Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Great Demon and the Cat Goddess (3)
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"Kyaaang! Rodentia! Rodentia! So adorable! So squishy! Ears so fluffy! Tail so long!"
Rodentia shrieked as she flailed wildly in midair. Yet the Cat Goddess's hands didn't waver in the slightest.
Eek! Let me go! Apostle! Get this wench off me!
"Oh my, why'd you get so weak? Though... you're even cuter now!"
Felicia squeezed Rodentia's phantom tightly, then began rubbing her own face against those tiny cheeks.
Her tongue mercilessly licked Rodentia's cheek.
Kyaak! It's sticky! Don't slobber on me! My noble form is getting filthy!
"Lord... are you okay?"
I asked in a daze, and Rodentia cried out with tears welling in her eyes.
I'm not okay! Look at that tongue! That cat bitch is tasting me! Savoring my flavor! You evil goddess!
"Aw, don't be like that. Tasting? And what's this 'evil goddess' business?"
Felicia lifted her head and smacked her lips.
Those vertically slit golden pupils slowly scanned me, Sena, and Mani.
"Little rats... do I look that wicked to you? Hmm?"
Felicia flashed us a seductive smile, sticking out her tongue just a bit.
"I just... absolutely adore you little rats—so small, so quick, rustling about. I love you so much I could just bite you!"
"That's what makes you an evil goddess... And I heard you got kicked out of the Pantheon Temple?"
I replied with a weary expression, and Felicia burst into laughter.
"I'm the guardian of catkin! I wasn't kicked out of the Pantheon Temple, you know? I just broke a few vases, and the Hearth Goddess and Wisdom got all mad about it. So they exiled me... but while I was taking a quick nap, some idiot humans sealed me away?"
Felicia's gaze turned to the black mage leader sprawled on the floor.
"Anyway, you presumptuous butler! Trying to use me? How insolent!"
Thwack!
The Cat Goddess hiked up the hem of her elegant dress and kicked the black mage in the side.
"Kuak!"
"Hmph, well, thanks to you lot, I got to see our dear Rodentia. Time for me to head out—gotta see the world!"
Felicia winked at me.
"See you later, cute apostle. Raise that little rat boy well? Fatten him up! Gotta be squishy to hug properly!"
I don't wanna see you! Get lost!
Felicia answered Rodentia's outburst with a grin. The goddess dissolved into black light, shooting up to the ceiling and vanishing in an instant.
In the aftermath of the storm, only the black mages— their minds shredded—were left behind.
"Ugh... damn cat... I never dreamed she couldn't be controlled..."
The leader staggered to his feet, vomiting blood. Madness flickered belatedly in his eyes.
"We're screwed... the fusion failed! But!"
He raised his staff, and the second summoning circle at the rear ignited in red flames.
Felicia's arrival had made us forget, but the ritual hadn't stopped.
"Lord Dragosius is coming! I won't die alone! I'll drag you all—and this city—straight to hell!"
Wooong!
With the sound of space tearing, the air above the altar flushed crimson.
Kugugugu!
Immense heat and terror erupted like a volcanic blast.
"Kuhahaha!"
A deep, guttural laugh that seemed to scrape the bottom of hell.
An overwhelming pressure crushing the entire space.
A massive horned dragon head emerges from the red portal!
Muscle-bound torso and lava-flowing black armor-clad arms follow!
The Great Demon Dragosius had descended.
"It's been ages, air of the surface! Mortals, tremble in fear! The Lord of Destruction has arriv... guk?!"
The demon's roar twisted into a bizarre yelp.
The demon, striding forth majestically, halted abruptly at the waist.
"Huh?"
Dragosius blinked in confusion. He strained to push forward, but the summoning circle gripped his waist like tight pants.
"What the hell? Why won't it move? My legs! I can't feel my legs!"
Wait... what's the issue? Don't tell me...
"The control stone! It worked after all!"
Camilla shouted. Was it because of the holy oil hit earlier?
"Damn! That's it! The summoning's half-done! Nice one, Loti!"
Mace cheered me on, raising his fist.
The demon was jammed in the dimensional rift. In crude terms, he'd fallen into a sensory-block trap!
"Th-this damn... Hey! You lot! Aren't you gonna open this?! I'm stuck!"
Dragosius yelled at the black mages. They gestured frantically in terror.
"Forgive us, Great Demon! We'll fix the summoning circle right away and complete the—"
Thwung!
"Gahk!"
Too late. Sena and Mani unleashed a volley of arrows. Without barriers—likely from the summoning backlash—several black mages fell, while others fled behind pillars in panic.
The Great Demon spotted us in the arrow's direction and gnashed his teeth.
"Rat brats... and Pantheon Temple stinkers? Insolent fools! Hindering my descent! Burn in agony and vanish!"
The demon spread his massive palm.
"Infernal flames! Scorch them...!"
A huge flame gathered in his palm. Alarmed, Camilla and the mage chanted shields.
That instant.
Pfbt!
Only a tiny lighter spark popped from his palm before fizzling out weakly.
"..."
The clearing fell silent for a moment.
"What the...? Why won't my magic rise?!"
Enraged, he swung both arms.
"Damn mortals!"
Boom!
His massive arms swept the clearing. We retreated swiftly, and the dazed monsters got swept away.
"I'll tear you apart!!"
He stretched his arm. Razor-sharp claws, muscles rivaling steel!
