Chapter 118
Chapter 118
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Good Dream
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Black magic.
Just like the mana pouring from a mage's body when they cast a spell.
It was the impure energy flowing from the demons of the Karav continent whenever they unleashed their power.
And that energy.
Was seeping out from the tiny girl right before my eyes.
Before long, her entire body was shrouded in black magic, and young Lize's form vanished without a trace.
What emerged was pink twintail hair cascading down to her shoulders, clad in a black dress.
The lace on her skirt hung short, barely reaching above her knees.
Lize floated slightly in midair as her form shifted, the sharp click of heels echoing while she fixed me with sultry eyes.
She no longer looked like a child.
Outwardly, she appeared about high school age.
Yet those seductive lips curved into a smile utterly at odds with her look, her tongue teasingly flicking across them.
"Lize, no, you're…"
I shot to my feet, dropping into a defensive stance at the sight of her transformation.
I held off on attacking right away because she didn't seem all that threatening.
At least, not strong enough to take on all four of us at once.
"I'm Jerry… Jerry Ban Perlion."
She answered my question with a leisurely smile.
"Commander of the Phantom Corps under the great Arleus-sama, part of the Demon King's Royal Guard."
She even kindly shared her affiliation, conjuring a small staff with a casual wave in the air and gripping it tight.
A straight rod of a staff, topped with a pink gem.
She propped the tip under her chin, gazing at me with blatant seduction.
"…Je, Jerry."
"Hehe, surprised? The cute little village girl turned into a stunning beauty."
Jerry giggled like she'd been waiting for exactly that reaction, eagerly soliciting my take on her new look.
I glared at her warily before speaking up.
"…Lize spelled backwards to make Jerry?"
"…"
"Isn't that kinda lazy?"
"Honestly, the second I heard it, I thought it screamed zero effort."
"Perl would've been cuter, don't you think? Perl's adorable."
The other three surrounding Jerry chimed in with their agreement.
Taking a slice from her family name definitely beat flipping her real one backward…
"Eeeeek—!! Who gives a damn about the name! It's a fake anyway!"
Our friendly banter clearly grated on her—Jerry stomped her feet, balled her fists, and snapped in irritation.
Then she jabbed her staff straight at me and yelled.
"Demon King's army! I disguised myself as a village girl to sneak up on you! The least you could do is freak out, or get shocked and flop over or something!"
She really seemed to want us stunned by her big reveal.
Since it flopped, she threw a fit. Just like a little cousin whose prank bombed.
Still, I get the gist of her goal. No need to ask more.
I'm no fool.
I'd caught the name Arleus while she blabbed her intro.
Arleus.
The demon prince who was originally slated to become this era's Demon King.
And the former Demon King, memories of the unaltered past restored, gunning for the throne once more.
Which means he's probably keeping tabs on his brother Reynesis's moves.
In that case, ex-Demon King Arleus might've gotten wind of it too.
The intel that Reynesis was hunting a magic sword to kill him.
"The reaction you're after? Tough to muster up now…"
I eyed Jerry's puffed cheeks and drew the Base Sword from my pocket once more.
The rest of the group followed suit at my cue, weapons out and aimed her way in open hostility.
"I'll skip the boring explanations. …You're here to get in our way, right?"
"Hmph, always acting clever."
Irked at the lackluster response, Jerry squinted and gave her staff a light shake.
Then.
…She's gone!
Jerry vanished from right in front of me in a blink.
"Ken! Over there!"
Rapne's shout rang out—I whipped my gaze to her pointing finger, spotting Jerry standing there all casual.
She'd clearly been by the wide hall's wall just a second ago.
Now she lounged smack in the hall's center.
"I'm an upper demon of noble blood among our kind. A succubus who wields space magic. Jerry Ban Perlion, commander of the Phantom Corps."
"So… you think you can take us now?"
"Hehe, acting smart's not the same as being smart."
She smirked mockingly over her hand as I readjusted my sword grip toward her.
"Even I know one-on-one's a no-go against you—the ones who dropped the temple guardian in seconds."
Jerry leveled her staff at me.
"Dealing with you isn't my goal. Master's after just that."
"…The magic sword?"
"You don't seriously think Arleus-sama's the only one it could kill, do you?"
Her helpful reply clicked it for me—why Jerry had cozied up to us.
If she'd wanted us dead, she could've jumped us back in village girl getup.
But no, she wasn't here for our heads.
She wanted the magic sword we'd forged.
A special blade fit to slay the Demon God's heir.
"No hard feelings. Hand over the sword. Reward's the same as the Demon King's. …Demon politics? Not your humans' problem anyway, right?"
She'd kept her distance not to fight, but to talk—now Jerry pitched a deal instead of swinging.
…Fair point, humans aren't involved.
Expecting us to cough it up easy? Not a bad bet.
In this changed-past timeline, demons and humans weren't at each other's throats.
Demons only menaced humans back in the prophecy days with Rapne.
