When the Villainous Flame User Trapped in a Time Loop Starts Living Earnestly, Every Female Party Member Turns into a Pervert and Now the World Is in Danger!? - 15

Chapter 15: Heat

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“Now then, Habiri, show me! Show me your blue flame!”

I had never even thought about sparring with the prince before, but when I looked at my father and brother, both of them just nodded silently without the slightest intent to stop this madness.

No, don’t just nod! Stop him, damn it!

And it looked like I didn’t have a choice in the matter anyway…

“Ahh, fine, whatever happens, happens, yeah? Ignite! Sword of Blue Flame!”

I gathered blue fire in my palm and shaped it into a blazing sword. According to my father and brother, this was apparently two full levels more advanced than simply producing blue fire itself, but after a few hours of practice, I somehow managed to pull it off.

“Oh! You can form it into a sword as well! It seems you have truly mastered it! At this rate, you’ve already surpassed every student at the Magic Academy!”

The prince’s praise slipped out the moment he saw the sword of blue flame. Since he was not one to give false compliments, the thought that he meant it sent a small thrill through my chest.

“So beautiful… Senpai’s flame… It’s different from the red one you showed me yesterday… This is your power…”

Nemeth… are you trying to hide that you’re a girl? Your face looks way too melted and dreamy right now!

“Well done! The brilliance of the next generation always excites me! After myself and Retsuka, there has been a long lull, but you might be the next one to rise, Habiri!”

Nooooo! That’s wrong! The next one should be Nemeth! She’s right here, looking all dazed and melty-faced!

“Come, strike at me! Let me judge the heat of your flame!”

“Are you sure about that!? I’m really gonna do it, for real, okay!?”

Anyway, since he was telling me to come at him, and nothing would start unless I did, I decided to go all out. I charged forward, raised my sword high, and swung straight down at the prince’s head—

“Gaia Hand!”

“Wha—!?”

But the prince caught my sword with one hand.

“Wha—grh!? Ugh!?”

It wasn’t just stone—it felt like he’d turned into the earth itself! My blade was completely immobilized!

“H-he caught it!? Senpai’s sword!?”

“…Heh… My blood stirs as well… The Empire’s strongest prince… The Stone King, Budo…”

“…That oppressive strength… I suppose this is just ‘as expected’ as well…”

The moment he caught my blade, I felt it. His muscle strength, his magical power, and an overwhelming pressure that nearly made my entire body freeze up.

“What’s wrong? Is that the limit of your heat?”

“—!”

That pissed me off. Sure, he was the prince, but showing up unannounced, demanding a duel without a single word of explanation, and after praising me, giving me that condescending look…

Give me a break…

“Uooooooohhhh!”

“Hmph!”

If pushing or pulling won’t work…Then I’ll just engulf him!

“Blue Inferno!!”

I boosted the intensity and volume of the flames, releasing a massive blaze that could swallow not only me but the prince as well.

“Wha—!? Habiri, what are you doing!?”

“Th-this is—! Habiri! Prince!”

“Nii-sama!?”

They clearly hadn’t expected me to do something like this—my father, my brother, even the princess looked shocked. Yeah, normally I’d never do this kind of thing. A fire big enough to consume even myself was dangerous. Someone like the worthless, pampered idiot I used to be would never have done something so reckless.

But the me now didn’t care in the slightest. After crawling through hell, stripped of pride and dignity, after living those miserable, powerless days and facing that pathetic end, this was nothing.

“O-ohhh!”

“H-how about that, Your Highness!? Pretty hot, huh!?”

“O-ohhh!?”

Even the prince had to feel something after being engulfed in this much fire—

“Good… Very good, this heat! Such intensity makes even me boil over!!”

“Wha—!?”

Not only was he unfazed, his magic flared even stronger—

“Magic Stone King: Gaia Mode!!”

His entire body became clad in armor made of rock forged by magic, repelling every flame around him. I’d heard about this in rumors—no, legends—this was said to be the prince’s ultimate battle mode.

“I don’t care! Get swallowed up again!”

“Ho! You still have more in you? Good! Very good, Habiri!”

If the fire vanished, then I’d just burn him down again. I unleashed a new inferno to swallow the prince whole once more, roaring without a thought for what came next. And then—

““Gaaaaaaaahhhh!!””

I poured out everything I had.

“Bocchama!”

“Goshujin-sama!”

“Senpai!”

“Prince! Habiri!”

“This… This is…”

“Nii-sama… Habiri…Amazing…”

The air trembled as fierce winds blasted outward…

“Guh… Ggghh… Dammit…”

…And then my magic finally ran completely dry.

“Ha… Gahahaha… Seems you couldn’t quite burn me away, Habiri!”

The prince laughed at me, still wrapped in his rock armor. In the end, this match…

“Hah… hah… hah… But to have come this far despite still being in development—it’s terrifying. A year from now, you might very well defeat me, Habiri!”

“Wha—!?”

When he released the rocky armor, the prince beneath was laughing—but also drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Wait, was he actually cornered, too?

“Honestly… I almost stepped in to stop you midway.”

“Haha, same here. Habiri, you sure know how to scare people. I was on edge the whole time.”

“But now Nii-sama understands you better, right, Habiri?”

“Senpai! Are you okay, Senpai!?”

“Bocchama, let’s cool you down in a cold bath! I’ll join you, naked!”

“Goshujin-sama, are you burned? I’ll lick it better!”

The air shifted—everyone could tell the duel was over. My father and brother stepped in, visibly relieved, while Nemeth, Sword, and Magina rushed over to tend to me. I went blank for a moment. Wait, why did this even happen in the first place? Then—

“In any case, Habiri, I’ve seen your talent, your potential, and your heat. Very well, you pass! With this, our kingdom shall grow even stronger!”

“Eh? P-pass?”

Pass? Was I being tested for something? What was I passing?

“From this day forth, you shall become Toilette’s husband.”

“…Ha!?”

“““WHAT!!??”””

It was so unexpected that I couldn’t help blurting “Ha!?” right at the prince. But Nemeth, Sword, and Magina all looked equally shocked. Meanwhile, my father and brother were nodding in satisfaction, and as for the princess…

“Ehe♪ I’m looking forward to it~”

Don’t “Ehe” me! What the hell are you smiling about!?

“In truth, there was talk of this long ago, but your heart was twisted and your character was lacking, and Toilette had no interest in you, so the engagement was voided. However, having heard your recent reputation and now tested you myself, I see no reason for doubt.”

“W-wait, no, please—what about my will in this!?”

“Refusal is not permitted. This is a royal decree. Your father has already entrusted the matter to me.”

A royal decree!? You’re a prince, not the king! And Father, why’d you go along with that!?

“Uuuu… S-Senpai…”

Nemeth, who’d been smitten with the princess before, looked heartbroken. And then—

“…Ha? What was that? What did he just say?”

“…Unforgivable… To take Goshujin-sama away…”

Sword and Magina were muttering something with terrifying expressions on their faces…

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