episode_0224

“Hey, Yuri.”

One autumn evening, with a gentle breeze blowing.

Scritch- scratch-

Nari, lying with her head resting on Yuri’s lap, quietly called out to her.

“Why did you call me?”

Yuri was carefully peeling an apple. Her knife skills, improving day by day, left not a single speck of flesh on the discarded peel. It was so thin, the opposite side was translucent.

“Yuri, what would you do if I died? Not of old age, but, say, on the battlefield?”

Scritch-

The paring knife, skillfully peeling the apple, came to a sudden stop. Hearing the silence, Nari quietly looked up at Yuri. Her expression was mostly hidden by her hands.

After a short while, the rhythmic sound of the knife resumed. The perfectly peeled apple skin, red on both sides, fell onto the plate.

“What should I do?”

“Um… Hmm…”

Nari closed her eyes tightly and frowned, seemingly lost in thought. Yuri found her seriousness even in such frivolous imaginings rather endearing.

“Hmm… A funeral? Not hugely extravagant, but an official one, I suppose. You’d probably be crying in the front row.”

“No, I won’t be there.”

“Huh?”

Scritch-

Yuri’s paring knife, which had been meticulously carving the apple flesh into bite-sized pieces, stopped again. This time, the blade moved towards her throat.

“The moment I hear that news, I’ll kill myself.”

Thanks to the movement of her hand, Yuri’s expression was now visible to Nari. She looked quite angry, a furrow in her brow. For wrinkles to appear on her flawlessly smooth skin, she must be using quite a bit of force.

Nari sighed softly.

“…Sorry. I won’t ask that kind of thing.”

“Good. Now eat your apple.”

“Yes. Oop-”

There was no need for a sudden realization. The person Yuri cherished most was Nari. Nari herself often felt it, sometimes wondering if it bordered on dependence.

While she now had a ‘place to return to’ as Baron Philbrogue’s maid, Yuri had previously been a war orphan. For a while, she craved family more than life itself, having experienced a lonely and difficult life.

It was Nari who had saved her. To ask what she would do if she herself died… it was a truly inconsiderate question.

Crunch-

Nari bit into the apple Yuri offered. Sweet juice flowed out. The orchards in the southwest of the kingdom produced plenty of such premium fruit.

Once she finished a piece, she felt a void in her mouth. Was she addicted to the sweetness? Nari reached for another freshly cut piece on the table.

“But, oomp- I don’t die that easily.”

“I know. I’ve checked that several times in bed.”

“Wow… Your humor has improved significantly.”

Nari chuckled. Yuri wasn’t usually one for jokes. She was serious about everything, never letting herself get distracted, except when she was in bed.

“You have the power to manipulate souls, right? How about splitting yours into multiple pieces and hiding them? Even if one dies, you’d live on elsewhere.”

“I’m not a slime… That’s not possible.”

“It’s not? Too bad.”

That was seriously meant, to be sure. Nari launched into a long explanation about the nature of souls, firmly stating that it was absolutely impossible, given the minimum amount of soul needed to maintain consciousness.

Yet, the idea itself wasn’t bad. Splitting the soul… It was a refreshing concept due to her dual ways to create and absorb.

“Hmm… Well, my mother left her soul’s echo in a magic stone like that.”

“So, you can do it too? Try it.”

“Should I?”

“Yes. Give me a piece of your soul.”

By now, the apple on the plate had been completely eaten. Yuri was wiping the apple juice from her lips, gently looking down and licking it up with the tip of her tongue.

It was a kind of signal.

“Alright— Yes, let me squeeze part of my soul into Yuri today too.”

“Kya-♡”

Even without being told, Yuri frequently felt Nari’s soul wriggling within her belly.

.

.

.

“Haa…”

In the thick darkness, the pure white light emanating from Yuri illuminated the interior of the temple. As soon as she swallowed the spirit pill made from Nari’s soul, ether overflowed from her body.

“Haa… Haa… ♡”

It was a new experience. The closest sensation… yes, it was similar to the feeling of having Nari’s semen inside her. The peak of pleasure. Her whole body felt hot, light, as if she could fly.

Her senses sharpened intensely. Ether flowed from her throat, where she swallowed the pill, to the central areas of her body: her heart, dantien, and womb. From there, it spread throughout her body. Yuri trembled at the tingling sensation running down her spine.

Swish- Thwack-

Unconsciously, she started twisting her body, as she did during orgasm. It was an intense pleasure that she couldn’t control. The physical pleasure slowly spread, while on top of it was the mental pleasure of Nari’s soul entering her body.

Thump- Thud-

As she took a step forward, the upperclassmen in front of her began to step backward.

“You, you, you are…!!”

“I… I can’t hold it in anymore…? So let’s finish this quickly.”

“What-”

Yuri immediately reached towards the ceiling. The overflowing ether was uncontrollable. It was like she was about to cum. She unleashed the ether swirling and surging throughout her body through her palms.

[Mana Explosion]-!!

BoOOOOOOOOM—!!

