"Eh, what?"
"What are you talking about?!"
Mélusine's breathing became strange as well.
This monster, who had taken her full set of thrusts without a scratch, was now panting heavily.
And—
That position...
How could that position...
In a moment of stunned shock, Mélusine was grabbed by Ian.
Just as she had anticipated, this person's strength was immense.
Even if Mélusine wanted to move, she couldn't.
*Clang, clang.*
The two swords in Mélusine's hands fell to the ground.
"What do you think you're doing..."
She tried to break free from Ian's grasp but found it was completely useless.
Soon, Mélusine was thrown to the ground.
Immediately after, both of her hands were seized by him, and her feet were pressed firmly against the ground.
In the heavy rain, a shadow fell across Mélusine's face.
In an instant, her beautiful golden eyes showed a look of panic.
"No, stop!"
"You bastard!"
"What are you trying to do?!"
Mélusine struggled, but she found it was completely useless.
Against an opponent who held an absolute advantage in both physique and strength, she was someone who could not resist at all.
"Just for a little while."
"Who wants to be with you for a little while!"
Looking at the giant thing hovering before her, Mélusine had completely lost the arrogance she had before.
However, it was already too late.
"ROAR—"
Following a roar from Ian towards the sky, the thing Mélusine wanted to see the least happened.
"No, you..."
There was nothing she could do.
Mélusine could do nothing but close her eyes.
*Hateful...*
*I've been humiliated...*
Mélusine turned her face away, able to hear only the sound of the heavy rain falling beside her.
And...
That precious warmth in the midst of the cold.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Mélusine felt her hands being released.
And then, came the other's voice.
"Alright."
"It's over."
"..."
Mélusine forced her eyes open.
"I can't see clearly, what a horrible feeling..."
"You pervert..."
"I'm sorry."
"It's because I was just too excited."
As Ian said this, little Ian also swayed before Mélusine.
"It's been a long time since I've met a swordswoman as skilled as you."
"..."
"Are you mocking me?"
Mélusine looked at Ian with a defiant expression.
"After humiliating me, you're still going to say such polite things."
"Ugh—"
"Just kill me!"
Having said this, Mélusine closed her eyes, waiting to be pierced through the heart by a sword.
However—
That did not happen.
She only heard a *clang, clang*.
Opening her eyes again, Mélusine saw something unexpected.
Through her blurry vision, she saw that Ian had actually picked up the two swords she had dropped on the ground and placed them beside her.
"Stand up."
"Let's fight again!"
"..."
Mélusine was stunned.
She had thought he was planning to subject her to the ultimate humiliation, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
It seemed he had only done what he did because he was genuinely too excited.
"There's a limit to jokes."
"If you want to humiliate me, it's not like anything would happen if you just said so!"
"Humiliate you?"
Ian showed a look of confusion.
"Isn't that right?"
Mélusine picked up her swords, one in each hand.
"You just want to beat me, and then do it again!"
"..."
"I have no such thoughts."
"Yes, you do!"
"Then let's just say I do."
"Mélusine!"
Ian gripped the Sword of Promised Victory (Excalibur Morgan).
"Fight me again!"
"I haven't been this excited in a long time."
"..."
Mélusine fell silent.
In the moment she was humiliated, she had indeed imagined a series of reasons why he might be excited because of her.
But she had never thought it would be for this reason.
"No, you..."
"You don't want to fight me again?"
Ian showed a look of regret.
"It's so rare to finally meet an opponent like you."
"..."
It was true that he had excitedly humiliated her.
But it was also true that he was now sincerely acknowledging her.
Mélusine was silent for a good while, then sighed and spoke;
"What's your name?"
"Ian."
"Ian, is it—"
Touching her sticky hair, Mélusine began to complain.
"Even if we're really going to fight again, at least let me get cleaned up, right?"
"Like this, I can't fight seriously."
The moment her words fell, Mélusine felt the surrounding magical energy begin to surge in the same direction.
To be precise, all the rain in the entire forest began to drift towards her.
The rainwater washed down Mélusine's smooth, long hair, quickly making her clean again.
"You bastard, you can even do something like this?"
Mélusine looked at her enemy in disbelief.
Ian, however, was no stranger to such looks.
"Any other requests?"
"Stop this rain?"
Mélusine asked tentatively.
She could control a portion of the rain for a short time herself.
She even had more advanced methods to freeze it.
*There's no way he could possibly...*
*Eh?*
*A rainbow?*
Just as Mélusine had thought with wonder.
The torrential downpour, as if suppressed by some force, gradually subsided.
Bright sunlight broke through the clouds, shining down on the two of them.
In the sky above, the seven-colored light shone into Mélusine's eyes.
It was a feeling that made her heart pound.
"It's a rainbow."
"Ian, how did you do that?"
"Do you like it?" Ian asked in return.
"I love it!"
"Don't you like rainbows?!"
Mélusine had completely lost her previous demeanor.
She waved her hands up and down, like a child who had just seen a toy.
"It's so beautiful!"
"Then, I'll make one for you whenever I have time in the future—as long as you're willing to practice with me again."
"In that case..."
Mélusine turned her head to the side.
"You're not allowed to humiliate me like before."
"Doing... *that* to my face... is too much."
"Not even if I lose!"
"No problem—"
Ian grabbed Mélusine's hand.
"Let's go back to Camelot first!"
"I'll let Artoria see you!"
"Eh?!"
Mélusine didn't even have time to refuse Ian's words before he lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder.
"You, how can you be so strange!"
"Hey, put me down!"
Mélusine's complaints echoed through the forest.