”

“When did you…!?”

Even though she had been a few meters away, Raynare was suddenly sitting on my lap.

Her body—way too curvy and way too close—pressed tightly against mine as she whispered in a honey-sweet voice.

“If the fact that I used to be a man is holding you back… then let me drown you in the charms of a woman. This body—this is what I look like in my female form. I’d really prefer if you fell for me just the way I am… but if you’ve got a type, I can adjust. I had lovers before, but they all passed on, so I’m single now. Technically a widow. And I’m loyal—once I fall for someone, I stay with them till death. Unlike a certain unfaithful someone.”

With seductive whispers and an intense declaration of love, she leaned in even closer.

She pressed her huge chest into mine—tight waist twisting just enough to rub her hips against me.

Those full, round curves matched her size perfectly.

She wrapped her long, shapely legs around me too, as if trying to make sure every part of her body was touching mine.

The only part not touching was probably just our faces.

And to make things worse…

“Wait—Raynare! Your legs! Your hips and thighs are all soft and squishy—what the hell!?”

This girl…!

When she was still Raidlake, she wore an aloha shirt and swim trunks.

Which meant—right now, the only thing she had on her lower half was a thin layer of swimwear fabric!

All that seductive softness pressing directly against my lower body—there was no way not to feel it.

No matter what she used to be, with a body like this, it was impossible not to react!

“Wait—okay, I get it…! So just get off me—”

“Fufu… If you want, you can do whatever you want to this body, you know? My breasts, my secret place… all of it ♡ If it’s for you, Abel, I’d even be up for kinky stuff—”

That sweet scent—uniquely Raynare—tickled my nose.

A rush of heat bubbled up from my gut to the top of my head.

Raynare slowly leaned in, her lips inching toward my ear, and—

“””STOP RIGHT THERE!!!”””

Before she could go any further, Elmie and the others shouted in unison.

The three of them yanked Raynare off me and dragged her away, putting some distance between us.

“Tch… I almost had him…!”

“No, no, no! None of us have gotten that far with him yet!”

“Wait! Just wait a second! Please hold on!”

“Jumping the line that fast is totally not fair…!”

“Mmm… What? None of you have slept with him yet? You’ve had the perfect chances—why haven’t you just pushed him down and made your move? You’ll lose your prize if you wait too long, you know?”

Seeing their desperate expressions, Raynare seemed to realize none of them had gone that far with me yet, and let out an exaggerated sigh.

Judging from how she spoke, she was probably the type to move fast.

—And honestly, that was way too close just now.

She hit me with sound, touch, and scent all at once, setting off every instinct I had.

Even now, my breathing was still rough, and my face felt like it was on fire.

That was… seriously intense.

So this…

This is the kind of technique a Progenitor brings to the table!?

“Y-You mean, just push him down and…?!”

“Miss Raynare, you’re way too strong—seriously!”

“No need to be so formal, girls. You love Abel too, don’t you? That makes us comrades in love—no need for honorifics between us!”

“Is that so? Then… Raynare it is.”

“…So you really do accept us too? I thought for sure you’d try to keep him all to yourself.”

“Of course I accept you. We all want Abel to be happy, right? We’re on the same team! But—let me take the lead a little. I need him to understand, properly, that I’m a woman now.”

“Haa… haa… That lead of yours is way too intense…”

While I stood there stunned, the four of them started chatting without me.

Honestly, it helped—I needed a moment to calm myself down.

Still, why did it feel like I was being left out?

At least they weren’t fighting, so that was a relief.

“But if that’s how you felt, then why didn’t you just approach him as a woman from the start? Wouldn’t that have been easier?”

“That’s because…”

In response to Frey’s question, Raynare blushed faintly, turned her eyes away, and covered her mouth with one hand as she murmured—

“After such a passionate, heart-pounding night together… the fact that he didn’t even recognize me… honestly, it hurt.”

“…!”

The moment I saw her expression—

Even though I knew deep down she was that same Progenitor I fought all night long—

That familiar sensation washed over me again.

“T-This feeling…”

“Yup, she’s totally serious.”

“This one’s hard to turn down~”

“Not like we were ever in a position to tell her yes or no to begin with.”

“Hahaha! You girls catch on quick, I like that!”

While I stood there with my face completely flushed, trying to hide how red I’d gotten, the four of them—yeah, let’s just say all four girls—were getting more and more fired up.

“So? I told you how I fell in love with him. Now it’s your turn. What made you fall for him?”

“Eh!? W-Well, that’s…!”

“Fufufu~ I’ve got a great story! Should I go first?”

“Oh, then should I bring out more drinks? Elmie probably needs a little alcohol to loosen up~”

“Mind your own business!”

And just like that, the conversation spiraled into a chaotic, giggly girls’ talk session.

Yeah… judging from that energy, there was no way I’d be joining the conversation anytime soon.

I quietly reached for something I had set aside earlier.

“Yeah. This is amazing.”

The sashimi was from a massive white shrimp—so big it could’ve been mistaken for a child’s arm.

I dipped it in a specialty sauce from some island nation, then bit into the springy, plump flesh.

The salty tang and rich sweetness burst across my tongue, filling my whole mouth with flavor.

The more I chewed, the deeper the umami sank in.

I stared off into the distance, quietly savoring every bite.

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[Afterword]

Sorry, I’m feeling a bit under the weather.

I may need a little extra time going forward.