Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Chapter 11 - Impressive
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“هم (Hmm.)”
A vibration echoed from the depths of the temple. He set aside the surgical blade he had been holding and looked at me.
“لەوێ سەرەوە تەواو ژاوەژاوە. هێی، هیچ شتێکی تر هەیە کە لە من بە نهێنی (It’s quite noisy up there. Hey, are you hiding anything else from me?)”
A soft voice, trying to communicate with my decaying body. But only a heavy silence responded.
“باشە، وابزانم بەم زووانە بۆم دەردەکەوێت. (Well, I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.)”
He set aside his tools and donned his ceremonial robes. The black, ankle-length robes billowed as he walked.
The amber crystal, containing my essence, was sealed and lowered into the floor, a precaution against any unforeseen accidents.
The lights dimmed, one by one,
His footsteps faded,
And the door closed.
***
The temple doors were cracked.
The legendary sandworm, in its suicidal charge, had shattered the massive, sealed doors, sending fragments of stone flying through the air.
A cloud of stale air billowed from within, and the swirling sand, which had momentarily settled, was kicked up again, forming a small vortex within the canyon.
“I’m sorry…”
Juho, amidst the chaos, paid his respects to the fallen sandworm, his hand gently stroking its massive head. He seemed to have absorbed its pain, its rage, and he shed a tear for the creature that had tried to kill him.
But he had no more tears to shed.
His vision blurred, his mind fading, his consciousness slowly slipping away. He had to find Jenny and Nefer before it was too late.
The desert sun was unforgiving. If he left them exposed, they would surely die.
So, Juho couldn't give up.
He pushed himself forward, his feet heavy, and dragged his companions into the shade.
Lilith and Succubus, still perched on the canyon rim, looked down at him. Lilith, no longer interested in killing him, left his fate in her sister's hands.
“Sister, what will you do now?”
Perhaps she would follow him, help him.
That would be good.
Lilith felt a pang of affection for her sister. Her flushed cheeks, her shy expression, were so out of place on a succubus, a creature of lust and temptation.
“I want to watch him.”
Succubus, though decades, perhaps even centuries older than Juho, seemed to be experiencing the first stirrings of love, of admiration.
The man who had captivated her, who had held her interest longer than any other,
Was more fascinating than she had ever imagined,
And she felt a strange, unfamiliar urge to protect him.
Lilith, despite her affection for her sister, couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment. Her emotions were a chaotic mess.
She was still grappling with the consequences of her actions, with the possibility of defying the moon’s will, of betraying her entire life’s purpose.
But,
She loved her sister, undeniably.
“So, we’re enemies now.”
Lilith smiled, her touch gentle as she stroked her sister’s hair. An older sister’s encouragement, a final farewell.
“Help your boyfriend. The path to the temple, to the sun, will not be easy. And neither will yours.”
They both looked down at the scene below.
Juho, covered in blood, was using the last of his strength to pull his companions to safety. He would need Succubus’s help.
“Sister, I’ll come back to see you?”
“Don’t. We’re enemies now. If you’re leaving us, then go, and turn the world upside down with that man of yours.”
Lilith knew she had to let her sister go. But she didn’t know how long their separation would last, so she held her close, a final embrace.
“…You fool. Have fun, okay?”
The small, fluttering wings descended towards Juho. His body, already broken and bleeding, he looked up, his eyes hazy, then dismissed her, focusing on his task.
He dragged Jenny and Nefer with his broken leg muscles. He had already brought Nefer to the temple entrance, and now he just had to retrieve Jenny.
“Y-you look like you’re having a hard time. Tsk tsk. I could help you, if you ask nicely…”
Succubus spoke, her voice a mixture of gentleness and her usual playful arrogance. She had never been in a mature, healthy relationship before, so she didn't know how to express her true feelings.
“…”
Juho paused, considering whether to draw his knife, then, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, changed his mind.
They had only met a few times, but he could already sense the subtle shifts in her demeanor, her growing affection.
She wanted to help him. Without her, he would have been killed by the sandworm.
“…Help me. Please.”
“I hate physical labor! Honestly…!”
But despite her words,
Succubus wrapped her tail around Jenny’s arm and dragged her towards the temple.
“…I’m only doing this for you. Now rest.”
And so, Juho could finally rest.
He was exhausted, his mind and body on the verge of collapse, and with Succubus taking over, his eyelids finally drooped.
A wave of relief washed over him, and he collapsed…
“Fool. Pushing yourself too hard.”
And Succubus, with a gentle sigh, carried him to the temple entrance.
Now, before the shattered gates of the temple, a man, two women, and a high-ranking demon, all unconscious, lay in a heap.
Only Succubus was still conscious. She tried to move the sandworm’s corpse, but it was too heavy.
And when she tried to enter the temple-
Zap!
“Ouch…”
She recoiled, a strange energy pushing her back. The temple was filled with the power of the sun, of my own life force, and it repelled the creatures of the moon.
“What is this?”
And the dark, stagnant energy that had been sealed within for centuries now billowed outwards.
Succubus, unable to enter, simply cleared away the debris and laid Juho and the others side by side.
Of course, Juho was granted the special privilege of resting his head on her lap. And in this brief moment of intimacy, Succubus soothed his pain, his guilt.
Juho’s moans and whimpers subsided, replaced by a peaceful slumber.
He was still covered in blood, a grotesque and unsettling sight, but Succubus didn’t seem to mind. She licked her finger and gently wiped his face.
“That’s better.”
Her devotion was impressive. While succubi were usually driven by lust and pleasure, she was surprisingly gentle.
While she was undoubtedly attracted to him, his physical appearance and his… potential, she restrained herself, knowing how much he had suffered.
Perhaps her ability to manipulate emotions had given her a greater sense of empathy. Unlike Lilith, who controlled the physical world, she was a master of the mind.
“…Oh, just leave already!”
And her ability to sense my presence was also remarkable. Her sister couldn't see or hear me.
Tap, tap-
So, I gently touched her shoulder. I hoped she would understand my final gesture of goodwill.
“…?”
She jumped, startled, looking around. Unable to directly interfere, all I could do was warn her of the impending threat.
Succubus, her focus now absolute, sensed the unsettling presence emanating from the temple entrance.
Someone was standing there.
The small hairs on her skin stood on end. She felt a powerful, primal [hostility].
“Oh ho.”
Clap, clap, clap-
The figure clapped, stepping out from the entrance.
And now,
In this place,
The tangled threads of fate began to unravel.
“Impressive.”
***
Chapter 11 - The Trial
End.
***