As for what a “dragonewt” is—in this world, there exists a species of demi-humans that have dragon blood running in them. They are called dragonewts. At first glance, they don’t look any different from other human races, but this species in particular can turn certain parts of their bodies into dragons on command. Attacks delivered by these appendages are extremely powerful. Aria has heard rumors that they can crush boulders with their bare hands. Both she and Vulcan are now convinced—Stella was able to survive in the labyrinth after losing her memory because she’s a dragonewt. In reality…Aria and company are still mistaken regarding Stella’s amnesia. “‘Dragon newt’? I don’t know what that is, but just looking at me is proof of my power!” The strength of Stella’s half-dragon body was bestowed on her when she reincarnated from a dragon. For this reason, she is not a member of the dragonewt race that Aria is talking about. At least, she shouldn’t be… But looking at her, Tama can’t help but wonder. …She looks exactly like the dragonewts I saw in my past life. Perhaps dragonewts are what dragons become when they reincarnate or the descendants of such beings…? Tama has experience with dragonewts from his past life. Specifically, he worked alongside one. There was a female dragonewt in his knight squadron. During battle, she wielded a giant battle-ax in her arms, which turned into those of a dragon, just like Stella’s. Her power was unfathomable. She and Tama were partners. Through her indomitable strength and Tama’s colorful array of swordsmanship skills, praises were sung among the squadron for the pair’s sheer might. Come to think of it, she also wore a very suggestive outfit to allow her body to transform into a dragon, just like Stella. Tama is absorbed in nostalgic recollections of their time on the battlefield as he recalls his former partner’s outfits. She also wore skimpy armor that revealed her cleavage and rear end… “Well, I guess that solves the mystery of your fashion choice, Stella!” “Meown, okay, you have your adventurer outfit; now you need a weapon! What sort do you wanna try, Stella?” “Ohhh! A weapon. Weapons are like swords and staffs, right?” Stella’s eyes light up when she hears the word weapon. She was always curious about the ones she saw adventurers using during her time as a dragon and wanted to try her hand at it. Now that she finally has the chance to do so, she can’t contain her excitement. “I’d like to go for a sword… But first, I think I want that!” Stella starts walking through the shop in search of something. Vulcan asks her what she has in mind and begins showing her around but stops short after seeing Stella eagerly searching high and low, like a child hunting for treasure. Getting Stella to answer her would only spoil the girl’s fun. Aria can feel Vulcan holding back and watches Stella with a loving gaze. “Found it! This is what I want to try first!” Stella gives a shout from the back of the shop. When Aria and company reach her, they realize she’s in the shield section. She’s standing in the center of the area holding something and looking very proud. “Meown?! Meow wow! She’s lifting a black iron greatshield with one hand!” “Wait—are my eyes deceiving me…? Stella, you deactivated your dragon body, right?” Is she really holding up a black iron greatshield with one hand?! What kind of infernal strength…?! Stella hoists a greatshield easily as tall as she is. And this is no average greatshield. It shines a piercing silvery black. This bright flash is the sign of the metal known as black iron, famous for its extreme weight. Stella has deactivated her dragon body without telling anyone, but she’s still holding up the shield with her delicate and dainty doll arms. Looking closely, Tama can see she does appear to be struggling a bit, but a normal human simply cannot wield a shield of this heft. Vulcan’s, Aria’s, and Tama’s flabbergasted expressions are completely understandable. There’s no denying that, even without her dragon body, Stella has incredible inherent physical strength. “I’m purrfectly surprised… I can’t believe that another person would appear who can wield that shield other than Sakura…” “Oh, is that the same greatshield Sakura used?” “Yes, that’s the one…the Mega Shield. When she got pregnant with Maiya’s child and retired as an adventurer, she left it here at the shop.” The obsidian shield in question—the Mega Shield Vulcan’s referencing—was an article used by Sakura, the former captain of the same knight squadron to which Cedric and company are now attached. She was also a member of Vulcan’s adventurer party. “Sakura had the high-level skill Iron Wall. It negated all nonfatal damage and nulled the weight of any weapons. What incredible effects.” “I see—that skill led to her being praised as the greatest tank warrior in the whole city.” As Vulcan, beaming brightly, reminisces about her former partner, Aria can see the logic behind her story. Casting a sidelong glance at Aria and Vulcan, Tama secretly turns to speak to Stella. —You really surprised me, Stella. You’re so bloodthirsty, I thought you would go for a sword or ax, not fly toward the shields… —Ohhh! Tama! It pleases me greatly that you have engaged me in telepathy first. I was never interested in shields before I reincarnated, but I learned the importance of defense during our last fight together. Had I had a means of defense at that time, I could have defeated you…or maybe not, but I could have at least likely survived. —…I see. Your interest in shields stems from the fear instilled in you by my final death blow… —Hmph! Ridiculous, isn’t it? This proud dragon is now a small girl who’s afraid of her enemies’ attacks. Laugh at me all you like. —What are you saying? Being afraid of enemy attacks is a given. Your senses were completely skewed up until now. You should be thankful that you learned the importance of defense… And look, it’s me, who defeated you, telling you such a thing… —Mmmm? Are you fretting over the fact that you killed me? Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t bother me—if anything, I must thank thee! I’ve learned of my true strength, and of love, because of you! And I’ve been able to take the form of a human being to meet you again! —Um…well, as long as you’re happy, I guess. Hearing Stella confess her love once again, Tama falls silent before saying more, just like last night. Tama can’t deny Stella’s feelings to her face because of his guilt over killing her and the fact that her affection for him is so direct. “I can move freely in this outfit, and I have defensive capabilities… Now I finally need a weapon! Ohhh! This one looks great!” After one-sidedly foisting her affections on Tama, Stella’s expression morphs back into that of a giddy child as she rushes over to the sword section. She picks up an affordable blade and slashes it through the air excitedly. Tama can’t help but chuckle silently. The first level of the labyrinth— “Gah-ha-ha! I can’t wait to use my weapon in battle!” Stella is in high spirits as she laughs loudly in the dimly lit caverns. She’s holding the obsidian greatshield—the Mega Shield—in her left hand. In her right, she grasps a greatsword of the same silvery black hue. Stella has chosen a greatsword as her weapon. It is even more massive than a buster sword. It’s as long as she is tall, and the blade is exceptionally wide. As opposed to cutting down foes, her weapon is best suited to smashing them into pancakes. Stella looks cool as a cucumber wielding the massive defensive armament and heavy weapon, even though she’s not in her dragon form. How much power does she hold in that tiny frame? But moving right along… After Stella finished choosing her equipment, the party arrived at the labyrinth in the early morning. Thinking of Stella’s physical condition—she’d been found in the labyrinth only a few days ago—Aria’d proposed, “Let’s get you all equipped today and start actual adventurer activities in a few days.” However… “What? Why—? Now that I’m finally equipped, it’s not fair to postpone actual battle! I want to use my weapon and fight as soon as possible!” …Stella threw a tantrum. If she really felt that way, then Aria and Vulcan had no cause to stop her. In that case, it seemed best to let her get used to her new weapon today, allowing them to gauge her actual power. For this reason, they’ve arrived at the labyrinth without taking on a particular quest… In fact, Aria hasn’t completely regained her own battle instincts yet, making this the most reasonable course of action. “Tama, first we’ll let Stella put on a full display of her power. For now, please don’t use any buff skills.” “Meown—!” Yes, master! In order to fully ascertain Stella’s capabilities, Aria orders Tama to refrain from activating Divine Lion Protection, and he mews obediently. However, Aria also quietly asks him, “If a dangerous situation arises, please protect Stella, too, okay?” My former most powerful adversary is now the object of my protection… There’s no telling how the tables will turn in this life. With that in mind, Tama nods profusely in response to Aria, as if to say, You got it! “Ohhh! Tama will protect me…? That’s so reassuring—I’m touched!” Stella has never had the experience of being protected, and if the male with whom she first fell in love after being born—Tama—is going to protect her, she’s justifiably emotional. “We’ll start out by going after some moderate enemies, okay meow?!” On Vulcan’s command, the party sets off into the depths of the labyrinth. “Gu-gi—!” A few minutes after delving inside— Vulcan leads the party forward as a grotesque being appears before them with a grating screech. It’s a goblin, the type of monster guaranteed to appear on the first level. The creature is outnumbered, and its physicality and equipment don’t hold a candle to Aria and company. Nevertheless, it rushes them with dagger in hand, screaming, “Gu-gyaaaa—!” Tama’s appearance would lead you to think he’s dead meat. The goblin looks at Aria, Vulcan, and Stella—three gorgeous girls—as potential wet mothers for its offspring, unable to conceal its lust. Goblins are dumb as bricks. When their lust surges, they can’t gauge how weak they are compared to their opponent, including difference in strength or numbers. “Gah-ha-ha-ha! This little demon doesn’t know its place! You dare to attack the likes of me? How incredible! Let your blood taint my blade!” Stella cackles maniacally. She looks feral, an expression of heinous dreadfulness painted across her face. Aria and Vulcan had been treating Stella as a child, but seeing her expression now, they can feel a cold chill running up their spines. Tama, on the other hand, recognizes this behavior: Ah yes, this is the earth dragon I knew… “Now!” The goblin approaches Stella, whose shriek rips through the air as pale light envelops her from her shoulders to her fingertips and on her rear end. Just like she showed the party in Vulcan’s shop, parts of her body have taken on their dragon form. Stella doesn’t intend to hold back whatsoever, even against a low-level goblin. Skrrring—! Stella hefts the greatsword in her right dragonized hand—and with alarming quickness. She carried it with ease without her dragon body, but now it looks like she’s lifting a twig. And