Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Tongue and Teeth, and Jaw (2)
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The deeper they ventured into the forest, the fiercer the resistance grew.
"P-Protect Lady Mesetis!"
"Protect Lady Mesetis!!"
- Krrrk! Krrrrk!
- Vreeee!
Thorn beetles laced with venom, soldiers grafted with insect limbs, and now even swarms of giant flies the size of birds of prey. Countless monsters and minions lunged at him ferociously, driven by a single-minded devotion to defend their demon.
Kadim handled them without breaking a sweat.
He clamped the thorn beetles' jaws shut, forcing them to swallow their own venom. He hurled his axe to sweep away two or three soldiers at a time. The pesky flies met a thrown dagger that set them ablaze. Even the occasional scratches healed effortlessly through Mosquito's vampirism.
He didn't need to drink the lesser demon blood he'd brought or tap into his tattoo's power. No matter how wildly these rabble raged, they were no threat.
Creeeak-crunch!
"Gaaahhh!"
But as he cut through the minions, a sudden question crossed his mind.
'...Mesetis?'
Hydra was an exception named by the hero's party themselves—demons only truly earned a name once they grew three horns. Minions of named demons could invoke their master's name for occasional buffs, much like Elga's holy knights calling upon their god.
Yet these minions showed no such signs. They screamed her name out of habit, but their strength never changed.
He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before reaching a conclusion.
'She's still just a lesser demon, but she went ahead and named herself, thinking she'll sprout three horns any day now.'
A hollow chuckle escaped him.
It was pure arrogance. That demon would never claim a true name, nor feed on pain and despair to grow her third horn.
Because today, her neck would snap.
"We have to protect Lady Mesetis!!!"
"We have to protect Lady Mesetis... Gaaahhh!"
- Krrrrk!!
Creeeak-crunch!
As if reading his thoughts, the soldiers and bugs charged with desperate fury. Kadim didn't rise to the bait. Like a seasoned butcher slaughtering beasts, he calmly dismembered his foes one by one. He used their intensifying resistance as a guide, pressing toward the demon.
Staining the mossy earth crimson along the way, he finally found her.
Beneath a cascade of pink glowing orbs, perched on a massive stump like a throne: a blindingly beautiful woman with two horns, reeking of a dizzyingly foul stench.
She crushed a writhing larva between her fingers and parted her lips.
"You've already made it this far. I was just about to come find you my..."
The demon couldn't finish. A razor-sharp whirlwind of metal sliced her words in half.
Whirrr-slash, crack!
He'd aimed for her head, but a limbless soldier lurched up to take the blow instead. Kadim calmly pulled with magnetic force to retrieve his axe and hurled it again. This time, a giant moth threw itself in the path. The self-sacrificing minions kept blocking the axe blade.
Whirrr-slash, crack! Whirrr-slash, crack!
Undeterred, Kadim kept throwing. Minions had limits to their numbers. If they insisted on shielding her, he'd keep hurling until they were all dead.
The demon wouldn't allow it. Scowling as she watched, she casually flicked her hand upward.
"What are you doing? I was talking. How rude."
――――― Quaaddd rumble!
Following her gesture, a massive hand erupted from the earth. Formed from clustered severed human forearms—a grotesque, recursive shape. It snatched the thrown axe tight and sank back into the ground.
Kadim tugged with magnetic force. But buried too deep—even 'Return' couldn't retrieve it. Salmon wouldn't return to its master. Mesetis relaxed her expression into a soft smile.
"I get that you love your little toy. But you need to act like a gentleman in a lady's presence."
"......"
"Don't worry. I'll give it back when we're done talking. Come closer for now? I'm dying to know about you. Your name, that strength, those limbs... how'd you get them?"
Swoosh—splat, fwoooosh!
This time, a hellfire-infused dagger cut her off.
The minions' guard slipped; it flew straight for her stump throne. Mesetis's eyes widened as she ducked urgently.
Fwoosh—
The flaming blade missed her lifeline but singed some of her flowing hair. Her pristine brow twisted in rage, fury igniting her eyes.
"You really... don't listen, do you."
"......"
"I don't always hate defiant males. The ones who obey too well are boring, no fun to break."
"......"
"But this crosses the line. Defy if you must, but know your place. You don't seem to grasp who you're facing. Guess I'll have to teach you manners first."
Mesetis snapped her fingers lightly.
Voooohm...
The floating orbs glowed brighter. The forest stench thickened. Armored insect legs sprouted from the soldiers' severed stumps. All minions surged with far greater ferocity.
"Graaaahhh!"
- Chirrrrk, chirrrk!!
Kadim didn't stand idle. He drew a vial with his free hand. Contrary to her thoughts, he knew exactly who stood before him.
A repulsive sack of blood lost in self-delusion and fantasy.
The berserker wrinkled his nose savagely and gulped the demon blood.
