Chapter 314: Petting the Catgirl
Milim possessed an ultimate ability called Wrathful King Satan. However, activating this ability required her to be in a state of extreme rage, during which she would completely lose control.
But in this Martial Arts Tournament, Milim only felt joy. Anger? Such an emotion couldn't even find its way into her heart.
As a result, her ultimate trump card remained inaccessible.
Even so, without relying on Wrathful King Satan, Milim's other ultimate techniques and extensive combat experience proved sufficient to give her the edge over Luo Hao.
After more than four hours of intense combat, Luo Hao was finally defeated by Milim.
With this decisive outcome, there was no need for a third match in the placement battles.
Thus, the First Martial Arts Tournament of the Multiverse Same-Sex ♀ Friendship Chat Group came to a successful conclusion.
The champion was Jibril, with Milim taking second place and Luo Hao placing third.
After the tournament, a grand celebratory feast was held. The dishes served were far more extravagant than their usual meals, bringing immense joy to everyone.
Later that evening, Eriri distributed prizes through the chat group to the top three participants and all other members who had taken part in the tournament.
While most group members now possessed billions of points, they still cherished the consolation prize of one million points.
To put things into perspective, one million points were enough to purchase a Designated Invitation Ticket, or to transform an ordinary, powerless person into a continent-level powerhouse.
One million points were by no means insignificant.
Currently, the points they had amassed might seem like a fortune, but they were only temporary resources. Reaching Level 7 required enormous investment, let alone advancing to Level 8 or even its pinnacle.
To achieve such heights, tens of trillions of points would be necessary—an astronomical figure that made their current wealth look like pocket change.
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Congratulations to Little Jibril for winning the tournament! Milim and Luo Cuilian, you'll have to step up your game for next year!]
[Jibril (Level 5, Stage 9): Hehe, thank you, Master!]
[Luo Cuilian (Level 6, Stage 1): Of course! I swear, next year's tournament will not see me lose again!!!]
The tournament's results had dealt a significant blow to Luo Hao. She had confidently declared her intention to claim the championship.
Not only did she fail to achieve first place, but she didn't even secure second.
Determined to improve, Luo Hao resolved to spend as much time as possible training at the chat group's martial arts arena, aiming to elevate her combat skills to a new level.
[Ruri Gokou (Level 5, Stage 8): How nice, one million points is enough for me to draw another 'Fallen Angel Demon Eye.']
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 5, Stage 9): Ruri-chan, why not draw now? You've already drawn more than ten thousand times. Another ten thousand won't hurt.]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 5, Stage 8): No thanks, one eye is enough.]
Ruri Gokou could clearly see through Chika Fujiwara's teasing. She wouldn't fall for it. After all, she had already spent over ten thousand premium draws at once before. Continuing to waste points on gacha now would be unreasonable.
After all, the primary purpose of points was to strengthen oneself. Drawing was ultimately just a pastime.
...
Another night passed, marking the fifth day since everyone had arrived in this world.
With the Martial Arts Tournament concluded, Eriri didn't rush to the arena today.
The entire day was designated for free battles, which required no host. Participants could challenge each other and head to the arena whenever they liked. The victor's reward, stored in the barrier surrounding the stage, would automatically merge with their body after the match, provided the barrier judged the outcome to be fair.
When Eriri arrived at the arena around 10 a.m., the spectator stands were much emptier than before, with only about thirty-four people present.
Perhaps some had visited and left, opting to explore elsewhere, while others, like Eriri, planned to come later to watch the battles.
At that moment, Serafall and Shinobu Kocho were engaged in a match on the stage.
When Eriri had first met Shinobu, she had already corrected the physical weaknesses in Shinobu's body. As a result, Shinobu no longer relied on poisons or her Insect Breathing style but instead used Flower Breathing, like Kanae and Kanao.
Under Kanae's guidance, Flower Breathing had been expanded with over ten new techniques. These techniques no longer depended on stamina but were fueled by internal energy, elevating their power to another dimension.
With the enhanced Flower Breathing and the energy seeds planted by Eriri, Shinobu had reached the peak of Level 3.
As a Satan, Serafall was also at the peak of Level 3, with one foot stepping into Level 4.
Their battle was intense and spectacular, pitting Flower Breathing against ice magic.
...
When Eriri and her group, including Ophis, found a place to sit, Kanae and Kanao approached.
"Eriri, you're here!" Kanae greeted warmly.
"Yes," Eriri replied with a smile. "By the way, why is Shinobu fighting Serafall?" she asked curiously.
Serafall's participation made sense—winning would allow her to break into Level 4 and become a transcendent. But Shinobu didn't need to participate. The energy seeds planted by Eriri were enough for her to reach Level 5 through steady training, so there was no need to fight for additional rewards.
Before Kanae could answer, a crisp voice interrupted.
"Allow me to explain, Eriri-sama."
Sona Sitri approached with Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Koneko Toujou, and Grayfia Lucifuge.
