As Ryuji stepped into the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to a familiar sight: a blonde woman's body hurtling backwards, on the verge of collapse. Reacting swiftly, he reached out, his hand finding purchase on her arm, preventing her from hitting the ground.
"Kya!?"
Her lovely voice echoed, and she struggled momentarily before looking back at Ryuji. Her eyes formed a sharp gaze before she realised who he was, and they seemed to loosen.
"Ryuji, the transfer student?"
"Ah, the hot girl with a cute smile. Erika, right?"
Alan, who entered a moment after, could only look at his newest investment with a strange look.
"Are you picking up women again, Ryuji?"
"Technically, yeah," Ryuji answered while his hand literally held her in the air, causing Erika's face to turn pink before she hopped from his arm. Her long blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail, but the thickness made it look like an enormous tail.
"Well, Erika Tendo! I saved you from that annoying guy who brags about being a Holy Knight and this is your future partner for Chosen battles and various missions in the future. Ryuji Vincenzo, 'The Bloody Tyrant.' Haha!"
Ryuji felt Alan changed the moment he became his ally. Though he didn't dislike how comfortable it felt, he wondered if Alan would be okay acting like an idiot despite being a high noble.
"Let's get along, Ryuji."
Her voice was extremely pleasant to the ears, and as she smiled, her attractive looks and devilishness could melt anyone's heart.
"Sounds like a good plan, Erika."
Though it was rare in his previous country to use someone's given name so freely, Ryuji wasn't in that world anymore, so why stick to their rules? Well, Erika seemed to be the same, and thus, they started with a good meeting.
"What is your Chosen name?"
"Bloody Tyrant."
"Really, how cool!"
"And yours, Erika?"
"It's Fragrant Beauty..."
Alan noticed Ryuji's eyes, who kept glancing at Erika's cleavage. It was almost natural because her outfit pushed her breasts upwards, enhancing her cleavage, now dripping with sweat because of the tight armour she wore.
"Truly a good fragrance."
Ryuji couldn't help himself when her breasts moved ever so slightly from her breath, and it caused him to glance at it continuously.
Alan sat down on the chair where his father once sat, and with a smile, he leaned back, watching the two who spoke with each other; he noticed the glances Erika weren't pure either, from his crotch to the muscles visible from his opened tunic buttons.
Then he remembered the fox, which would soon mix with them, and felt that the little wolfy hero might end up dead.
"The fox is scary; should I save him?"
Alan mused while folding his arms.
...
"So, you were the one that caused that commotion in the plaza?"
Erika asked as they spoke about the past, not knowing about Ryuji's thoughts while he answered.
"Yeah, those pigs were talking about my party member like some kind of sex worker, so I crushed him with a single blow. Then more knights came, and it ended up in a fun battle."
Erika smiled before speaking.
"Is it alright for a foreigner like you to do that?"
"Alan is a cool guy. It seems my strength is enough for him to save me. Or I might have died."
Ryuji felt quite comfortable with Erika, neither needing to act like his normal self, the act he used for school or the one at the start. She accepted his rather up-front and vulgar self, which felt good.
"Say... are my tits really that nice? You keep glancing with a huge smile." Erika's cheeks were slightly pink as she flipped her sabre in her hands; there wasn't a sense of aggression but a simple curiosity in her tone.
"Yeah, they are probably ranked second to the ones I've seen touched."
He stepped back, using his left hand covered in metal to thrust her body back several steps.
"Wow, what a muscular arm!" Erika spoke, her voice now to his right; this time, he swung his axe early.
Ryuji wanted to enjoy this battle, to test her strength without the use of his full power or abilities, but Erika had other ideas as she ducked his slash before using a skill.
"Flurry!"
Her sabre was a blur as it struck Ryuji's stomach with over ten blows, her attacks a flurry of blurs too fast for a normal man to catch, but Ryuji only grunted from the weight behind the attack, using his weapon shaft to catch the blows, many but light.
The sparks flickered around him, but he didn't stagger at all; his steps didn't budge as the ground beneath cracked from the pressure of her attacks, striking him dozens of times as she showed a satisfied smile.
However, his eyes shone red. The next moment, his body twirled before she could even react properly, forcing her to use the blades of her weapons to deflect Ryuji's double-spin whirlwind.
"Kya!?"
Erika yelped before she vanished.
Ryuji's axe swung forward and slammed into her weapon on the first blow before the second hit her body and sent her flying a dozen meters away.
Her body spun from the force but landed on her feet. "Oh?"
She could only stare at Ryuji, raising an eyebrow while holding her eyes widened, with a cut across her lovely breasts, yet she smiled while panting.
"You are amazing!"
"You're an actual monster too, Erika!"
She laughed before licking the blood from her cut, the wound closing with ease.
"Ah, it's your move! Let's go!"
She didn't use her class ability 'Flurry' nor a skill. Instead, Erika ran forward with an intense look that seemed to shine in her eyes, her feet lightly tapping against the ground as Ryuji stood still, the great axe resting on his shoulders.
Their weapons and blows filled with pure power and speed as the two clashed, silver lights flashing, while the pair wore bright smiles. Alan could only watch in awe; he knew Ryuji held back considerably, while Erika also held back her special skills, yet he knew she would lose.
"His power is too ridiculous..."
Alan sighed in defeat. Their weapons were in direct contact. Her two blades struck Ryuji's great axe, but his strength won out, causing her to swing back.
Ryuji seemed to expect Erika's action and reacted before she did. His axe swung forward while a pillar of blood shot from the ground, its shape changing into a spike that darted at Erika like a hungry snake.
She bent back, causing the blood to shoot past her face; her body arched further until she was nearly in a handstand position. The next moment, Ryuji charged her, his shoulder hitting her while upside down.
Erika spun and fell back.
"Your defeat." Ryuji rested his axe on her delicate throat, looking down at her with a confident smile.
"Got it. You win! Haa.... Haa...."
Erika's body slumped against a stone slab covered in sweat. The intense battle against strength types usually meant she would win because they lacked stamina, but her eyes looked at Ryuji with amazement.
"The penalty, can I decide?" Ryuji asked Erika.
Alan glanced at his Chosen, wondering what Ryuji wanted after he displayed his power.
"I do not know, but it's probably something stupid..." Alan whispered with a sigh.
"Whatever you want."
"Then let's keep it on hold for now."
"Eh!?"
"You will know later," Ryuji said as he reached out with his hand.
"And get up."
Alan nearly spat wine again and choked.
"Bastard, you already have a fine woman, that beast that will soon join you. Don't make troubles in my home!"