Jin’s POV
   So the selfish daughter of the former Demon Lord has finally decided to join the fight. Based on the speed Audrey is casting Astral Prison using Sanaad, he still has around four more minutes to stop her.

   “All right, people! Make sure to guard yourself since Jin prefers to take out everyone else before going for the biggest threat!” Estyshana tells her team.

   Jin rolls his eyes. Yup. This is bad. If the demon is around, he’ll have a hard time outsmarting them.

   “Ichihara! Don’t bother with using strengthening talismans! Use barrier talismans to slow Jin down even if it’s only for a single second!”

   “Got it!”

   “Don’t be too anxious to charge in, Meiko! Your club has a long reach, so take advantage of it!”

   “Y-Yes!”

   “You and I are rushing Jin, Aldenia!”

   “Thought you’ll never ask!”

   And look at her. Taking charge like it’s the easiest thing to do in the world. Her strength isn’t much to look at, but she sure is good at taking charge.

   Estyshana points her right index finger towards Jin and fires a few Wind Lance, a minor Level 2 Spell that annoys the target more than actually harming them. At least, it’s pretty much pointless to cast it on Jin-

   Meiko steps on one of the Lance and launches herself up high in the air, her club aimed straight for Jin’s head.

   Jin blocks the downward blow on time with Felfarthen. Meiko is almost as strong as Shuten Douji, so Jin has to use both arms to block her blow. Naturally, Aldenia and Estyshana were waiting for this. This time, though, Estyshana cast Dispel on Aldenia’s fist so that when it hits him, any Strengthen that he cast will be nullified. Estyshana herself is also aiming a kick at Jin’s head, the sole of her shoe also coated with Dispel.

   Suddenly, Estyshana puts down her foot and covers her skirt with both her hands. She’s also blushing furiously. Jin has no time to ponder about the scene he saw as Aldenia’s fist will make impact with his right rib in less than two seconds.

   Jin’s solution is simple. He took one huge step back. Meiko, who has already landed on the ground, refuse to let Jin get away, so she takes a huge step forward as well while hammering his swords with her club. While she’s busy with that, she has completely forgotten about Aldenia.

   Meiko lets out a squeak as the tomboy’s punch is about to hit her. Aldenia gasps and quickly retracts her punch. While all this is going on, Estyshana joins back the fight after equipping a pair of leggings.

   The demon lets another kick loose towards Jin’s head. Jin pushes Meiko away and blocks the kick with his sword. Unlike Meiko, Estyshana isn’t that strong, so he could fend off her attack by only using a single hand. That worked well for him since Aldenia is starting a barrage of attacks at him, and he could block all those by using his remaining arm. Not wanting to be left out, Meiko restarts her hammering too. Even Ayumi is laying low at the side, waiting for the perfect moment to strike while doing her best to distract Jin by using her talismans as per asked by Estyshana. Audrey has never stopped with her sniping of low Level Spells. Her too, is aiming her spells at Jin’s tiny openings.

   Two minutes until Audrey is done with the spell formula for casting Astral Prison.

   Jin is being constantly bombarded by attacks from all sides. To be honest, it’s more of an annoyance than actual threat since he can block, parry and counter every single one of the attacks. Still, they are barely giving him any opening to slip through and stop Audrey. He starts to slowly move forward while fending off attacks. His plan is to get as close as possible to Audrey, and break free of the attacks at the last minute in order to reach her. However, Estyshana anticipated his way of thinking in a flash.

   “No you don’t!” she shouts.

   She casts Teleport and opens up a portal right below him. He responded by jumping backwards.

   “Switch places with me, Ichihara!” Estyshana requests.

   “Got it!”

   Now, Ayumi has jumped in and replaced Estyshana as an attacker while the demon focuses on casting Teleport. Needless to say, her plan is to sent Jin somewhere far away from Audrey. Unlike physical attacks, Jin actually has to concentrate on where the portal will be opened since he can’t destroy it.

   One more minute.

   Jin steps to the right so that he could avoid a downward blow from Meiko. Estyshana foresaw this movement of his and opens a portal to his right. However, the same couldn’t be said for Ayumi. She aims a thrust at his chest and charges forward, which is exactly what Jin hoped for. This time, he steps to the left. The shrine maiden could not stop due to the momentum she gained and goes to the exact spot where Jin wanted her to: right next to the portal. He sidesteps again. While he’s at it, he bumps Ayumi’s shoulder with his and pushes her into the portal.

