***

On the battleground, where his companions and the monsters waged their battle, Rosaria and Hu Tao stood as defiant sentinels.

They fought fiercely, compensating for the sudden handicap Yomite brought them. It was as if fate itself had conspired to cripple him, leaving him a bystander in this harrowing struggle.

It was evident they did not need any help, but Hu Tao seemed to have been grinning at him the whole time, as if mocking his inability to fight, and this pissed him off.

‘That little runt…’

Barbara looked at her companions and sighed at the book in her hands.

As her friends continued to fend off the attackers, Barbara flipped through the book, searching for a passage that could help them in their time of need.

‘Come on…please work…’

Finally, she found a passage that seemed promising and began to read it aloud, albeit still a bit doubtful.

Her voice, though soft, carried an undeniable strength and resolve through the battlefield.

“And so the heroes, finding their strength dwindling in the face of adversity, chanted the ancient words of power. Their hearts, united by the bond of friendship, became a beacon of light, igniting a blaze within their very souls. With renewed vigor, they took up arms against their foes, triumphing against all odds.”

As Barbara uttered the last word, the air around them seemed to hum with energy.

Yomite, Rosaria, and Hu Tao felt a surge of strength coursing through their veins, as if the words themselves had breathed new life into them.

To his amazement, even the oppressive weight on his body seemed to lessen, allowing him to move with greater ease.

Yomite, now able to fight more effectively, quickly rejoined the fray.

His claymore cleaved through the slimes and Hilichurls, his movements fluid and precise once more.

The tide of battle began to turn in their favor, even more so than before, with the team making quick work of the remaining creatures.

That was when he heard the usual haunting words from the fallen Hilichurls.

“Please…kill us…”

“…Will do so.”

In the midst of this brutal fray, Yomite alone heard the mournful cries, while the rest of his party dispatched the remaining creatures with grim efficiency.

He had always sensed a peculiar affinity with the Hilichurls, but the nature of this bond eluded him.

It was only when their desperate pleas for mercy echoed in his ears, articulated in a language he for som reason understood, that the full extent of his connection was revealed.

These beings were not the savage monsters they appeared to be, but rather, once-human souls twisted by some dark power.

This was a mystery he wished to unravel at some point, but at the moment he had more than enough on his plate.

As the final creature crumpled to the ground, Yomite turned to Barbara, his face lighting up with gratitude. “Barbs, that was amazing. I could finally move better. Thanks a lot.”

A delicate blush blossomed on Barbara’s cheeks, her eyes shimmering with joy. “I-I’m just happy I could make a difference, Yum-Yum. We stand together, united as one.”

“Yep, good job.”

Barbara wavered, her gaze flitting from Yomite to the blood-soaked earth, then back to him.

She gnawed her lip, anxiously winding a lock of hair around her finger. “Um, Yum-Yum,” she began, her voice barely more than a whisper, “I have a small request to ask of you.”

“What is it, Barbs?” He asked, still catching his breath from the battle.

Her cheeks flushed a deeper hue of rose, and she offered him a timid, hopeful smile.

“Well, since I was of assistance to you, might you… perhaps…give me a kiss as a token of gratitude?”

Yomite blinked, taken aback by her unexpected request.

A chuckle rumbled in his chest, shaking his head in amusement.

“Barbs, you really are something else,” he said, his tone light and teasing. “Alright, a kiss it is.”

With that, he inclined his head and tenderly pressed his lips to her forehead, allowing them to linger for a heartbeat before withdrawing.

The chaste kiss brimmed with appreciation and the tender warmth of friendship.

Barbara’s eyes drifted shut as she savored the delicate contact of Yomite’s lips, the brief communion of their spirits. “Thank you, Yum-Yum,” she murmured, her voice brimming with joy and gratitude.

Yomite returned her smile, his gaze alight with heartfelt sincerity. “No problem.”

At a discreet distance, Rosaria had observed the tender exchange, a frown etching itself upon her brow.

Hu Tao, who had been standing by her side, took note of the uncharacteristic reaction.

With impish delight, Hu Tao nudged Rosaria’s elbow and flashed a sly grin. “Jealous much?” she teased, her voice barely audible. “Could it be…you actually like B-B and are afraid to lose her to the big bad wolf!”

Rosaria’s frown deepened, and she cast a glacial glare in Hu Tao’s direction. “Mind your own business,” she snapped, her voice as cold as the winter wind.

Hu Tao just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, her demeanor nonchalant.

After that exchange, the group moved on to the next stage.

“How many stages are left?” Hu Tao asked.

“Two for this chamber…” Yomite answered. “Have you not listened to Lisa when she was explaining? There’s three for our group and three stages for their group in this chamber. Once all of them are done, we will go higher and higher up the floors…”

“Hmm…” Hu Tao hummed, her ears twitching.

She suddenly grinned at him, “I know what we’re gonna do! We’ll beat all of the stages before them!”

Yomite exhaled a weary sigh. “Why can’t we just be normal for once? I got this damn restraining device on me and can barely walk… Let’s just do things at our own pace.”

“We even have a handicapped person on our team! I wanna win now more than ever to show our worth!” Hu Tao declared, grinning like a madwoman.

“Fine,” Yomite sighed again, rolling his eyes skyward. “Whatever makes you happy. Just be ready to kill as many monsters as you can.”

“Yaaay!” Hu Tao’s eyes sparkled with a mad sort of glee at the prospect of taking down more monsters.

Yomite couldn’t help but shake his head, knowing that there was no stopping her once she got fired up.

Meanwhile, Rosaria sized Yomite up from behind him, her eyes cool and calculating. “Barbara,” she muttered, her voice low and raspy. “What do you see in him? He’s already got a wife.”

Barbara turned to look at her, her gray-blue eyes filled with warmth. “I know, he’s got three of them now.”

Rosaria raised an eyebrow, clearly unaware of this fact, “Three? How the hell does he manage to keep up with all of them?”

Barbara giggled, the sound light and airy, like the tinkling of a wind chime. “I don’t know, but they seem to make it work. Yum-Yum is a very caring and responsible man to all of them. He always makes time for each of them and tries his best to meet their needs.”

Rosaria merely grunted in response, her gaze returning to Yomite’s back as he tried to regain his footing after Barbara’s buff expired.

“…”

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as Rosaria switched her target and watched Hu Tao twirl her staff around, practicing her moves for the next stage.