then— whoosh— a thunderous roar resounds. It goes without saying—Stella has brought her greatsword down against the quickly closing goblin. The monster makes to slash at Stella’s midsection, but immediately after and with far greater speed, Stella swipes her greatsword. She doesn’t move—simply lifts her sword up, then brings it down. That’s all she needs to secure her victory. “Gah-ha-ha! Swords are such fun!” Stella shrieks again as she looks down at the goblin’s corpse, its head split in two with blood and viscera spraying in every direction. As for the spectators… “Meown, she’s strong, but…” “She might be a bit touched in the head. She’s taking far too much pleasure in killing…” Aria and Vulcan are both a bit creeped out. Vulcan enjoys being an adventurer to the extent that it lets her collect the materials she needs to create items for her shop. Aria was saved as a child by the Holy Blade—Alisha—and was deeply enamored, making up her mind to be a good-natured, righteous warrior, just like her hero. Neither of them takes distinct pleasure in killing, by any means. From their perspective, it’s impossible to understand Stella’s excitement. She’s absolutely murderous… Everything should be fine if she doesn’t go down the wrong path, but on the off chance she does…I could be… Tama realizes as much from witnessing Stella revel in murdering on instinct—she is a monster, after all—but he’s also concerned that it will someday come back to bite the party. If that ever led to his beloved master, Aria, or her partner, Vulcan, being exposed to harm, then… Of course, Tama intends to provide whatever support and exhaust every means to make sure that doesn’t happen. As for the little behemoth himself, Stella was indeed once his enemy, but now she’s his comrade… Well, maybe not quite, but he has begun to think of her more in that regard, to the extent of considering her the object of his protection. “Unnngh…” “What’s the matter, Stella?” Stella grumbles unhappily. In response to Aria’s query, she replies, “Using a sword is fun, but with enemies this weak, I’ll never have a chance to use my shield. I want to go deeper into the labyrinth and fight stronger mid-level enemies!” “Hmm… Well, with the power you’re showing, it will probably be fine to move down to the next level.” “Meown, it might be really tough, but it’s true that testing the extent of Stella’s true strength could be a good idea.” Setting Stella’s personality aside, Aria and Vulcan are indeed after power and profit, so having her battle strength is something to be thankful for. Putting her through rigorous training to test her strength will allow them to decide what sort of battle style she should settle on as a member of their party. “Okay, it’s decided. Stella, we can see that you’re clearly very powerful, but you’re fighting for the first time…or at least, you don’t remember fighting before, so be on your guard!” “Gah-ha-ha-ha! No problem! I might not be as strong as you or Tama, but I’m fearsome in my own right, and I have no intention of losing my wits to a bunch of measly monsters!” Acknowledging Aria’s concern, Stella does her boastful best to allay her fears. The former earth dragon’s head is filled with nothing but a desire to go on a full-out rampage. “Gah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Whaddaya think, Tama? You like my shield-bash skills?” The final stage of the second level of the labyrinth— Stella yells with glee as the orc she bashes flies against the far wall, screaming in agony. She definitely knows how to use a shield… Well, it’s more apt to say she knows how to use it one way. Her fighting style is courageous and uninhibited, as expected. She attacks another orc immediately, a single, fell swoop of her greatsword ripping its head in half. Next, two orcs appear, and Stella exclaims, “Time for my shield!” before tearing into them immediately, eyes livid. The first took a vicious bash full-on and flew across the room. The second orc stares in bewilderment as its comrade becomes airborne. In that instant, Stella brings down her greatsword again, aiming a powerful blow at the creature’s face. Slash—! The lethal strike leaves the orc beheaded. Fresh red blood geysers from its neck, and Stella laughs with abandon before leaping forward. She’s headed for the orc that has been knocked against the wall. It’s obviously taken a direct blow to the face and looks shell-shocked, unable to stand. “Psh, you can’t even summon the power to fight when your enemy stands directly before you… What a bunch of chumps.” Stella spits out her words and lowers her greatsword once more. It goes without saying that the orc’s head no longer retains its original shape… By this point, Aria and company have witnessed this brand of battle strategy over and over again. Tama looks quite nonplussed that Stella hasn’t used her shield for defensive purposes even once. Aria and Vulcan remain appalled by her belligerent personality and over-the-top fighting style. “I know she’s a dragonewt, but I really didn’t think that Stella would be this powerful.” “Meown, looks like I’m nothing more than a tiger-eared-clan chump, too… I had confidence in my ability, but I can’t possibly compete with her.” Aria relies on electric speed in her fighting style, and Vulcan has herculean strength from her feline blood. Both, however, have resigned themselves to Stella’s inhuman power. That said, Aria and Vulcan can’t help but grin boldly—all while imagining a certain monster lurking below them on the third level of the labyrinth. The third level— Squelch—squish—squelch. A grotesque creature makes disgusting noises here, a setting