But his hand never reached us.
His arm just wasn't long enough.
Mace saw it and snorted in disbelief.
"Hey, Loti. That guy's just..."
Mace drew his cherished musket pistol, cocking it with a click.
"One hell of a big target, right?"
"Totally. Perfect punching bag."
I aimed my dropped Rapid Bowgun.
"Beat the crap out of him!"
"All hands, open fire! Pound him till he breaks!"
"Fire away!"
Bang!
Thwung thwung! Mace's gun and my crossbow unleashed merciless fire.
"Kraaak! My eyes! My eyes!"
The demon screamed, flailing his arms, but we retreated out of range, pouring on attacks. His arms couldn't reach.
"Receive holy purification!"
Sena hurled holy water and oil vials.
Clang!
White smoke billowed noisily on contact.
"Ow, hot! Don't cheat with holy water!"
"Take this too! Lady Rodentia, please!"
Mani fired the ballista again. The Horned Rat-loaded bolt flew toward the demon's eye.
"Aak! My eye! My eye! Stop it, you vermin!"
Furious to the brink, Dragosius grabbed and hurled whatever he could.
Unfortunately, that was the black mages cowering below.
"This is your fault! If you were gonna summon, do it right! Useless idiots! Uwaaa!"
"Great Demon, mercy! Uwaak!"
Splat!
The demon swung the black mage like a club to block arrows, then flung him at us. Teamkill didn't get more literal.
"Show that abomination no mercy!"
Camilla swung her staff; skeletons fired crossbows en masse, followed by lightning strikes.
Kurrung!
"Gaaaaah! Stop! Enough! Talk! Let's talk!"
Even a Great Demon couldn't endure holy power, physical blows, and magic triple-combo in his half-summoned state.
Face lacerated, Dragosius finally whimpered.
"Aw, crap! You filthy humans! Vile rat bitches! I curse you! Curse you again!"
"Where you running!"
"Just you wait! I'll return! You moron worshippers! It's all your fault aaaah!"
Wooong!
The red magic circle flared, sucking the demon's upper body back underground.
"...He broke the summoning contract himself."
Camilla muttered.
At once, the ominous aura filling the dungeon lifted, silence descending.
"It's over..."
Sena collapsed, sighing in relief.
Camilla lowered her staff, clicking her tongue.
"Unbelievable... No history book records beating and banishing a Great Demon so one-sidedly. Loti, it's all thanks to you."
"Just got lucky."
I nudged the ragged black mage leader with my foot.
He was already out cold.
"Let's go. Worried about outside."
We bound him and dragged our weary bodies out of the dungeon.
Emerging from the long passage, the eastern sky was dawning bluish.
But the scene before us was grim.
"This is bad..."
The ritual stopped, but the freed monsters hadn't vanished. The plain before the ancient ruins and Oakwood's front were swarming with hundreds.
The adventurers' barricade teetered on collapse.
"Damn... got the boss, but too many small fry."
Mace leaned on his greatsword like a cane, sighing.
We'd hit our limit too. Rapid Bowgun mag empty, stamina drained.
Then.
Pam-pam-paam!!
From beyond the horizon, atop the hill where the morning sun rose, a blaring trumpet echoed.
"What's that?"
Bearing the sunlight came a wave of green uniforms.
Chest plates gleaming in the dawn, muskets slung over shoulders, golden lion emblems fluttering in the wind.
"Regional regiment! Cavalry's here!"
An adventurer cheered. The army garrisoned near Oakwood had arrived.
At the forefront of the massive green wave rode a white-haired elder drawing his sword. In worn but well-kept officer's garb, the veteran bellowed thunderously.
"For His Majesty the King! For Oakwood! Full charge!"
Dudududu! Hooves thundered like lightning across the earth.
"Open fire!"
Dadadang! Flames spat from muskets atop horses in unison.
The trained riflemen's volley felled the monster vanguard like autumn leaves.
Holstering guns and drawing sabers, the cavalry encircled the monsters in a bull-horn formation, crashing like a wave.
Slash!
"Kreuk!"
The cavalry sliced through the heart of the monster horde. The disorganized foes, their morale shattered by gunfire, scattered in panic before the overwhelming mobility and impact.
Tatang!
"Kwaak!"
Some drew pistols for close-range shots.
Not enough—distant cannon booms followed.
Kwaaang!
Cannon fire from the far hill arced black shells down.
Another monster group charging the cavalry tumbled like bowling pins. Dirt and monster chunks soared.
"Waaaaah!"
Cheers erupted from the barricade. As the situation stabilized,
the lead elder spurred toward us.
Mace recognized the face and chuckled hollowly.
"Heh... had a hunch."
Mace plopped down, snickering.
"Baron, you're a bit late, sir."
"Haha! Took the old-timer a bit to dig out his old uniform."
It was the Oakwood Baron.
"Mace! Still kicking, eh?"
"Thanks to you. But Baron, how'd you join the cavalry?"
"Who do you think I am? Honorary colonel, remember? Heard your messenger, went to the nearby regiment. They were mobilizing after an urgent wire—just in time to request and join. Old or not, forget I was once an adventurer like you?"
The baron laughed heartily, nodding to the following regimental commander.
"Your messenger saved us from being late. Good work."
The baron's gaze lingered on me, Sena, Mani, and Camilla's group.
"And... everyone, well done."
Victory cheers echoed across the dawning plain.