Prophecy gone? Demons'd figure humans were fair game for bargaining.
But not for me.
And not for her boss, Arleus.
We both remembered the pre-change past.
Knew what he'd unleash as Demon King.
Let that guy take the crown? War for sure.
Prophecy or no, he'd probably come after Rapne.
So I answered her open hand with cold steel.
"My counteroffer. Back off nice and quiet. No pain that way."
Rapne speared up into stance at my words; Mary flared her mana.
"Haha, shame. Was hoping for the smooth route."
Jerry touched her cheek with a pitying smile at our shutdown.
"You wouldn't actually try something, would you?"
"As if. Saw plenty on your strength just now."
"Then…"
"Doesn't mean I can't put you all out of commission."
"…What?"
"Upper succubus, remember?"
She flicked her tongue out and hoisted her staff.
"Ken! Careful! Incoming!"
Mary—prepped and swinging—unleashed a mana pulse from her staff.
━Kwa-gaga-gak!!
Waves erupted from her, morphing into massive ice spikes hurtling at Jerry.
But.
The spikes hit empty air—she was already gone.
"Time I showed you why they call me Phantom Corps commander."
Her voice followed from—
Right overhead.
Chills raced up my spine; I recoiled, head snapping back to find Jerry's hand plunging toward my scalp.
Too late.
━Ziiing.
"Beatus Fixio." ⟨ Blissful Binding ⟩
Mana-laced words sent shivers through me before I could twitch.
Her creepy voice lingered in my ears; then her mana washed over me in a weird tingle.
"Damn…!! Everyone━"
I whipped around to check the group.
But her magic hadn't spared me alone—their eyes glazed over, infused with her mana.
That was the last thing I saw.
Darkness swallowed my vision.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ken…."
A voice calling my name roused me; I cracked my eyes open slow.
Familiar sight greeted me.
A dim brick-walled room.
Bright moonlight streamed through the lone big window, bathing the space.
Scattered books and dolls littered the moonlit floor.
Dead center.
Rapne stood there in her usual sheer nightgown.
"…Rapne?"
"Asleep?"
"…Y-yeah. Dozed off, I guess."
I was in the tower.
Our rundown haunt, me and Rapne's.
I'd nodded off in the room's chair—woke still slumped there.
But.
"…Huh?"
Not just sitting.
"Ra, Rapne. …Wh-what now?"
Chair-bound, my arms and legs roped down tight.
A scene straight out of memory.
Identical to when Rapne locked me in this tower before.
Come to think, her nightie matched that time too.
"…Ken, you okay? Uncomfortable?"
Rapne sidled up as I scanned in panic, her tone oddly husky.
I lifted from body-checking to meet her gaze.
She loomed right over me now, peering down.
Upside-down view: her full breasts eclipsed everything below her face.
I gulped at those curves on reflex.
"Want me to fix that?"
"F-fix? I'm good, really."
"Mmm, but you look so uncomfortable."
Head cocked at my reply, Rapne flushed with bedroom eyes, staring somewhere on me.
I followed her look down—and got why she'd said it.
Oh yeah. This is rough.
Pants pinching bad.
Swell up sudden? Tailored fit's gonna strain.
"I'll sort you out."
Clocking my issue, Rapne bubbled a tinkly laugh in that itchy voice.
Ssswk.
Her hand ghosted my shoulder.
"…Ra, pne."
Trussed up, zero fight—I took the touch helpless.
Smooth as silk, her fingers trailed shoulder to chest to gut.
Zeroed on my pants' belt, the real troublemaker.
Click.
Slender digits nimbly unbuckled it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hehe, sweet dreams now."
Jerry smirked down at the out-cold Ken, snickering as she snatched the dropped blade by his side.
Blade alone… hilt's no sweat, our smiths'll craft one.
Mission done either way.
She mulled offing the sleeper for safety's sake.
But noped out quick.
Wake him glitchy? Op fails flat.
Lives? Meh. Magic sword recovery was priority one.
"Went all-out: your top dream girl in a mega-steamy setup. No regrets there."
She cloth-wrapped the sword, cinched it to her waist, then hunkered by sprawled Ken to pet his hair soft.
"Hot look, my type even. …Shoulda dreamed me up instead?"
Dream-trapping guys to bag 'em? Her fave pastime. Hasty job left her itching a tad.
Hobby turf only.
Goal nabbed, Jerry popped up light and spun on dainty heels.
That's when.
"…The woman I most want?"
A voice piped from behind.
"Eh? No friggin' way! How…!"
Impossible voice.
Dream spell unbreakable for normie humans.
Strong or not, her sneak dream magic was unavoidable.
But.
Jerry turned.
There stood the woman who'd pulled off the undoable.
Eyes murder-red.
Flame-like red hair whipping wild.
"And a steamy dream…? With Ken…?"
Rapne bored holes, voice screaming answer or die.
"Who the bitch is it."
"Hiiiik!"
That insane kill-aura hit unprecedented terror—Jerry's shoulders quaked raw.