As soon as Motegi's store's front door opens, the crowd waiting outside surges forward and pours in like crazy.
As usual, soap bars vanish in handfuls, bottles of shampoo and sanitizers clink together in armfuls, and pouches of toothpaste and deodorant are snatched quickly.
"Out of the way, man!"
"I want that mint too!"
"I need one more for my kid!"
On the other side of the store, the women trickle toward Yomogi's kitchenware and tableware section. Dressed in the same sexy, maid-style clerk outfit, she stands gracefully and holds up a gleaming cast iron pan with a smile and light wags of her tail.
"If you're making stew, I recommend this pot. It holds heat longer and won't burn the bottom, even after hours."
"Ohh, really?"
"That's perfect for my husband's lunch!"
"I love the handle design!"
Then, from across the store, a bold voice cuts through, turning heads.
"Alright, you guys! If you're bored of or just tired of your same-old miserable lives, just get over here!"
There stands Chantal, wearing the same sexy outfit as Yomogi, highlighting her curves and muscular figure. Her ears twitch and her tail flicks as she continues to proudly and loudly announce the store's new woodworks section.
"We've got something new and exciting today! Games! And believe me, you've never seen anything like 'em."
The men in the crowd stir, curiosity sparking in their eyes.
"Games?"
"Where?"
"I want to see it!"
One by one, they wander over and gather in front of Chantal's display: unfamiliar polished boards and pieces.
"What are these?"
One man is confused, and Chantal laughs.
"Hahaha... don't worry, let me explain them for you!"
First, she lifts a board.
"This one's called chess. It's a battle of strategy. Two players. Different pieces move different ways. Your goal? Trap the other guy's king."
Then, she holds a grid-patterned board scattered with stones.
"This is Go. You take turns placing stones. Black versus white. Whoever surrounds more territory wins."
Finally, she gestures to the carved tiles.
"And these are Mahjong. A four-player game. You draw, discard, and match sets until someone builds a winning hand."
The group murmurs, eyes widening.
"That sounds… kinda fun."
"Wait, we can play against each other with these?"
"It's beautiful too..."
Then, one man asks for the price, and Chantal smirks.
"How much?"
"Chess set is five silver coins. Go board and Mahjong tiles? One large silver each."
And just like that, the games begin to vanish.
Meanwhile, a group of adventurers exchange surprised glances. And they're the same people who noticed Yomogi at the store's opening back then.
"Is that Chantal?"
"No way. That lightning girl from Misdaras?"
"She's working here too?"
One of them steps toward the counter where Motegi is handling payment.
"You're seriously amazing, sir."
Motegi blinks in what looks like a confused face.
"Huh? Why's that?"
"You've got Yomogi and Chantal... no, two A-ranks working in your store! We're jealous, man. For real."
Motegi rubs the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly.
"Really? Haha... don't be like that. I'm just a regular merchant, you know?"
But deep down, he is only playing dumb. He already knew Chantal was as renowned as they claimed, thanks to his experience in Misdaras. Especially having her as his store clerk is really a genius move, because she can also share the same status with Yomogi as the mascot of his store.
**********
Again, another sell-out day happens. I shut the front door, and I see Chantal let out a long breath and drop to the floor.
"Ughhh… I think my voice just died. But damn, that was awesome."
Yomogi walks over and smiles gently at Chantal, at which Chantal grins and gives Yomogi a tired thumbs-up.
"Thanks for the good work, Chantal."
"Same to you, Yomogi."
I approach Yomogi and Chantal, congratulating them. And they answer at the same time.
"Good job, you girls."
"Good job, Motegi-chan." "Good job, Motegi-kun."
I return to the counter to begin checking our income. After I count all the coins, I stand up to announce it.
"Okay, two gold coins and five large silver coins!"
"That's even more than two days ago, Motegi-chan!"
Yomogi gasps, eyes sparkling. Yeah, the coins are about 250,000 yen in total, which is another progress since I last operated the store two days ago. Meanwhile, Chantal's jaw drops like she's still sorting out what she hears.
"Wait… you're telling me this place regularly earns that much?"
Yomogi nods proudly and answers Chantal's question for me, and Chantal mutters again.
"Yes. Every day, and the numbers always keep growing."
"No way..."
Then, Chantal suddenly laughs, throwing her head back.
"Hahahaha... I seriously made the right choice working here!"
Well, I'll take that as a compliment.
"Thanks for thinking that way, Chantal."
"Of course, Motegi-kun."
Then, I turn to Yomogi and say something, and she immediately knows what I mean.
"Hey, Yomogi. You know what comes next, right?"
"Yes, Motegi-chan!"
Chantal blinks in confusion, looking between us.
"What? What comes next?"
Again, Yomogi answers Chantal's question for me with a smile, and Chantal's eyes light up like she'd been waiting for that invitation all day.
"We're going to the labyrinth, Chantal. Want to come?"
