A being appeared before us like a god of destruction.
It was an overwhelming presence that matched the sheer force of its entrance.
The aspiring Tamers fell into panic and scattered with screams.
"Uwaaah!? A bear!? It's a bear!!"
"And that bear is the Lord of the forest, isn't it!?"
"W-why can a wild bear get inside!?
The 'Repel' protection magic should still be active on school grounds!"
"Ah, that's because it's my pet."
Thanks to the "Whispering Voice Potion," my words reached them even amid the chaos.
The students who had been fleeing in desperation suddenly stopped in their tracks.
"N-no way…? He tamed a bear…?"
"And not just any bear, but the ferocious one known as the Lord of the forest…?"
"This guy isn't ferocious. He's a gentle bear. Come here, Mark."
When I beckoned, Mark let out a dog-like "Kuoon!" and wagged his round tail while entering the ring.
Right after, Monaka and Kotone arrived, breathing heavily.
"Haa… haa… haa…! I finally found you, Le-kun…!"
"I-I apologize for the wait, Master…!"
The two girls, who normally never ran, seemed to have sprinted here at full speed.
Seeing the usually graceful pair drenched in sweat felt strangely refreshing.
"What's wrong, you two? Did something happen?"
"Th-that's what we should be asking! We heard your voice shouting 'Come!' so we thought you were calling us…!"
"We left class midway to come search for you, Master!"
"No, I wasn't calling you two…"
"Su-sugeee…!" came a voice from behind.
"He didn't just tame a bear, he even called Monaka-sama and Kotone-sama…!"
"I thought only the king could summon those two…!"
"And those two came running desperately… so they must really care about that garbage…!"
"Hmph!" Weiss's clearly displeased voice cut through the onlookers' chatter.
"I already knew, Leopin! You must have used some despicable method too shameful to speak of to seize control over those two!"
""That's not true!"" the two girls immediately denied, but Weiss wasn't listening.
"I saw through you from the very beginning! You are a truly despicable man who will use any means necessary to achieve your goals!
That is why I had you expelled! That is why I am now trying to punish you!"
Teacher Domanna snapped her fingers excitedly. "Could this be a fated rivalry!? It's burning hot!"
"Looks like both sides' pets are all here, so let's jump right into it with a bang!
'Pet Battle'! Ready… Go!"
Weiss took the initiative, cracking his whip against the ground with a sharp snap.
"Go! Black Panther! First, devour that filthy bear!"
I braced myself.
Mark clearly had the advantage in power, but the opponent was definitely faster.
In the worst case, he might get his neck torn out in a single strike…!
But that worry turned out to be unnecessary.
The Black Panther completely ignored Weiss's command.
It lay down lazily at its owner's feet and yawned with a "Kuaa."
"What are you doing, Black Panther!?
Stand up and fight! Is that really my pet!?"
But the Black Panther remained completely relaxed.
Losing patience, Weiss finally whipped the Black Panther.
The Black Panther yelped "Gyan!?" and staggered, then stood up with its golden eyes gleaming fiercely.
"Finally motivated, huh! Now, attack, Black Panther!"
"Gaou!"
"Wait, not me! The enemy is over there!
Uwaaaaaah!? Stop! Stooooop!!?!?"
It was almost comedic, but this was no time to laugh.
Pinned under the Black Panther, Weiss was being viciously clawed across the face and looked like his throat was about to be torn out.
I hurriedly rushed toward Weiss.
Sliding in, I raised my hand toward the Black Panther.
"Become mine! Taming!"
But Teacher Domanna shouted, "That won't work!"
"You can't use the Taming skill on someone else's pet!
So run away right now! Ahh, no!? Kyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!?"
Her warning turned into a scream halfway through.
Because the Black Panther had leaped straight at me.
The vice-principal jumped into the air with both arms raised in wild joy.
"Yes! Success! We finally made that garbage scream 'Fungyaa'!"
But the very next moment, it was the vice-principal himself who screamed "Fungyaa!?"
"Ahaha, that tickles! Ahahahaha!"
Because the Black Panther was licking my face playfully like a friendly black cat.
A feline tongue is usually rough like sandpaper and hurts when licked, but the Black Panther's tongue was smooth and didn't hurt at all.
Teacher Domanna collapsed to the ground. "N-no way…"
Not only her, but the entire class of aspiring Tamers had their legs give out in shock.
"W-why!? How can he tame someone else's pet!? That should be absolutely impossible!"
"That's it! Earlier he stole all our pets in an instant!
He used the legendary Tamer technique!"
"Could it be…!?"
"Yes, 'Brain-Breaking Taming Revolution'!
The skill only legendary Tamers can use, the one that steals other people's pets…!"
"The Tamer whose pet gets stolen suffers such humiliation that they become practically a broken person…!?
No way!? A mere student is an 'NTR' user!? Tell me it's a lie!"
The aspiring Tamers clutched their heads and screamed in denial, as if their brains had truly been destroyed.
…No, this wasn't "NTR" at all.
In my opinion, the Black Panther wasn't a properly tamed pet—it was just a regular pet.
That was why it ignored Weiss's commands and why my Taming skill worked on it.
Weiss himself was covered in wounds, his eyes rolled back, and he had fainted.