Ryuji woke up from his deep sleep, the pain from that divine ray still hurting. He felt like something was gouged into his flesh. Then began to grind the inside of his bones, which caused him to feel horrible.

"Ugh... how long did I sleep?"

"It''s only been a few hours since the tournament, but..." Erika''s face said all he needed to know. The fact he lost control and killed the priestess would have made the church mad. Then, he also pulled the Apostle and Crusader into the divine ray. "What happened after I killed that woman."

Yumiko looked at Ryuji before she coughed and gave a bitter smile. "You collapsed after the knights kicked you away from Sheila." The way she spoke Sheila''s name showed how much she disliked her. Her many tails slapped the ground in anger.

"I see, sorry about that. When that priestess insulted you... I lost control, and then I felt dangerous during that huge attack."

He looked at Erika, who seemed quiet but noticed her soft fingers stroking his hand. ''I couldn''t feel Erika''s touch until I focused on it... How badly did that attack damage me?''

"What''s the matter, Ryuji?" Erika noticed his concerned gaze as she tightened her hand. "Does it hurt? Shall I fetch more medicine?"

''I can feel her insecurity. She is desperate to help me somehow. This isn''t right, and my role isn''t to stress my lovers out!''

Ryuji felt conflicted because he had suffered his first major injury. "Erika, can you keep holding my hand? It helps just having you close to me."

"Eh? Really?"

Erika''s cute face suited her more when she looked embarrassed or blushed. He didn''t like her looked bleak and close to tears.

Not when their relationship had only just begun.

"Of course, though it seemed dangerous, I just overused my magic and messed up a little. Don''t worry, okay?"

"Mm! I will, but first, let me get some more medicine... Okay? I don''t want there to be any problems later."

He could feel Erika''s mood and realised that she needed a moment to adjust herself. Ryuji didn''t wish to force her to do anything and felt Yumiko wanted to speak with him.

So he nodded before stroking her soft cheek. "Make sure you don''t fall. You look exhausted. Don''t make me worry about you in return, haha."

The moment she saw his laugh, the colour of her face returned a little. Erika then stood up, reluctantly letting go of his hand before she carried some of the discarded bandages and left the room.

"I''ll leave him to you, Yumiko. Liana said she would be coming later tonight and needed to deal with some family business first."

She looked back several times, before finally she nodded, with a deep breath and closed the door.

***

With Erika gone, Yumiko''s hair gradually returned to a golden colour as she began to pant, grasping the bet tightly with her face turning pale.

"Haa....damn... I can''t hold it like she does..."

"Because you forced the other tails to appear, if you limited yourself and just used two tails in that form, then you would be fine. Don''t rush yourself, Yumiko." Ryuji sat up, his face showing a slight grimace before he started stroking her glossy hair and fluffy ears.

"Hmph! You say that about me, then what was that out there? Why take that attack on purpose? Why kill that woman and knight? You know the church will blame you. Have you forgotten Lord Qwass, our enemies?"

Yumiko spoke with a stern force that made Ryuji recoil, yet he felt a warmth inside his chest. Her glazed eyes wept for him, her heart bled for him and even now. She scolded him because of how much she loved him, even with her memories returned.

Ryuji''s cold face seemed to return to normal for a moment, his mind thinking about the three people who first taught him about the dungeon. He didn''t hate Sheila but felt that her title as an Apostle created too many issues.

''I''ll make sure she loses it and becomes a normal priestess. Maybe she can become an Apostle of Serena. That goddess seemed nice and cute.''

"Understood—I think we deserve a bit of a rest or at least a change of pace. There are many dungeons that I learned about from Saki, too, that aren''t managed by the kingdom but by the guild, which offers rewards for clearing them."

He then stopped, squeezing Yumiko''s hand as he noticed her staring into his face without speaking.

"What''s the matter, Yumi?"

"N-Nothing, it''s just a little frustrating how easily you can deal with things. You were half-dead a moment ago, but you''ve already started thinking about the future. I felt a little jealous because I dwell on the past and get trapped in my own thoughts quite a lot."

"You don''t have to worry about the past. We''ve made mistakes, but let''s learn from them. In the future, we can improve and do better. What matters is that we try. As long as you try your best, If you still feel lingering regret, then tell me. I will listen to any trouble you have, okay?"

"Mhm! I love you, Ryuji."

Ryuji then felt Yumiko''s body lean into his. Her breasts pressed against his arm while her face nestled against his neck, and she kissed him softly.

"I love you too, Yumiko. So please take care of me. I have a lot of issues, from being short-sighted and needing guidance to my lustful nature."

"Hahaha, don''t worry, it will be fun guiding you."

''Ah, why does she sound a little perverse?''

"Well, can you guide me to your heart? And maybe your breasts? They''re a little distracting when you are like this."

"Hey, what are you saying?! Erika''s standing at the door!"

"EH?!" A surprised voice sounded from the door. As it suddenly opened, the bright red face of Erika appeared, holding a small pot of what seemed to be tea and medicine. "I''m sorry, Ryuji, Erika!"

"Don''t worry, it''s a joke. She''s joking, right Yumi?"

"Eh, yeah... I mean, it was just a guess that you were there, Erika—it feels a little awkward to be right."

Erika stepped inside and closed the door. She moved with refined steps. It felt like she must have practised a lot in secret to become this deft.

She seemed so different from the girl Ryuji first met, but he realised it felt fun getting closer to people and seeing the little things they do quietly to the slight changes in their actions or words. He smiled at Erika, who placed the tea beside the bed while he patted the opposite side."Come, sit beside me, Eri."

"Hehe, is that alright? You seem a little busy" She asked, hesitant, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No! Come closer, my cute little knight!"

Ryuji lifted her and placed her right beside him. "Now, both of you are stuck with me, hehe."

"Don''t treat me like a kid, Ryuji!" Erika complained.

"Don''t worry, you are my cute knight, and Yumi is my lovely fox.

"You are such a bastard~ why do we love you so much, right Erika?"

Yumiko smiled, her eyes narrowing into crescents as the trio sat together. Erika settled down after a short while, and Ryuji could then enjoy the medicinal tea while they spoke about stupid things while the sun slowly faded over the horizon.