Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Chapter 3. Flag Tournament
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Foga stared up at Asmodeus straddling him atop his body, his eyes filled with disbelief. Massive horns curved in all directions, and bat-like wings extended from her back. A tail swayed beyond her spine. The epitome of a demon. Yet she didn’t seem like a perilous great demon. Demons took great pride in their names and never impersonated others. Borrowing another’s renown was the act they despised and found most shameful. Which meant the demon before him was truly one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
“N-No way…”
“What’s that? No, does it matter?”
She flashed a grin. She had no intention of letting him finish whatever nonsense he was spouting. Amid her jet-black skin, golden pupils locked straight onto Foga’s eyes. In that instant, dense demonic energy poured from her body, enveloping him.
“Ah, aah!”
He let out a groan. It wasn’t pain or anything like it. His chest tingled, and he felt like he could do anything for her. Her soft touch brushed his cheek, making his body jolt violently. Ecstasy flowed from her fingertips into his cheek. His focus blurred, his mind growing hazy.
“Hehehe.”
This man was now her captive. If she asked for his hand like a dog, he’d offer it. If she told him to end his life, he’d gladly do so for her.
“Playing with a human’s mind is a cinch. Sure, your mental fortitude let you resist my charm, but that was just a fraction of my power. Right?”
He nodded. Asmodeus had many questions. While she’d briefly looked away from Viscount Jinmu, whom she’d been watching, he’d somehow ended up dead. She needed the full story on why and how the plan had failed.
“Tell me everything you know.”
Everything she wanted spilled from the man’s lips. He’d been more capable than expected. Once she’d extracted all the info and there was nothing left useful, Asmodeus slid off him and jabbed his forehead with her fingertip. Red energy flowed from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, absorbed into her finger. The man withered and shriveled at rapid speed. By the time she stood, he collapsed into dust and vanished. All that remained were his clothes, sword, and a few possessions.
“…Was Viscount Jinmu really that incompetent? Even weakened, he should’ve overwhelmed them with numbers.”
Unless you were an Eternal Sword wielder, facing him wouldn’t be easy. And from the story, it was just two adventurers? Absurd. She murmured the names he’d mentioned.
“Judah and Jeanne…?”
Unfamiliar names, naturally. Freshly minted silver badge adventurers from the Eastern Alliance, no less.
She regretted not witnessing it herself, but unfortunately, she didn’t know any magic for viewing the past. She glanced around.
The central magic circle had completely lost its power, and the blood and souls used as offerings had vanished without a trace. The altar prepared for the ritual was utterly wrecked by some immense magical force.
“Sigh. Can’t salvage this at all.”
If even a scrap had remained intact, or enough blood and souls to activate the circle, she could’ve tweaked it into a gateway to the demon realm. A shame. She could restart it by pouring in vast magic, but with her true body sealed in the labyrinth, this remnant flesh would collapse under the strain.
“What the hell did they do to trash the magic circle so thoroughly? No helping it.”
With a small sigh, she exited the blood-scented basement. Stepping outside the mansion, sunlight poured down on a perfect day. Gazing at the clear sky eased her frustration. Unlike the demon realm’s sky, she liked this world.
So.
What now?
Originally, she’d been recruiting members for [Fragment Retrievers], a group formed by her lord Artemisia. Viscount Jinmu had been one prospect. But he’d whined endlessly about not wanting in, so while watching him, she’d blinked—and this happened.
No sign of the viscount’s corpse; it had been moved. Scouting new candidates was tough since she’d already snagged everyone qualified.
Deep down, she craved a cozy spot for leisurely drinks and a steamy night.
“Aah~ I wanna fuck. Sex!”
Gazing at the pristine sky, she sighed again at the added tasks.
“Recruit those Judah and Jeanne guys…?”
Might be for the best. They’d killed Jinmu, so their skills were proven. As Eastern Alliance adventurers, her demonic charm should ensnare them easily. Arms crossed, she pondered briefly, then looked up.
Thud. Something dropped before her eyes. A male-form gargoyle, as if a gift from the gods to console her recent mutterings about sex. Its stone physique featured an exaggeratedly prominent crotch, drawing her gaze as it crouched. The gargoyle hastily crossed its legs under her stare.
“Not like I’d fuck you anyway, so cover up…”
-…….
“So. Did you find the one I told you to?”
-Yes. We’ve located the human possessing the fifth fragment, Valentine.
Her expression brightened.
“Oh! Where? Not in Uruun, you said?”
-In Aslan’s capital. We’re tracking his position. He hasn’t noticed us yet, thanks to the Flagpole Festival. Shall we strike when the chance arises?
Asmodeus tilted her head at the loyal gargoyle’s words. Gargoyles’ mineral bodies resisted physical attacks and magic well. Most humans struggled against them. She’d been about to say go for it, but reconsidered.
“Wait. Aslan… isn’t that the knight kingdom?”
-Yes.
“The capital would have Eternal Sword wielders. Magic users too. You lot alone can’t handle it. Don’t underestimate fragment holders. It’s made from our lord’s heart, after all. No way the owner’s weak.”
-Then what are your orders?
As it awaited commands, Asmodeus pondered. She’d been badly burned once by another fragment, making her cautious with their owners. If it were Uruun, no hesitation. She didn’t care about other fragments, but to break her own seal, she needed the fifth—or someone extraordinarily powerful.
When first sealed, she’d begged Artemisia for help. But her lord said aiding someone sealed by a fragment was impossible. With Perlnirn alive, a lord’s intervention was unpredictable… She couldn’t press further.
The other Sins or comparable demons hadn’t found a way into this world yet. Lesser ones couldn’t break her seal or risked causing trouble. Plus, the labyrinth held a human woman guarding like a sentinel, ready to devour any ordinary demon that approached her.
“Ugh, headache.”
But her hesitation didn’t last.
“I’ll go myself. Let’s check it out. Risky, and failure would suck, but oh well.”
-Understood. I’ll assemble our kin around Aslan.
“Yeah. Keep it discreet—no getting spotted.”
As the gargoyle spread its wings to fly, she reached out to stop it.
“Wait.”
-Yes.
“How many gargoyles we got?”
-About a hundred…
“Don’t bunch them all in one spot. Split ten each to east, west, south, north. You and I will retrieve the fragment together.”
-Understood.
She beckoned the gargoyle back with a finger wag, then climbed onto its hard back. Though crouched, gargoyles stood nearly two meters, perfect for riding.
“What’re you waiting for? Let’s go.”
-You plan to ride me?
“Yeah. Flying’s a hassle. Don’t know the place, so magic’s out. Hurry up.”
With stiff, rigid motions, the gargoyle cautiously took flight. About twenty kin emerged from the forest, blending into the scenery and vanishing. She scanned them once, then lounged comfortably on its back, humming a tune while admiring the passing landscape.