The most awaited day had finally arrived.
Under the ever-dark sky of Mato, where the land remained dry and desolate, and no vegetation dared to grow, a strange sort of tension floated in the air. Just beside the massive dorm building of the Seventh Unit, a large dome-shaped barrier had been raised.
It was made by none other than Tinna Bizen.
Ginna was short, with soft, wavy hair, and a couple of small hairpins near her left eye. She wore the standard Anti-Demon Corps uniform, nothing too flashy, but she had her own unique presence. A member of the Tenth Unit, Ginna was assigned as the referee for today's match.
The barrier she made came from her Peach Ability, known as Ginna Club—a weird one, honestly. Stronger than most barriers and with a bonus effect too: it could heal anyone inside. But there was a condition—you had to give Ginna your signature. It was like signing up for a fan club, and yes, she treated it just like that.
And of course, she was a total fan of Kyouka. To an absurd level.
Everyone had signed it already. Everyone except Yuuki. Obviously.
She didn't even ask him. Of course she wouldn't. It was almost natural here—women looking down on men was practically in the blood of this world. No one was surprised.
After Ginna's short self-introduction, the atmosphere shifted. People stopped talking. The playful mood faded away, replaced by silence and a serious weight in the air.
Both units—the Seventh and the Sixth—stood on opposite ends, outside the barrier. The match lineup had been decided.
Kyouka versus Tenka.
Shushu versus Sahara.
Himari versus Yachiho.
Nei was the only exception. She didn't participate in direct combat. And no one questioned that choice. So she was cheering for the Seventh unit.
Yuuki… he wasn't listed properly either. As usual, he was just considered a tool. He would fight for whichever woman held his chain.
(Saying it like that felt weird for some reason.)
But that was the arrangement, plain and simple.
•••
Inside the Intersquad Tournament dome barrier, three participants stood face to face.
Two women.
One man.
Of course, the man was Yuuki—kneeling calmly beside Himari, who stood tall in front of her older sister, Yachiho Azuma. The very same Yachiho whose face, somehow, felt incredibly punchable.
Yuuki: 'How can a beautiful woman have such a punchable face…?'
That was the thought echoing in his mind, comparing her to a certain pink-haired idiot girl from an anime where the MC regularly smacked her around for causing chaos. Yachiho gave off the same energy. Loud. Confident. Annoying.
Yuuki: 'Such a pain in the ass.'
Yachiho stood across them, wearing a modified version of the Anti-Demon Corps uniform styled in a gothic, flashy way. Her white ribbon-tied twin tails swayed with her every haughty movement.
Himari, on the other hand, kept her uniform mostly untouched. Her azure eyes locked onto Yachiho with a burning fire, calm but clearly ready to explode. Yuuki stood beside her in a simple light-blue outfit—like a mechanic or a handyman. No shoes, of course. Going barefoot had somehow become his thing lately.
The tension was thick. From outside the barrier, Gina Bizen—referee of the match—was shouting overly energetic commentary that no one asked for.
Yuuki didn't even bother listening to Yachiho's mocking tone. Her insults fell flat in his ears, like background noise. It was the same old routine: the usual arrogant monologue from the opponent. But all that talk? He was going to use it to fuel the punch he was saving for her face.
Still, patience. This was Himari's fight too. She deserved the first blow.
"Yuuki will fight with me," Himari declared, calm and composed, "as a part of my ability. Is that okay with you?"
Yuuki saw her clenched fist and understood she wasn't as calm as she seemed. But her voice was steady. She had pride.
Yachiho scoffed lazily, twirling a lock of hair. "Ha! What can a useless man even do? Adding him changes nothing. You're going to lose anyway."
Yuuki had heard enough.
He turned to Himari.
She nodded.
Raising her hand forward, Yuuki dropped to one knee like a knight pledging loyalty. He took her hand gently and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
And the air shifted.
A sudden gust of wind spiraled around Yuuki, forming a vortex. Light—pinkish-white—erupted from him like a dome, wrapping him in brilliance. Thick chains materialized across his body, binding him, holding him still.
Then—crack.
His eyes glowed green.
The chains shattered apart, flying off him like glass exploding in slow motion.
His bones shifted. Muscles expanded. Something inside him twisted and surged. His body transformed. For everyone outside, it was instantaneous—just a flash of light and a figure left behind.
But for Yuuki, the sensation felt long, intense, and raw.
He didn't think he looked like a Shuuki. No, not really. More like a werewolf—without fur. His chest and shoulders pulsed faintly with glowing reddish-brown tattoos. His physique was lean, aerodynamic, yet towered like a living wall. An immovable fortress.
And then—silence.
Even Himari stared, stunned.
Because Yuuki was different. Not just in appearance. Something about his aura was heavier. Denser. More real.
He wasn't glowing with excitement or calm like before. He felt like a mountain.
Himari, standing next to him, felt her own energy being dwarfed. His aura collided with hers unintentionally—but still left her overwhelmed.
Outside the barrier, Kyouka froze. She could barely comprehend it. Just yesterday, this was the same Yuuki who'd lose in seconds if they fought. Even in his previous slave forms—hers or Himari's—his aura had been like a quiet breeze. Small ripples.
Now… it was like standing in the shadow of a mountain.
(Was this… another unknown effect of my Eternal Chains?) she wondered, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
Shushu, meanwhile, had gone red in the face. Her heart pounded like a drumline trying to break out of her ribcage.
(SOOO COOL YUUKIIIII!!)
Her reaction wasn't exactly surprising. Shushu had always chased thrill. She didn't really get romance, but recently she'd binged a bunch of rom-com and erotic manga. And now, she was testing if her heart reacted just like in the manga.
Apparently, it did.
She definitely felt something for this barefoot badass who now crouched in front of Himari, scarf fluttering with the wind.
Himari climbed up on his back, gripping the chain of his collar tightly.
Yuuki opened his mouth and let out a deep, feral roar.
A signal. He was ready