Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Violet and the Contract Devil #03
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"Eek... What is this?!"
Violet let out a scream at the gruesome sight of monster corpses strewn everywhere as the pink mist obscuring her vision slowly cleared upon entering the Rose Pavilion.
This was the aftermath of Kaiyen slaughtering the monsters at full force to rescue Arthin, but Violet, unaware of the circumstances, found the cruel and grotesque scene utterly terrifying, her hands and feet trembling uncontrollably.
"H-Hoo... No, Violet, you promised to help Arthin! You can't hesitate anymore!"
Though she wanted to squeeze her eyes shut at the horror, Violet couldn't afford to waver any longer. Memories of the horrific nightmare that had unfolded when she hesitated before filled her mind, filling her body with terror even as her mind grew colder and more resolute.
Yes, nothing like that can happen again. That was why she'd volunteered to step up in place of Shaomei. Steeling herself by recalling the past she desperately wanted to forget, Violet mustered all her determination.
"...Almiraz! Come forth and aid me!"
As Violet channeled mana into her staff, a summoning magic circle that she usually had to draw manually began engraving itself automatically. While Violet let out a small gasp of admiration at the staff's astonishing magical assistance, a golden light spread outward from the center of the circle.
Moments later, as the light from the mana manifestation faded, Almiraz appeared in the middle of the magic circle—a humanoid figure with flowing yellow hair and attire reminiscent of the dancer from the Sultanate she'd seen that afternoon.
"Whoa?! What's going on summoning me in the dead of night, Miss Violet? And why this form?"
"W-Well, this building's turned into a super dangerous dungeon right now. I figured the human form would be better than the bunny one."
Almiraz wore a puzzled expression at being summoned in human form rather than her usual horned bunny appearance, but Violet couldn't bring herself to admit it was because the bunny looked utterly unreliable and she'd been scared.
"Indeed... The aura enveloping this building is completely different from those pathetic lesser demons. To have presence equal to Lord Mephistopheles's Twelve Kin despite such faint power..."
Fortunately, having sensed Liliet's aura, Almiraz nodded in acceptance of Violet's claim without argument.
"So, how can I assist you? Shall I just blow the whole building sky-high?"
"N-No! There are lots of hostages trapped inside... First, we need to rescue Arthin and Kaiyen, who entered the dungeon ahead of us and got caught...!"
As immense magical power welled up from Almiraz's fingertips, Violet hurriedly stopped her and explained their top priority. Though, considering what she'd shown that afternoon, Violet did harbor some doubt about whether she could actually level the building.
"Arthin...? Y-Yes? You mean the great Arthin Ludwig has been captured!?"
But Almiraz didn't notice Violet's awkwardness. The friend of the great ruler of Hell, Mephistopheles, captured by demons? It was an incident that would turn all of Hell upside down.
"We don't know the details, just that they fell into some weird trap—a room you can't leave without having sex... The important thing is they've fallen into the vile trap of the Dream Demon Lord Liliet."
A room you can't leave without having sex? Almiraz's mind reeled at the absurd trap name she'd never heard of in her life. The thought of Lord Mephistopheles finding out filled her with even greater dread.
I have to save him. For the human world, her contractor, the great lord, and her own rosy future. With that resolve, Almiraz surged with fervent motivation.
"W-We should move right now! I'll use every ounce of my power to rescue Lord Arthin!"
"Uh, y-yeah? Thanks...?"
And so the two women joined forces. Their inner motives differed slightly, but with the shared goal of saving Arthin, they began exploring the interior of the Rose Pavilion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Tentacles raping people, plants violating humans, beasts defiling them... This Liliet truly lives up to the name of Dream Demon with her utterly depraved tastes."
Gazing at the monster corpses scattered across the floor, Almiraz made no effort to hide her disgust toward the vile demons.
"To begin with, demons are nothing but worthless cowards who fled from Hell to the human world during the First Great War! Compared to us demons of Hell who triumphed in the Second Great War, they're insignificant! Just trust in me!"
"Um, still, maybe we should proceed carefully, watching our step..."
"It's fine! The ones skulking around now are just barely surviving bugs!"
Almiraz leaped lightly, crushing a wriggling tentacle beneathfoot, then pointed down the blood-soaked corridor.