   Estyshana yelps in panic. She mumbles something in a hurry, presumably to change the exit of the portal. Less than one second later, a portal appears at a spot not fifty meters away from Audrey.

   What a nice spot.

   Jin, who already had half his body inside the portal to stop it from disappearing, goes into it and lands right next to Ayumi. He passes by the shrine maiden and charges straight towards Audrey. She noticed him coming out of the portal and is staring at him with eyes wide open.

   Before anyone else could react, Jin is already standing right in front of Audrey, the tip of his sword pointed at her throat. Audrey reacts by slowly raising up both her hands.

   “I concede.” she tells him.

   Jin looks at the others. They have decided to give up as well. Seeing that the sparring is over, he keeps his sword back to his Vault.

   “It was a nice sparring session, everyone.” he tells them.

   “I’m really sorry, everyone. Especially you, Audrey. If only I didn’t panic and opened the portal to somewhere that’s way too close to you.” Estyshana says apologetically.

   “That’s not true. I’m the one at fault for not being careful enough.” Ayumi disagrees.

   “No no, it was-”

   “It doesn’t matter anymore now that the sparring is over. What’s important is not making the same mistake again.” Jin interrupts.

   “Is it okay if we get some comments on how we did just now?” Ayumi requests.

   “Wait, you’re asking me?”

   “Of course. You’re the strongest one among us. It’ll be very helpful to us if you give us a pointer or two.”

   Jin looks at the rest of the girls. Everyone minus Estyshana is looking at him for his criticisms. He shrugs.

   “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

   Jin gives out the comments while they’re resting and sipping energy drinks.

   “Okay, let’s start with Aldenia.” he begins.

   “So how was it? Did you feel the passion behind each of my attacks?” the person in question asks with sparkling eyes.

   “Yup, I felt it all right. You’re utilizing Strengthen pretty well. If I have to rank everyone who ever used that Spell against me, I would say you’re one of the top 5.”

   “Really? Awesome! I guess it was worth doing my image training while I was sparring with you!”

   “Oh, you actually did that? What kind?”

   All of a sudden, she has a dangerous look on her face. She’s also drooling. There’s so much saliva coming out of her mouth that it might as well be a waterfall.

   “Well, I got my inspiration from one of my favorite BL books where two men with each other while covered in sweat-”

   “Right, my bad. Sorry for asking. Please stop talking right now.” Jin quickly interrupts.

   “I’m sorry for being ignorant, but what is this BL?” Meiko asks.

   “You don’t have to know, Meiko. Trust me.” Jin tells her while trying to remain calm.

   “Yes, you would regret it if ever you find out.” Audrey adds.

   Audrey has the look of someone who has seen unspeakable horror, which Jin guess she did. Estyshana takes out her phone and taps the screen for a few times. Her eyes widen in shock.

   “...What kind of cursed art have you humans created?” she asks Jin by using telepathy while looking at him with a really horrified look.

   “Don’t ask, and don’t pin the blame on me. I have nothing to do with it. Now stop looking at it if you don’t want to be ruined forever.”

   “Right.”

   She puts away her phone meekly. Jin clears his throat.

   “Let’s continue, shall we?”

   “I want to asks you something. The two of us used Strengthen to fortify our body, right? Why are yours so much harder than mine?” Aldenia asks.

   “For starters, try to punch me again.”

   Aldenia’s right fist flies towards Jin. He calmly block it with his left arm. Once again, Aldenia winces as her fist makes contact with his arm.

   “There it is again! How are you doing it?” she asks.

   “Touch the rest of my arm without letting go of your right hand.” he tells her.

   Aldenia does as she’s told and uses her left hand to touch his arm. Her eyes widen in surprise as she does so.

   “Whoa, everywhere else of your arm is soft!” she claims.

   “That’s because the spot where you punched me is the only place I cast Strengthen.” he explains.

   Aldenia, Audrey and Estyshana look at him with a surprised look on their face. Out of this group, only these three understand the significance of his sentence.

   “Pardon me but, what exactly is the difference between casting that Strengthen Spell on your whole body and just a particular spot?” Ayumi asks.

   “Before I answer that, can you stop touching me already, Aldenia?”

   Aldenia let goes of his arm.

   “Whoops, my bad. Sorry, Esty.”

   “Why are you apologizing to her?”

   “Why are you apologizing to me?”

