Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Midnight #02
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BOOM!
The demonic energy erupted from the monster's body like a volcano, making the surrounding air tremble.
"So now you're not even pretending to be human anymore?"
The monster no longer bore any trace of the human guise it had worn moments ago. Its spindly arms and legs stretched out unnaturally long, its charred-black skin gleamed like burnt flesh, and its withered face flashed with crimson eyes. It was no different from the mana beasts brimming with demonic energy I'd often seen beyond the barrier.
Well, if I thought of this as the boss fight's phase two, it made things easier. Not just from its appearance, but the prickling sensation on my skin told me this form was far stronger.
"A rabid beast who sold its soul to the Demon King—it's so repulsive that this exalted one can scarcely keep their eyes open!"
"Shut your trap! I'll smash your limbs first and then rape you!!"
"How dare you! You filthy monster, you're far too arrogant toward this exalted one!"
The monster lunged at Unicorn, who showed no fear and only grumbled complaints. Their clash of power began.
Unicorn jabbed a fist into the monster's opening, just like before, capitalizing on its increased durability as it abandoned defense to press the attack.
CRACK!
Even though the bone-snapping sound rang clear in my ears, the monster ignored it and swung its claws to pulverize Unicorn's head.
But Unicorn blocked with a horn of holy light, and the impact exploded like an axe clashing with a flail.
"Without Unicorn, that would've been a real pain."
The fierce battle between Unicorn in human form and the fully unleashed monster was incomparably more intense than the fight with Sion earlier. Each blocked strike sent shockwaves rippling out, making me worry the dorm's protective spells might shatter.
"Die!!"
Right after Unicorn's straight punch was parried, throwing off her stance, the monster exploited the gap and slashed its claws at her nape.
Unicorn hurriedly raised her arm to block, but the recoil wrecked her balance even further. At this rate, she'd take serious damage.
─Ceremonial Holy Rite: Judgment Chanting the incantation atop the holy power I'd prepared in advance, a single intense bolt of white lightning crashed down from the sky, striking the monster squarely.
"Gaaaargh! It hurts! My body's burning up!!"
Of course it hurts. Holy magic is my specialty of specialties, honed over two regressions.
As the monster writhed in paralysis from the lightning, Unicorn seized the moment and slammed a roundhouse kick into its solar plexus. The beast spun through the air three times before crashing into the ground.
"Don't just stand there watching—help already! Why are you spectating?!"
Well, watching Unicorn take a few hits in between was entertaining... but if I said that, I'd probably eat one myself.
"Who would've thought the great divine beast Unicorn would struggle against a monster like that..."
"O-Of course, if I returned to my true form, a creature like that is nothing! But for the sake of synchronizing with you through our contract, I had no choice... Huh?"
While we bantered, the monster had vanished.
Stealth was its specialty, so maybe it sensed the power gap and fled?
"Kyaaack!!!"
As if. With front and back lines, you always prioritize the rear first. The monster reappeared behind me, lunging at my defenseless back—just as I'd predicted.
Of course, the "defenseless" part was a feint. That's why hunting beasts is easy.
⚔ Imperial Swordsmanship: Spider Slash Stance ⚔ Longsword ready A flick of my wrist turned the blade toward my back. Pivoting on my leg, I swung in a wave-like arc, feeling the satisfying slice as both the monster's arms were severed clean off.
"Gaaaargh! How... how did you sense me? You couldn't have!"
"You're right, I didn't sense you. You hid damn well."
I admitted it plainly to the monster's question. Enraged by my attitude—or perhaps wounded in pride that its signature stealth had failed—it obsessively flickered in and out of hiding, ambushing me and Unicorn.
But Unicorn and I could predict its attack trajectories in advance.
"Unicorn at 4 o'clock this time. Back to partner at 7 o'clock." Following Kaiyen's whispers via invisible spirits, Unicorn and I responded perfectly to the monster's assaults.
No matter how adept it was at masking its presence, mass affects the ground and air. With Kaiyen's spirits scouting, its stealth was useless against us.
"I'll be there soon, so hold out till then, partner." "Feels like we could finish it without you?" In truth, the monster was already ragged. Losing its cool as every attack was blocked, it retreated and started kicking the ground furiously.
"Why aren't my attacks landing?! There's three tasty bitches here! Why am I the one hurting?!"
The monster bellowed in frustration, but one phrase stood out oddly.
"Three? Unicorn and Sion make two. Why three?"
"You... Arthin Ludwig! You're the target—the pure virgin Unicorn approved! I've been looking forward to raping a pure cross-dressing girl like you!"
...What the fuck? Rape me? Pure virgin?
"Puhahaha! Kyahahahaha! A pure virgin?! The balding virgin! Keh-heuk!"
