Chapter 190: Kiss
[Please make a skill check.]
A single die slowly fell.
[Result is C, check successful!]
"Heavens, why at such a crucial moment is it only a normal success?"
[You gain a favorable judgment toward female characters, giving you a certain advantage in negotiation or attack. Of course, this is not entirely a good thing for you, as it will also lead to difficulties in control in other aspects.]
"What a pity…"
Eikou let out a quiet sigh,
"Too bad this time it's not a great success. Clearly before, even when I didn't want to use Disaster With Women, it would unexpectedly roll a great success."
Originally he had strongly resisted using this skill, because every time he used it, it always boomeranged back on him.
But now that things had come to a dead end, might as well gamble big.
"…Haiz, though not a great success, it should still be enough."
Immediately after, he looked toward Brynhildr who was fighting Pollux not far away.
"Brynhildr, I have something to say to you!" he suddenly shouted toward the beautiful northern Valkyrie.
Brynhildr, who was in fierce combat with Pollux, relied on powerful Rune and a special attack against "Lover One," driving Pollux to continuous retreat, nearly crushed in a one-sided assault.
Yet at this moment, that cold and dazzling Valkyrie tilted her head and glanced at him.
"You've been chasing me for so long, isn't it because you see me as Sigurd? Then, I want to tell you a secret…"
Eikou raised his hand and pointed straight at Tristan before him,
"He is also Sigurd!"
Tristan: "???"
"We've studied together for so long, don't think I don't know that you actually have the Lover One trait."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Tristan protested in agitation. "To tell you the truth, among all the Round Table Knights I'm the only one without the Lover One trait!"
"No matter, whether you have it or not doesn't matter—the key is whether the other side believes it."
Eikou spoke.
Activate skill, High-Speed Divine Words!
[You attempt to convince Brynhildr that Tristan is truly the Sigurd she is searching for.]
[Normally you must roll a great success to persuade Brynhildr.]
[But because you possess the Disaster With Women trait, judgments toward females are more favorable. Therefore, this time only a normal success is enough to persuade her, but a corresponding side effect will occur.]
A single die fell.
[Result is D, check successful.]
[Brynhildr believes your words, that Tristan is truly Sigurd!]
[But the side effect of Disaster With Women also activates: in Brynhildr's eyes you too are Sigurd; the misunderstanding is not erased simply by shifting the conflict.]
[You have acquired a new trait: "Lover One."]
It's over—indeed the blessing-and-curse of Disaster With Women, it just directly throws me a permanent trait, couldn't it at least have given me Dragon or Divinity!
"…But no matter, as long as my misfortune can destroy someone else's happiness, that's enough!"
Eikou clenched his fist and spoke.
At least now, Brynhildr no longer stood completely on Tristan's side, and began to unleash indiscriminate attacks.
A massive spear lunged fiercely toward Tristan, forcing him to retreat to avoid it.
"So… so, you are Sigurd…"
Brynhildr's expression was dazed as if sleepwalking; she could no longer distinguish friend from foe.
"Lady, please don't be bewitched by the enemy!"
Tristan shouted loudly, but it was completely useless; she simply did not listen.
Eikou thought to himself, very good, I've temporarily made it past the first stage.
But the distance to victory was still far; he had to play every card he had left.
Taking advantage of the enemy's internal strife, Eikou turned and looked to Medea Lily beside him. He quickly said, "Lily, please take out that Essence Craft from earlier and throw it to me, I want to use Slot Machine right now."
"H-how could I let you use it!" the young witch said shyly, "If the Slot Machine rolls something bad and harms you, Captain, wouldn't that be a complete failure? Let me use it myself; my Luck is A!"
"…That works too."
Eikou thought to himself that his own Luck was also A, but he didn't trust it in the slightest.
After landing two successes in a row, his streak of good fortune was probably about to end.
Most importantly, he had just taken a direct hit from Tristan's Noble Phantasm—his body was seriously injured and truly couldn't endure any more trials.
"Persuade Brynhildr to throw the situation into chaos, let Medea use the Slot Machine, and after that…"
There was still one thing left, something that could temporarily be considered a trump card.
This had nothing to do with luck; it could only be done with courage and resolve.
"Yu Ji-senpai…"
Eikou turned his head toward Yu Ji, and she had already torn apart the threads binding her with sheer strength.
He looked at her, and she looked back at him.
The air between them suddenly grew a little awkward.
He suddenly thought of something, then let out a heavy sigh.
"Nothing, forget it…"
"Hey, what do you mean by that, are you looking down on me?!"
Yu Ji, furious, grabbed him by the collar, but when she saw the bloodstain spreading across his chest, her grip unconsciously loosened.
"You… what exactly were you about to say just now? You have an important tactic you want to tell me, don't you?"
"I do, but it's really troublesome, so forget it."
Eikou scratched his head, thinking to himself that it was definitely a tactic she wouldn't like.
"Besides, I already promised you I wouldn't force you to do anything you dislike."
"What, don't tell me you want me to change into a swimsuit? Then change it! At this point, do you think I'd care about something like that? You've risked your life for me, so what could I possibly refuse to do for you? Whatever tactic you have, say it!"
Yu Ji's expression turned extremely serious, the deep red of her eyes behind the glasses shining with unwavering determination.
"But I really feel like this isn't quite right…"
"Stop hesitating. Whatever action it takes, just do it! You were the one who started all this—are you really going to throw away this chance to survive?"
"Ughh…"
His face was full of inner conflict.
"You said it yourself—don't blame me later…"
Eikou muttered, then clenched his teeth, as if steeling himself for a reckless gamble.
"Grr… fine, forget the disclaimer. A man should take responsibility for his own actions. Yu Ji-senpai, blame me all you like afterward."
With that, he raised his hand and gently cupped her fair, lovely face.
Under her slightly flustered gaze, he, still a little fearful and stiff in his movements, leaned forward and brought his lips closer.
He kissed her.
"Mm—mm—mm…"
Yu Ji trembled in shock, not understanding why he had suddenly kissed her.
But this was absolutely not a spur-of-the-moment act, nor some fleeting desire.
It was…
For victory!
Eikou held her tightly, then raised his eyes to the gauge above her head.
That pink gauge began to surge upward at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"..."
Before the gauge could reach full,
Eikou tightened his hold, not letting her break free or escape, and lightly bit her lips.
Everyone knew that in this singularity, to grow stronger required [love].
As long as the relationship was intimate enough, it could increase the strength of one's Spirit Origin.
If Yu Ji's power couldn't be raised, she would remain weak and passive, hardly stronger than an ordinary human like him.
In that case, why not take advantage of Love Sleeping's rules and quickly boost her affection? Wasn't that the smartest move?
Not only simple but effective—the only drawback was just one thing…
When the Holy Grail War ended and she regained her senses, there was about an eighty percent chance she'd execute him!
But right now they were on the verge of death anyway, so it didn't matter!