Alain gripped his sword with one hand, bracing the blade with the other, using the greatsword like a shield to block the thunderous force. Today, Crazy Mita wielded a blunt weapon—a baseball bat, perfectly suited to countering his makeshift "shield." Under her monstrous strength, Alain felt a crawling numbness spread through his arms, as if insects were gnawing at him – an uncomfortable sensation he hadn't experienced even when deflecting the attacks of a Fully Consuming Body.
"Bro, is there anything I can do to help?" Millie's anxious voice came from behind him, but Alain had no time to reassure her.
"Just cheer us on!" He quickly scanned their surroundings. The battle was confined to a cramped room. Given that he wielded a greatsword, the tight space was already manageable with just himself and Misha. Thanks to their long-honed battle coordination, they instinctively knew how to position themselves and react. Adding another person risked the awkwardness, and danger, of friendly fire.
"Impressive, Darling! It's rare to see anyone block my attacks~" A thrilled smile spread across her lips. "We really are a perfect match, aren't we!"
"Sorry," Misha cut in sharply, "but I don't agree with that!"
Simultaneously, another baseball bat swung through the air – Misha's attack. Seeing it coming, Crazy Mita instantly redirected her own bat from Alain towards Misha, switching to hold Alain's greatsword at bay with just her fair, seemingly delicate palm.
CLANG!
The piercing shriek of metal bats colliding echoed through the room. Misha stumbled back two steps, thrown off balance by the sheer force of the impact.
"Hey, Doll. I really didn't like that." Crazy Mita kept one hand pressed against Alain's blade, but her sharp gaze flickered towards Misha. "What do you mean, you 'don't agree'? I don't need your approval. You're in no position to comment on how perfect Darling and I are together."
"When it comes to being a perfect match, I'm certainly no less compatible than you are," Misha retorted, a spark of anger ignited. "Whether it's personality or coordination in battle, I'm the clear winner!"
"That's just being comrades, isn't it?" Crazy Mita shook her head dismissively. "My connection with Darling is the compatibility between husband and wife."
She suggestively licked her lips.
"We've done everything, you know. French kissing, touching..." Her gaze shifted to Alain, eyes coyly lowered but sparkling with amusement. "And... he really likes to squeeze me~ Oops! Did I say that out loud?"
"HUH?!" Misha looked utterly devastated. She genuinely hadn't expected to be so thoroughly one-upped in the 'relationship with Alain' department. She was usually the one making others jealous with public displays of affection! Just look at Cappie in the background, who'd endured it so many times she seemed almost numb to it now.
"Hmph. That just sounds like a physical relationship. How shallow," Misha retorted, refusing to back down. "What Alain and I have is a connection of the soul. After all..." The long-haired girl narrowed her eyes slightly, a calculating glint within them. "...in the real world, we spend sixteen out of every twenty-four hours together, you know~"
"...I'm going to kill you." Crazy Mita's expression turned thunderous. Misha, in contrast, flashed a triumphant smile.
Yes! Scored one back! She still vividly remembered the 'bathroom incident' back in Version 1.9, and how infuriating it was to be provoked like that right in front of Alain. Winning this round felt incredibly satisfying!
Alain, standing nearby, was completely bewildered by how things had escalated. Weren't they in the middle of a fight? How had it suddenly turned into a jealous squabble?!
No! Focus! This is still a battle!
He threw all his weight onto his sword, managing to push the momentarily distracted Crazy Mita back two steps.
"Alain, always so passionate," she sighed with mock helplessness, waving a hand dismissively as she retreated towards the doorway.
"Darling, did you see that? Our special bond was actually overshadowed by that Doll just now. You'll have to make it up to me later. With lots of kisses and cuddles~" Crazy Mita sent him a playful, sparkling wink, her words whispered directly into his ear.
Her completely natural, entitled tone actually sparked an idea in Alain's mind. He let his gaze sweep unabashedly over his 'bad woman,' looking her up and down.
"We're still enemies right now, you know. You shouldn't stare like that~" the girl said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she shifted slightly.