even more bone-chilling than the second. “Urgh… What on earth is that? It’s causing an unspeakable sensation throughout my whole body…!” Stella looks positively disgusted and furrows her brow, shuddering. She was born in the deep recesses of the labyrinth, and back when she chased Tama, she took a different route to the lower levels. That means she’s never seen the monsters that appear on this level and the next. The creature is called a roper. In the past, Aria was forced into a nasty conflict with them, and they’re the monsters that caused her to awaken to her derived skill, Whirlwind Slash. The writhing tentacles growing from the roper’s body are not satisfied with simply stopping the movements of its opponent—if the opponent is female, their tentacles will slide underneath their victim’s clothing and sexually defile and impregnate them. Stella was once a monster, and she can instinctually feel on her skin the danger of this natural predator. “You there, foul beast! Victory goes to the swift!” Whoosh—! As she speaks, Stella begins rushing at the monster. She intends to smash the roper down before it has a chance to grab her. However— With a whoosh, its writhing tentacles lunge at Stella. “What the—?!” The former earth dragon’s jaw drops in shock. The roper’s tentacles are much more agile than they look. Not to mention, they extend a lot farther than she thought. Stella had already decided the roper wouldn’t be faster or have greater range than she does—hence her abject astonishment. “Goddammit—!!” Bwroosh—! Stella brings her greatsword down in a massive arc toward the encroaching tentacles. She intends to rip through all of them at once with a wide-ranging slash. Her blade isn’t exactly razor-sharp, but she is able to gather all the tentacles into a bunch, and her aim is spot-on. At least, it was for her first attack… “Bi-giii—!” Stella decides to go for the roper’s body after getting rid of its tentacles. As she quickly closes in, the roper cries out and, in that same moment, sprouts new tentacles. They wriggle and writhe as they erupt from both sides of the monster. Yes—the roper still had tentacles to spare that it was hiding. They rush past Stella as she moves in quickly, and they attack her. “Graaaaaah!!” Stella howls. To everyone’s surprise, she casts her greatsword and Mega Shield aside as she starts swinging her arms furiously. “Stella, what are you doing?!” “This is no good, meow! She’s forgotten herself in the face of fear!” Aria and Vulcan both cry out. They can’t just sit by while their party member gets impregnated. The girls rush forward to help Stella. Amid the fray, a thought crosses Tama’s mind as he observes Stella’s behavior. Dammit, Stella! Has this dire situation brought back memories from her past life?! The way she’s swinging her arms—it closely resembles her movements when she attacked Tama during their head-to-head confrontation. In other words, Stella’s first battle with a roper has frightened her, and she’s now trying to attack as she did when she had a massive body. This won’t end well. Stella has entered dragonewt mode. If my master gets attacked while going in to help her, there will be hell to pay! I have no other choice… With the cool, calm, and collected thinking of a knight, he’s made up his mind. “Meowrn—!” Tama growls adorably, and then, from his feet…a number of writhing tentacles the same color as his orange tabby fur appear before his very eyes! Tama has used one of his skills—Summon Tentacle—that he acquired after eating a roper. Whoosh—! Each of the tabby tentacles rushes forward with blinding speed. Some reach for Stella while others stop the roper tentacles that escaped the greatsword. Tama’s remaining tentacles wrap around Aria and Vulcan, gently pulling them back, making sure not to put undue stress on their bodies. Aria’s and Vulcan’s eyes go wide in surprise at the appearance of these new tentacles, but once seeing that they’re protruding from Tama’s feet, they realize it’s his skill and stop resisting. “Meown!” Aqua Howl! As Tama stops all the roper’s tentacles and ensures everyone’s safety, he unleashes another roar. He’s activated his Elemental Howl innate skill, Aqua Howl. A highly pressurized blast of water breath rips toward the roper— whoosh— as it cries out. Shrrring—! Aqua Howl pierces the roper in its heart. “Bi-giiii…” The creature cries out pathetically and crumples in a heap. —Hey, Stella, cool your jets! —Wh-wha…? Ooh, T-Tama? Mmmph? The tentacle monster is defeated. What happened? Stella is still swinging her arms violently as Tama addresses her through telepathy. As expected, she’s completely forgotten herself and given in to reckless abandon. —If you’re talking about the roper, I took care of it. What’s with you? Forgetting yourself while up against a low-level monster is not like a dragon at all. —Oof… I’m sorry. It would appear that, in my new form, I’m afraid of monsters that I encounter for the first time. Apparently, my battle with you has left a lasting impression. —…… Stella answers Tama’s question limply. Hearing this, Tama doesn’t know what to say. The real reason she flew off the handle stems from… …the terror she experienced after facing off against Tama, the Fearless Cat, and being slain one month ago. —…Don’t be timid. That’s not something I can say easily, as the one who killed you, but from now on, I will be the one to protect you. That’s why I need you to fight the way only you can. —!! Ahhh… Tama, hearing those words from someone I love as dearly as you makes me so happy…! Okay, I got it! I will cast away my fear and fight with all I have!! As a man, Tama cannot ignore the fact