The next morning was pretty slow. When I dragged myself out of bed, the first person to greet me was Mina, Lowee's Oracle. She pushed up her glasses as she pulled up a wooden chair. She smiled softly, but I could tell that the ice cold hand of fear and worry was squeezing her heart. So I decided to break the silence. "Good morning." She avoided eye contact at first, but eventually met my gaze. "G-good morning. How are you feeling today?" I smiled. "I guess I'm doing alright. I dropped a few pounds, though." I gestured to what was left of my arm. Mina paused. Then the fear that gripped her heart began to loosen its grip as giggles burst from her mouth.

She loosened up and she passed me a clipboard. But at the same time, there was a knock on the door to the guest bedroom. Mina tilted her head as she glanced towards the door, but the person on the other side was not patient in the slightest. The door opened with a bang, and C-Sha walked in. "Hey, Kenji! I gave that robotic arm to Nepgear, and she turned it into a prosthetic arm!" She tossed me the arm, but Mina caught it.She shot a disapproving look at C-Sha as she helped me put on the metallic prosthetic. Leather straps were wrapped around my shoulder and near the elbow to secure the prosthetic in place. Mina looked at me as she made sure the prosthetic fit on snugly. "So how's your wife doing?" the oracle asked, hoping to hear good news. And I had just what she needed. "Jessie told me yesterday that she's pregnant." Mina's eyes widened. "You finally got up the courage to seal the deal? Congratulations." That comment came from C-Sha. "But if you're asexual, how'd you get it up?"

That comment got C-Sha kicked out of the guest bedroom. I sigh. Mina put her hands on her face."That C-Sha… can't she just buy a filter?" I smirked."Yeah,they have them on sale in Lastation for 450 credits each." (Note that in this version of the Hyperdimension, 10 credits is equal to 1 US dollar.) Mina immediately knew that I was talking about car filters and sighed. "Yep, I walked right into that joke." I started writing on the clipboard that Mina gave me as I tested out my prosthetic.

"Viagra." Mina looked at me when I said it."I beg your pardon?" I looked back. "I had to use Viagra." She nodded. "That makes sense." She watched as I kept writing. "Basilicom wants you to retire." I looked back at her. She continued. "They're saying you're disabled and can't fight anymore." I frowned. "That's stupid. I only dropped a few pounds. I'm still a good fighter." Mina nods sadly. "Yep, that's basically what I told them. But Leanbox's guild is coming to collect your gear from your apartment tomorrow. My hands are tied." I sat up. "Who ordered this?" Mina sighed. "It was Vert. She thinks it's for the better." As she spoke, Blanc stepped into the room. Then a thought hit me. If I prove I'm a capable fighter, Vert will have to take back her decision to make me retire! I got up from the bed. "Blanc, are you aware of why the Leanbox guild is forcing me to retire?" Blanc sighed. "I know that. But Vert's arguments are solid. I can't really disagree with her. I'm sorry, Kenji." My eyes filled with the fires of determination as I made my bold declaration. "White Heart, I challenge you to a duel! If I can't prove my worth in words, I'll do it with my blade!"

Blanc smiled. "You haven't changed since we met. Alright, I accept your challenge. Meet me in the arena on West Side." She walked off, and C-Sha gave me a look. "A one on one duel with a CPU? Maybe you did knock a screw loose." I chuckled. "Maybe I did. But I'm not gonna be forced to give up my blade without one last stand."

C-Sha quickly took me to the arena. Spectators quickly gathered, drawn to the arena by the presence of the CPU. I quickly approached Blanc. "Hold nothing back." My demand was met with her cool headed reply. "Alrighty…" She quickly transformed, and the spectators rose out of their seats to get a glimpse of their goddess in her true form. White Heart gripped her axe. "We shall decide if you are worthy to continue fighting for our cause." Her voice was firm. "OK." My reply was quick."Let's dance!"