Upon seeing them, Eriri's face lit up with joy. Stretching out her arms, she called out, "Cutie, come here and let me hug you."
Although Eriri had already hugged Koneko several times during their stay here, the joy of petting a catgirl never got old.
Hearing Eriri's call, Koneko didn't hesitate for a moment. Her petite figure darted into Eriri's embrace with practiced ease, rubbing her adorable little face happily against Eriri's chest with her eyes half-closed.
Eriri placed her hands under Koneko's arms and lifted her high into the air with a playful motion before settling her gently on her lap.
With her right hand, Eriri softly patted Koneko's fluffy white cat ears, while her left hand reached around to grab and gently play with her swishing tail.
"Sona, go on. I'm listening," Eriri said with a soft chuckle, gesturing for Sona Sitri to continue.
Meanwhile, on the stage, the battle between Shinobu Kocho and Serafall had reached its climax. It seemed a conclusion was imminent.
"Understood," Sona nodded and adjusted her glasses, the sunlight reflecting off the lenses as if a glint of brilliance flashed in her eyes.
"It's nothing too complicated. Two nights ago, my sister and I were strolling through the city when we happened to encounter Miss Shinobu and Miss Kanao," Sona began, briefly glancing at Kanao, who sat beside Kanae. Kanao nodded lightly in acknowledgment of Sona's words.
Sona continued, "Since they are people close to you, Eriri-sama, my sister and I had a good impression of them. We struck up a casual conversation, and eventually, we all ended up exploring the city together."
Sona paused for a moment before resuming. "During that time, my sister learned that Miss Shinobu's strength was on par with her own. Naturally, they agreed to have a sparring match once the Martial Arts Tournament concluded."
With this explanation, everyone now understood how Shinobu and Serafall—two individuals who seemed to have no connection—ended up facing each other on the stage.
After a brief pause, Sona added, "Of course, we've also heard from Rias about the rewards for winning in the free battles. My sister is particularly interested in receiving one of your prizes."
"I see," Eriri nodded. "Now that it's clear, there's no need to say more. Let's focus on their match."
On the stage, the battle between Shinobu and Serafall was nearing its conclusion. Both fighters had depleted most of their stamina and energy reserves.
"You're amazing, Miss Shinobu! Truly worthy of being someone close to Eriri-sama," Serafall said during a brief lull in the fight, her tone filled with genuine admiration.
Instead of feeling uncomfortable at being tied to Eriri's reputation, Shinobu was delighted. Her previously serious expression softened, and a faint smile of joy appeared on her face.
"You're quite impressive as well. It seems today's victory won't come easily," Shinobu replied.
Shinobu was not one to overestimate herself; she was acutely aware of the gap in strength between herself and Serafall.
Throughout their battle, Shinobu had used every new Flower Breathing technique she had learned, but Serafall had effortlessly intercepted every attack. Though Serafall appeared somewhat fatigued, she was in much better condition than Shinobu.
In the end, under Shinobu's unwilling gaze, Serafall emerged as the victor of their free battle.
The moment the battle concluded, a sphere of energy roughly ten centimeters in diameter descended from the sky. It bypassed all barriers and directly fused into Serafall's body.
Serafall wasn't surprised; the previous winner of a free battle had received an identical energy sphere. She understood that this was the reward Eriri had prepared for every winner of a free battle.
Feeling the immediate boost in her power from the energy sphere, Serafall's face lit up with excitement. She could sense that fully absorbing the energy would allow her to step into the realm of transcendents.
Neither Shinobu nor Serafall lingered on the stage. They quickly vacated it, leaving the battlefield for the next pair of combatants.
...
Another day passed.
Over the course of the day, a dozen or so free battles took place. Among them, the fight between Shinobu and Serafall remained the most exciting. The second most notable was the battle involving Riveria and other members of the Loki Familia.
In stark contrast, the match between Fubuki and her sister Tatsumaki turned out to be completely one-sided. Tatsumaki, with her continent-level strength, was utterly outclassed by Fubuki, who had reached the pinnacle of planetary-level power. Their fight ended in less than a minute.
This marked the seventh day since the chat group members and their companions arrived in this world. The Martial Arts Tournament had concluded two days prior, and the free battles had officially ended the previous evening.
Thus, the seventh day was devoted to leisure, much like the first.
This world contained only a single city, surrounded by an endless expanse of ocean. The ocean's edge featured pristine natural beaches, making it an ideal spot for relaxation and recreation.
At this moment, a total of 110 girls—ranging from beautiful maidens to adorable lolis—dressed in a variety of swimsuits were enjoying themselves on the beach and in the water.
The large turnout wasn't due to any insistence on Eriri's part; her original plan was simply to bring her household members to the beach. Everyone else was free to do as they pleased, without any restrictions.
However, the group ended up gathering at the beach of their own accord.
Eriri's stunning beauty was undoubtedly a significant factor, but the main reason lay in the human tendency to follow the crowd. Once the majority decided to head to the beach, the remaining few naturally joined in as well.
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