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Her aura's getting stronger!
Staring at Utaha, Minato's eyes lit up.
Looks like she's adapting really well to the essence of the Fire God.
Guess I won't need to use any of the backup plans I had prepared.
"My power…"
By now, Utaha's transformation had stopped. She looked down and noticed a faint crimson mark glowing on her skin.
Other than that…
Her magical energy hadn't changed.
But there was a different, stronger power surging within her.
This was the power of the Fire God's Essence.
"Congrats, you made it out alive."
Minato's eyes drifted downward. "And hey, the placement of that mark—10/10."
"I almost died just now! Can't you show a little sympathy, Master-kun?"
"Alright then, how about you come to my room tonight?"
"Pervert Master-kun! Keep dreaming."
Minato stopped teasing Utaha and turned to Asia, pulling out a golden pendant.
"Here, this is your gift."
It was an Imperial Arm made from another high-tier Danger Beast, this one more focused on defense—perfect for Asia.
"I love it!"
Asia's whole face lit up, stars practically sparkling in her eyes.
"Glad you like it."
Minato gave her a classic headpat. "Try syncing with it. See if it suits you."
"If it doesn't, I'll get you a different one."
"Okay!"
Asia nodded and followed the steps Minato had taught her.
And soon enough—
A soft golden light spread over her pure-white nun's outfit.
"Nice, looks like it worked."
Minato nodded, satisfied.
Meanwhile…
Watching from a distance, Utaha clenched her dainty fists without realizing it.
That's it?
Why was my Imperial Arm so dangerous, then?
"Alright, you two take some time to get used to your new Imperial Arms. I need to head out for a bit."
Minato waved at them, and a glowing magic circle appeared at his feet.
In the next instant—
He vanished from the room.
In a villa that looked more like a castle—
A magic circle briefly lit up on the floor.
Minato appeared there in a flash.
"You're back, Minato!"
Rias, dressed in a yukata and drying her bright red hair, greeted him with surprise and happiness.
"Yeah."
Minato pulled her into his arms. "I've got enough companions now. How's the rating game prep going?"
Leaning against his shoulder, Rias rubbed her cheek against him and replied:
"It's going surprisingly well. The game's been scheduled for three days from now."
She sniffed gently, catching the scent of Minato. Her cheeks flushed a little, but she looked him in the eye and said:
"But no matter what, you're the only one I'll ever marry."
Gazing into Rias's eyes, Minato's expression turned deep and serious.
"Then maybe… it's time you fulfilled your duties as my fiancée?"
"Hmm?"
Rias's eyes were soft and misty, locking onto Minato's without flinching.
Honestly, she'd been waiting for this day for a long time.
As the heat between them built, Minato lowered his head toward hers.
Lately, Minato had been spending most of his time studying magic books.
And over time, he'd developed his own unique understanding of them.
But now… he felt like all of those books were nothing compared to this one.
This brand-new "magic book" needed to be opened with extreme care—and reading it took an insane amount of energy.
What really blew his mind, though, was that this book could be read front to back… or back to front…
Or even flipped upside down—it still had new knowledge to reveal.
And on top of that, it never stopped producing new insights, no matter how long he studied it.
That made Minato go all in, giving it 120% of his focus.
Before he knew it…
It was already late at night.
Outside the door—
Holding a tray with red tea, Akeno Himejima stood frozen, her face burning red.
What were the odds—she'd walked in on Minato and the Club President studying a magic book together?
After a moment's hesitation, she pressed her ear to the door.
She was also pretty curious about learning new things.
Time ticked by slowly…
Two red patches bloomed on Akeno's cheeks.
Her toes curled awkwardly, and her body trembled a little.
No one knew how much time passed before Akeno finally let out a breath, calming herself down and quietly walking away like nothing happened.
"Akeno-senpai!"
Koneko Toujou walked into the villa and called out, "Is Rias-senpai around? I need to talk to her."
"She's really busy right now," Akeno said with a sweet smile. "You can just tell me."
"Okay."
Koneko nodded. Then her nose twitched suddenly.
"What's that smell? Smells... weird."
She glanced at Akeno with a puzzled look on her face.
The next morning—
Minato and Rias came down the stairs together.
"Tch—!"
As Rias moved a bit too fast, she winced and sucked in a breath. Her long red hair was a little messy.
Minato immediately reached out to steady her, concerned.
"You okay?"
"This is all your fault," Rias replied, giving him a sultry glare. "Now tell me the truth—have you done anything with your other companions?"
Her voice trailed off, softer and softer, until it was almost a whisper.
Saying it like this…
Maybe that's not the best approach?
What if he thinks I'm a jealous girlfriend?
Minato's face turned serious.
"Relax. You're ahead of everyone else."
I'm the first?
Instantly, Rias puffed up with pride.
Demons didn't think quite the same way humans did when it came to this kind of thing.
But as his childhood sweetheart, she had to have the spot as the main girl.
Otherwise, getting tossed aside like some "loser girl" would just be too tragic.
"Well, well, you two are up early!"
Akeno, who had prepared breakfast, greeted them with a bright smile.
"Morning, Akeno!"
Minato didn't hold back, sitting down and digging into his food. "By the way, didn't you come by yesterday to see Rias?"
"Eh?!"
Akeno's smile froze, her cheeks turning a soft pink.
Wait… does he know?
That would be so embarrassing!
Her mind involuntarily replayed all the scenes from the night before.
"You did come to see me."
Rias also blushed a little, but kept her composure. "Was it something important?"
"Not really. Just brought some tea."
Akeno avoided Minato's gaze and quickly added, "Oh, and Koneko came by too. She had some questions about her training. I helped her out already."
After that, she practically fled the room.
I can't stay here a second longer!
There's no way I can face Minato and Rias after that.
"....."