The duel began quickly. Both of us quickly clashed. Katana against axe, fist to cuffs. White Heart swung her massive axe again and again, and I used the curved blade of my sword to redirect the deadly blows away from me. I couldn't strike the axe head on with my blade, because the katana could not possibly handle the immense power behind the axe, and the metal would shatter if it took the full force of one of Blanc's blows. I could only deflect her strikes. But I quickly found an opening. As the axe came down onto my blade, I dodged and landed a solid uppercut onto her jaw. She staggered back as her axe hit the ground. Steam poured from her weapon as she growled. "I'm gonna tear you to bits!" She launched herself at me again as I switched my katana out for my spear, which could handle the force of her axe better than my sword. I went on the offensive defense as I met Blanc's axe with my spear again and again. Whenever there was an opening, Blanc would get whacked with the blunt side of my weapon. Believe me when I say that openings were rare when fighting Blanc.

But one of her blows knocked me into the air. "It's time to finish this." She launched herself upwards, but my sword replaced my spear in an instant, and then I sliced cleanly through her wings, causing them to shatter like glass. We both fell to the ground, and the crowd watched to see who would rise victorious from the fight. But neither me or Blanc rose from the ground. Blanc picked me up, so we both rose from the dust. She smiled as she whispered to me. "I'll let you claim this victory if it means that Vert doesn't make you retire." She willingly let her body hit the grass as she powered down. For a few seconds, I watched her hit the ground.

"Kenji Hikarashi has won the duel!" The crowd roared in approval, and Blanc quickly got up and showed a defiant look on her face. "Well? Do you still want to take his tools, Vert?" Blanc quickly took me out of the arena as Basilicom moved in to control the crowd. But reporters were quick to shove cameras and microphones into my face.

"Mr, Hikarashi! How did you beat White Heart?"

"How do you feel about your victory?"

"What about the attack on the Dogoos?"

"What the dog doin?"

"How do you feel about the Spartan's woke agenda?"

"Is there any news about adding new mobs into Cave Game?"

The questions kept coming. But I eventually made it back to the Basilicom with Blanc and C-Sha. Jessie was waiting for me. I shut the door behind me and hugged her, so that nosey reporters couldn't notice Jessie's belly, which was starting to swell a little. When she told me she was pregnant, she was two weeks along in the pregnancy, and now her bump was a little more noticeable. If reporters caught wind of it, there would be weirdos making weird theories on 4chan about it, and they were already coming up with theories that I am lying about my age due to my height being 4'8.

I sat down with Jessie in the guest bedroom I slept in yesterday as I looked at Jessie. "You holding up alright?" She nodded. "Yeah. I heard the news." I nodded, patting her on the back. "It may sound bad, but it's the best course of action I could have taken. Had I done nothing, the twins would have been in grave danger." She nodded. "I know." I smiled. "Vert backed out on making you retire." Jessie caught me up with events. "If she tried, I'm pretty sure Blanc would have gone after her." I nodded. "I expected that."

Blanc stepped into the room. "Vert isn't taking your gear." She looked towards the both of us. "I'm having my ladies-in-arms take your luggage to the guest bedroom. You'll be staying here until Neptune comes to give you an assignment. Vert isn't the only goddess you impressed, since Noire is scheduling a one-on-one training session with you in a week. Like me, she sees potential in you."

I nodded, slowly processing the information that Blanc was feeding me. She looked toward me. "And I want to have a training session with you. Right now. Let's go."

She took me out into the forest as she looked towards my sword. "You have an interesting way of dealing with my blows." She transformed and swung her axe down on my head. I drew my blade and deflected the blow. "You don't directly block my axe. You deflect the blow away from you. Tell me why."

I nodded. "My blade can't take a direct hit. It would shatter if I tried to take the blow head on with the blade." She nodded. "Good…" She laughed as she beat her chest. "Very good! I like that!" She looked at me seriously. "But your blade seems more like a traditional display weapon. It must be a family heirloom." I nodded. She sighed. "You need a better weapon. If that blade is sacred and means something to you, it needs to be put on a wall, not shattered into little pieces."

I nodded. "Yeah. It was my dad's blade before he was killed." Blanc nodded. "Yeah. No offense, but I knew he'd shove his foot up your ass if you broke his sword. Am I wrong?" I sighed. "You're not wrong." Blanc nodded and turned around. "Go into town and buy a katana that can take a direct hit from my axe. Then come right back. We still gotta spar. Know that I'm not going to be so lenient in letting you win this time."

I walked into town. It didn't take long to find a blade, but it took forever to find a good one. When I finally found a good sword, I bought it and returned to the forest. White Heart gripped her axe. "Attack me." I drew my blade, but Blanc kicked me hard in the gut. I gagged and hit the ground.

