The Nun and the Demon
The moment my eyes met the nun’s, time seemed to stand still.
She was a young, beautiful woman with shoulder-length blonde hair. She wore the traditional veil and a habit that clung to her frame, and the way it accentuated her figure almost made me lose my focus. Her eyes, however, were sharp.
Are those red eyes? The combination of her crimson irises and that piercing gaze made her look fierce, almost delinquent. She had the vibe of a "bad girl" nun... but her appearance didn't matter. That wasn't why I was rattled.
—...
What I felt in that instant was an inexplicable, ominous energy. It was so intense that the skin on my face felt like it was stinging. I knew it instinctively: that nun possessed a special power, something akin to the demonic mana I wielded.
Just as I could manifest various forms of black magic, I judged that she, too, was capable of using similar skills. She held a sword in her hand—the warrior type. While women generally had less physical strength than men, she looked dangerous despite her feminine build.
"Uh, uhh? Wh-what the hell is that bastard?"
The nun looked just as flustered as I was, seeing my appearance.
"Uh...?"
"Who is that guy?"
The adventurers standing on either side of her were also taken aback. I was confused, and they were confused. Was this what it felt like when a one-eyed villager met a three-eyed villager?
"A fairy! It's a forest fairy, Sister! *Haa! Haa!*"
The man I had been chasing shouted, gasping for air as if he were about to collapse.
"A forest fairy? That thing?"
"The one next to it definitely looks like a fairy, but..."
The two human warriors expressed their doubts.
"Bullshit."
The nun, however, was sharp.
"Does that look like a fairy to your eyes?"
"Well, that is..."
Could she know about the Demon race?
—*Zzzzt.*
The nun glared at me again. Her gaze was incredibly aggressive.
"Hey. You."
Her voice was filled with hostility.
"What are you? Especially with that energy I’m sensing."
—*Tap.*
The nun pointed to the side of her forehead.
"And those horns sticking out of your head. You look incredibly suspicious and evil."
"..."
"Don't tell me. Are you... something like a Demon?"
Oh, fuck! How did she know?!
Okay, let's try to make an excuse!
"Yes? Ha, hahah! A Demon? What kind of joke is that! Sister, I don't know what a Demon is, but these horns are a deformity. A deformity. I was kicked out of my village because I'm a bit... malformed. Hehehe."
As I spoke with a straight face,
"Huk...!"
"Uh...!"
The other adventurers, excluding the nun, were terrified. Why? Do these bastards discriminate against the deformed?
"I'm a human. I'm a person."
"You son of a bitch."
"Yes?"
"Who do you think you're fooling?"
The nun kept glaring at me while spewing such harsh words. This bitch... she intends to fight. She wasn't planning to retreat or run. She had chosen to fight right here.
I had hoped she would run. It would be easier to track down and kill a fleeing enemy than to fight one head-on. But now, I had no choice but to face her. I couldn't let them escape. I had to kill them all. Now that my identity was exposed, I couldn't let a single one of them leave alive!
I calmly analyzed our strength. One dangerous-looking nun. Two ordinary adventurers who appeared to be her party members. One exhausted man I had been chasing. The enemy had four people in total.
In contrast, we had fourteen goblins, plus Sharan and me—sixteen in total. Five goblin shield-bearers, and the rest armed with spears. I didn't know the extent of the nun's power, but if we fought, we could win!
"A human? Do you really expect me to believe that while wearing those horns on your head?"
"It's the truth. I told you, it's a deformity."
"Huh? Shut your mouth, you bastard."
"Hehehe, that's a bit much. Isn't your mouth a bit foul for a nun? I think this is the first time we've met, too."
Human language flowed out of my mouth effortlessly. Come to think of it, I seemed to have an excellent aptitude for language acquisition. That was why I could master the local tongue even after reincarnating in another dimension. I had managed to learn the Demon language on my own while isolated, and with a great tutor like Lumika, learning human speech was a breeze.
"God told me it's okay to speak harshly to bastards like you. Anyway, you're caught. Whatever you are... don't expect to get out of here in one piece."
—*Whoosh.*
The nun spun her one-handed sword and declared war. "In one piece," huh? Let's see who ends up in pieces from here on out. My hostility swelled, and my fighting spirit surged. The energy the nun had been radiating since earlier was incredibly unpleasant. I had to wipe it out immediately.
"Grrr...!"
As I exhaled, a rattling sound came from my throat!
"S-Sister! This looks dangerous!"
"Haa, haa...! He killed all my companions! We have to run!"
"That's right! Sister! Let's just bolt!"
Unlike the nun, who was full of fighting spirit, the adventurers seemed terrified by my appearance. Thank you. Thank you for being scared. Scared enemies are easy to kill.
"Hey. If we run now, we're all dead. If we flee, we'll be hunted down together."
"But that..."
"Get a grip!!!"
"Huk...!"
"We have to fight. You're men, aren't you? You wouldn't think of abandoning this delicate nun and running away, would you?"
"..."
Compared to the terrified male adventurers, the nun was bold and brave. She had a bit of a delinquent vibe, and given how much she swore, she was clearly the most belligerent of the lot. I just hoped she wasn't as strong as her mouth suggested... but she didn't seem strong enough to cut through my entire army alone. The nun was afraid of my army, too.
