SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100-Chapter 399: Battle Ends—2

Their unit consisted of only two members—the leader and the vice leader. Unlike other units with multiple warriors to share responsibilities, they had no subordinates to delegate the tedious harvesting work.

Leon simply smiled and gestured toward his clone in the distance—the version of himself currently healing injured Pyrrhans and their beast companions.

"Don’t worry. I’ll handle it."

He was relaxed about the situation. Inside his dimensional space during training, he’d already tested whether his clone could access his inventory storage. Somehow, impossibly, it could.

I don’t fully understand the complexity of how that works, but it makes sense given how both versions feel like the same ’me’ to myself.

Ira didn’t fully comprehend how he existed as two separate entities simultaneously, both demonstrating overwhelming strength far exceeding even her father’s capabilities, one fighting alongside Archon Vyrra.

There’s only been a single day since I last saw him properly. And now he’s become this strong.

She couldn’t help but feel inspired by his rapid growth, while simultaneously recognizing what an absolute monster Leon truly was in terms of potential.

She called her flying beast companion down from where it had been circling. This time, she deliberately mounted and positioned herself at the front of the saddle, then gestured for Leon to take the seat behind her.

This journey will be painfully slow compared to his actual flying speed. But he’s choosing to travel with me on my mount anyway.

She didn’t voice that thought aloud. In truth, she didn’t mind the slower pace at all—in fact, she liked it immensely.

But today she’d specifically taken the front position for an important reason. The first time they’d ridden together, she’d sat behind because she’d genuinely worried he might fall off, being unfamiliar with flying mounts. The second time, she’d simply forgotten in her nervousness.

I can’t keep making that mistake where everyone can see. It won’t look good for him.

He probably didn’t know, but in Pyrrhan culture, the back seat was specifically how they taught amateur riders—an inexperienced person in front, the learner gripping from behind for security and guidance.

As they lifted into the air, the beast’s wings creating rhythmic drafts of hot wind, Leon’s other version remained on the battlefield below, systematically harvesting monster cores and storing valuable body parts.

Suddenly, Ira felt large, strong hands wrap firmly around her waist from behind. The touch was warm on her skin, secure and intimate.

She almost jumped completely off the flying beast in shock.

"W-what are you doing?!"

Leon’s voice sounded directly in her ear, his breath warm against her skin:

"Nothing inappropriate, Ira. I just don’t want to fall down during the flight, so I need to hold you securely."

Hearing his calm explanation while his hands remained steady on her waist, Ira’s face—already red from exertion—burned even hotter, deepening to crimson.

What complete nonsense! He can fly independently! How would he possibly fall?!

The logic was absurd. He’d literally been flying through battle moments ago, moving faster than her eyes could track.

But while those rational thoughts circulated in her mind, completely different words emerged from her mouth, slightly meek and breathless: 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"O-okay. B-be careful then."

The moment those words left her lips, she screamed internally in mortification.

URGHH! So embarrassing! Why did you say that to him, Ira?! URGHH!

Leon was genuinely surprised by her response. He knew she was naturally shy and easily embarrassed despite her confident external appearance—he’d witnessed that clearly yesterday evening when they’d simply held hands and discussed cultural differences.

But now she seemed to be consciously trying to act less flustered, attempting to project composure.

I like this new change. But her reactions before were also endearing.

He deliberately said nothing to point out the obvious contradiction or tease her about it, because he knew from experience she might literally flee again, like she had yesterday.

During their flight toward the arena, Leon casually mentioned near her ear that she should remember to collect her loot from yesterday—he was still holding onto her share in his inventory.

Those words immediately replayed in Ira’s mind the embarrassing moment of her panicked running away the previous night. She felt mortified all over again. Due to not having those cores for absorption, she hadn’t been able to train yesterday evening properly.

She’d spent several hours afterward mentally preparing herself—thinking about staying calm and collected, planning to go back and retrieve her materials with dignity. But she’d remained too shy to actually follow through, despite all that mental preparation.

She said quietly, barely audible over the wind: "Make sure to remind me about them after the festival completely ends."

Leon hummed in acknowledgment, continuing to hold her firmly around the waist throughout the entire journey.

The fact that she’d actually told him to "be careful" was surprising and represented an opportunity. Leon definitely didn’t intend to waste it.

He shifted slightly, resting his face comfortably against her shoulder, maintaining the secure embrace.

Ira experienced a confusing mixture of acute embarrassment and pleasant butterflies fluttering in her stomach—a strange, unfamiliar feeling that made her breath catch.

She remained completely silent for the remainder of their flight, not trusting her voice.

When they finally approached the arena, Ira suddenly freaked out internally. She noticed her Aunt Vyrra watching from her elevated throne at the top of the arena structure. Under that knowing crimson gaze, Ira felt like she desperately needed to hide somewhere impossibly far away.

Just then, Leon’s soft voice entered her ear again, somehow both calm and soothing:

"Relax, Ira. It’s nothing to worry about."

She did manage to calm down somewhat, hearing his reassuring tone. However, her eyes absolutely could not meet her Aunt’s knowing stare—she simply couldn’t force herself to make that eye contact. Being held by him in such an obviously intimate way while her Aunt observed felt far too embarrassing.

As their mount prepared to land, Leon said something else calmly near her ear:

"She also witnessed us holding hands the entire time during yesterday’s festival. So this is nothing particularly shocking by comparison."

WHAT!!!

Ira had gone to complete silence, trying her best not look at her Aunt now, but was deeply embarrassed.

Leon said this because he’d realized—after Ira’s panicked reaction yesterday—that the significance of intertwined hand-holding in Pyrrhan culture was far more meaningful than he’d initially understood.

That’s why she ran away so dramatically. It was simply too much for her to process. I didn’t know the full cultural weight at the start, or yesterday evening would have progressed differently.

Though honestly, he liked how things were naturally developing between them.

He’d started developing genuine feelings for Ira from their very first meeting, and he’d already decided she would become his—his next wife, another harem member, whatever terminology fit.

I like her. That’s what matters.

Their race’s unusual copulation method involved that special fire-merging phenomenon, and apparently, the intertwining of hands carried profound romantic and sexual significance in that context.

As they landed, Leon created two ice thrones—one for himself and one positioned directly beside him for Ira. The frozen seats formed smoothly from compressed ice and mana.

His meaningful look made it clear she should sit. She’d started to protest—about to excuse herself like yesterday—but ultimately gave in without voicing any objection, settling into the throne beside him.

Then suddenly, Archon Vyrra’s commanding voice rang out across the arena:

"Leon. I have something extremely important I need to discuss with you privately."