Chapter 112: Jeanne Onee-san
Thump! Thump! Thump!
This time Eikou was completely unable to stay calm.
His heartbeat had finally reached the warning threshold!
"Wait, this really isn't good!"
Blushing, he spoke, then stood up from her lap,
"Your Majesty, at most I'll just count this as your win, you absolutely don't need to go this far. Although doing so would be unfair to my teammates, I don't want a girl to have to sacrifice herself like this... This is a matter of principle!"
"Haha..."
Marie Alter softly laughed,
"Mochizuki Eikou, don't misunderstand, I'm not approaching you because of the match, but because the match gave me the chance to approach you. Do you understand?"
"Understand even less, actually! This is clearly the first time we've met, isn't it? Even if we might have run into each other somewhere before, I've never felt any hint of romance at all. Could this really be love at first sight, or are you mistaken somehow?"
Eikou wanted to continue speaking, but Marie Alter had already lifted his face with both hands.
Those golden eyes, those soft lips with a touch of gloss, he felt as though he had seen them somewhere before.
"As an Avenger, I have lost something very important, and my 'Oblivion Correction' constantly reminds me of that. You exert a strong pull on me."
"That may be hatred, may be anger, may be love at first sight, or maybe all three at once, or perhaps it truly is just my misunderstanding,"
"But first, let me confirm it with a kiss..."
As she finished speaking, she gently closed her beautiful golden eyes, her fair and elegant face drawing closer to his, her long thick black lashes lightly brushing against Eikou's cheek.
She softly leaned in toward his lips, her hand unconsciously grasping Eikou's hand.
Rather than being dazed, it was more that Eikou simply didn't know what to do.
The sweet temptation, both forbidden and ambiguous, was right before him, her words throwing his heart into chaos. Instinctively he wanted to reject it, but if he did, he would lose his qualification as judge.
And then, in the very next instant——
"Boom!"
A sudden violent explosion rang out.
A powerful impact shattered the temporary barrier Marie Alter had erected with her skill.
Their actions were forcibly interrupted.
Eikou and Marie Alter turned their heads at the same time,
Only to see, from within the broken barrier, a beautiful figure stumbling forward, her steps so light it seemed she would collapse the next moment.
Her luxurious golden hair was neatly swept back, her dignified, lovely face framed a pair of bewitching pale violet eyes.
Her perfectly sculpted curves were wrapped in a pure white swimsuit that clung to her body, and Eikou's gaze was instinctively drawn to those fair, slender, perfectly proportioned legs.
"This is...?"
That was... Saint Jeanne in her swimsuit spirit origin.
Although Eikou didn't fully understand what was happening, there was no doubt—she was the one who shattered the barrier.
The moment the barrier was destroyed, the image projection magecraft for the live broadcast also reconnected.
"Oh oh, ladies and gentlemen, we're not sure what just happened, but it seems we can once again see the live footage from the scene."
The voice of commentator Finn resounded,
"Uh... from the looks of it, the development between Eikou-kun and contestant Marie was going rather smoothly?"
"But their atmosphere has now been cut off by contestant Jeanne's sudden intrusion. Ah, what's going on here, why is her face flushed so red, and why does she seem to be struggling even to stand?!"
Jeanne stood unsteadily before them, her face burning red, the violet eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses seemingly unfocused.
Meanwhile, the fake Lancelot — that is, Jeanne Alter — shut the slit of her knight's helmet, unwilling to look even once more at her elder sister.
"So that's how it is..."
Eikou more or less understood the situation.
He already had some knowledge about Water of Life, just a single glance and he knew right away that she must have accidentally drunk the wrong thing.
That kind of distilled liquor with such high alcohol content, not to mention getting drunk with just one sip, even being able to remain standing after finishing a sip was already impressive.
"Umu?... it's still not my turn, hic?"
Cute Jeanne let out a drunken hiccup,
"Clearly I've already changed into a swimsuit... it should be my turn to enter the stage, hic?"
"Oh oh, from the slurred voice of contestant Jeanne it seems she accidentally got drunk and barged into the arena? Napoleon-sensei, in this kind of situation what would be the appropriate way to handle it?"
Finn asked.
"Since she has disrupted the order of the competition, the only option is to penalize her by removing her from the arena." Napoleon let out a light sigh.
"Wait, Jeanne is my teammate, I don't mind letting her go first."
Marie Alter suddenly stood up and said,
"Saying that means you intend to end your round early? But you still haven't conquered Judge Eikou, the magecraft on his chest still hasn't issued a warning, can such a result really be accepted?"
"I have already obtained the answer I desired."
The Queen of France gave a smile full of profound implication.
Napoleon nodded.
"So that's how it is... then the trial of contestant Marie Antoinette can be considered a failure..."
"What a pity, if it weren't for contestant Jeanne suddenly barging in, contestant Marie might have succeeded in capturing the judge's heart..."
Before leaving, Marie Alter leaned slightly close to Eikou's ear, whispering in the seductive tone of a mature woman:
"That's all for today, next time we'll make another appointment. Do you like hot spring baths~?"
Before Eikou could even fully comprehend that final sentence, she had already turned around and left with graceful steps, as if striding down a royal red carpet.
"Now, please welcome the next one, contestant Jeanne in swimsuit staggering drunkenly onto the stage. She is so drunk that she seems unable to even distinguish directions anymore. In this condition, can she really conquer Judge Eikou? I truly doubt it, but in any case, let's wait and see!"
"..."
Jeanne's face in swimsuit was flushed red, staggering as she walked toward Eikou.
Her steps were so light it seemed the very next moment she would collapse onto the ground.
Eikou instantly sprang to his feet, prepared to catch her.
"Are you okay? As someone who was also once a victim of Water of Life, I advise you to rest a bit, don't force yourself——"
Before he could finish, swimsuit Jeanne suddenly, without a word, forcefully pushed him back down into the judge's seat.
"You——"
Eikou was stunned, and right after that his face was cupped by Jeanne's warm hands.
"Are you afraid I'll fall?"
Before his eyes were those purple eyes already hazy with drunkenness.
"You're really too gentle... be good, onee-san will reward you with a hug..."
Saying that, swimsuit Jeanne gently wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers softly brushing the hair behind his head, slowly pulling his head into her bosom.
In an instant, what struck against his face was the Saint's full and lively chest, tightly wrapped in the competition swimsuit.
At that very moment——
Eikou only felt as if he had fallen into a paradise overflowing with gentleness and softness.
Eikou: "??"
Jeanne Alter: "??"
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"
Everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock.
Commentator Finn was also dumbfounded, slamming his hand hard onto the table.
"Our contestant Jeanne, the moment she appeared she unleashed the drunk onee-san Play, added the competition swimsuit, and immediately delivered a 'oppai in the face' with zero start-up time! This, this is practically bribing the judge!"
On the stands, Shakespeare on the other hand watched with delight: "Aha, I said it already, this woman truly is a lunatic, isn't she?"