Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Advanced Dream Demon Sirca! You're Mine!
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Advanced Dream Demon Sirca! You're mine!
Kaiyen blushed at Arthin's gaze and turned her eyes away.
The reason was simple. Every time she saw that face, the image of Arthin from her dream—the one she'd fantasized about until just moments ago—flashed vividly before her eyes.
[W-Wait, what are you doing, Partner..!]
[How long did you think you could hide your true self...? Do I look like an idiot to you?]
[S-Stop it, Partner. We have that vow from that day... a promise we must keep..!]
[Don't act so serious. This time, I want to claim you for myself too, Pa.rt.ner.]
[A-Ahh... We can't do this, Arthin... No... Nooo...♡]
"...!"
Kaiyen's heart began pounding wildly as the lewd dream memories flashed vividly before her eyes once more. It was nothing but the absurd schemes of a succubus, anyway.
She had never once shown her true self to Arthin, yet in that dream, she had... No. Kaiyen shook herself out of it. She couldn't afford to dwell on pointless fantasies with the enemy right in front of her.
...Once this was all over, she decided to track down one of the manga club members who'd been blown to smithereens last time. With her face flushed bright red, Kaiyen turned toward the direction of the monster and Sirca—Liliet.
'...This fucking bastard?'
Seeing her reaction, Arthin felt an irresistible surge of impulse. Why the hell was she blushing while looking at him in a situation like this?
Suddenly, it hit him that Kaiyen had been trapped in the succubus's dream. Unwanted images began flooding his mind—scenes from the dream she must have had, ones he didn't want to imagine.
"What the actual fuck."
"“?”“"
Arthin suddenly spat out a curse, leaving the three of them looking puzzled. But with his natural, practiced gaze management, he glared ferociously at the agonized, wailing Sirca—Liliet. As if all the humiliation and rage he'd just felt was entirely her fault.
"...This is all your fault, you bitch. Even before midterms this semester, you crawled out all clingy and desperate—it's all because of you, Liliet!"
"...Y-You insolent mortal! Have you finally lost your mind?! Not content with wounding the body I've possessed!!"
The young man she'd neutralized earlier slipping free from her power displeased her, and so did him daring to damage her plaything. But now this unjust rage was directed at her? Sirca—Liliet was genuinely furious.
**
Liliet's main body seemed to still be in the Demon King's castle, but as her mind began venting its rage, the sheer presence of it cracked the surrounding walls, and an overwhelming pressure started crushing down on us.
"Urk..! That's pressure on par with a high-rank demon, Master..! This is dangerous!"
"Fall back behind this lord, Arthin! I shall protect you!"
I didn't have the ability to stand tall against Liliet's fury like Kaiyen, who hadn't even awakened her potential yet.
Like that 'Haki' from some manga, even if she had awakened, most people would probably foam at the mouth and collapse just from facing that rage head-on.
Fortunately, Unicore had grown stronger upon regaining her memories, and thanks to the temporary contract with Al'Miraz when I entered Violet's dream, I could withstand the pressure.
'Still, the situation isn't great... Look at all those mid-rank monsters swarming.'
Kaiyen had cut down a bunch, but there were still plenty left alive. At least fifty of them—at that number, it was nauseating. Had she brought her entire monster horde?
'And the biggest problem is Liliet herself, possessing Sirca's body.'
I had no idea how she'd restored Sirca, who seemed 95% sealed by the rune, but Sirca Mk.2 felt visibly more powerful than before, even to the naked eye. Probably because Liliet had hammered her own power into it.
And now Liliet was controlling it. Not some century-old spinster succubus like Unicore said, but one of the Demon King's executives—described in the original story as the protagonist party's nightmare, old enough to call a hag without issue.
...There was a way. There was, but...
'Ah, fuck, I really, really don't want to do that...'
It was a Plan Z kind of option, something I'd shoved to the back burner, which made it even less appealing. How was I supposed to handle the aftermath?
"A hag succubus possessing a spinster is raging out of her mind!!"
"You half-assed bacon, are you really not gonna shut up?!?!"
"...Bacon? Did you just call me bacon?"
But the situation was deteriorating in real time, leaving no room for prolonged thought. With no choice, I made my decision.
"Arthin, that succubus just said something weird..."
"Shut your trap and catch!"
I slashed at the oncoming monsters while hurling my treasure toward Kaiyen, who looked flustered as she stared at me.
"......Orconhile Longsword?"
"Use it to fight for now! Without a holy sword, you need something like that just to stand a chance!"
Yes, that expression.
The moment I tossed her the Orconhile Longsword I’d been holding, Kaiyen looked at me with an expression of being deeply moved—well, less moved and more…
"...Thanks, Partner! I'll treasure it, really treasure it!"
"No! I'm just lending it! Don't even think about keeping it! Stop blushing, please!"
That wistful look reminded me painfully of myself back in middle school, after borrowing an eraser from the class president—the only one who didn't bully me—after crushing on her. That's why I hadn't wanted to lend it.
