We're going to spend the night in the Yellow Ossa Mountains, targeting Wagyu cattle on the steppes. I'm going to have to take this guy out before I can move on. So, my men are Ix, Noye, Sephora, Konoha and Darley.

I'm going to take this thing down!

We need to get ahead of them first.

Ix, Noah and Konoha will search for the enemy. I take the scarlet ring and stand by.

After a while, Ix finds me.

'Master, we have found a small enemy. We have found a small enemy. Probably a wagyu.

'Well done!　Ix!　Konoha, I need you to provide air cover. Nowa and Sefone, keep Noah and Sefone in my shadow... and Nowa, if you can, block them from moving. Ix, take aim with your guns and attack Sefone as well.

Hmm.

You are in charge!

Mission acknowledged, sir. Master.

They all nodded and I headed over to Ix's direction and found the wagyu! They haven't even noticed! I'll take it!

Teleportation!

I teleport between the grass and the wagyu that the wagyu would flee with Darley and Ix.

And I slash through it with my scarlet ring. But the response is strange... it's like slicing through steel. What the hell is this?

Of course the wagyu is alive and escapes, burning under the effect of the scarlet ring. Wait, wait, wait, wait! Leave the meat on the table!

Konoha stands in the direction of his escape and throws a feather thrower, but he doesn't care.

'Ho!'

Konoha uses his ice claws to hold the wagyu's head down, ready to abandon it.

''...Shadowbinding!''

Thanks to Konoha's stalling, Noah was able to get there in time. I thought we had a winner now, but he was still trying to get away.

It's a wayward wagyu...I feel as if it's trying to appeal to me to not be eaten so easily.

'Leave it to the mistress!　I'm going to take a bite out of you.

Sephone bites the wagyu. Then Sephone rolls around.

'Hard then!　Teeth!　Concubine's teeth ah!

It's the enemy I couldn't slash with a scarlet ring. You know this is what happens when you bite, but I gave the order. It's my fault for not stopping them.

'Sephone, try debuffing it with dark magic.

Um... okay, I think I understand...

I tried an anomaly spell too, but it didn't work. He's too strong... too strong... for that. It takes time, but I'm doing damage. I alternated between Potomless Swamp and Noah's Shadow Binding to buy me time, and I managed to finish him off with a sack.

I wanted to use the flying magic I'd seen in the duel, so I mainly used wind magic. Then came a level up that felt unusual. This is the same phenomenon as Sheep.

There's a lot of experience with guys that are fast to run away and hard to kill. So that means I want to hunt them, including leveling up, but how do I stabilize them?

''Master. Wouldn't sister Lily's hammer have worked?

I'm not sure. It's a hard enemy, so I think it will be effective. It's just that it's not a mineral, so I doubt that physical destruction would be effective.

Yes, sir.

Physical destruction seems to be a skill that works on minerals. It won't work on flesh and blood, so it won't be effective.

''We'll just have to stop moving at present and keep attacking...''

So, would it be better to choose a snake-type or a spider-type? But if he escapes, it's all for naught... what will we do? Oh, Ix's weapon was a stunnet gun. I think that would make it impossible to escape, and I have a good feeling about it.

For now, I'll take it apart.

Beef Friend Rose: Rare Level 5 Food Item Quality C+
Meat around the abdominal bone of beef. Also known as "Kalbi", this is the part of meat that is most suitable for grilled meat. Leaner meat compared to the medium-sized ribs, making it the best meat for grilled meat.

Let's get a friend of mine! Yes! This is...that. That means you can get all sorts of parts! And I guess sirloin, ribeye and fillet are rare.

But fortunately, the size of the meat was a blessing in disguise. We were relieved that it was the same size as normal.

After that, we looked for the wagyu, but it didn't show up. The road to the sirloin seems to be pretty tough.


When I got back to the reaping, everyone and Takuma and the others were in some kind of dispute. I think they were arguing about me.

'I'm back. What's wrong?

They all look awkward when I ask. What is it? This is going to be the most disgusting feeling ever.

Then Lily shatters the air.

"The Dark Summoner has picked a fight with Lily and the others...

Lilly!

Mel holds Lily's mouth. 'I see...that should be a struggle.

'Let me tell you a story.'

Da, no.

'Mel... since they've gone out of their way to pick me, it's only a matter of time before they go after you, right?

Yeah, that's true, but...

I think Mel and the others know... when I fight those guys, it's a replay of the Battle of Arthur.

'Tact!　Lilly will fight!　I will never lose!

Lilly is incredibly motivated. I got an explanation from everyone.

First of all, the dark summoners are using the summons they took from the event...Luke's orcs, Aroma's angels, etc., and they're going to keep PKing us.

And when I was accusing them on the forums, I heard that the dark summoners wrote that if they wanted their precious summons back, they'd have to duel or PK us if they wanted their precious summons back.

'I asked them in the Beast Demon Guild and they said it's true... only for that to happen, the summoner or summoned beast would have to defeat the dark summoner. If they can defeat it with a PK, the dark summoner will never be able to become a dark summoner again, he said. He says this despena won't occur in a duel.

I see...so there's a risk over there too? Turning to Luke, Alma speaks in frustration.

'It's probably because they know that... they refused to fight us again and wrote to Tact-san and Lily to fight them themselves... they don't have our summoners in their sights.

You tried to get your own summoner back with your own power... if I were you, I would have done it.

'Does that tell you what the duel was about or something?'

