Editing Leviathan:Volume 4 Chapter 5 (section)

===Part 2===

"I've been staying up every night because of too many things to do recently."

Hal fell silent for a while before replying.

Hal took care to make his tone as laid back as possible because he had sensed a vague idea of Luna Francois' intent in asking this question. However, the blonde witch continued, "That's something only an older man in his thirties or forties would say. However, Harry, you are only a teenage boy. At your age, you should be able to work for at least half a year sustained by two-hour naps, right?"

"That type of work environment would be too exploitative, right? It's not like I'm a manga artist or working at a game company."

"Rather than overwork or life habits, would obtaining the 'queen's power' be the biggest factor contributing to your state of fatigue?"

"......"

"The start of your tardiness at school also coincided with the conclusion of the battle against Princess Yukikaze."

Luna jokingly directed the conversation in another direction then cut straight to the chase.

Hal himself had suspected the same possibility too. However, he felt very hesitant about discussing the matter with his comrades, which was why he could not make up his mind to bring it up.

Hal fell silent and placed his hand on his chest.

The heartmetal that used to reside within the Crimson Queen was now located here.

"More verification is required for that issue, so let us talk about something else first. However, Harry, when the time is ripe, you must confront this problem properly, okay? I will do everything I can to assist you when the time comes."

"...Thanks."

"In any case, it would be best to avoid using the queen's power indiscriminately. Keep it in reserve as a trump card for critical moments, do you understand?"

The witch who was supposed to be crafty and calculating was being considerate in a very humane manner. Perhaps feeling embarrassed about that herself, Luna Francois sounded slightly displeased in her tone.

Hal found this a little strange. At the same time, he could not help but grin.

More clever than anyone, Luna only showed awkwardness in times like these&mdash;

"By the way, Harry, were you looking at my legs just now?"

"Huh!?"

Luna suddenly tossed out a bomb, putting Hal in a state of confusion.

The two of them were seated side by side on a temple's stone steps to chat.

Hal was sitting cross-legged while Luna had her legs outstretched. During this time, Hal always faced forward with a serious look on his face except that his gaze would unintentionally drift to the side.

Because the blonde beauty next to him kept entering his field of vision.

Luna Francois was wearing her trademark outfit&mdash;a black one-piece dress with short sleeves.

Beneath the dress was a purple camisole. The bold low-cut neckline was very seductive indeed, but the high-slit skirt was also very important.

Exposed from the high slit were her pale and voluptuous thighs as well as her striking and slender bare feet.

Furthermore, Luna was wearing cool sandals appropriate for summer instead of shoes. As a result, Hal could also see Luna's toenails, painted beautifully pink and perfectly pedicured...
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"Th-This is a man's nature, to be attracted like bees to honey!"

Hal reflexively explained to Luna who was showing an aghast look.

"But didn't you mention before? You said that enjoying skinship was also part of the lovers game. Since that's the case, my behavior just now shouldn't be any problem at all&mdash;"

"That was just business talk, merely one of hundred lies I told to deceive you, Harry."

Luna's beautiful face scowled in displeasure, causing Hal to stare dumbfounded.

"You admitted it so readily!? Oh well, I did expect that to be most likely the case."

"Even so, Harry, you still leered at my beautiful legs. Not only that, you even committed the atrocious act of violating my precious naked body with your lewd stares like a beast at the open-air hot spring. Given such truly deplorable behavior, you ought to be called an utter scumbag."

"You don't have to reject my character that much..."

"Let alone reject, I can even assassinate your character without the slightest weight on my conscience, you know?"

Despite the smile hanging on the corners of her lips, Luna's eyes were filled with disdain and silent fury.

"Only if I encounter a man of astronomically unlikely perfection and I happen to be in the mood, would I permit a man to admire my artistic masterpiece of a body... And to think you dared to steal a glimpse under those circumstances, you are truly a thief, Harry. I should simply call my lawyers to sue you."

"It's not like I stole something from you..."

Hal muttered poignantly and asked Luna, "By the way, what kind of man would be okay in your view?"

"I am not picky on appearances. Conversely, a man must not be deficient in any of the following areas: age, talent, quick wits, status, wealth, open-mindedness. Furthermore, I would not even consider anyone who won't allow me to live freely as I please."

"Do men like that actually exist on Earth!?"

"I don't care. Even if I have to spend my life single, I am totally fine with it."

Confronted with the girl and her free-flowing opinions, Hal spontaneously found himself smiling wryly.

The witch's speech was obnoxious and her personality could hardly be described as gentle. Luna Francois had finally abandoned her deliberate facade of friendliness to offer harsh words to Hal.

But incredibly, Hal found it easier to get along with her this way than when her attempts at "seduction."

Probably because this could be considered a state of honesty in a certain sense.

Indeed, whether Hal or Luna, they were mutually&mdash;At that very instant, Hal was suddenly certain. It might be possible now.

He extended his right hand at the girl sitting beside him.

The Rune of the Bow appeared in his palm. Looking at Hal's palm, Luna Francois made a look of comprehension. Then after slight hesitation, she silently reached out with her left hand&mdash;

Their hands joined together.

Immediately, the Rune of the Bow surfaced on the back of Luna's left hand. The covenant was established.

"Somehow, it feels so easy to the point of anti-climactic..."

"But the process was very convoluted."

The witch whispered weakly whereas Hal shrugged his shoulders. However, his thoughts accelerated all at once now that he had acquired new combat potential.

