Spoils Beyond Imagination

Meanwhile, Sion and Lumina.

"Hah... hahh... nngh!"

Lumina grunted and strained her way through the housework. Today was the day Sion had decided, with grim determination, to deep-clean the entire house.

Damn it. This looked easy from the outside. Why the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hell is it this hard? I'm using muscles I never touch — that's why it's kicking my ass!

Beads of sweat gathered on her brow like pearls, and her breathing grew rougher with every passing second. Every inch of her body was screaming in protest, but she ignored it all.

Watching Lumina wrestle through her ordeal, Sion wore a warm, fond smile — the kind of smile that seemed to hold every ounce of warmth in the world.

Hehe. I'm not just making her clean — this doubles as training! Once she gets used to using those neglected muscles, her body will reward her for it. Hang in there as my son's partner. Fighting! ♥

After nearly a full day of deep-cleaning, the end was finally in sight. While working through the master bedroom, Lumina spotted something and reached deep underneath the bed.

"W-what's this?"

A box came out from under the frame. She opened it and found bondage gear and thin lengths of rope — the kind of tools you'd only ever use after dark. Sion rushed in from behind and snatched it away.

"Ohoho. Everyone has their secrets, you know. You do too, don't you, Lumina? Ohoho ♥"

"Uh, uhh..."

Watching Sion laugh it off, Lumina didn't dare say a word. Even with that smile on her face, something close to killing intent was lurking underneath.

Scary Mama!

Once the deep-clean was finished, Sion stroked Lumina's hair.

"Thank you for helping with the cleaning today. Here — I made chocolate pancakes, so eat as much as you want!"

"Ohh, I can't resist anything sweet!"

Lumina's face, which had been painted over with exhaustion, lit up in an instant. Moments like this, she was even more of a creature of impulse than Lashu.

They took their seats in the kitchen, and Sion talked about all sorts of things.

"...The Lashu I poured my heart and soul into training is the strongest in the world ♥ I trained him so he'd never lose to anyone!"

"Ah, ahh..."

With chocolate pancake crumbs stuck around her mouth, Lumina sat there stunned.

So he was actually an incredible guy. Yeah, I'm interested. Let's get to know him better while we mate!

Lumina grinned and licked her lips. The pancake crumbs were promptly kidnapped by her tongue.

The Warlock I knew was supposed to look like a dark mage. So why was this one pierced through with tentacles? What the hell had it been doing before it got here?

What is this, an enhanced variant? A mutant? Even so, if it's C-rank, that's the same Level 40 as me. That's peak.

I rolled my shoulders, then surged forward in a single burst. I closed the distance and thrust my sword — and a tentacle longer and thicker than an elephant's trunk took the blow in its place.

The blade sheared through. A wet, heavy slash. The tentacle recoiled, spraying blood, but it regenerated almost immediately. I clicked my tongue as the torn flesh knitted itself back together like the wound had never existed.

The Warlock pointed at me. Mana condensed right in front of my face and detonated in a shrieking burst.

"Hup—!"

I rolled sideways and dodged, but darkness flooded into the spot where the mana had exploded and began devouring everything around it. It vanished a moment later.

That wasn't the real attack.

"Ghk—!"

Dark Wave. Three of them, chained back to back. My body went flying like a scrap of paper. It was just spraying magic like that?

The damage hit a lot harder than I'd expected.

I've got a shield effect, and we're the same level. Why does this hurt so damn much?

It felt like there was a level gap between us.

The Warlock drifted toward me. Mages being slow as hell was supposed to be their whole problem! I moved to close the distance in one rush — and the thing vanished like a shadow.

Overwhelming mana bloomed behind me. I spun and threw a roundhouse kick, but the Warlock had already finished casting.

"GAAAAAH!"

I went flying, hung in the air for a beat, then kicked off a chunk of ruined building and closed the distance again. The Warlock swept both hands through the air like a conductor, murmuring something under its breath. The mana signature flared even hotter.

Pitch-black flame wrapped the Warlock's entire body, then erupted in every direction at once. Too late to dodge. The black fire swallowed me whole.

"Goddammit! Kh—!"

I hit the ground and rolled until the flames finally went out. This was genuinely insane.

Fourth Circle a second ago, and now Fifth Circle magic? Does that even make sense? A Warlock's supposed to cap out at the Fourth Circle.

For some reason, this thing's level had climbed even higher. Just because its Abyss rating was high? Or because it was a mutant specimen? Looking at it, the latter seemed a lot more likely.

"Apostle. Thou mayest flee. That Warlock is no ordinary Warlock!"

I clenched my fist. I knew I was at a disadvantage. The Goddess was right.

But I remembered the temple wreckage getting blasted apart by that last spell.

No. I'm fighting.

"It is not that I doubt thee! Thou knowest this as well, dost thou not?!"

That thing dared to cast magic here. Ruins or not, it blew apart the stones that used to make up your temple. I can't just stand by and watch that.

"But—!"

I promised, didn't I? That I would rebuild this place. So protecting it is my job too.

I steadied my breathing. Sword in hand, I advanced one slow step at a time.

The Warlock was still watching me with those ominous crimson eyes, mana scattered loosely around itself, as if inviting me to come whenever I was ready.

Heh. Show-and-prove time.

I ignited my Aura.

I kicked off the ground and ran.

