Baron should've seen it coming.
After winning the soul-cooking challenge with Aria, he thought maybe—maybe—the rest of the girls would let it slide.
They did not.
In fact, they planned a duel.
And not just any duel. A full-blown, rules-of-the-harem, System-sanctioned Romantic Grudge Match.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
⚔️ HAREM DISPUTE PROTOCOL ACTIVATED ⚔️
Participants: Luna (Jealous Cat Rogue) vs. Aria (Fiery Tsundere Swordswoman)
Stakes: Primary snuggle rights. Bonus forehead kisses. 1 custom cuddle scene.
Rules: No killing. No permanent maiming. No clothing spells (unless both agree).
Audience: Everyone.
Baron blinked at the hologram in front of his face. "Wait—what?! I didn't approve any of this!"
Eirene stood beside him, arms folded with a smirk. "You don't get a vote. You're the prize."
"The prize!?"
Xyla the demon girl licked her lips. "This will be… entertaining."
The arena was a naturally-formed stone circle beside a steaming hot spring.
It would've been scenic if not for the two raging girls glaring daggers at each other while the System dressed them in battle-ready versions of swimsuits.
"Why swimsuits?" Baron muttered.
"Fan service," Eirene replied.
ROUND 1 – SWORDS VS. SHADOWS
Luna launched first, flipping forward with twin daggers shimmering in black flame. Her tail whipped through the air like a targeting beacon.
Aria blocked with a blazing broadsword, sparks erupting as steel met shadow. The heat of her aura cracked stone underfoot.
"Stay away from Baron!" Luna shouted, flipping over Aria's head.
"Maybe he'd stay away from you if you didn't purr in your sleep!" Aria shouted back, pivoting and delivering a flaming roundhouse.
Baron ducked a flying dagger. "SYSTEM—MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO BE THE PRIZE!?"
[SYSTEM: Your consent is noted and politely ignored.]
ROUND 2 – EMOTIONAL DAMAGE
"Remember that time he hugged me under the moonlight?" Luna sneered.
"At least I didn't fake a leg cramp to get a back massage!" Aria shot back.
The emotional blows hit harder than the blades. Baron's HP dropped even though he wasn't fighting.
"I'm gonna die from secondhand heartbreak," he whispered.
ROUND 3 – CRITICAL FAN SERVICE
Aria's swimsuit armor flickered.
So did Luna's.
Then the System glitched.
And so did the coverage.
[SYSTEM WARNING: Armor Integrity Below 10%]
Would you like to enable Strategic Mist Mode™?
"Mist Mode, activate, PLEASE!" Baron screamed, face going red.
Finally, after a dust-filled, magic-soaked final clash, both girls collapsed in the center of the ring, chests heaving, clothes barely clinging, glaring at each other with matching stubbornness.
Baron stepped between them, waving his arms. "That's it! No more fighting over me like I'm some loot drop!"
Luna blinked. "But you are the rarest item. You're the only male with a harem blessing."
Aria sighed. "And unfortunately, you're kind of… lovable."
Baron paused. "Wait—what?"
Eirene chuckled behind him. "Oho. One of them finally said it."
That night, things calmed down—sort of.
The girls agreed to a ceasefire. For now.
Baron sat by the fire, wrapped in a blanket, eyes wide from the chaos.
The catgirl curled up beside him—purring.
Aria leaned against his other side, not speaking but not leaving either.
He looked up at the stars.
"System," he whispered, "I thought this was a dating sim."
[SYSTEM: Correction. This is a Real-Time Chaos Relationship Simulator™.]
Good luck, Baron. You're gonna need it.
❤️ END OF CHAPTER 7
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