Watching the remaining Traveler Bros flee, Leopoldine couldn't help but grin. "Typical... Always running away when they can't handle the heat."

  Her attention then shifted, her eyes landing on Alice, who was still watching the scene from a distance.

  "Come out, sweetie," Leopoldine spoke softly, gesturing for her to come closer. "It's safe now~"

  Alice, her own surprise at her protector's display still evident, cautiously approached Leopoldine.

  Alice approached Leopoldine, her expression a mix of disbelief and awe. She glanced around at the defeated Traveler Bros, then back at her protector, still trying to process everything.

  "That...was intense," she said, a hint of shock in her voice.

  Leopoldine chuckled softly, patting her head gently. "I told you, sweetie, I can handle myself just fine~”

  Alice couldn't help but crack a small smile. "I know... But I still worry about you," she admitted, a hint of concern in her voice.

  Leopoldine chuckled again, a hint of affection in her tone. "You worry too much, darling. I'm perfectly capable," she reassured, gently ruffling Alice's hair.

  Rachel, who was still beyond annoyed at Leopoldine's presence, stepped up to her, her magenta gaze stern with no room for negotiation. "All right, pervert! You did your job, now scram before you do some more pervy BS with Alice!”

  Leopoldine chuckled at Rachel's annoyance, a mischievous grin playing at her lips. "Oho, someone's feeling a bit possessive, aren't they?" she teased, a glint of cheekiness in her tone.

  Alice, sensing the tension between the two, tried to defuse the situation. "Now, now..."

  But Leopoldine, enjoying the back-and-forth, retorted with a wink. "Jealous?”

  Rachel's eyes narrowed at Leopoldine's teasing, her voice tinted with irritation. "Jealous? Please. As if I'd be jealous of some perverted stalker like you."

  Leopoldine chuckled, unfazed by the insult. "Oh? Stalker, am I? I prefer the term 'devoted admirer.' And I take excellent care of my darling Alice here~" She playfully ruffled Alice's hair again.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. "More like you're obsessed with her skin color for fuck's sake.”

  Leopoldine let out a soft giggle, amused by Rachel's comment but choosing to feign ignorance. "Obsessed, me? I simply appreciate her unique... 'assets.' Besides, Alice doesn't seem to mind, hmm?"

  She pulled Alice a little closer, her grip possessive but gentle.

  Alice blushed slightly at their argument, feeling a little embarrassed. "C'mon, guys. Stop fighting, please..."

  "Hell no!" Rachel called back, ignoring Leopoldine's vicinity to Alice and staring down the latter as she laid on the ground. "You seriously can't still be attached to this pervert, right? Right??”

  Leopoldine's smirk widened at Rachel's question, finding this situation amusing. "Ah, there it is. The jealousy is real, isn't it?"

  She gently tugged Alice closer, her voice dripping with mockery. "Oh dear, are you getting upset? Feeling left out?"

  Rachel's irritation flared, her tone sharp and filled with anger. "I'm not jealous! I just don't like the way you're always clinging to Alice like a leech. You legit came outta nowhere unannounced the moment Alice got hurt badly!”

  Leopoldine's smirk never wavered, her words laced with feigned innocence. "Oh, come on now. I simply wanted to protect my favorite girl."

  Her grip tightened slightly around Alice, but still gentle. "And it seems my timing was perfect, wouldn't you say? Speaking of, I saved my dear Alice's life and easily disposed of the threat. Wouldn't you think that makes me the better partner for her, hmmm~?”

  Rachel's glare intensified, her voice filled with irritation. "Oh, please! I've been there for Alice through thick and thin. You're just a stalker who swooped in at a convenient moment thinking you're the only one who can 'protect' her."

  She clenched her fists, her words laced with defensiveness. "Alice doesn't need someone like you constantly hanging over her like some weird-ass shadow."

  Zalgo decided to finally break her silence, inquiring: "Hey, Leopoldine. How are you so...strong? Your aura was the most intense I've seen, even out of all the contestants of the tournament we went to a while ago.”