Treat it as an enhanced variant or a mutant. Call the level gap about five. No time to raise my stats right now — full power, everything I've got!

I tore through the air. The Warlock drifted upward and answered.

Dark Wave came crashing in, lethal and wide. I kicked off the ground and slipped sideways, then launched myself from a temple pillar to a collapsed stretch of roof, chaining ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the impacts one after another. This place was cramped and wide open at the same time. Just like the slime I'd fought before — except this time, I was the one using the terrain.

My body was small, and I'd been trained to be quick as a squirrel. I could use that.

I kept kicking off every piece of wreckage around me, scrambling the Warlock's line of sight. It threw a few spells, then stopped, as if it had gotten flustered.

I don't have some ability that lets me run like a madman. I don't have overwhelming raw power either. But I've got a strategy.

I was a degenerate hero — the kind of bastard who enjoyed using his head to score rather than pinning women down with brute force. What had always made me shine was my cunning. Even if that cunning was only so-so.

I pushed the Aura harder and moved even faster, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth the way I had during obstacle training. The Warlock hurled magic to catch me, even leading my path the way a veteran player would in a game. I kept dodging anyway, like I already knew what was coming.

"If thou forcest thy body like that, it will not hold! Flee, I beg thee! I shall not forgive myself...!"

Easy, Goddess. Just watch a little longer. This is sacred ground, isn't it?

"It is. Though it has lost its former glory."

That's enough. That thing is going to tie its own ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠noose.

Time was on my side. The only question was whether I could last until that time arrived.

I kept stalling. The Warlock's mana seemed bottomless; it just kept spraying predictive casts without end.

How does a swordsman close a gap and beat a mage? He doesn't. There's no such method. Even a top-tier fighter goes down if a regular person points a gun at him. The weak don't beat the strong. But I'll show you — in a holy site where this much mana has gathered!

I cut hard to the right. The thing started casting again. Fake. I snapped back left and ran, kicked off one wall, and was about to kick off the next when—

The spell slammed into exactly where I was, as if it had known all along. I kicked off the wall as fast as I could and threw myself back to where I'd started. I'd almost eaten that one.

It was adapting to my movement, little by little. A mere C-rank monster? Was that even right?

"Kh—!"

My whole body was screaming. I was starting to grind and hitch like a broken machine. My breathing twisted tighter with every gasp, and the cost of the Aura made my legs tremble. Even so, I didn't let go of the sword. If there was nowhere left to fall back, the answer had always been a straight charge.

I ran with the blade in my hand — and somehow the Warlock was already behind me. Mana condensed between us on a monstrous scale. Was it about to use that spell from before?

I scrambled to react.

A faint pop.

The mana snuffed out, hollow and sudden. The Warlock locked up as if it had turned to stone, then started to tremble.

"Why so sudden? Ah — surely not...?"

Yes, Goddess. That's divine power interfering.

The moment had finally come. My turn to win.

I caught my breath and walked toward it. Right now, the Warlock was sealed — divine power had stepped in and locked it down.

"Hey. That was actually pretty close, you know? Once the Abyss rating climbs, even the monsters around C-rank get scary as hell."

I shrugged, sword still in hand. God, that had been razor-thin. I looked at the immobilized Warlock and nodded.

"Can't move, can you? Spam magic in a temple or any ruin tied to a god and that's what happens. Up to a point it's fine, but go too far and the divine power steps in and turns the idiot who was dumping mana into a cripple."

That was a setting from the original. And trusting it hadn't been a gamble. If mana was condensing in a temple or a ruin in the first place, this rule came attached as a matter of course.

The Warlock trembled violently. It looked furious enough to burst.

"So you're probably dying to ask. I was running Aura all over the place, so why am I fine? I don't have any mana to begin with. The Aura's just item-powered. So... see you."

A flash of steel. A clean cut. I carved through it in a single stroke. The thing died and dropped its loot.

What kind of combination was that? Was this Warlock a pervert?

Actually, I was fine with it. I'd been wanting to give the Goddess a micro bikini.

"Goddess. Would you try this on?"

Isis dropped her spirit form with a snort.

"Hmph. Thou wouldst have me don such a vulgar scrap of cloth?"

"I think it would suit you perfectly."

"H-hmph. I shall try it on!"

If she hadn't been planning to wear it, she never would have manifested in the first place. With a single gesture, Isis slipped into the micro bikini I'd been holding.

"Oh...!"

It clung tight and still showed off every generous curve — her chest included — with just the right amount of shamelessness. If this had been a beach, I'd have wanted to pin her down on the spot and fuck her until she was dripping. Filthy. Insanely hot. Heh heh.

"A-are you satisfied? Hmph..."

"From now on, appear looking like that. My lovely Goddess!"

"Hmph. Do not get thy hopes up!"

I called Rin out and we rode together. On the way back to the territory, a problem occurred to me.

I didn't have anyone to give the handbag to right now. Things were already good with both Renata and Jayla. I'd find a use for it later.

And the Sphere of the Abyss? What was I supposed to do with that? What even was it? It hadn't existed in the game.

When we reached the territory, Isis returned to her spirit form. I considered heading to the forge, but that seemed pointless. I thought it over for a moment, then clicked my tongue.

Yeah. It's got to be that person, doesn't it?

I headed for where they were.