"Hell yes!"
Then, the two of them rush upstairs to get changed.
And honestly, I'm really looking forward to having Chantal join us. The only time I'd ever seen her 'fight' was during that knife-throwing duel in Misdaras, which she insanely had a blindfold on for, so I was even more curious to see her in real combat and see what she could really do.
Not long after, they appear, and my breath catches in my throat.
Yomogi is wearing that orange bridal robe loosely, so sexy and stunning with those delicate white flower patterns. Her bare shoulders catch the light, and the fabric dips just enough at the cleavage to make my brain short-circuit. Again, it's perfectly matching her orange shoulder-length hair, glinting amber eyes, perking ears, and swaying tail behind her.
She tilts her head when she notices me silent.
"Ara, Motegi-chan? You're being awfully quiet."
"I… I can't believe you're actually wearing it."
Her cheeks flushed pink, but she doesn't look away or fidget.
"Mou, you're the one who told me to, right?"
Yeah, she's right.
That robe, or kimono, looks better than I imagined.
Then...
"Oi! What about me, Motegi-kun?!"
I turn, and my jaw remains hitting the floor.
Chantal is standing with one hand beside her waist, wearing what can only be described as bikini armor. Metal bikini top and thong and twin daggers strapped to her thighs. The deep purple of the armor matched her short, cropped purple hair, her bright amethyst eyes, and even her ears and tail. She looks like a battle-hardened poster girl straight out of a fantasy game.
I'd seen outfits like that in RPGs before, but seeing it up close, in real life?
It's something else entirely.
"You look good too..."
Chantal grins, clearly enjoying my reaction.
"Damn right I do. This is my battle suit. Had it just as long as my daggers."
It's kinda ironic to call it a battle suit, isn't it?
Considering it barely covers anything at all.
Chantal rolls her shoulders, warming up.
"So, what floor are we hitting today?"
"We've reached the tenth floor. But first, I want to go back to the ninth."
"Why?"
"You'll see."
I raise my hand, casting a teleportation spell. Once the familiar portal appears, I turn to Yomogi and Chantal.
"We're entering through this."
Chantal's jaw drops.
"Wait… we can use that to enter the labyrinth too?!"
Again, Yomogi is the one who answers first.
"Yes."
And I add my own words, making Chantal only able to shake her head and smile in disbelief.
"And we can return here with it too."
"Unbelievable…"
And just like that, the three of us step into the portal.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, NINTH FLOOR
The moment we step out of the portal, we arrive at the labyrinth's ninth floor.
Chantal's jaw slackens as she mutters and looks around in disbelief.
"Holy crap, we actually teleported straight here…"
"Told you, right?"
Then, I ask Chantal to begin our walk, and she smirks.
"Shall we get started?"
"Hell yeah, Motegi-kun!"
Then, Chantal and Yomogi move to the front, walking side by side. I follow behind, watching their butts and hips sway in front of me.
Focus, Motegi. Focus.
Minutes later, Yomogi suddenly stops as she sniffs the air, informing me with sharp eyes.
"They're close..."
Chantal halts just as quickly as Yomogi, her ears twitching repeatedly. Her hands are already spinning her twin daggers.
"You're right, Yomogi. I can hear it too..."
And just like that, three Blitz Sheep appear in front of us.
"Are you two ready?"
"Of course, Motegi-chan. Let's do it."
"I've been ready since I was born, Motegi-kun."
But before we charge in, I pause and look at Yomogi.
"Wait, Yomogi, can I do it?"
She immediately knows what I mean, her eyes sparkling and nodding excitedly.
"Yes, please, Motegi-chan!"
"Huh? What?"
Chantal blinks, confused. And I don't answer.
I silently activate [Temporary Boost], surging my MP to infinity. Of course, I also give stat enhancements for both of them — strength and durability for Yomogi, and speed and agility for Chantal. And for the final touch, all three of us have our luck maxed out.
"Thank you, Motegi-chan! You're always so kind."
Yomogi thanks me for that, while Chantal staggers as she clearly tries to understand what happens to her body, just like how Yomogi reacted when I did the same to her back then.
"Whoa… what is this? I feel… weird. Strong. But weird."
I point forward.
"Each of us takes one sheep."
"Yes, Motegi-chan!"
"Earth Spikes."
I raise my hand, and the ground beneath my targeted sheep shatters upward, piercing into its body.
"Raaahhh!!"
Meanwhile, Yomogi's fist explodes into her targeted sheep's skull, crushing it with a splatter of blood.
Two down.
The third still stands, but Chantal hasn't moved an inch. She stands frozen, daggers still in hand, and her eyes are wide and locked on me and Yomogi.
**********
What the hell is going on?
I'm just standing here like an idiot, my eyes darting between Motegi-kun, Yomogi, and the two sheep lying dead at their feet. One with its head crushed, the other impaled by freaking spikes from the ground.