  Leopoldine grinned, feeling a sense of pride at the question. She loosened her grip on Alice, but still kept her close. "Ah, now there's a topic I enjoy~"

  She began to explain her abilities, her expression showing her eagerness to gloat about her prowess. "My power stems from this sexy pair right here,"

  She raised Alice's skirt, and the two girls gasped at the fact that she was wearing Leopoldine's panties that she received since their last encounter.

  "That's right, girls," Leopoldine boasted smugly, tracing the lacy hem of the undergarments. "I put a vow on my underwear before I gave them to my sweetheart, and my vow is that the more danger Alice is in, the more powerful we both become. However, she must only wear my pair. If she puts on another pair, the vow will be broken and deactivate the special effect."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Alice's face flushed with embarrassment as Leopoldine revealed the existence of the vow. She quickly tried to pull her skirt back down to cover herself, feeling exposed. "L-Leopoldine!"

  Zalgo and Rachel, caught off guard by the sudden reveal, both gasped and blushed, their eyes wide.

  Zalgo, her voice filled with surprise, tried to process the information. "S-Seriously? You were that powerful against the Traveler Bros because she's wearing...your...?”

  Leopoldine nodded, her smirk growing wider as she basked in the attention. "You betcha, my darling's wearing something of mine~"

  She gave the panties a gentle tug, sending a shiver up Alice's spine, and chuckled. "And because of that, I was even more powerful than ever before. The Traveler Bros never stood a chance against my... 'determination', shall we say~"

  She let go of the panties, allowing the skirt to fall back into place, and turned her gaze towards Alice, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  Rachel, still recovering from the revelation, found her voice again, her tone now tainted with irritation. "That's... That's completely ridiculous. You're seriously saying that your underwear is the reason you were so powerful? That's the most absurd explanation I've ever heard."

  Alice fidgeted awkwardly, still feeling embarrassed by the situation. "It... It's true," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "When I put on Leopoldine's...undergarments, I feel a surge of power and energy.”

  Leopoldine chuckled, clearly enjoying the conversation. "Absurd, maybe," she admitted with a shrug. "But it works. My vow allows me to channel the power of my devotion and protectiveness towards Alice into my abilities. When I'm motivated enough, my power multiplies tenfold."

  She turned to Alice, her tone teasing. "And I'm sure you've noticed how... 'energized' I get when I see you in them, right darling~?”

  Alice blushed deeply at Leopoldine's words, feeling even more embarrassed. She nodded bashfully, confirming Leopoldine's statement. "Yeah... I have..."

  Rachel, still skeptical, crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Well, that's just... insane. I mean, seriously? Underwear as a power-up? That sounds like something straight out of a hentai!”

  Leopoldine chuckled at Rachel's comparison, not taking offense at her comment. "Maybe it does sound crazy, but it works marvelously. And the results speak for themselves, don't they? I took down the…‘Traveler Bros’ as you call them, without breaking a sweat, all thanks to my dear Alice's 'encouragement~'"

  She shot Alice a playful wink, while Rachel rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, 'encouragement' my ass…”

  Leopoldine grinned, relishing in the banter. "Oh? But your ass has nothing on mine~" she countered, shifting her position to point her posterior in Rachel's direction.

  Rachel's face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment at Leopoldine's comment, feeling incredibly flustered. Her eyes darted between Leopoldine's smug grin and her ass, which was now pointed in her direction. She tried to look away but couldn't help but glance back, her gaze lingering a little longer than she wanted. "N-No, you... That's... That's not the point!" she sputtered, trying to maintain her composure.

  Leopoldine chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation. "Ah, come on now. You know you like what you see~"

  "I-I do not!" Rachel protested, her voice trembling a bit. "It's... It's just...very distracting."

  Leopoldine just chuckled deeper, clearly amused at how flustered Rachel was getting. "Distracting, hmm? I'll take that as a compliment~”

  Rachel clenched her fists, trying to hold back a growl. She internally cursed Leopoldine for having such a strong effect on her, and she wasn't going to let Leopoldine of all people get the best of her. She conjured her railgun and aimed it dead at Leopoldine, her finger on the trigger. "I'll send ya to horny jail if there is one!”