"Although... once I capture you and give you your little punishment, you can look all you want." Her tone shifted again, becoming as soft and gentle as a spring breeze. "It's just... from then on, you'll only be allowed to look at me."
Alain knew perfectly well what her 'little punishment' entailed: chopping off his 'little brother.'
If I get caught, what good is looking?! I won't have the equipment to do anything about it!
While thinking this grimly, Alain refused to back down verbally.
"And do you know what kind of punishment awaits you... if I catch you?"
"Hm? Punishment?" Crazy Mita tilted her head, feigning innocence. "But I haven't done anything wrong. Why should I be punished?"
Misha, however, instantly grasped her beloved's intent and shot Alain an encouraging look.
"What exactly you did wrong... we can discuss that later," Alain said smoothly. (He didn't actually have anything specific in mind yet. But finding fault with someone? You could always manage that if you tried hard enough.)
"As for the punishment..." A slow grin spread across Alain's face as his eyes lingered pointedly on Crazy Mita's thighs and neck, as if they were the only two people in the room.
"...Um, Alain, your expression is kind of weird. Didn't I already tell you about... that?" The girl with the low ponytail blinked meaningfully at him, clearly hinting at something specific.
Millie looked utterly confused, glancing towards Misha for clarification. Misha just shook her head; she apparently didn't understand either.
Only Alain understood. 'That matter' Crazy Mita referred to was the fact that 'due to certain reasons, they couldn't be intimate.'
He hadn't found his 'bad woman' any less appealing because of it. Alain was drawn to Mita's personality type; physical intimacy was a potential bonus, not a requirement, and its absence wasn't a deal-breaker.
Furthermore, he had absolutely no intention of revealing this situation to Misha or Millie. It was a private matter between him and Crazy Mita – their little secret, and their shared challenge.
A challenge Alain intended to overcome someday.
His gaze met hers again.
"Don't worry," he said firmly. "In the future, I will be with you like that. I'll do it thoroughly... until I make you cry."
"Eh? Eh... Oh, I see." Hearing this, his 'honey' didn't reject the idea at all. Instead, she nodded hesitantly.
"Mm," she murmured, "I'm looking forward... to that future."
This exchange made Misha frown, while Millie beside her once again caught the sweet, baffling scent of whatever strange romance was unfolding.
"But—" Alain's tone sharpened instantly, his gaze like a cutting blade, mentally stripping away Honey's defenses layer by layer. "Before we get to that not-so-distant future, we first need to discuss the details... of your punishment."
"...What are you planning to do?" Honey swallowed, a flicker of curiosity entering her eyes despite herself.
Sensing that things were about to get risqué, Misha glanced over, her cheeks flushing slightly. Millie, on the other hand, looked thrilled, eager for more drama like an excited spectator.
"First..." Alain took a deliberate step forward, his intensified aura causing Honey to instinctively edge back. "...I'll pull down your thigh-high stockings."
"Mm-hm... and then?"
"And then—" A knowing smirk played on his lips as he looked pointedly at the bandage wrapped around her thigh. "—I'll show them what you're hiding under there."
"?!" Crazy Mita instinctively clamped her thighs together in panic, which only drew the attention of the two girls beside Alain.
"Oh yeah, she does have a bandage there," Misha noted thoughtfully. What kind of 'enemy' could possibly injure someone like Crazy Mita?
Then, a memory surfaced – the scene she'd glimpsed outside the bathroom back in Version 1.9. Her gaze flickered unconsciously towards Alain, who met her eyes with a silent message:
[Pretend you don't know.]
Misha gave a subtle nod.
Millie, as expected, decided to stir the pot. "Yeah, really! Someone that strong... how did she get 'injured'?"
Alain, hands behind his back, gave his clueless 'bro' a subtle thumbs-up for the unintentional assist, which only further confused the hat-wearing girl.
Hearing Millie's innocent question, however, Crazy Mita visibly trembled, her face flushing fiery red.
___
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