True to her words, the first-floor hallway was mostly littered with monster corpses, likely swept through by Arthin and Kaiyen. Aside from the occasional unconscious heretic-looking humans collapsed on the ground or monsters barely clinging to life, nothing else was visible.
"Still, just in case... There might be hidden traps or monsters lurking..."
"Whoa! If you're that worried, how about a wager with this demon?"
"...A wager with a demon?"
"Yes! Here's the deal: If you stay safe until I rescue Lord Arthin, you'll grant me one wish! If I lose, I'll give you this bracelet!"
Almiraz flashed a confident grin, as if victory was a given, holding out one of the sparkling bracelets on her wrists.
"What's that...?"
"It's a priceless heirloom passed down through my family for generations! Its value is beyond measure! What do you say? Shall we play the demon's game..."
At that moment, as Almiraz proposed the game to Violet while walking backward without properly looking ahead—
Squelch! Squelch!
A tentacle monster that Kaiyen's blade had missed slithered from a corner of the hallway, drawn by Almiraz's chatter, and lunged to claim its prey.
Splash!!
"Gyaaah?! Where did this tentacle come from!?"
"Almiraz!"
Almiraz, who had sworn to protect Violet perfectly, found her limbs bound by tentacles, slimy mucus coating her body. Revulsed by the disgusting sensation, she tried to summon her magic to escape, but...
"Th-This is weird! Why can't I muster any power in my limbs!?"
For some inexplicable reason, unable to exert her strength, Almiraz flailed in midair as the tentacles tightened around her, teetering on the edge of becoming a tentacle-rape heroine.
"I'll help you, Almiraz! I can do this now...!"
"W-Wait! Magic didn't work before! You might drag me down with it!"
As Violet raised her staff, Almiraz shuddered, recalling the humiliation from earlier that day. Of course, she had no desire to lose the chastity she'd guarded for decades to tentacles, but the failed spell that afternoon had exposed her to a human male for the first time.
What if the magic failed again while bound by tentacles? Almiraz didn't even want to imagine the aftermath.
"Don't worry. I've got this staff Arthin made for me now!"
But Violet had her own confidence. This powerful staff, embedded with a dragon heart and crafted by Arthin, had assisted her in performing summoning magic flawlessly.
Using it with Almiraz's immense magical power might not restore her third-cycle prime, but it should unleash strength worthy of the name Purplecrow, the great violet witch.
Violet raised the staff, aiming at the tentacles, and began chanting her spell to incinerate her foe with a booming voice.
"Blaze fiercely! Marchosias─!!" ⟨ Marchosias ⟩
At Violet's shout, the staff began deploying the spell using Almiraz's mana as a conduit, radiating light.
"...Huh? Wha─?!"
But the light was far too intense—far beyond what Violet had anticipated.
"M-Miss Violet?! Hold on a sec─"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Having barely escaped the room you can't leave without having sex, Unicorn and I were in quite a good mood.
"Imperial Swordsmanship─Giant Slash!!"
"The enemies of this lord and her mate shall return to nothingness!"
Each time I swung the beloved sword I'd crafted myself, now that my mana had somewhat recovered, the limbs of the second basement level's monsters were severed like meat at a butcher shop. Of course, mid-tier monsters wouldn't go down from losing a limb or two.
But the sight of them dropping like flies in droves from Unicorn's condensed magic bullets of demonic energy afterward was nothing short of spectacular.
Wait, am I really useless here...?
Mid-tier monsters aren't pushovers. Represented by trolls and ogres, a single one can wreak havoc on a battlefield. Even in my second cycle, it took until my third year to handle them 1-on-1, and even now, three or more rushing at once would spell trouble.
The issue was that Unicorn had grown too strong. Sweeping away injured mid-tier monsters with a single magic bullet was a level of power utterly unlike the Unicorn I remembered. If we sparred 1-on-2 with Master Marianne right now, my win rate might jump from 10% to 50%.
"See that, Arthin? This lord magnificently dispatching them! A single kiss on the lips is reward enough! We'll collect them all later, so prepare thyself!"
Moreover, since regaining her memories, Unicorn's affection toward me had become oppressively burdensome. The forced "repayments" had already piled up to seven kisses and over twenty head pats.
What the hell did I do in my second cycle to make her act like this...?!