"Too slow. Noire won't wait a year for you to reach her. She will tear you apart in a hurry if you wanna be a sissy and keep her waiting." I gag as I get back up. "Y-Yeah…" She glared at me. "Try again. Don't keep me waiting." I drew my sword faster, but she blocked my blade and landed a punch to my gut.

"You're wide open. That muscle and training you got don't mean a damn thing if you don't know how to use it." She sighed.. "Come on, pal. Get up. If you think I'm being hard on you, you're gonna hate Noire. She will beat you till you cry if you're not ready." I tried to swing at her again, and she knocked my blade out of my hand. "Here's the problem. I was holding back before. I wanted to keep you from losing your job at Basilicom. That's my way to repay you for protecting my sisters. If I kicked your ass back at the duel, you would have lost your job. You have to be able to fight me when I don't hold back. Because your enemies who want you dead won't hold back."

Blanc made me run around Lowee's capital. She kept up with me as she flew alongside me. "Come on! Is that the best you got?!" She encouraged me and taunted me, making my spirit rise as I forced my body into overdrive.

Finally, we arrived back at the capital. Blanc looked at me. "I'm not carrying you again. You have legs." I nodded as I walked with her. She looked at me as she powered down. "Now, it's shower time." She grabbed me and walked me to the shower. Jessie grabbed my other arm. Blanc chuckled. "Well, let's bring your wife along too."

She took me and Jessie into the showers. Then without a second thought, she stripped. Jessie yelped. "B-Blanc? What im the name of Gamindustri are you doing?" Blanc looked over her shoulder at Jessie. "If he's asexual, then it doesn't matter if I strip in front of him. Well, aren't we hopping into the shower?" Jessie paused, then sighed. "Fine." Jessie stripped as well. I looked at both of them and sighed. "Guess I'm outvoted." I strip as I fold up my clothes. Blanc waits for me to strip before she pulls both me and Jessie into the shower.

Blanc sighed. "Believe me, I'm saving on water bills by doing this." She scrubbed down her body, and I scrubbed down mine. Blanc sighed. "See? No problems here." Jessie sighed and nodded. "Yeah. No problems here." As we rinsed off, Blanc put a hand on her left side. "Even though you're asexual, you still seem to stare." I nodded. "Yeah. It's a habit of mine. You've got good muscle." Blanc chuckled. "That's not where men usually look. If I didn't know your sexuality, I would have expected you to look at the pearly gates." Jessie laughed. "Pearly gates. I like that!" I look at both of them. "What are you two referring to?"

Blanc sighed. "You know exactly what we're referring to." Jessie sighed. "This." I look away quickly. She laughed. "You silly gnome. You don't need to avert your eyes, you've already knocked me up." I step out of the shower and dry myself off. She chuckled ad she walked after me. "Awww, did I make you angry?" Jessie turned to face Blanc. "Don't worry, the little man is just a little shy- ah!" I had taken the moment to playfully smack her butt. "I'm only two feet shorter. I'm not a gnome." I look up at her. She was 6'5, and she towered over me a bit. Blanc laughed and walked behind me. She and Jessie whispered to each other picked, then they both picked me up and started carrying me.

"Where are we going?" Both of the girls laughed. "You'll like it." They took me to Blanc's bed as they threw me into the middle of the bed. I look at them both. "What's gotten into you people?" Jessie smirked. "Oh, it's just been a while since you and me snuggled." Blanc smirked. "And I'll make sure you don't get away." I gulp. "Can I at least put on some clothes? This is starting to sound like bad porn plot."

"We know." Both girls threw the blanket over me and climbed into bed. But neither wanted to just sleep. Blanc slipped behind me and held my arms, while Jessie sat on my stomach. "You remember this position, don't you?" Jessie smiled as she bounced on me a bit. I nodded. "Y-Yeah… This was…"

"How you gave me the baby? Yeah." She giggled. I started to sweat. "Don't tell me you're going to-!" She smirked. "Maybe. You can handle it, right?" I gulp. "Umm.." Jessie smiled and then her smile faded. She looked at Blanc. "See? I'm not arousing him at all, no matter what I do. If I can't get him turned on by straddling him, then you don't have to worry about him doing anything perverted." Jessie curled up next to me, and Blanc laid on my other side. We all quickly went to sleep.