Shizue Izawa stopped and turned to face the dozen or so giant ants pursuing them.
She drew the long blade at her waist as scorching magic surged from her body and rapidly poured into the weapon.
Whoosh!!
Roaring flames instantly ignited along the silver-white blade.
Facing the giant ants charging straight at her, Shizue first raised one hand and gathered power.
A blazing fireball shot out in an instant, blasting several of the giant ants backward.
She then leaped into the air and swung her flaming blade, carving a crimson arc through the air.
Slash!!
One giant ant's head was severed on the spot, but that was only the beginning.
Shizue's slender yet curvaceous body moved almost like a dancer.
Her blazing blade tore through the air, cutting down one giant ant after another in a matter of moments.
By the time the surrounding temperature had risen by more than ten degrees, the area was already littered with their corpses.
Takumi watched her, admiring Shizue's graceful combat style.
She looked only fifteen or sixteen, yet her figure was unusually voluptuous.
Although her clothes were actually rather loose, the fullness straining against the fabric made them appear tight.
The generous curves were astonishing, while the slim waist narrowing beneath them made the contrast even more striking.
Her black, leather-like trousers clung tightly to both legs.
The matte material emphasized their full, elegant length.
Whenever she leaped, the muscular lines they revealed were exceptionally beautiful.
As a result, even though she was only around 160 centimeters tall, she still looked remarkably tall and slender.
"She feels a little like a grown-up version of Chloe."
Takumi pinched Chloe's cheek in his arms and teased her.
Chloe looked over as well, then shook her head.
"That big sister has a really good figure. Chloe… can't compare."
She glanced down at her flat chest, her expression becoming deeply dejected.
Takumi rubbed her head and laughed.
"Haha~ Chloe, your potential is enormous."
"Don't be discouraged. Eat more meat, eggs, and milk, and I'll definitely raise you into a healthy, well-fed girl!"
"Mhm! Chloe will work hard!"
Encouraged by Takumi, Chloe nodded seriously and began imagining a wonderful future.
Meanwhile, Shizue encountered a problem in the middle of the battle.
As monsters, the giant ants possessed extremely tenacious vitality. Even among the many that had fallen, some managed to stand back up.
Unlike intelligent monsters, these giant ants did not fear death.
The moment they recovered, they attacked Shizue again.
As she tried to counterattack, the restless fire magic inside her caused her body to freeze for an instant.
That brief hesitation was fatal at such a critical moment!
Although Ellen had already shouted a warning, the turmoil in Shizue's magic left her unable to react in time.
Seeing this, Chloe nervously clutched Takumi's clothes.
In the next instant, Takumi pointed from afar.
"Ruinous Thunderstorm!"
Terrifying black lightning suddenly descended like a pillar of light.
Boom!!!
Amid the deafening roar, the giant ants in front of Shizue were instantly vaporized into atomic dust.
"Lightning? No… It was more like something even more terrifying that only imitated lightning."
Shizue stared in shock at the fleeting flash of thunder before her.
Her instincts told her that if even the slightest spark had touched her, she would have been annihilated instantly.
[Ding! Randomly plundered attributes: Hard Carapace (Green), Great Strength (Green)…]
Ignoring those attributes, Takumi descended onto the scene with Chloe in his arms.
"Eh?!"
The moment Takumi and Chloe appeared, the others immediately realized that he had been the one who saved them.
However, after noticing Takumi's breathtakingly handsome appearance, they all paused, and a trace of awe appeared on their faces.
Ellen and Shizue instinctively developed a favorable impression of him.
"Um… Thank you for saving me."
Shizue sheathed her blade and respectfully thanked Takumi.
Takumi gave a slight nod and casually replied, "It was nothing. Wandering around the Great Forest of Jura isn't very safe."
"This is all that idiot Kaval's fault."
Ellen immediately muttered under her breath and glared angrily at Kaval.
As the team leader, Kaval awkwardly turned his head away and did not dare argue.
They had survived, after all. Being cursed at a little was hardly a problem.
Now that they could finally relax, confusion appeared on their faces.
They could not understand why a man like Takumi would be in the Great Forest of Jura.
He was dressed far too neatly, lacked every sign of being an adventurer, and even had a little girl with him.
Still, considering the strength he had just displayed, perhaps none of that was strange.
Takumi paid little attention to their doubts.
The only one among the four he cared about was Shizue, so he proposed taking them to the Yuanlin Empire.
The adventurer trio's eyes immediately lit up.
One of their missions in coming to the forest was to investigate the mysterious kingdom that had appeared out of nowhere.
Takumi brought them directly to the outer residential district of the Yuanlin Empire.
The goblins and Direwolves who had moved there earlier were getting along reasonably well.
Faced with the even greater power of the empire, whatever conflicts they had possessed before had been forced into submission.
"The monsters… are actually living together peacefully."
The adventurer trio stared in surprise.
Shizue's expression could not be seen behind her mask.
Compared to all of this, she was far more interested in Takumi.
After learning his name, Shizue wanted to speak with him privately.
Takumi accepted immediately and brought her all the way to the imperial palace in the empire's inner district.
Only when the Demon Shadow Maidens bowed in unison upon Takumi's arrival did Shizue suddenly realize that he was the ruler of this empire.
Inside the dazzling reception hall, the two sat on an extremely modern sofa.
Shizue had never seen anything like it before. She curiously touched it, then sat down.
"Mmm~ So soft."
With a look of enjoyment, Shizue turned her intense gaze toward Takumi.
"Lord Takumi, you're also from another world, aren't you? Your name sounds Eastern."
"Yes, though the place I lived before was in Japan."
Takumi nodded as a Demon Shadow Maiden immediately brought over tea and refreshments.
After receiving his answer, Shizue removed the mask from her face.
A charming and lovely face appeared before Takumi.
The three crimson lines beneath her left eye resembled tear-streak tattoos, adding a touch of mature allure.
Now that her true face was exposed, Shizue did not ask too many questions about Takumi being an otherworlder.
During the many years she had lived in this world, she had already met quite a few people from other worlds.