Why would anyone shamelessly grab a girl in the middle of the street and kiss her in full view of everyone? Only a hentai protagonist would pull off something this despicable.

You jerk, Leon! Why do you keep bullying me?! Just because I'm a little socially withdrawn doesn't mean you can do whatever you want to me! I get angry too, you know!

Fio wasn't the least bit flustered by being treated that way. If anything, she was disgusted.

“Fio, I proved how quick I am to act.”

“Y-you… This is what you call taking action?!”

“Yeah. Didn't we agree on this earlier?”

Leon didn't care in the slightest what the onlookers thought. He just kept relentlessly pursuing Fio. He really was shameless beyond belief.

An agreement? She'd never made any kind of agreement with Leon. What was this guy talking about…?

Fio was at a loss, drowning in the crowd's gaze. It wasn't just Leon—everyone else was waiting for her response too.

Her social anxiety was kicking in. Fio wasn't a forceful person to begin with, and she was easily swept up in the mood around her.

What do I do? Everyone around me is staring. Fio's shirt was damp with nervous sweat. She just wanted this farce to end as soon as possible, so she could hurry off to some small, dark, empty place, curl up like a hamster, and escape reality.

“Hey, should we call the guards?” “Wait, I think they're a couple!” “That girl must be shy. I mean, he's the amazing Sword Saint!” …

Cheers came from every direction. Fio backed away several steps and bumped into the crowd. Her escape was blocked.

“O-okay…”

Fio was out of options. She was just about to blurt out her agreement when her gaze dropped to the little notebook.

It showed a beautiful girl surrounded by a bunch of men, looking utterly helpless and on the verge of tears. This was Fio's waifu of the month.

For the sake of the 2D world, how could she possibly give in to this harem-loving, scumbag womanizer?! How could someone as weak as her face the characters she loved so much?

My waifu, lend me your strength!

Suddenly, boundless strength welled up inside Fio.

Her mind raced. She scanned her surroundings again, and, judging by the atmosphere and Leon's strange expression, the clever and capable Ice Dragon King immediately realized this was a trap.

Leon, you bastard. You even went and tricked me like this…!

Fio's greatest weakness was her social anxiety. Leon had targeted it exactly. He'd started harassing her in the busiest street, then used the crowd's cheers to put pressure on her, hoping she'd give in when she couldn't take it anymore.

“You think you can make me submit…? Don't make me laugh.”

“Fio?”

“Leon, listen to me. I'm not going to accept this! You think this is enough to win me over? Forget it!”

Fio puffed out her chest, showing a rare flash of defiance as she pointed a finger at Leon in warning.

This was a declaration of war!

Leon wanted Fio to admit out loud that she'd fallen for him. That was why he'd resorted to such a despicable trick.

Fio had been a man in her previous life, too, so she knew just how satisfying and gratifying it felt when a girl was the first to admit she'd fallen for someone.

But the onlookers seemed to find the whole thing even more entertaining, and kept egging them on.

“W-was I… not enough for you?!”

“Hmph! You'll never be enough for me! Figure it out yourself!”

As they traded blows, Fio felt incredibly pleased with herself. If she managed to fend Leon off this time, she could surely overcome her social anxiety and finally start living a normal, outgoing life.

"I see... So that's how it is. Is this level of effort really not enough to earn your approval? Actually, thinking about it, that makes sense. You changed your outfit and even deliberately displayed your slave collar, so surely—"

“That's right! Anyway, you weren't enough for me!”

Thank goodness! Even with the odds against me, I won. Leon had already admitted defeat.

The Ice Dragon King, Fio, had grown once more. Just like a shonen manga hero overcoming their greatest fear, from now on, I wouldn't be socially anxious anymore…

“I get it. I knew something felt off from the start. Why is your slave collar showing again? You stopped covering it with magic because…”

“Huh?”

Leon didn't give in. With a look of resolve, he launched an even stronger attack.

“Fio, I understand now. Based on how you reacted when we first met, how unhappy you were just now, and how you're acting at this moment, I've figured out what you want.”

“W-wait, you jerk! What are you trying to do?!”

“Then let's begin… Fio, change how you address me.”

“…”

Fio froze. Leon's order made no sense after everything he'd said before, and she couldn't understand what was going on. What was his logic?

“Since you're showing your slave collar in front of everyone, that must mean you want to play at being a slave. So I'll play along to the very end.”

What is this scumbag, harem-loving, lower-half-driven hentai protagonist even saying?! How did he come to that conclusion?!

“Master, Master, Master, Master, Master, Master, Master—what are you talking about?!”

All the contemptuous names Fio had for Leon in her heart were replaced with “Master” the moment they reached her lips.

Why was this happening?! Fio looked down in shock. Her slave collar was glowing faintly, as if it had activated.

“—!!!”

Leon was floored by Fio's form of address. It was only two words, but it hit like an enormous spell. The Sword Saint swayed, his crimson eyes growing even redder with excitement.

“Master (you scumbag), w-what did you do to me?!”

She was clearly scolding him, but to Leon, Fio's words—forced out in embarrassment—sounded like the bashful protest of a girl in love. He'd completely lost his head.

“Fio… Maybe we should call this kind of play off. Even I can't handle it. Let's just go for now…” Leon said.

Leon hadn't meant anything by it, but in that moment, his words became an order. Fio's body moved against her will. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Leon's waist, tears in her eyes, as her mouth started moving on its own.

“Master… I understand. From now on, I won't leave your side for even a moment.”

It's over.

That was the first thought that came to Fio after she'd said it. The onlookers stared at her with contempt. This twisted turn of events was beyond anything anyone had imagined.

This man had still managed to tame her. First, he'd paraded her through the streets. Now he was playing master and servant with her in public. Next, he'd probably bring a hentai scene straight into real life—like going shopping commando…

My life is over.

I want to shut myself away.

Fio switched into social-shutdown mode. Her brain couldn't take the strain and overloaded; smoke rising from her head, she fainted.