   Both Jin and Estyshana ask at the same time.

   “Who knows?” Aldenia smirks.

   “As I was about to say, there are two advantages to use the spell on only the spot you’re about to be hit.” Jin continues. “One, you get to save your mana which isn’t infinite. Two, casting the same spell over and over again on the same spot will make it much stronger. It’s like stacking 100 coins together. It’s much harder to cut through than 100 coins that are spread out all over the place, right?”

   “But, what if you cast the spells at the wrong spot?” Meiko asks.

   Jin shrugs. “Then you get hit.”

   “Which is why most people would rather lower the strength of the spell and cover as many area as possible. In fact, Minase-san is the only one I know who’s insane enough to minimize the covered area and focus on defense in order to save mana.” Audrey says.

   “How do you even find out about the spot you’re about to be hit?” Ayumi asks Jin.

   “I don’t. I just observe where the attack is coming and cast Strengthen at the last minute.”

   “I stand corrected about the insane part.” Audrey mumbles.

   “I can’t even remotely do something like that.” Aldenia says dejectedly.

   “Well, you better start practicing. Things might get real bad one day, and you need to be ready for it.” Jin tells her bluntly.

   “Yeah, I guess I should.”

   “While you’re at it, practice casting Strengthen to your muscles too instead of just your fists.” Jin advises.

   “...Um, I would, if I can actually see them.”

   “Again, you have to practice. If you want to become really strong, you have to go the extra miles and do the unexpected. At least, that’s what I did.”

   “What about me, Minase-san? Did I do well?” Meiko asks Jin nervously.

   He smiles at her encouragingly.

   “You sure did. You were too anxious to attack like Von Mantus said, but other than that, you’re very good in a fight.” he tells her.

   Her face brightens up at once.

   “By the way, who taught you on how to fight?” he asks her.

   “Both my parents did. However, ever since my mother has passed away, it was only my father.”

   “...I see.”

   “What kind of training do you undergo to be able to become that strong?” Aldenia asks.

   “My blood plays a huge factor in it, since onis are strong by nature. That’s why my parents focused on honing my techniques instead. I especially had to go through hellish sparring sessions with my father.”

   “How hellish were they?”

   “Majority of my bones were broken, and I bled a lot.”

   Jin has a sudden urge to murder Shuten Douji.

   “He’s so going to get it the next time we meet.” he mutters.

   “Don’t try to beat him up without me.” Estyshana tells him.

   “Please wait! I managed to become strong due to his harsh training, so please don’t blame him for my injury!” Meiko says to them hurriedly.

   “I don’t care. He went too far if he broke your bones.”

   “What a cold-blooded father.”

   “He’s not, really! Even though he never said it loud, he’s actually feeling guilty about injuring me!”

   “How do you even know?”

   “He would slam his head on a boulder every time we were done with the sparring.”

   “...Well, I guess that’s different, then. Fine, I’ll spare him.”

   Meiko sighs in relief.

   “Aren’t the two of you being overprotective of Meiko?” Aldenia asks.

   “What? How dare you! Can’t you see how cute she is? She’s like the ultimate little sister! Don’t you have an urge to protect her?” Jin demands while gesturing at the oni.

   “Um, Esty aside, don’t you already have a younger sister?”

   “Ah, forget her.”

   “By the way, who do you think is the cuter: Esty or Meiko?”

   “Von Mantus, of course.” he answers without a slight hint of hesitation.

   Everyone else looks at Estyshana. Her face has become completely red. She slowly gets up from the spot she was sitting.

   “I-I, um, I’m going to take a bath.” she mutters while walking away.

   “I’ll bring you to the bathroom.” Ayumi offers.

   “Thanks.”

   While the two are away, Jin continues like nothing had happened.

   “As for you, Audrey. You’re impressive in the sense that you can use Sanaad. However, I think you should also train yourself to fight instead of hiding at the back of the formation. Otherwise, you’ll be at the mercy of the enemy like what happened just now.” Jin tells Audrey.

   She hangs her head in shame.

   “Actually, I have tried to practice martial art like Al do. Unfortunately, I’m rather clumsy when it comes to fighting with my limbs, and my stamina is rather poor.”

   “Well, you should do something your stamina. At the very least, learn to use a dagger or something.” Jin suggests.

   “I shall heed your advise.”

   “Don’t worry, nee-san. We can work on your stamina together if you want to.” Aldenia encourages and invites.