I'd even pondered if I'd gotten drunk and done something beastly with her, but I couldn't recall a thing. I'd just treated her like a friend, that's all.
"At this rate, we'll hit the third basement in no time. The problem is finding that woman Sion..."
"If we haven't found her yet, she might be trapped on the third basement..."
This won't do. A pillar who's useless in combat? A man has to have the power to protect his women. If physical strength falls short right now, at least intellect should make up for it.
Think, how should we move from here...
"Arthin."
"Hold on, I'm pondering our next move..."
"More importantly, get into position. Something terrifyingly powerful is approaching."
...Huh? What do you mean? The moment I thought that—
A chilling sensation crawled up my spine, and I began sensing the approach of a dangerous presence.
As Unicorn and I hurriedly assumed combat stances, a woman with overwhelming presence slowly floated toward us from the end of the hallway.
"Oh my, I finally found you. You're the unicorn and her contractor, right?"
"...This immense power—you must be the Dream Demon Lord Liliet herself!"
Unicorn mistook the intense demonic energy and presence for Liliet and barked at her, but I raised a hand to stop her.
"No, Unicorn, that's not... Liliet. I've seen her in person before."
"Ho ho, you've met Liliet face-to-face and lived? I don't recall any human surviving that..."
The being showed interest in my words—she was undoubtedly a dream demon, but her presence was infinitely lesser than the Liliet I'd faced before. Still, that was only in comparison to the Demon King's kin.
Even this powered-up Unicorn is clearly outmatched in strength and presence...
Probably a high-tier dream demon. One of the executive-class directly empowered by Liliet.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the high-tier dream demon Sirca, one of the 'Chosen Children' empowered by Liliet."
No way, it's only been a month, and now Liliet's interfering directly with high-tier dream demons as enemies?
Hearing her confirm she was a high-tier dream demon, I gritted my teeth.
The low-tier monsters we'd faced were like street urchins compared to average mid-tiers on the scale of knights. But the gap between high-tiers and mid-tiers was even more absurd.
Elites who could each serve as Demon King Army legion commanders or executives. In game terms, 90-level elite monsters near the Demon King's castle.
"Hehe, I see your faces hardening—you both know your place. An unawakened wretch and a moderately strong bicorn... Not much for breaking Liliet's barrier."
I gulped dryly and broke into a cold sweat before the gleefully laughing high-tier dream demon, putting on a show of tension.
But I hadn't given up. I'd steeled myself for Demon King legion commanders—failing against a mere high-tier would be laughable.
I've got plenty prepared. With Unicorn a whole tier stronger and my holy power brimming, the two of us can handle a high-tier dream demon...!
The problem was time. Quest clear time was ticking away, and getting stalled here was a hassle.
"No choice. Ready, Unicorn?"
"...Of course, Arthin. This lord would fight the Demon King herself for you."
"Reliable as ever. Let's finish in ten minutes and go find Sion and the others."
"Hah?! The Demon King? Ignorant mortals and fallen divine beasts daring to utter that great name! You'll regret it!"
As the high-tier dream demon Sirca spread enormous wings and soared high, we channeled mana, holy power, and demonic energy, readying for all-out battle.
"I won't even need Liliet's authority! With my power as high-tier dream demon Sirca, I'll end you in one—"
As Sirca formed a sphere of terrifyingly dense demonic energy in her grasp, intense light began leaking from the ceiling.
"Immense demonic energy... No, slightly different...!? Danger, Unicorn!"
"This is mana? A high-tier dream demon wielding mana too?! Be careful, Arthin!"
The moment we moved to shield each other from the mana pouring from the blinding light—
KABOOOM──!!!!
"KyaAAAAAHHH!!!"
A pillar of intense mana engulfed half of Sirca's body, setting it ablaze. She rolled on the ground, writhing in agony amid the flames.
"...Huh?"
I'd braced for a massive attack, erecting a holy barrier, but blinked in confusion at this sudden turn. Wasn't that light pillar aimed at us?
"Arthin, now!!!"
Unicorn dashed at incredible speed toward the rolling Sirca, slamming a soccer kick into the face that had exuded sexy allure, smashing her into the wall.
Seeing that, I shoved aside figuring out what happened and charged at Sirca, swinging the Orconhile Longsword.
I don't know why, but I can't miss this stroke of luck!
Luck was finally turning my way. This was my chance.