that he has damaged Stella emotionally. That’s why he’s made up his mind—assuming his responsibility as a man, from now on, he will protect Stella with every fiber of his being. Stella silently sheds a tear and responds to him, her smile beaming. “Tama…” “Meown—!” What’s the matter, my master? Just as Tama and Stella finish their telepathic conversation, Aria calls out to him softly from behind. Tama whirls around to see what’s going on and is immediately shocked—Aria’s ice-blue eyes have pink hearts floating in them. Her cheeks are flushed red, and she’s rubbing her thighs together like she doesn’t know what to do with herself. Aria has gone from elf to full-on nymph mode. Wh-why?! Just what on earth has aroused my master to this degree?! Tama simply activated one of his skills to guarantee the safety of everyone in their party—what could have triggered her like this…? Just as Tama ponders this question— “Ahhh… Tama, that was quite a skill! Those tentacles were so…dirty! Take those cute little tabby tentacles and just ravage me! ” As she speaks, Aria starts snapping off her bikini armor. Wh-what the—?! Master, how can you possibly be so stimulated right now?! This is too much! …Hmm? Hold on—I thought you hated slimy tentacles…? Last time, Aria was absolutely indignant after her tough battle against the roper that had covered her in sticky white fluid. Tama naturally assumed she hated such nasty creatures…but he was wrong. Obviously, Aria isn’t interested in being sexually assaulted by the disgusting tentacles of a monster as bizarre as a roper. However, if the tentacles belonged to adorable little Tama, she could certainly oblige… More specifically, she wanted them to ravish her. “Huff…huff… ” “M-meown…?” Aria is encroaching on Tama, her bikini armor half-stripped-off, and he cries out in confusion as he backs away. The little cat thought this back-and-forth between knight and master would continue endlessly… However… Tama’s chastity is eventually saved by Vulcan, who interferes by saying, “What are you doing, getting turned on in a labyrinth?!” On the other hand… “Aha! This must be another playful ritual for conceiving offspring!” …Stella has been observing the situation, enraptured. This means only one thing—Tama’s chastity is now at greater risk than ever before. “Pi-kiiiii—!” “Piki-piki—!” Now that Aria’s nymph mode has subsided, the party of four begins treading farther into the deep recesses of the third level of the labyrinth. Ropers appear in front of the adventurers—two this time—and just like the one earlier, they cry out excitedly when they see the three gorgeous females. “Hmph, more indecent, foul beasts? I messed up before, but not this time!” —That’s the spirit, Stella! I’m here to support you, so give it all you got! Tama sends a telepathic message of encouragement as Stella shouts her intention to go hard on the ropers. Her cheeks flush red for a moment before she kicks off the ground—whoosh—and flies toward them. Sllllsppp—! The ropers’ tentacles rush quickly for her. Just as before, they intend to capture Stella and impregnate her. But this time, she doesn’t hesitate. She doesn’t have to because the security provided by the Fearsome Cat—Tama—protecting her has completely eased her fears. Tama is already on the move, too. Just as Stella rushed forward, he already sprang in front of Aria and Vulcan. Realizing that Tama intends to go out for support, Vulcan stays put. Aria does the same, but…her cheeks are flushed pink, and her breathing is quite ragged. She’s likely thinking, Oh—ohhh… I get to see Tama’s tentacles in action again! Tama is watching her reaction and already knows that if he uses his tentacle skill, the elf girl will devolve even further into a nymph. He settles on using a different skill to support Stella. “Meown—!” Tama lets out a piercing yet adorable mew. At the same time, he reaches up with his right front paw and swipes it down. Shrrring—! The shrill sound that follows is accompanied by the roper’s screams. “Pi-gyaaaaaa—?!” The roper’s tentacles that had been reaching for Stella are ripped to shreds as they fly across the room. “M-meow? What was that?” “Tama…were you still hiding another skill from us?” The spectacle has Aria and Vulcan absolutely dumbfounded. Tama used an absorbed skill that he acquired one month ago—Dragon Claw—to create a massive claw formed by mana that ripped through the roper’s tentacles. The fact that he missed Stella as she rushed forward, cutting through only his targets, is a testament to his high degree of skill. “Pi-ki—?!” The second roper had also been outstretching its tentacles, but seeing its comrade’s appendages obliterated, it stops dead in its tracks. Now! Spotting this, Stella races forward even faster and lays into the dazed roper with its tentacles cut off for a vicious shield-bash attack. As it recoils from the impact, it spurts milky white fluid, which lands all over Stella’s face like a bukkake scene. Despite the not-so-glamorous situation, Stella appears unbothered. She’s also covered in blood, and if anything, she’s excited by it as she smiles triumphantly and turns to the other roper, ramming her greatsword directly into its heart. The presence of the blood of her enemies on her skin only ignites her thirst for battle, something that must be part of Stella’s nature as a former dragon. Aria pushes a towel toward Stella, whose body is covered in sticky white fluid, as she asks, “Stella, how does it feel fighting alongside Tama?” Stella has a look of pure exhilaration on her face as she replies, “It’s invigorating! This is my first time fighting with someone else backing me up—I