As the dust settled from their intense duel, Ryuji and Erika found themselves in a new phase of their training. Ryuji, with a touch of melancholy, began instructing Erika on how to counter power fighters like him. In return, she shared her insights on speed fighters. Her voice tinged with respect and honey.

    Alan could only watch them and feel he hit gold.

    Alan''s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he watched Ryuji and Erika. ''These two,'' he thought, a smile tugging at his lips, ''will shake the Chosen rankings. Their journey will be the stuff of legends.''

    Alan couldn''t stop smiling as he thought about the future and just how much he hit the jackpot.

    Ryuji could only frown slightly. He felt that this world made him need to adjust his mother''s martial arts to deal with it, which caused him to become conflicted because it was his last memento from her.

    ''Would mother get angry?''

    "What''s wrong, Ryuji?"

    "Ah, nothing, Erika; I just realised that I need to change my martial arts a bit to make them more effective in this world," Ryuji said with a complicated expression.

    Erika nodded. "Yeah, the fencing club stances were useless since I have talents for daggers and scimitars, not rapiers."

    Ryuji laughed lightly as he and Erika talked, only to be interrupted by a distant voice.

    "Oi, Ryuji! Erika! If you two are done with your date, hurry and take your showers!"

    "Ah!? It''s so late already!" Erika gasped, looking at the digital clock on the wall created with a mixture of magic beyond her understanding.

    Ryuji smiled wryly. "Well, it was a wonderful date."

    "Mm, I enjoy it thoroughly."

    The pair then entered the back room under Alan''s watchful eyes. He remained silent for a few minutes before he suddenly realised, "Wait. That is the shower for women. Why did Ryuji enter with her?"

    ****

    ? Erika POV

    In the showers, her body already half naked when she noticed his presence, Erika felt the same. However, Ryuji didn''t seem to care, his body already naked to the flesh as he headed to the showers before the bath.

    ''Oh~, he has a dynamite body.'' She couldn''t help but observe as his tall and muscular figure entered her vision. ''I guess he isn''t strong just because he gained power from his class, but that thing... did his class boost its size? I''ve never seen one so... deadly before.''

    "Ah! Erika, you don''t need to stare from over there, you know? The shower is open; there''s enough room for two." Ryuji said with a wide smile, lacking any shame as he admired her assets.

    "Ah," She could not form words as she realised how silly she must have looked.

    ***

    ? Erika POV

    Later that night, Erika had just returned to her room and was sitting in her bed, thinking about the training she had had with Ryuji. The sheer strength surpassed many of the knights who tried to show off during her duels.

    She felt confident that her speed could win, but his eyes never showed pain or damage from her attacks. He took her blows to his flesh like they couldn''t hurt him.

    "It''s a little frustrating!" She didn''t expect that even his counterattacks would be so powerful.

    While she was daydreaming, suddenly, her door was thrown open, startling her to her feet. She gripped her dagger''s hilt while a fireball appeared in her other hand, aimed at the intruder.

    Because of the issues with Yumiko, she was yet to move into Alan''s special mansion for the Chosen. Thus, this happened.

    "Erika~ I can''t believe you are Alan''s Chosen. Didn''t Lord Qwass offer us some significant benefits!? You can quickly change; come on, I will help you!"

    ''Why are you both so different?''

    Erika couldn''t help comparing the two; both were handsome, although since he suddenly changed, Ryuji''s beauty became fascinating and devilish. His ocean blue sapphire eyes helped reduce the aggressive look of his narrow eyes, making him more appealing than ever, not to mention the slight fangs and his muscular body.

    She always loved muscular men, and from the moment she saw him, it was clear Ryuji was her type.

    Haruki was the lean muscle build, a kind of athlete and a little too whiny for her tastes...

    ''If it were Ryuji, he would just grab me and take me; why do you cry?'' Erika couldn''t help but think about their overwhelming differences and the time Haruki wept after she turned him down.

    It was hard for her to feel sympathy for him since she never cared about him in that way.

    "Can you please not barge into my room, or I''ll cut you down next time?" She had a sour face as she prepared her things.

    Erika wore a robe made of a material that wouldn''t hinder her movements and was easy to wear for combat. So, the sight Ryuji enjoyed was limited to the private practice room for her.

    Yet Haruki still gawped like a fool.

    "Erika, how could you choose that useless noble? He''s going to ruin you. I don''t want to beat you when we fight."

    The next moment, in a flash, much like what she did earlier against Ryuji, her pommel smashed into Haruki''s chest, sending his body flying out of her room, the so-called top-class hero rolling on the floor, holding his throat and choking.

    ''Really... nothing alike.'' Erika couldn''t help but pursed her lips in disgust when she looked at Haruki lying on the ground. ''How did he become a hero? Was it luck?''

    The sight was too pathetic. She slammed her door and locked it this time. After Erika had changed her clothes, she got out of the room and headed to the mansion Alan invited her to.

    Not once considering where Haruki vanished to.