Unicorn doubled over, clutching her stomach in hysterics at the shout—clearly grasping the implication. But I couldn't laugh.
"So... you came after me tonight because you mistook me for a cross-dressing girl...?"
"Yes! I already knew you're a girl in disguise! You're the ripest bitch in the academy!"
I asked carefully once more, and the monster roared its affirmation proudly.
"Puh! Puhahaha! Prff, kuh-lok, kuh-lok! I'm dying laughing! Kyahaha!"
"...Pfft." Unicorn was now rolling on the ground, coughing from laughing too hard. Even Kaiyen's stifled snicker came through the spirits.
Me... the academy's ripest bitch...?
What a fucking joke.
"I'm a man!! You horny monster fuck—!!!"
At my enraged roar, nine bolts of white lightning flashed across the sky, hammering the monster's body.
"Kyaaack!!!"
"Die! Die! Just fucking die!!"
The ninth bolt struck, and the shuddering beast went limp. It wouldn't threaten us anymore, even if it twitched.
"...Why does victory feel so hollow...?"
Despite the win, I felt like I'd lost. Grinding my teeth, I kicked Unicorn's ass full-force as she kept laughing.
"Stop laughing, you bitch!!"
"Aaaahhh! It hurts so much...!"
Watching Unicorn writhe in pain, I collapsed on the spot, utterly drained after pouring all my holy power into that. Sage time hit like a truck—I wanted to cry.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "You laughed earlier."
"I didn't laugh, partner. Anyway, that's the monster?"
"Don't change the subject. You laughed when the monster talked."
Kaiyen arrived shortly after and ignored my question, approaching the sprawled monster to check its state.
Looking around, the snapped trees and cratered ground left me at a loss for cleanup.
'Agnes will handle it. She barely covered for the passed-out dorm supervisor last time.'
Connections really matter. Alone, I'd spend days explaining the Unicorn contract and how we beat it.
"Hey, Kaiyen, is that monster dead?"
I eyed Kaiyen, who stared intently at it. Something off?
"...Partner."
"Yeah? What's up?"
Kaiyen's voice trembled unusually. The moment I sensed something wrong, the monster rose, pressing claws to Kaiyen's throat.
"How dare you... try to kill me. The academy doesn't matter now. I'll turn it into hell...!"
Shit. Its eyes weren't crimson anymore—they blazed with vicious green light.
'The Evil Eye's power...!'
I'd forgotten the ability stolen from the King of the Plains. Unicorn and I could resist with holy power, so I'd ignored it.
Kaiyen didn't die from the sudden Evil Eye thanks to his Dragon Heart's magic resistance, but he was paralyzed, unable to even blink.
"Graaaargh! Demon King, grant me power!!"
The monster gripping Kaiyen twisted, morphing into the King of the Plains—Catoblepas.
"A-Arthin! It's mimicking the king's form. We have to stop it!"
Unicorn scrambled up despite the pain, pointing frantically and stomping. Leaving it would start phase three.
But I was fucking exhausted. Mental fatigue sapped my will to fight.
So I hurled a glass vial from my pocket at the transforming monster. It shattered on its head, the liquid vaporizing and spreading everywhere.
"Kyaaaaack!!!!"
Its transformation reversed, reverting to the prior monster form. Reliable stuff.
"Wh-what did you do? It failed to transform!"
"Polymorph cancellation solution. Finished it while Sion was fighting earlier."
If it'd rampaged as Catoblepas, it'd have been a spectacle. With my holy power depleted and the dorm, Kaiyen, and Sion to protect, no thanks.
But it transformed so blatantly—no manners? Tough luck; I lacked the mental slack. No patience for an ugly fucker like that.
"Grah... Not yet... not yet...! I'll turn this place into hell...!"
Step, step.
I approached the staggering beast, mana longsword in hand, its feeble poison and depleted demonic energy leaking out.
Stab. Stab-stab. Slash. Stab.
"Kek."
That was it. Black smoke poured from its body, leaving only a withered, stabbed human corpse.
"Not bad for a random thug. No idea why something so strong showed up."
I recovered the King of the Plains' power from the corpse, then went to Kaiyen's side.
He was conscious but still couldn't move from the Evil Eye's aftereffects. His damp hair from the solution looked annoyingly photogenic.
"Sorry... partner... I got done in..."
"Whatever, get up."
Normally I'd avoid touching him, but he helped, so no choice.
I slung his arm over my shoulder and hauled him up.
Squish. Squish.
"...?"
"W-Wait. I'll stand myself!"
He yanked away frantically, stumbling off.
...What was that?
Something familiar I shouldn't have felt from him...?
'Just overtired, seeing things.'
Dawn was breaking. No sleep again today.
I shook my head to clear it and got to work on cleanup.