   Her elder sister smiles gratefully.

   “Thank you, Al.”

   Ayumi came back in less than a minute later.

   “How was Esty?” Aldenia asks.

   “She was in a very good mood. She couldn’t help smiling and smirking, and only stopped when she caught me staring at her.” Ayumi chuckles.

   Aldenia nudges Jin’s rib playfully with her elbow.

   “I didn’t know that you had it in you, you smooth-talker.”

   Jin merely shrugs at that.

   “You were the one who asked the question. I just answered it.”

   “By the way, do you have anything to say about me, Minase-kun?” Ayumi asks.

   “Just one thing. At the fight just now, you were acting as everyone’s support by keeping your distance and looking for the perfect chance to strike. You’re perfect for the role since you’re well-balanced in both offense and defense. As such, you should have continued to stayed at the middle.” he tells her.

   “True. If I was nearer to Audrey-san like I was at the beginning of the sparring, I might have been able to stop you and stall time until the others can surround you again.”

   “Well, no use crying over spilled milk. What’s important is keep on improving yourself and be prepared for any kind of situation.”

   Aldenia stretches her body for a bit too loosen her tense muscles.

   “So, are we going to have another session after we rest for a bit?” she asks.

   “Maybe should rest rest for lunch break. We can decide after that.” Ayumi suggests.

   “Sounds good. But we need to wait until Esty’s back before using the bathtub, right?”

   “Actually, we have a large bathhouse-style bath inside the shrine that could git more than ten people at one time.”

   “Seriously? Sweet!”

   “You girls go ahead and take your baths. I’ll prepare the lunch in the meantime.” Jin tells them.

   It was then that the girls notice that Jin isn’t sweating at all, despite the fact that he had been through an intense sparring session just like them.

   “Not for the first time, I’m glad that you’re on our side.” Ayumi says.

   Ayumi brings Jin to the kitchen first as the bath is, according to her, somewhere further down the corridor.

   The kitchen is surprisingly a modern one with electrical rice cooker, electrical stove and long, large refrigerators.

   “You can use whatever you want, but please don’t go overboard and use up everything.” she tells him.

   “Got it.”

   “I’ll come back as soon as I can and help you out.”

   “Don’t bother. Just take your time and enjoy your bath.”

   “Well, if you insist…”

   After Ayumi has left, Jin begins by washing and cooking some rice. He then starts to look inside the refrigerator for the available ingredients. As Ayumi has mentioned, there’s very little meat in here. They do have lots of salmon, other fishes and vegetables. He decides to make rice balls since they’re very easy to be prepared. As he’s cutting up the ingredients to be used as the fillings of the rice ball, he senses Estyshana coming in.

   “Making lunch?” she asks.

   “Yup.” he answers.

   She watches him do his thing silently. Jin sneaks a glance at her. She’s wearing a fresh set of clothes, and her hair is slightly wet from the bath. There’s also a towel on her neck.

   “Did you see just now?” she asks all of a sudden.

   “See what now?”

   “You know, during the sparring session! When I lifted up my leg!” she reminds him while fuming.

   He recalls that scene in his brain.

   “Ah, that. No, I didn’t see it.”

   “...Good.”

   It’s so convenient that she’s a walking lie detector, or he’ll have a hard time in convincing her for sure.

   “What’s the big deal, anyway? I’ve seen something far more-”

   “Not. One. Word. More. From. You.” she threatens him with a cold voice.

   “Right. My bad.”

   Since it’s just rice balls, Jin managed to finish up quickly. The two of them found some tray and put all the race balls on them so that it’s easier to carry them outside.

   “Can we start eating first?” Estyshana asks as they’re waiting for the others to be done with their bath.

   “No. We have to wait for them.”

   “Oh come on, just one. Please? I’m starving here.” she pleads persistently.

   “...Fine. Just one.”

   She picks a random rice ball and bites into it.

   “Wow, it’s just a rice ball, but it still tastes good. You’re amazing as usual.” she compliments while still having the food in her mouth.

   “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

   “Whoops, my bad.”

   She made sure to swallow her food before she talks again. However, she also looks kind of sad.

   “If our circumstances were different, I would love to eat your cooking everyday.” she whispers.

   “If our circumstances were different, I wouldn’t mind cooking for you everyday.” he agrees while sighing.

   All of a sudden, the atmosphere around them got weird again. Jin was very thankful when the rest of the girls are finally done with their bath.