A pure white light blazed. The mana, exploding towards the ceiling, ripped the temple roof apart. Even after the explosion, the light didn’t disappear because the top of the temple had been blown away, allowing the intense sunlight to pour into the dark corridor.

Rumbling—

“C…Crazy bitch…!!”

“The whole temple…”

One of the cadets’ goals had evaporated. The situation, now exposed to the outside, prevented them from doing anything shady.

But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Yurias had recovered from her weakened state. The intense dark qi and foul smell dispersed with the explosion. The aura radiating from her body became even more intense. Moreover, her pierced leg and other injuries had completely healed. It seemed to be related to the white pills she had swallowed moments before.

The ringleader, standing in the middle of the group, was quick-witted. Without taking the time to gather his comrades, he immediately turned and fled the temple.

“Wh- Wait-”

“Hey, what about us—”

Their Yurias hunt had been meticulously planned. But their pre-arranged plan apparently didn’t account for such an unexpected turn of events. Their formation instantly crumbled as they began to panic.

Whizz-

“Hoooo…”

And Yuri didn’t miss the opportunity. Her body felt so light, she could leap tens of meters with minimal effort. In mid-air, she twisted her body and clenched her fists.

Yuri’s fighting style generally prioritizes speed. Her small stature and flexibility allowed for quick and precise movements, but she lacked the power to fully utilize Nari’s martial arts.

Now, that power had been fully replenished by the spirit pill. She no longer needed to visualize Nari’s martial arts. She could simply imitate what she had seen hundreds of times.

Yuri’s intense aura erupted, shrouding her surroundings in a hazy white fog.

Amidst it, sharp eyes gleamed.

Floral Fighting Style, Hundred Unfading Blows!

She unleashed her fists at an unseen speed. Before the afterimage of one punch faded, the second punch flew out. The gap between each strike is gradually reduced, and the powerful barrage continues relentlessly.

Bam bam bam- Bam bam—!!

“Ugh-”

“Kheok—”

Except for the fourth-year ringleader who was alone fleeing, dozens of white shockwaves struck everyone’s bodies.

Bam bam bam bam bam—!!

Yuri cut through the center of the cadet group, landing hundreds of consecutive blows before breaking free. Pillars of light enveloped the cadets. Assured of their failure, they were quickly ejected from the mock dungeon.

She looked up. In the distance, she spotted the last prey running away without even glancing back.

Basic Floral Fighting Style, Shadowless Step.

With swift footsteps, leaving no trace, she dashed towards him. He was soon in view.

Whoosh—

“Kuh… You crazy bi—”

His words were cut short. At the moment she caught up with him, she sent a spinning kick into his lower back.

Floral Fighting Style, Heaven-Piercing Kick!

As if bending light itself, Yuri’s intense momentum shot towards the sky before him. She felt it instinctively; she had cleanly crushed his jaw and skull.

A column of light appeared, and the cadet disappeared.

Hoo-

She let out a short breath and adjusted her clothes.

“Don’t underestimate a maidservant from the Naifrantz Royal Household.”

.

.

.

“Unni… I’m so tired…”

“There, there… I know. Just grab the magical items and quickly return to the safe zone.”

“But my body is still hot…♡”

Nari, watching the broadcast, closed her eyes tightly. Yuri’s allure was always irresistible. Only two more days, two more days until she could spend the whole day with her. With that in mind, she endured her lust.

Speaking of which, she’d been worried about what would happen if the flame connection was cut. But that was fleeting. She believed that the spirit pill she gave Yuri would somehow manage it.

“Cadet Yurias-!! She’s once again displayed a spectacular battle!! I can’t believe such power comes from such a small body! Now, there’s really no room for arguments. 1-A is undoubtedly the strongest party and the top contender for victory-!! Announcer—”

“Ugh, ku- Yes, it’s true… powerful as it is, that clean—”

“Clean and impressive technique!! Ah, is she really from the magic department!! It seemed like she could easily defeat a knight cadet without using magic, a powerfully great scene!! Viewers, let your applause ring out—!!”

Waaaaaaaa—

Cheers erupted from all around. It was only natural. Yuri had shown her major presence in this class competition. It’s natural that all eyes were on her.

Her usual neat, refined appearance and her tough, flamboyant fighting style— The contrast between her two personas is truly stimulating— no, it captivates the hearts of men.

“Hoo… Can I finally rest now?”

“Yes. We already agreed. Rest well in the safe zone from now on.”

They’d earned plenty of point. Thanks to their tireless monster hunting and treasure searching on day two, each squad acquired 1000 points or more. Their combined score reached 7000, over 3000 points ahead of second place. They decided to observe the situation for now.

Also, the spirit pill is a kind of doping that draws out strength beyond one’s limits. The ether spreading through the body minimizes stress on it, eliminating aftereffects, but once the effect wears off, one has severely reduced stamina. Nari had already verified all the effects and side effects of the spirit pill through her training with Aspi.

“Whew… What a fulfilling match today! Oh my, time really flies. The sun has set while I was focused on the broadcast! Well then, everyone! It was Metti, burning bright, today—!!”

On the broadcast screen showing 1-A, a bonfire began to glow. Their rest period has begun.