didn’t think it would be this incredible!” Seeing Stella panting as she wipes the white liquid from her face, her cheeks flushed red from battle, is, well… Actually, let’s just stop there. Moving right along—for Stella, who formerly reigned as the undisputed superior being of the entire labyrinth, fighting alongside another party member is an entirely new feeling. What’s more, her partner was Tama, a male she’s attracted to, so maybe it makes sense that she’s this excited. “That’s called teamwork, you hear me, meow? Stella, you’re going to keep fighting by our side and help us make the most powerful team possible!” “Ohhh! I’ll be fighting alongside you guys, too, not just Tama? I can’t wait!” “Hee-hee, I’m glad you’re so up-front about everything. I think we’ll make a great team, right, Vulcan?” “Meown—!! With the dragonewt Stella in our crew, nothing can stop us now!” Hearing that she can also fight with Aria and Vulcan, Stella looks even more thrilled than before. She’s discovered the sense of joy that accompanies fighting beside her comrades. Seeing this, Aria and Vulcan are relieved, knowing that, with Stella in their party, their battles will now greatly expand in scope. Their hearts are filled to the brim with hope. Just then… Hmm… Well, I sure hope it all goes according to plan… Tama alone seems concerned. Stella may look innocent, but she is a former monster. Everything will be fine if Tama supports her, but if they start working in tandem…that’s what has him worried. And those worries will become reality sooner than he thinks. “Stella, you have incredible strength as a dragonewt and carry a massive defensive armament, your Mega Shield, so we want you to become a tank, okay meow?” “‘Tank’? Just what does that mean?” “It’s the cornerstone of the party—they stand in the vanguard and draw in enemy attacks. Because you have a greatsword, it would be ideal if you could both take the offensive—as an attacker—and protect the party as a tank…” Now that Stella understands the joy of fighting alongside comrades, Vulcan begins telling her about different battle positions. Stella wonders, A tank? Is it delicious? as Aria explains a tank’s role to her. Just then— “Gah-ha-ha-ha-ha! If that’s what you mean, then leave it to me! In other words, I just need to be at the front of the party and go wild, right? Perfect!” Excited by the prospect of fighting on the front line, Stella laughs with abandon. She looks ready to take on any monster, roper or otherwise. “Meown—! That’s so great to hear right meow!” “We didn’t have a tank until now, so it’s a huge help that you’ve joined our party!” Vulcan and Aria express their appreciation in lively, joyous voices. Before, Vulcan, Aria, and Tama were all on the offensive as attackers, and they didn’t have a tank. Of course, Tama can activate Divine Lion Protection or Iron Body if he chooses, and making use of his orichalcum armor, he can become a tank in a sense, but Aria and Vulcan don’t know this. Under these circumstances, having Stella join as a dragonewt (at least they think she is) shield-wielder is very meaningful. Vulcan will be able to brandish her battle hammer without really having to worry about enemy attacks, and Aria will be free to dart around with her knives to her heart’s content and easily perform sneak attacks. Tama, too, having been an all-around supporter of the party thus far, will be able to adapt to the situation at hand like never before. “Okay then, let’s move forward with Stella at the helm… Hee-hee, look at that! Some new enemies have appeared. Perfect timing!” Just as she begins to speak, Aria laughs fearlessly and fixes her gaze forward. From the dimly lit corridor ahead of the party— “Bu-hiii…” New monsters appear in time with a guttural growl. It’s obvious from the sound—they’re pig-faced orcs, five of them. Meeting this many orcs at once on this level of the labyrinth is rare, but the timing couldn’t be better. It’s a perfect chance to test how easy the fight will be with Stella, their attacker and tank specialist, now among their ranks. “Gah-ha-ha-ha! Come at me, pigs!” Stella creeps closer to the orcs and bashes her greatsword and Mega Shield together loudly. The obsidian steel blade and shield cause a piercing crash, and the orcs that were previously looking at either Aria, Vulcan, or Stella (perhaps each had its favorite) all turn to Stella. “Bu-hiiiii—!” “Oink! Oink!” The five orcs descend on her at once, their eyes tinged bloodred. They seem enraged at having been called “pigs.” Two of the orcs have stone axes while the other three are barehanded. The first in line raises its stone ax to swing it down on Stella. Orcs are massive. Taking a single blow from their stone weapons wielded with such formidable power would spell the end of anyone… Or so they think— “Hmph. That’s all you got, pig?!” Stella reacts calmly and deflects the orc’s blow with her Mega Shield. The orc’s ax and her shield slam together with a thunderous clash, but she doesn’t budge an inch. After all, she is a dragon, if only part of her. “Now it’s my turn!” Seeing how deflecting its blow was a piece of cake for Stella, the orc’s eyes bug out of its face. For the newly minted tank, this is too easy. She’s already raised her greatsword high in the air and swiftly drops it on the orc. “Bu-byaaaaaaa—!” The beast emits a bloodcurdling scream, and in the same moment, fresh blood sprays through the air, streaming from the orc’s shoulder. Thanks to Stella’s greatsword, the orc’s arm has been sliced—no, lopped right off its body. Normally, she should have been able to cleave through the orc’s shoulder all the way through to its heart, but