  Leopoldine chuckled at Rachel's threat, remaining unfazed by the railgun aimed at her. She continued to sit there, bouncing her rear once more, almost in mock defiance of the weapon.

  "Oh my, is that meant to scare me, dear?" she taunted, a hint of amusement in her voice. "You're awfully worked up over here. Feeling... frustrated?"

  Her tone was laced with a mix of mockery and provocation, clearly enjoying how flustered Rachel was becoming.

  Rachel grimaced as she began to charge up a shot, her aura crackling around the railgun. "I'll shoot it off if you don't stop that!”

  Leopoldine chuckled again, unphased by Rachel's threat. "Oh, you mean shooting off my...?"

  She gave her rear a deliberate smack, making it ripple even more.

  Rachel's irritation grew, her jaw clenching as she continued to aim at Leopoldine's rear. "Yes, I do!" she snapped, her railgun almost fully charged. "Now stand still, dammit!"

  Leopoldine just smirked, her tone dripping with smugness. "Heh, like you'd really do it, darling~"

  "Try me!!" Rachel shouted, about to fire off the plasma blast of the century, before a blinding flash off in the distance stopped her, and the others, in their tracks.

  The sudden flash left everyone dumbfounded, their curiosity piqued by the unknown occurrence. Leopoldine, her smirk still intact, raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "What on earth was that...?"

  Alice, still recovering from the initial shock, voiced her own curiosity. "I don't know... but it can't be good."

  Leopoldine glanced around, her gaze darting around the surrounding area. "You're right. Whatever it was, it's probably trouble..."

  Rachel, her irritation momentarily forgotten, grumbled under her breath. "Dammit, what now...?”

  The air suddenly went eerily still, the forest growing unnaturally quiet. Even the wind seemed to have stopped completely, the atmosphere heavy and suspenseful. Alice, feeling an inexplicable dread, instinctively wrapped her arms around Leopoldine's waist, fear visible in her eyes.

  Leopoldine took notice of Alice's gesture and pulled her closer for comfort, her protective instincts kicking in. "Stay close, sweetie. Something's off…”

  As the atmosphere remained thick with unease, Alice instinctively held tighter onto Leopoldine, her fear becoming palpable. Leopoldine, her protective instincts kicking in, pulled her in closer, wrapping her arms around her in a protective embrace. "Shh..." she whispered softly, "We'll be fine."

  Her words were then interrupted by a loud boom somewhere in the distance that sounded like a huge explosion. The boom was so powerful that it made the ground shake slightly, and even made the trees around them sway.

  ...

  Alfonso, still battered and bruised as ever, stood before the control panel for the large energy cannon on the rooftop of Cain's base, his finger lingering over the red button.

  "There's no way we can take on that new chick, Giovanni. It's time to seal their fate once and for all with our boss's Death Cannon.”

  Giovanni, holding his crotch as he slowly stood up, gritted his teeth in pain, his eyes narrowing.

  "D-Damn... She hit me so hard I could barely feel anything in my jewels." Giovanni managed between grunted breaths. "Y-Yeah... I guess it's our last resort. Let's do it…”

  "Agreed," Alfonso grunted through clenched teeth, his finger resting on the trigger. "We've tried everything and got our asses kicked every time. This time... this time it's gonna be different."

  Alfonso then turned to a monitor, checking the energy levels of the cannon. "Looks like the Death Cannon is charged and ready to fire.”

  "Good," Giovanni groaned, wincing as he shifted to a more comfortable position. "Once the cannon takes care of those pests, they won't be a threat anymore..."

  Alfonso nodded, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Finally... we'll have our revenge.”

  "You and me both, brother," Alfonso agreed, a glint of revenge in his eyes. "We'll make sure to make them regret messing with us."

  He then turned his attention back to the control panel, his finger hovering over the trigger. "Are ya ready, Gio?”

  "As ready as I'll ever be," Giovanni confirmed, his expression determined despite the pain. "Let's teach these fools a lesson they won't forget."