'A guy with pecs firmer than mine and even an abdominal tattoo that screams prince... why the hell...'
I couldn't understand why the protagonist, who had a perfectly fine heroine in the original story, was reacting to me like this.
"How dare you get distracted right in front of me!!"
At that moment, Sirca—Liliet charged at Kaiyen with furious wingbeats, swinging her sharply clawed black nails wrapped in demonic energy.
"──Get lost. I'm communing with my partner right now."
"Kyat?!"
In that instant, Kaiyen moved at a speed even my dynamic vision couldn't follow, blocking Liliet's claws with her swing. The Orconhile Longsword was enveloped in her black aura sword—far purer mana than my own aura blade.
"Eek, where the hell did you get another cheat artifact from!!"
"I don't know what 'cheat' means, but this is a symbol of the bond between me and Arthin. Don't call it unfair?"
Kaiyen spouted more nauseating crap, but Liliet couldn't crush her outright with brute force. No, Kaiyen was gradually pushing back.
Succubi weren't a demon race strong in physical combat to begin with. They excelled in powerful magic, illusions that completely deceived foes, and abilities that made resistance futile. Meanwhile, Kaiyen was practically half-dragon, inheriting the power and authority of an ancient dragon.
Armed with a masterfully crafted famed sword instead of her flimsy old scrap metal, there was no reason for Kaiyen—who'd finally unleashed her full draconic power without holding back—to lose.
"This power...! You're no ordinary handsome mortal!"
"Don't forget this lord exists! You hag succubus!"
At that moment, Unicore's fierce roundhouse kick slammed into the center of Sirca—Liliet's chest, forcing her back as she ground her teeth.
"How dare you challenge my power, my magic, my authority—everything..!! I'll kill you all right here!!"
Realizing she couldn't win a pure power struggle with demonic energy, Liliet unfurled dozens of massive magic circles in the air and tried to retreat behind the monsters.
"Like we'd let that happen, making us look retarded. Al'Miraz!"
"Ready! Master!"
While Kaiyen and Unicore had Liliet's aggro, I and Al'Miraz—who'd been preparing our spell via telepathy—activated our magic circle straight at Liliet.
Binding Magic ─ Decarabia "Gaaahhh?! When did you...?! More importantly, how are you binding me with magic...!?"
Liliet looked over at us in panic. A natural reaction. In RPGs, status effects don't land if the level gap is too wide—Al'Miraz and I fundamentally couldn't use magic that would stick on a high-rank demon.
So I flashed her a big grin and waved my staff.
"Cheat items are the best."
"You damn cheat user!!!!! I can break this spell in 3 seconds!!!"
Who knew how much demonic energy she had? Liliet writhed violently, emitting even stronger demonic power than before to shatter the binding magic circle around her.
And those 3 seconds were crucial to me.
What could I do in just 3 seconds? Have Kaiyen behead her? Have Unicore blast her with holy power?
They'd deal decent damage, sure, but nothing fatal. The Demon King's minions weren't that easy.
But I had a better way.
I unleashed the footwork Shaomei taught me, amplified by the mana root activation Marianne showed me, while jetting mana from my soles. All to close the distance to Liliet as fast as possible.
The moment I charged at Liliet, the mid-rank monsters lashed out with tentacles and claws to kill me.
"Where do you think you're going!!"
But of course, Unicore blocked their approach, and Kaiyen sliced down any reinforcements. Even without explanation, my 15-year battle comrade and soul-bound contractor understood my plan perfectly.
Thanks to them, I reached Sirca—Liliet in an instant. Seeing me, Liliet sneered mockingly.
"Not that young man, not the half-assed bacon, and not even a demon—you charging in is just too arrogant, isn't it?"
She was right. Even with the Orconhile Longsword, wounding her was tough. A fatal blow? Impossible.
"But even if I can't wound you, I can finish what I started."
"...What you started?"
I pulled an item from my inventory.
The sealing rune containing Sirca.
"Go!! Monster Ball!!!!"
"Gaaahhh?! What is this!? A fragment of an ancient god?! How do you have such a powerful artifact!?"
Ignoring Liliet's scream, I thrust the sealing rune toward Sirca's body—usurped by Liliet—and activated it.
Zwaaaang──!!!
The rune blazed with green light, beginning to suck in Sirca's remaining power and essence completely. The process didn't take long. Sirca's share in the body that had already been sucked dry as much as possible wasn't much.
Like Theseus's ship, absorbing the last remaining original mast amid all the replacements.
Weeng──! Weeng──!
In less than a second, after devouring Sirca's remnants, the sealing rune began blinking. To me, it looked like the lingering will resisting.
But a rune that had relentlessly drained over 95% of Sirca's existence in the dream wouldn't be resisted by a half-stolen fragment.
Ding──!
The rune's green glow stopped blinking and shifted to a soft blue.
──I finally did it.
"Sirca, you're mine!!!"
I held the sealing rune high. The process wasn't smooth, but I'd secured the greatest gain from this shitty Rose Dorm incident.
Hell yeah─! I captured Advanced Dream Demon Sirca!