After several battles with monsters, we had reached the innermost part of the first floor. By now, it wouldn’t be surprising if we spotted the passage leading to the second floor below.

“Ice Spear!!”

The first time I was here, I would have been exhausted at this point and would have chosen to retreat without a second thought, not even considering moving on to the next floor. Thinking about that made me realize how much I had grown. At the same time, it also made me appreciate how lucky I was to have my companions.

“Light Bullet!!”

All of them were warriors of the Fourth Rank or higher. Moreover, since they wielded bloodline magic, their strength was something even an ordinary person could comprehend. Their ability to annihilate enemies—no, their sheer speed—was simply extraordinary.

—I knew this already, but when I think about it again, this really is an amazing group.

Two noblewomen proficient in bloodline magic, a descendant of a hero, and the prince of this kingdom. It was an unimaginable sight compared to my first attempt.

—I’m not out of place here… right???

With such an extravagant lineup, I wasn’t exactly intimidated, but… given my past traumas, the old me would have fainted on the spot.

—Humans really do adapt, huh…

As I was lost in thought, Freesia pointed ahead.

“Hey, isn’t that a staircase leading down!?”

“Judging by the map we checked earlier, there’s no mistaking it.”

As she said, it was indeed the passage leading to the lower floor. Even Prince Chronos confirmed it. We proceeded toward the room containing the passage, but—

“Hold up. We’ve got company…”

At the last moment, I signaled everyone to stop.

『────!!』

『────???』

『────』

Faint voices could be heard. There was no doubt that they belonged to another faction that had entered before us. The question was—who exactly were they?

“No point in overthinking it. If they want a fight, we’ll just take them head-on.”

Our goal remained unchanged: to reach the deepest layer before anyone else and seize the crown.

—If anyone gets in our way, we’ll just eliminate them.

Resolving myself once again, I stepped forward. The faction members ahead seemed to have noticed us as well. I didn’t sense outright hostility. Instead, there was… something else—a strange, unsettling feeling I was all too familiar with.

“Oh my, if it isn’t Claym-kun~”

The moment we stepped into the room, a sickeningly sweet voice greeted us. And at that instant, I deeply regretted setting foot in here.

“The Pervert Squad…”

Before us stood a faction composed entirely of stunningly beautiful female students. But that was just a façade—their true nature was that of succubi, a veritable jack-in-the-box trap filled with lurking dangers.

—Given that they suck a man’s very essence dry, I’m not wrong.

Although I had never personally fallen victim to their clutches, it wasn’t long after my first encounter with them that rumors of their misdeeds began reaching my ears.

Things like, “A male student was found shriveled up and exposed from the waist down,” or, “Every night, strange moans and the scent of sweet incense can be heard coming from an empty classroom in the second academy building.” Yeah. I had made the right decision. And now, once again, my chastity was in danger.

The infamous faction known as “The Alluring”, led by the princess of the elven kingdom, spotted us and began slinking closer. I instinctively moved to draw my weapon, but—

“Whoa, whoa! No need to be so on guard! We’re not hostile!”

Grandforest-senpai hurriedly raised both hands in a gesture of peace, but none of us were willing to let our guard down.

In a situation like this, lowering our defenses would be downright foolish. Even if they truly meant no harm, we were in the middle of a Rank Advancement Battle. There was no need for friendly interactions between competing factions. Besides—

“Don’t make eye contact with Elyule Grandforest. If you get charmed, I’ll have no choice but to knock you out to snap you out of it.”

“P-Please don’t…”

She Claimed they weren’t hostile, yet her eyes gleamed with that same eerie light as before.

It was said that locking eyes with her allowed her to take control of your heart, charming you instantly. That those mysteriously glowing eyes were a type of magic eye…

—She’s seriously dangerous.

If we had let them approach any closer, Weiss and the prince would have undoubtedly been charmed. I could already picture it. They would have been stripped down and “devoured” by those women. The fact that I could imagine it so clearly only made it more depressing.

“Seriously, trying to get it on anywhere and everywhere… Are you guys in heat year-round or something…?”

“Correct!!”

“Correct!!”

“‘Correct!!’ my ass. Cut it out. Read the room. Who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to start fooling around in the middle of a serious Promotion Battle… in a labyrinth, no less? …No, wait, clearly, they do.”

“No point thinking about it…”

In a way, this was their signature strategy. Seducing and bewitching opponents had allowed them to climb this far. Underestimating them would be a mistake.

Even now, the succubi before us were keenly searching for an opening to exploit. If our faction were composed solely of men, we would have been taken down in an instant. Unfortunately for them, we had two equally stunning women in our ranks.

It seemed that Elyule Grandforest’s magic eyes had no effect on them, acting as a natural countermeasure. Further discussion was unnecessary. Even if they weren’t hostile, they were still brimming with lust, meaning there was only one option left.

“Freesia, Lady Gravitel, can I leave everyone except Elyule to you?”

“Of course!”

“…Understood.”

For safety, Weiss and the prince would stand guard. We had already wasted too much time on this pointless exchange.

“Let’s wrap this up quickly.”

“Got it!!”

“Yes…!!”

If we didn’t hurry, another faction might Claim the crown before us. The three of us launched forward.

“Ah! Wait, wait! Please, let’s not fight~!!”

The succubi panicked. Maybe this was another trick to lower our guard, but they had miscalculated. I mean, the first time we met, their tactics didn’t work, so they should have just given up.

“Don’t worry. This won’t be a fight.”

“Oh…? Does that mean…!!”

Elyule Grandforest’s eyes sparkled with expectation. But she was mistaken. I wasn’t going to hurt them—I was simply going to neutralize them.

“Blood Bind.”

I slashed my wrist, letting my blood flow. Using my magic, I controlled it, shaping it into ropes that wrapped around the aroused elf, restraining her.

“Ah! This feeling… it’s been so long!!”

“Shut up, pervy elf.”

Her sultry moan made my head spin. Getting too close must have made me vulnerable to her magic eyes. Those damn eyes were truly dangerous.

“I’ll be sealing those eyes, too!!”

“Ahh! A restraint play kink?! So niche!!”

“Shut up already!!”

…Yeah, this elf was beyond saving. I needed to put an end to this quickly. With a quick glance at the self-proclaimed captive, I checked on the others. My allies had successfully restrained the remaining succubi.

“Alright, let’s move on.”

“Uh, is it really okay to just leave them like that?”

Weiss hesitantly asked as we turned toward the passage leading to the second floor. True, leaving them tied up in a dungeon seemed cruel, but he needn’t worry.

“Relax. This floor is a safe zone, and they’ll break free in a few minutes.”

“O-Oh, that’s a relief…”

Ever the kind-hearted hero, Weiss even showed compassion for perverts. Truly fitting for a hero. But—

“Still, you must never let your guard down around them. Weiss, stay pure forever…”

“What the heck does that mean!?”

Oh, innocent boy… may you never fall into their clutches.