This is the first time I've ever seen Motegi-kun fight.
This guy...
Yomogi wasn't joking. She said he could wield all eight elements, but I thought she was exaggerating. I figured he had maybe two, three tops, just like what humans are supposed to be. And that teleportation spell? I assumed he was being lucky.
But no, I was wrong.
And Yomogi…
I knew she was strong. I've seen her toss logs and wrestle men like ragdolls. But this? This is something else. She didn't just hit harder than usual, she literally crushed it.
Double her strength?
Forget it, it's more than that.
Triple?
Nope, still not enough.
It's way, way more than that. I don't even know what to call it anymore. It's like she's on an entirely different level.
"Chantal! It's coming at you!!"
I hear Yomogi's voice shout, snapping me out of it.
Yeah, I know it, Yomogi. But the last Blitz Sheep, that stupid, zigzagging furball in front of me, somehow moves in slow motion. It's weird. I know it's fast and annoying, but I feel faster.
"Do it, Chantal!"
Motegi-kun calls out behind me.
I shoot forward, daggers raised. I've never felt this quick before. This speed… it's unreal.
Is this what Yomogi feels when she gets that freakish strength?
There's no time for that.
I have to make the kill.
"Raaahhh!!"
My blades slash across the sheep's neck in one clean motion. Its head spins off and hits the ground, while a splash of blood sprays across my chest.
Breathing hard, I excitedly turn back to Motegi-kun.
"What the hell was that, Motegi-kun?!"
And he just smiles at me.
"You like it?"
"Hell yes, I like it!"
Then, he glances at Yomogi. She meets his eyes, and at the exact same time, they both say:
"Keep it a secret, okay?"
Yeah, I'm definitely in for something wild with these two.
**********
I glance at the three cuts of meat from the spots where we defeat the Blitz Sheep.
Yomogi bends down first, lifting one piece with both hands, her eyes sparkling.
"They dropped rare items again, Motegi-chan!"
"Guess that means dinner's settled again, right?"
Chantal crouches and slowly picks up her share. She stares at it, murmuring under her breath.
"I can't believe this... Rare drops, just like that?"
She turns toward us, her expression is between wonder and disbelief. Yomogi and I exchange a glance, then say in perfect sync:
"Keep this secret, okay?"
Chantal blinks, then chuckles softly.
"You two… really are full of surprises..."
MOMENTS LATER
More Blitz Sheep come rushing in, but we don't panic at all.
"Let's go, girls!"
Yomogi catches one sheep mid-leap and suplexes it into the stone floor with a loud crunch.
"Raaahhh!!"
Chantal slices and decapitates them down in a blur with her twin daggers.
"Get over here!"
I raise my hand, never stopping casting spells.
"Fire Ball!"
"Wind Blades!"
"Water Ball!"
The first sheep is swallowed by the flame, the second one sliced by the gusts, and the third one is suffocated by the water on its face.
Then...
"Lightning Needle!"
"Light Beam!"
One sheep is numbed with electrocution, and the other one is blinded.
"Yomogi! Chantal!"
"Got it!!"
"Woohoo!!"
Yomogi crushes the numbed one, and Chantal finishes the blinded one. All with one clean strike, no hesitation.
And finally...
"Dark Sphere!"
The orb obliterates the third one in a silent blast.
We press on. The girls walk ahead of me, side by side, and curiosity gets the best of me as I can't help but open my status.
Once the screen appears, my eyes immediately lock on one thing, and I click it.
[Elemental Combo] (Unlocked. Condition met: Cast all eight elements in a single continuous sequence, without repetition or interruption.)
Combine two elements to create a new one.
No way, I just unlocked a new skill again...
"Are you okay, Motegi-chan?"
"Why did you stop, Motegi-kun?"
Yomogi and Chantal turn back at me, looking a bit concerned.
But I stay silent, because I'm still trying to process what I see.
I think this [Elemental Combo] is the adjacent, locked skill beside the [Temporary Boost]. And if the condition to unlock is casting eight elemental spells, then the teleportation and Earth Spikes spells I used earlier also count.
Well, let's find out how cool it is then.
I silently activate that skill. Then, a sharp ice needle emerged on my left hand. On my right, an orb of lava formed.
"What are those, Motegi-chan?"
"You don't know it? They're ice and lava, right? Made the ice by combining Wind and Water. The lava's from Fire and Earth."
Instantly, both Yomogi and Chantal are surprised.
"Ehh?! You can do that, Motegi-chan?"
"There are only eight elements in Acrusse... Did you just create new ones, Motegi-kun?!"
I scratch the back of my head and laugh nervously.
"Uh… can we keep this a secret too?"
They exchange a look, then sigh.
"Of course, Motegi-chan..."
"Yeah, yeah, we already know who you are, Motegi-kun..."
And with that, our labyrinth quest continues.