"Keruk...!"
"Shaa...!"
Regardless, my goblins and Sharan revealed their killing intent.
"D-dammit! There are too many of them! Sister!"
"Why are the goblins armed with spears and shields...!"
Was it the difference in numbers? The nun had tried to boost their morale, but they were still paralyzed by fear. There was no human who didn't fear death. A horned guy had brought a whole goblin army; I'd be scared too.
In that case.
Should I use that fear?
To win, I didn't need to be picky about my methods. I would use whatever I could! I was in a favorable position, so a little bluffing wouldn't hurt!
"Hehehe, hey. You handsome young men."
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"Don't listen! It's the temptation of a demon! Hey, hey! Get a grip!"
As I spoke, the nun shrieked sharply. Of course, ignoring her, I continued to the adventurers.
"Ignore the nun. If you run, I'll let you live. What's the point of getting hurt or dying here? Survival comes first. If we fight, one side will definitely die. And even the survivors will be injured."
"I told you not to listen!"
"You haven't even spent all the money in your pockets yet, so you can't die, can you? Run away. If you don't fight, you can live. If you fight, I will kill you. I promise."
A reasonable offer. If they ran, great; if not, so be it. Of course, I had no intention of letting them live. If I could get even one of them to run and disperse their strength, it would be a jackpot. I could crush the weakened enemy, and then chase down the ones who fled to kill them later.
"Do you really think that bastard will let us live! It's a trick!"
The nun vented her frustration, but...
"..."
"..."
The adventurers were already looking for an opening.
"Now. It seems the only one who wants to fight here is that nun. Only those who want to fight should fight. Isn't that enough? Go back now. There's nothing to gain from fighting."
"You sure know how to run your mouth, you devilish bastard."
The nun spoke very aggressively. Looking at her now, she had quite a decent face. Her breasts were pretty large, too. I had bluffed on purpose, but even I was starting to be persuaded by my own bravado.
"Not as much as you, Sister."
I was starting to feel relaxed.
"Then, I'll give you five seconds. I won't chase those who run. Five. Four. Three."
The moment I counted to three,
"Uwaaaaah!"
"You, you run too!"
Two of the adventurers... ran away.
"Hey! Wait!"
"You bastards! Don't run!"
It was the guy I had been chasing and one of the nun's party members. The nun and the other adventurer shouted in panic, but the men just kicked off the ground and sprinted away.
"Grrrrrr-hahahahaha!!!"
The thrill! The thrill was rushing in! With just one bit of bluster, I had wiped out 50% of the enemy's strength! It worked! My bluff worked! It was easier to kill two than to kill four!
"All troops! Advance!!!"
—*Kueeeeeee!*
I immediately roared in the Demon tongue and gave the order!
"Keraaaaak!"
"Kerururung!"
"Keruk!"
Taking advantage of the nun and the other guy's confusion, the goblins kicked off the ground and charged! Spears forward, shields raised!
"Sharan! Stick to my side! Follow me!"
"Shaa!"
"Kill the men first!"
Killing the weak first was the fundamental rule of battle!
"Sister!"
"Dammit! Those bastards! Just fight them! I'll try to break through the retreat path!"
Two against sixteen? You're all dead!
—*Pa-pa-pat!*
"Keryaaaak!"
"Kerururung!"
The goblin formation charged at high speed, and I bypassed the formation to the right. The two were standing side-by-side. First, I would take out the man standing to the nun's right!
"Shaaaa!"
Sharan stuck to my side. Her pupils were completely vertical, and she had her long claws extended. Sharan's scratching was incredibly powerful!
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Realizing he was the target, the adventurer pointed his sword at me and let out a battle cry. He must have been regretting not running away by now. To me, such an enemy was nothing more than prey.
"I, this shi—!!"
The nun tried to help him, but the goblin formation had already reached them! Assessing the entire flow of battle,
"Demon Breath!"
I exhaled fire and swung my sword!
"Uwaaaaah! You monster bastard!"
—*Clang!*
Our steel swords collided with a fierce metallic ring. Extreme tension! This was the first time we had crossed blades like this! I had intended to be careful not to get hit while engaging in a test of strength, but—
—*Clang-clang!*
"Huk?!"
I felt his sword wrap around mine, and the distance closed in a flash. He's coming toward me in this situation?!
"You monster! That's not how you use a sword!"
The moment he shouted!
—*Swaaaaaaah!*
Sharan's claws exploded outward.
"Shaaaa!"
"Ugh...?!"
Blood sprayed, and the man's stance collapsed. I wouldn't miss that moment! Without hesitation, I drove my sword into his neck.
—*Thwack!*
"Gack!"
At the same time,
—*Thwack!*
—*Thwack!*
The approaching goblins thrust their spears. The spears pierced the adventurer's torso. One down. Now, only the nun remained. The moment I turned my head toward her,
—*Swaaaaah!*
What I saw was...
"Keraaaaaaak!"
A goblin shield-bearer flying through the air, his shield split in two!
"Ch-Childol-aaaaaaaah!"
"You dog-like demon bastards! I'll kill you all!"
The nun was in an upward-swing stance. D-did she really just cut through a goblin and send him flying like that?
What kind of strength is that?!