In the next instant, the two of them got up almost simultaneously and spoke swiftly.

"Luna, perfect timing. Let's reward him with a spectacular attack."

"Harry, let us pressure the enemy by employing an attack with maximum firepower. Even though we don't know the Gray Aristocrat and Orihime-san's location, all we need to do is draw him out."

It was a rare opportunity for them to have been invited to the enemy camp.

In that case, they ought to use this situation to raise hell in the enemy's home ground. Fortunately, they already possessed the necessary firepower for that&mdash;The plans that the two of them hatched independently were apparently the same.

Sure enough, Haruga Haruomi and Luna Francois were very alike.

Reminded of this fact again, the two of them smiled simultaneously.

"Looks like there is no need for a prior discussion. Let's do it, Harry!"

Having finally obtained the dragonslaying rune, Luna Francois raised her left hand high.

"O stars! Retrieve my magic from beyond the end of the rainbow! While materializing, Glinda, raise your pseudo-divinity to critical point and prepare to activate a technique of assured annihilation!"

A pentagram appeared overhead, turning into an infinity sigh before transforming into a magic beast.

An orange lion with three heads&mdash;Glinda the "Good Witch of the South." On Glinda's right shoulder was a dragon head while the left shoulder had a black goat head. A platinum rune suddenly manifested on each of the foreheads of the three heads.

A line running through a tilted half moon&mdash;The Rune of the Bow.

Hovering in midair, Glinda unleashed her magical power completely to enter a combat ready stance. Caught in the wake, the stealth magic that Hal and Luna had carefully cast was dispelled.

But that was fine because they no longer intended to hide their tracks.

Glinda flew lightly and moved to the sky over the center of the turtle's carapace.

Directly below was a particularly magnificent palace.

Using the Forbidden City at Beijing for a comparison, it would probably be analogous to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the center of the imperial court where numerous rituals had been held in the name of generations of Chinese emperors throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties.

"The target is the heartmetal of Dragon Palace Court&mdash;inside this overly huge turtle."

"However, the Dragon Palace Court is a creature belonging to the same lineage as Genbu-Ou but ten times bigger... Since the same ratio might apply to its durability too, we must use the strongest trump card after all. Harry, let me use ''that''."

"Don't tell me you want to use the 'sun-shooting divine bow'? But that'll consume a ton of your magical power too, you know?"

Among all the techniques of assured annihilation available to them, the sun-shooting divine bow was undoubtedly the strongest single attack.

"Even by ordering Rushalka to Double Cast pseudo-divinity, Asya barely squeezes out enough magical power required to meet the minimum requirements. Luna, I think it'll render you unable to fight afterwards."

"But this is essential. Besides, I believe you have an ace up your sleeve, Harry, don't you?"

"What are you referring to?"

"Orihime-san is a Level 3 witch. Unlike Asya and I, who are Level 5, she shouldn't be able to Double Cast freely. By my reasoning, there is some kind of secret skill to allow her to use the sun-shooting divine bow&mdash;Am I wrong?"

Hal did not expect Luna to have noticed a secret privy only to Hal and Orihime.

Nothing less should be expected from the brilliant Luna Francois. Hal was very impressed.

"I must not exhaust my power at a time like this. Please, Harry!"

Faced with Luna's repeated requests, Hal hesitated.

Her point was very right and logical. Hal had no reason to object at all. However, to put that method into action on Luna's body...

Doubt and reluctance shook Hal in the inside intensely.

However, Luna still continued to prepare for the attack during this time.

"Glinda! On my mark, fire a magical shot with maximum firepower!"

Ruohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Glinda growled from overhead to respond to her partner.

Despite being her low voice, there was unshakable willpower conveyed. The three-headed lion seemed very happy for the chance to strike back at last. In that case&mdash;There was no choice but to do it.

Making his decision, Hal positioned himself behind Luna.

He slowly reached out with his right hand, circling his arm around to Luna's front side.

Then he grabbed the bust that the American-born witch frequently showed off&mdash;its left side&mdash;using his right hand with the Rune of the Bow appearing on his palm.

"Huh?"

Luna Francois reacted very uncharacteristically&mdash;she mumbled in shock.

Meanwhile, Hal squeezed harder with his right hand.

The soft sensation and the volume tightly pressed against his palm. The size was unbelievable. Not only that, it was pushing Hal's palm and fingers back with its wonderful elasticity.

Most likely, it had reached a realm that required the English letter "G" to describe...

Hal analyzed with heartfelt emotion while transferring massive magical power through his right palm.

Naturally, the destination was Luna Francois' heart in her left chest.
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"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

The ear-splitting scream emitted from Luna's lips became the signal.

Hal's magical power was transmitted to Glinda through the witch's heart. Including the black goat head and the dragon head, the lion leviathan's heads roared in unison.

Ruooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

In the next second, the gigantic lion's entire body became enveloped in burning flames.

Two ''black arrowheads'', almost the same size as Glinda, manifested on her left and right. Also wrapped in crimson flames, the arrowheads turned into gigantic arrows of fire.

Next, the blazing Glinda and the arrowheads flanking her charged forward like three arrows.

Towards the ground where Hal and Luna were standing&mdash;the super gigantic turtle monster, Dragon Palace Court. To penetrate the incredibly hard carapace, Glinda burrowed deeply into the humongous body's interior.

As though digging a tunnel to reach the Dragon Palace Court's heart, to pierce the heartmetal&mdash;

That was the job required of Glinda and company.