she held back while maintaining a defensive position. This caused her power to plummet and only rip off the enemy’s arm. The orc, who could have simply perished in a single moment, is now dealing with unbearable, hellish pain and is lost in a world of misery. “Bu-gi…iii…!” The monster contorts its face in agony from the searing pain in its shoulder and cries out. Seeing Stella’s ferocious capacity for incomparable destruction, the four orcs in their fellow’s wake all stop dead in their tracks. Just then— “Bu-hiiiii—!” The lot of them screech again in unison, and in the same moment, the orc that lost its arm turns on a dime with alarming speed, like a rabbit escaping a predator, and runs away. “Wha—?! You dare flee from your enemy?! You impudent monster scum! Halt!” Stella rushes after the fugitive and separates from the party. “Stella! You must not abandon your position!” “Yeah, leave the enemy that escaped alone for meow!” Aria and Vulcan yell after Stella as she moves away from them, but as a former monster, Stella has activated her hunter’s instinct and doesn’t hear them pleading for her to stop. She disappears into the darkness of the labyrinth and out of sight. Goddamn Stella! I knew this was coming! Tama had a feeling that something like this would happen and curses Stella. He simultaneously gives a soft “meow!” and is subsequently enveloped in a golden light along with Aria and Vulcan. He’s activated his buff skill, Divine Lion Protection. “Bu-hi-hihihi—!” Immediately thereafter, the remaining orcs smile sickeningly and stare down Aria, Vulcan, and Tama. Now that their powerful foe, Stella, has disappeared, they’re convinced they’ll be able to defile this trio with ease. “Oh well, meow, what can ya do? We’ll have to clean them up ourselves!” “Got it, Vulcan! Tama, if it gets rough, please lend us your support!” “Meown—!” Leave it to me, master! Four orcs… Normally, this would be quite the bitter battle, but with the benefit of Divine Lion Protection surrounding them, it should be a cinch…or at the very least, a lopsided battle that they’ll surely come out of on top. Aria and company already know this, which is why they decide to stick around and take care of the rest of the orcs. They don’t even really need conviction. Tama can just wipe them out with an Elemental Howl, but the party is treating the battle as a training exercise—current unforeseen circumstances notwithstanding. They’ll certainly aim for their best performance, given the situation. Neither Aria nor Vulcan wants to win too easily. That’s why Aria gave Tama the order to stand down unless necessary. “Let’s go meow!” As the orcs charge them with bloodcurdling battle cries, Vulcan lifts her battle hammer high into the air and attacks. When she hefts the hammer, she does it with a sense of levity not seen thus far. And rightly so—she’s imbued with Tama’s Divine Lion Protection. One of its effects is the blessing of additional strength. Vulcan drops her battle hammer with incredible speed. The orc she’s aiming for doesn’t even have a chance to react in surprise—its skull is crushed from above with a thunderous smack. “Bu-gi-gyaaaaaa—?!” One of the other orcs cries out from the rear. In front of it stands Aria in quiet repose with her blade in hand. Her knife is sunk to its hilt into the orc’s eyeball. Thanks to the boost to her speed from her skill, Acceleration, combined with Divine Lion Protection, she has acquired literal “god speed” to support her already skilled movements. She rushes out from behind Vulcan, but the orc is unable to respond before she gouges its eyeball. The monster’s body immediately crumples faceup in a thunderous heap on the ground. Aria’s single attack has pierced its brain. Fwhoosh—! After bringing down her target, Aria quickly retreats to the rear guard as the last remaining orc swings its stone ax at her. It whiffs through the air. The massive momentum of that whiff pulls the orc off-balance and— crrrack—! A sharp thwack signals Vulcan’s battle hammer smashing into the orc’s flank. From the sound, she’s easily crushed a number of its ribs. As she retracts her hammer, Vulcan yells, “Aria!” Aria is already in a crouching start and rushes forward immediately at the call. Lightning speed—Aria closes the distance between herself and the orc in no time flat. She brings both knives across the orc’s neck and cuts through like butter, leaving it decapitated. She’s able to pull off this feat thanks to her speed combined with the tamahagane-and-orichalcum alloy from which her knives are forged. “Ugh, Stella, I told you not to leave your post!” Having finished off the last orc, Aria yells into the depths of the labyrinth. Just like that, Stella is back. Judging from the blood in which she’s covered, she’s dealt with the orc that tried to run away. “Why? Why must I act like my prey can simply escape?” Stella stares blankly at Aria. For her, defeating a monster is the same as killing prey. Furthermore, Stella mistakenly believes that Aria and Vulcan are the most fearsome warriors around. For that reason, it didn’t even occur to her that running off would cause a problem. “We were okay this time, but if the monsters we were facing had been a higher level, we could have been in trouble, meow! So don’t just go rogue on us—Wait, where are you going—?!” Just as Vulcan starts another lecture on the importance of teamwork, Stella has already dashed away and gone rogue again. Gazing far ahead of them, Aria and Vulcan can see another orc in the distance. Hmph… Just how are we going to rein in that reckless tomboy…? Tama has his doubts about Stella. “Huff…” “I’m s-so beat…” Aria and Vulcan