The place is the Colosseum in the Reich Empire. The rules are pretty much the same... except they don't allow the use of magic swords.

You're on a roll, and now you're banning it, which is lame.

And the duel will take place in the Colosseum...

Rikka says to my words.

'If you're more dumbfounded, they want a magic sword as a reward if you win.

Well, I see.

For me, it's the risk of losing Lily and the magic sword. So the other side wants to say the risk of losing a dark summoner and the release of the summoner you took away.

Okay. I'll take it.

That's what I'm talking about.

Lily is delighted, while Mr. Ruin checks in.

'...You're sure?

''Yes, sir. I can't run away when Aroma fought for the summoner, and I'm not going to stay silent when she's given me a fight.

Aroma is surprised. Aroma should have been a giveaway, too. But she fought. Why? I guess it was because I saw the summoner getting booed by the other players and wanted to do something about it.

The result was a loss, but I want to thank Aroma for his actions. That's why I want to respond to his courage this time.

I say to Mel, who is in pain.

"I'm sorry to worry you, but you know I don't fight battles that I don't have a chance of winning.

'Huh...Tact-kun is surprisingly stubborn...okay. But you have to make a promise to me.

What?

If you lose, you're out of this game.

We're all surprised. Mel must be so worried about it. Then I have an answer for you.

"All right, all right. You have my word.

This is how the duel between me and the dark summoner was decided.

And I decided to tell everyone the theory of this duel.

Name: Takuto, Summoner of Love, Lv5.

Vitality 70
Magical power 139
Strength 60
Defensive Strength 40
Agility 60
Dexterity value 102

skill

Fighting Lv 9, kicking Lv 16, staff Lv 22, one-handed sword Lv 23, spear Lv 15, sword Lv 7.　
Throwing lv7 High speed chanting lv27 Summoning magic lv31 Sealing magic lv13 Rider lv21 to lv22　
Alchemy Lv 20 Mining Lv 20 Logging Lv 33 Dismantling Lv 36 -> Lv 37 Appraisal Lv 23 -> Lv 24　
Discrimination Lv 30 Wind magic Lv 26 -> Lv 27 Flame magic Lv 1 Earth magic Lv 24 Sea magic Lv 1　
Dark magic lv 22 -> lv 24 Sacred magic lv 8 Lightning magic lv 24 -> lv 25 Explosive magic lv 26 Wood magic lv 24 -> lv 25　
Ice magic lv25 -> lv26 Space-time magic lv39 Underwater action lv5 Reading lv12 Cooking lv35　
Feeding Lv 8 Fishing Lv 18 Synchronization Lv 15 Linking Lv 4

Name Ix Ex Machina Lv 37 to Lv 39

Life force 69 to 71.
Magic power 69 to 71.
Strength 54 to 56.
Defensive value 54 to 56.
Agility 54 to 56
Dexterity value 54 to 56.

skill

機人兵装Lv14→Lv15　解析Lv5　探知Lv14→Lv15　換装Lv4　リンクLv7　
魔力充電Lv5

名前　ノワ　ドラゴニュート・オブセッションLv5→Lv7

生命力　60→61
魔力　　108→114
筋力　　45→46
防御力　40
俊敏性　52→54
器用値　98→102

スキル

影操作Lv11　飛行Lv4　呪撃Lv4　影探知Lv8→Lv9　影移動Lv4→Lv5　
影潜伏Lv10→Lv12　影縛りLv11→Lv13　影召喚Lv4　気配遮断Lv7→Lv8　擬態Lv5　
暗視Lv16→Lv17　邪眼Lv4　闇波動Lv1　竜技Lv3　竜化Lv4　邪竜の加護Lv2→Lv3

名前　コノハ　スノーフクロウLv11→Lv13

生命力　52
魔力　　73→79
筋力　　52→54
防御力　38
俊敏性　55→59
器用値　72→78

スキル

奇襲Lv20→Lv21　飛翔Lv30→Lv31　氷爪Lv13→Lv14　羽投擲Lv15→Lv16　暗視Lv18→Lv19　
気配遮断Lv12→Lv14　風魔法Lv20　水魔法Lv15　氷魔法Lv26　
氷刃Lv10　耐寒Lv2

名前　セフォネ　ヴァンパイアLv6→Lv11

生命力　20→25
魔力　　25→30
筋力　　15→18
防御力　12→13
俊敏性　12→14
器用値　25→30

スキル

Bloodsucking Lv 10 Night Eyes Lv 12 -> Lv 14 Shadow Lurking Lv 10 -> Lv 12 Shadow Summoning Lv 10 Covert Lv 10 -> Lv 12　
Dark magic Lv2 -> Lv4 Night Immortality Lv10

Name Darley, Red Rabbit Horse Lv 8 -> Lv 10

Life force 45 to 46.
Magic power 44 to 48.
Strength 49 to 50.
Defensive Strength 30
Agility 114 to 120
Dexterity value 72

skill

Kicking Lv 6 Rush Lv 12 Furious Fire Lv 7 Flame Manipulation Lv 8 -> Lv 10 Riding Lv 23 -> Lv 24　
Galloping Lv 17 -> Lv 18 Rider Enhancement Lv 20 -> Lv 21 Serial Attack Lv 4 Eiki Lv 6 -> Lv 7 Fighting Qi Lv 6 -> Lv 7　
Transfer Lv4 -> Lv5 Red Horse Blessing Lv4 -> Lv5