“Answer.”

Like a diligent student, Calliphe raised her hand.

“Hit it.”

“…That will only provoke it.”

“That’s because it hasn’t been hit enough. Hit it more.”

“…”

It was a clear answer typical of Calliphe.

Lynen nearly laughed. She’s impossible.

‘No, I should stop her! Violence isn’t good. It’s not cute.’

Once again, Lynen clenched his fist against his forehead.

He lamented how he had become such a subjective person.

And before he could lament further, Calliphe urged him.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“…Correct.”

After all, Calliphe’s answer was correct.

“It’s quite a dangerous method, so no one has succeeded. That’s why it’s not well known.”

Griffins only submit to power.

But people strong enough to subdue griffins didn’t need the help of magical beasts.

After all, keeping a magical beast around carried a high risk of those nearby getting seriously hurt.

So even though Lynen had gone along with Calliphe’s request this far, he was worried.

“Will you really be alright?”

“More words make it nagging. Now, step aside.”

Knowing it was useless to stop her, Lynen quietly stepped back.

He waited nearby, ready to intervene in case of emergency.

Noah was also beside him.

“P-Please don’t get hurt.”

Smiling at the worried Noah, Calliphe strode confidently toward the griffin.

Honestly, she was scared.

‘Of course. That thing could crush me to death with its weight alone.’

But showing fear would mean immediate failure.

After gritting her teeth, Calliphe executed the first step to subduing the griffin.

‘First. Never look away first.’

Glare!

Like a thug, Calliphe tilted her head at an angle while both her and the griffin’s eagle eyes intensified simultaneously.

It was a battle of presence, sizing each other up.

‘…Ugh, my eyes hurt.’

But she couldn’t win a staring contest against a griffin that flies at high speeds with wide-open eyes.

Finally, when Calliphe blinked first.

“Screech!”

Convinced that its opponent was beneath it, the griffin raised its eagle-like front legs.

Its hooked claws tried to tear Calliphe apart.

That’s when it happened.

[Using application of ability ‘Villainess’s Nurturing Method’.]

The application of the ability that she had activated in advance, anticipating this, took effect.

Unlike the Villainess’s Nurturing Method that raises others, this was an ability that could give a body-splitting shock to corrupted targets.

[However, limited to targets lower than the user’s corrupted mana]

Calliphe had already analyzed the griffin’s level during the staring contest.

She confirmed the result.

[Target can be struck.]

‘Of course!’

I even shattered the corrupted white spirit stone that was imprisoning the light spirit!

‘First strike wins!’

Actually, Calliphe had her fist extended even before blinking.

The blink was a kind of fake, you fool!

‘Why do I need to fight fair against a magical beast? Winning is everything!’

Calliphe’s determined fist landed between the griffin’s feather-covered neck and chest.

Poof!

“Screech!”

Even at that light contact, the startled griffin flapped its wings and jumped back.

It tried to calm its surprised heart.

Though the hit area didn’t even itch, strangely its insides hurt tremendously. It felt like its body was being split apart.

Could it be that ant-like human’s doing? No, impossible!

Soon the griffin charged fiercely.

“Kiiik!”

“Ugh!”

Bang!

In the blink of an eye, it crushed Calliphe underneath.

Fortunately, the protective artifact Calliphe was wearing activated, creating a shield between them.

“Ugh, screeeech.”

Of course, Calliphe, being mana-incompatible, paid the price dearly.

‘I-I feel like I’m going to faint. I want to throw up. It feels like my organs are turning inside out.’

She panted heavily for a moment, trying to gather her dizzy consciousness.

But when she tried to use the ability application again, the energy in her body felt strange.

‘Huh? This doesn’t look good.’

The mana and corrupted mana coexisting in Calliphe’s body.

When the mana had a seizure due to the artifact, its effect spread to the corrupted mana as well.

Until now, the corrupted mana had been holding onto Calliphe’s mana. Meaning they were tangled together.

But each time the griffin struck the shield, and each time Calliphe poured mana into the artifact.

Bang bang bang!

Like a cracking shield, she felt the two types of mana separating little by little.

That’s when it happened.

Ding!

Di-di-diding ding!

[Com■■te the ■■■en ■■■k.]

[Hi■■en En■■■g ■■■■■■.]

[Hi■■en ■■■k Com■■■ted.]

[Without fail.]

The system window flickered like a noisy television screen. Messages appeared and disappeared at rapid speed.

Even if she could see them properly, she had no time to pay attention.

‘I really feel like I’m going to die!’

Just maintaining consciousness was overwhelming enough.

Her whole body was trembling and blood vessels burst in her wide-open eyes.

Should she try again next time?

‘After coming this far? Don’t make me laugh!’

If she backed down now, she would be imprinted as a loser in the griffin’s mind. Even if she won against it next time, she might not be able to get it to acknowledge defeat.

In the end, forcing through was the only answer.

“Calliphe!”

Lynen, detecting something wrong, tried to approach.

Calliphe quickly signaled him with her eyes. Don’t come!

While Lynen hesitated, she caught her breath.

‘I only have one chance.’

That was all the strength she had left.

Clenching her fist.

“Screeeeech!”

Finally, when the griffin raised its front legs high to deliver the final blow.

‘Now!’

Calliphe’s fist drove into the griffin’s exposed chest. This time it was proper.

Thwack!

“Eeek?!”

The magical beast, five times larger than Calliphe, flew backward. It lay fallen, its limbs twitching.

Calliphe was surprised.

‘What? Somehow it got stronger?’

Lynen quickly supported Calliphe.

“That was too reckless! Were you planning to risk your life?”

“Not at all. I’d never risk my life.”

“Then why did you act so foolishly this time? What were you trusting in?”

To that, Calliphe smiled weakly. She fainted right after leaving a faint murmur.

“You.”

“…”

While Lynen was momentarily unable to continue speaking.

“Screech.”

The staggering griffin approached the fainted Calliphe.

After staring blankly at Calliphe, its body eventually lowered.

“L-Lord Duke. The griffin is now…”

“Yes.”

It bent its front legs and lowered its head toward Calliphe.

It was the griffin’s sign of submission.

“It has acknowledged its defeat.”

As the king of magical beasts, a griffin doesn’t fear an opponent just for being hit hard a few times.

Not unless it senses an overwhelming difference in level in those few hits.

“…”

The griffin, having finally completed its task, also collapsed unconscious to the side.

Lynen called the servants and auxiliary unit members to give instructions for cleanup, then hurriedly carried Calliphe inside.

Noah stood watching as the unconscious griffin was moved.

The scene of Lady Calliphe being crushed by the griffin remained vivid in his mind.

‘It felt like I couldn’t breathe.’

He was too scared to even make a sound.

But still, Lady Calliphe won. Whether she had been training in secret or not, she even managed to send the mountain-like griffin flying with her fist.

Noah, relieved, even shed a few tears.

‘But I’m angry.’

At the griffin? No.

‘Crown Princess.’

If Her Highness hadn’t bullied her, Lady Calliphe wouldn’t have needed to be in danger. She wouldn’t have fainted.

‘If something like this happens again…’

His heart sank.

“…No.”

Noah made a firm decision.

To meet the person directly.