sigh heavily near the entrance to the labyrinth. Their shoulders droop, and they are absolutely exhausted. Understandably so. When Stella ran off again earlier, Aria and Vulcan chased her and pleaded for her to be more careful, but it was no use. Thanks to their newest member throwing their party out of order, both Vulcan and Aria nearly fell prey to roper tentacles and the miserable fate of being covered by their milky white ooze. They also nearly got surrounded by multiple orcs, and in one instance, they were almost cornered in an ambush. Both times, Tama used his cleverness to activate his skills Summon Tentacle and Elemental Howl to successfully defeat their enemies and persevere. Had they proceeded to a more dangerous level, they might not have been so lucky. With that in mind, the party agreed to turn back for today. Due to the untenable battle situations into which they’d been thrown and general fatigue, they had to abandon most of the materials they’d gathered in the labyrinth. They’ll barely make any earnings today. “Hmph… I still didn’t get it out of my system…” In comparison to Aria and company’s apparent exhaustion, Stella doesn’t appear the least bit tired, despite having run around the labyrinth to her heart’s content. If anything, she still wants to fight more and looks dissatisfied. “Phew… Finally, we’re back outside. Come here, Tama!” “Meown—!” Having stepped out of the caverns into the sunshine, Aria turns toward Tama with outstretched arms. She intends to carry him home in her bosom. Tama mews enthusiastically in response and hops up to her healthy twin peaks. He makes sure to not harm them as he leaps. “Ahhh—holding you really lifts my spirits, Tama. Thank you for protecting us so much today. ” “Meown?” As Tama dives between Aria’s breasts, her expression melts. She brings her lips softly to Tama’s forehead and kisses him to express her thanks for today. Tama mews in surprise from the sudden display of affection and rubs his head lovingly against Aria’s cheek. “Hee-hee, Tama, that tickles!” Even though she claims it’s ticklish, Aria also rubs her cheek against Tama. Seeing this, Vulcan whines, “Meow, I’m so jealous of you right meow, Aria!” As the three of them interact… —Hey, Tama! I want to hold you, too! Stella’s telepathic voice reverberates through Tama’s head—he already knew it was her. —I refuse. I only allow those to whom my master gives permission to hold me. If you still really want to, you must receive her blessing. Tama responds coldly. Just as he said, he’s never been held by anyone unless by Aria’s leave. Not to mention, Stella caused them all so much trouble today. His icy reply was intended to let her know that she should repent. “Hey, Aria. It’s my turn to hold Tama now.” “…? I’m afraid I must decline, Stella. Tama is my knight. I will not so easily hand him over to someone who intends to rob him of his chastity!” “Whaaa…?! But, my lady…!!” Aria is perplexed by this sudden change in address, but no matter what Stella calls her, Aria simply denies her request. Stella is visibly flabbergasted. She always thought that Aria was a kind and gentle master and didn’t seriously consider the elf would deny her the chance to hold Tama. Aria is a kind and gentle girl, no doubt. Under normal circumstances, she generally lets others hold Tama. However, like she said, Stella intends to deflower her pet… In other words, she’s a threat. Stella is a high-level beauty with the allure of a grown woman. This means that Tama, who Aria loves dearly, has not been lured in by Stella’s scent. “Tama is…the Fearsome Cat! As a weakling, you aren’t a proper match for him!” “Wha…?! What are you trying to say, Stella?” Suddenly, Aria’s demeanor shifts from staid to downright indignant. She is shocked by Stella’s claim that she isn’t the right girl for Tama! What shift has occurred in Stella’s heart…making her say something to ruffle Aria’s feathers like that? “I understand after today’s battles! You are so much weaker than I thought. Tama should not be serving an orcish woman like you who’s always lagging behind!” Ohhh, is that what she means…? Vulcan has formed a hypothesis: Stella has been following Aria’s orders because she treats Tama, the all Fearsome Cat, like a child. In other words, she’s upset because she’d assumed that Aria was even more powerful than Tama. This is also why she looked so terrified of Aria the first time they met. “Tama, come here to my bosom! Together we shall beget a child of fearsome strength!” Saying this, Stella rushes toward Tama ensconced in Aria’s bosom and… Squish—! Her breasts aren’t as big as Aria’s but they’re still ripe and soft as they push against Tama. “Meowr—?!” Eep?! Tama cries out in fear as Aria and Stella squeeze him between their massive mammaries. It’s all happened so fast; Tama gives in to his behemoth-cub instincts and buries his face deeper into Aria’s bosom. “Ha-ha! Did you see that, Stella? Tama loves my breasts! You can try to seduce him all you want—it won’t work!” “Grrrr…! Tama, does Aria really make you that happy?! In that case, I will draw your gaze to me by force!” It’s true that, as far as battle is concerned, Aria is still inexperienced in many ways. But that doesn’t matter. She loves Tama with every fiber of her being, and Tama has promised her his undying loyalty. Aria smiles coyly, provoking Stella even further. The former earth dragon glares back angrily, her face contorted with fury and frustration. Sparks erupt between their fiery gazes. Still squished between the two girls’ velvety soft breasts, Tama trembles with fear at the thought of what will become of him.
Chapter 13
39 min read