Chapter 15

The annual Magic Guild festival, the “Inter-Guild Tournament,” was announced.

This was a grand event where each guild showcased the fruits of their daily training and competed to prove their strength. The winning guild would receive an enormous reward and the supreme honor of having their name resound across the entire continent.

And my “Magic Amplification Ability” became the focus of attention from all sides as the ultimate trump card that would hold the key to victory in this tournament.

“Yuuto, you will naturally contribute to my team’s victory, won’t you? Making me the champion is your highest priority.”

“Yuuto-san, our healing arts team also needs your power. If we maximize our defense and recovery, we won’t lose to any powerful enemy.”

“Yuuto Minakata, don’t forget about the knights’ team either. With your power, our offensive capabilities should improve dramatically. Let’s seize victory together with honor and dignity!”

Silvia, Lunaria, and Eleanor each decided to lead their own teams in the tournament, and the battle to claim me became fierce.

As for Fiona, it seemed she’d be leveraging her signature information-gathering skills to handle intelligence collection and commentary for the entire tournament, but she also winked at me saying, “I’ll sneak off to get some of Yuuto-kun’s kiss buffs somewhere!”

There’s no way I can pull this off unless I clone myself…

The heroines’ passionate campaigns and what became known as “Kiss Strategy Meetings”—discussing the timing and recipients of my magic supply (with the kiss amplification effect naturally being the premise)—were held day after day.

Though I was bewildered, my desire to help everyone win was the same.

In the end, with a single decisive word from Guild Master Serena (or rather, through her clever orchestration), we settled on a rainbow-colored compromise: I would rotate through supporting each heroine’s team while responding flexibly according to battlefield conditions.

So basically, I’m supposed to kiss my way through every single match…?

With pressure and expectations swirling together, the curtain finally rose on the Inter-Guild Tournament.

The venue was packed to capacity, wrapped in fervent energy.

The opening match featured Silvia’s offense-specialized team.

Just before the match began, I gave Silvia a deep, long, encouraging kiss, amplifying her magic power to the maximum.

“Hmph, a natural outcome.”

Silvia dominated the opposing team with overwhelming power, securing an easy victory.

In the following match with Lunaria’s healing and defense team, I gave Lunaria a gentle, restorative kiss, raising the effectiveness of her healing magic to the limit. With an impenetrable defense that nullified all enemy attacks, they won through attrition.

In Eleanor’s knights’ team match, I gave Eleanor a powerful, rousing kiss, enhancing her swordsmanship and physical abilities. With the valor of one warrior worth a thousand, she achieved a magnificent victory.

It was truly a kiss relay.

The heroines receiving my support excelled one after another, and the venue erupted with excitement.

Am I the one standing out the most here…?

However, as the tournament progressed smoothly, I sensed an ominous presence.

That rival guild was displaying strength unthinkable based on their previous data, advancing through the tournament.

There was something unnatural about their fighting style, as if some kind of enhancement had been applied.

Fiona noticed this as well and seemed to be quietly investigating.

“Yuuto-kun, that rival guild might be using some seriously bad power…”

Fiona’s concerns would, unfortunately, prove correct.

Behind the scenes of the tournament, a terrifying conspiracy we knew nothing about was unfolding.

And those sinister hands were reaching toward me as well.

Chapter 16

The Inter-Guild Tournament entered its climax, and the venue’s fervor reached fever pitch.

I continued moving between the heroines’ teams, contributing to their victories through magic supply and ability amplification via kisses.

I’d like to say I was working miracles on all fronts… but in reality, I felt like I was just being conveniently used as a kiss-based magic supply station.

In the midst of those dizzying days, the incident occurred.

It happened just before the tournament semifinals, when Silvia’s team was about to clash with the rival guild’s team.

“Yuuto, I need to speak with you alone for a moment. Come with me.”

Called by Silvia, I headed to an unpopulated waiting room.

However, the moment I entered the room, someone covered my mouth from behind and stole my consciousness.

Through my fading awareness, I thought I saw the face of a red-haired female mage who was one of the rival guild’s leaders.

Damn it… a trap…!

When I next regained consciousness, I found myself in an unfamiliar, dimly lit place resembling an underground prison.

My hands and feet were restrained by special shackles that sealed magic power, leaving me unable to move an inch.

“Finally awake, are we? The SSS-rank princesses’ exclusive magic supply source?”

Before me stood that red-haired female mage, a mocking smile on her face.

Behind her, several figures who appeared to be executives of the rival guild stood ready.

“What are you people planning to do with me…!”

“It’s simple. We’re just going to have that convenient magic power of yours work for us.”

The female mage said this while producing an old parchment. A complex magic circle of some kind was drawn on it.

“This is part of the activation key for an ancient weapon. With your inexhaustible magic power, we can fully revive this weapon.”

An ancient weapon…! Is this what Fiona was talking about!

They had kidnapped me amid the confusion of the Inter-Guild Tournament, planning to use my magic power to activate an ancient weapon.

I desperately tried to resist, but the magic-suppressing shackles were powerful and wouldn’t budge.

“Give up your futile resistance. If you obediently hand over your magic power, you won’t have to suffer.”

The female mage grabbed my jaw, trying to forcibly extract my magic power.

But I wouldn’t yield. I absolutely wouldn’t let them have their way.

I had to keep searching for an opportunity to escape and buy time.

Meanwhile, Silvia and the others, learning of my kidnapping, were consumed by intense rage and self-reproach.

The Inter-Guild Tournament was immediately suspended.

Under Guild Master Serena’s command, a guild-wide cooperative Yuuto rescue operation began.

Fiona’s information-gathering abilities, Lunaria’s search magic, Eleanor’s mobilization of the knights, and Silvia’s overwhelming combat power.

Utilizing each of their abilities, they quickly identified the location of the rival guild’s hideout.

“Yuuto… I will definitely save him…!”

Silvia burned with quiet fury, clenching her fists tight.

In her eyes dwelled strong feelings for Yuuto and firm resolve to rescue him no matter what.

Lunaria, Fiona, and Eleanor also prepared to head into enemy territory without regard for danger, each carrying their own feelings.

However, the heroines at this time failed to notice the shadow crossing Serena’s expression—something calculating, as if she were hiding something.

The time for the decisive battle was approaching moment by moment.