- Chirrrrk!!
"Graaaahhh!!"
"Huuuuh!"
Just the basic 'Strength Enhancement' buff appeared, but it was enough. He surged forward on a tide of boiling bloodlust. No time for them to react—he plunged into the minion horde.
Splat-crunch!
His accelerated fist smashed a helmet. Crushing force snapped the soldier's neck. He kicked the body aside, snatched its shield, and flung it at the flies. Giant moths and bees crumpled in heaps, shattered wings scattering like dust.
- Chirrrk, chirrk!
Swoosh—splat! Fwoooosh—
He dodged a venom spray and countered with a burning dagger. Hellfire spread, sealing the bugs' orifices as innards melted. Detecting soldiers from behind, he spun, swinging his blade in an arc. The sharp curve severed three waists at once, guzzling hot blood.
"Graaaahhh!"
"Graaaahhh!!"
――――――― Quaaddd rumble!
Another massive hand burst from the corpse pile, lunging straight for Kadim.
He gripped his sword hilt and lowered his stance. As it closed in, he unleashed the pent-up power in his calves, springing like a coiled spring. In midair, he whipped his twisted arm and torso free, carving a devastating fan-shaped slash.
Kwajijijik!
Flesh, blood, muscle, and bone shards sprayed. The clustered forearms severed in bundles; the giant wrist buckled limply. Thick fingers groped to crush him—fat chance. Kadim stomped the back of the hand, shredding fingers one by one with his blade tip. The massive hand dissolved into mangled meat.
"Huuuuh!"
"Graaaahhh!!"
- Chirrrk, chirrk!
The berserker's blade thirsted endlessly for enemy blood. Minions couldn't land a scratch; they scattered like autumn leaves. The dreamlike glade under pink lights now wore a chilling veil of gore.
Mesetis watched from her throne, tapping the armrest, one delicate brow arched.
'...Hmm.'
She noticed it too. He'd been a strong warrior before, but whatever he'd drunk made him even more savage and powerful. At this level, she wondered if he was truly human.
Even so, he wasn't her equal.
She was a lesser demon on the cusp of three horns and a true 'name.' Her personal might far outstripped her minions'. If she went all out, she'd have torn him to shreds already.
But she had no intention of intervening directly. Poor control might ruin that body. Such beautiful, sturdy limbs were rare. She needed them intact.
Besides, when this mighty warrior realized he'd lost his strong limbs... the sweet pain and despair he'd emit...
'My third horn won't be far off.'
Mesetis quelled her impatience. Rushing greedily would ruin everything. His submission was only a matter of time. He'd held out on willpower so far, but prolonged exposure to her scent this close would shatter his mind soon enough.
'Soon he'll beg to kiss my feet, severing his own limbs in plea...'
And the signs appeared right on cue.
The warrior paused mid-rampage, staring straight through her. His empty black eyes gleamed with intense emotion. Meeting them, Mesetis sensed the moment had come and curled her lips in a grin.
"Children, all of you fall back. I need some alone time with him."
The minions growled in unease and jealousy but obeyed, retreating from the glade.
Just the two of them now. The glade bathed in soft glows, thick with strange tension and silence.
Mesetis approached languidly, robes swaying. Kadim didn't swing wildly. Blood-soaked face impassive, he simply watched her draw near.
Their breaths mingled as distance vanished. Time to seal him in her thrall. Mesetis unwrapped her silks, baring her flawless curves. Kadim's brow twitched faintly.
The nude demon smiled slyly, stepping closer to press against him. Slender fingers tapped his broad chest, then trailed softly downward.
"What do you want."
"......"
"Tell me what you crave right now. Anything at all. I'll let you have it your way. Just give me your limbs."
Her voice, soft as down, lingered in his ear. Temptation potent enough to befuddle even a chaste high priest whose lusts had long faded.
Yet Kadim showed no reaction. His face remained grim and rigid. The hand on his sword hilt even trembled, poised to impale the demon before him.
Mesetis frowned delicately. What? The enchantment hadn't fully taken? Could human will resist this much? How...
This wouldn't do. If his mind was that strong, she needed more direct contact. Mesetis rose on tiptoe, locking hands behind his neck, whispering breathily.
"Did you know? Nothing in the world is softer than a beautiful woman's tongue."
Then she lunged, kissing him deeply.
A gentle breeze swept her pale pink locks. The lost fireflies flickered. Crickets under roots and brush sang serene nocturnes. The demon's form devoured his lips and tongue like a thirst quenched at last.
To the casual eye, it might seem a tender lovers' tryst.
But the ending suited the bloodstains and corpse piles more than romance.
"Mmph! Mph, mmph!"
Mesetis shoved him back, eyes bulging. Blood streamed from her mouth. She collapsed, spitting gore, then shrieked as if her throat tore.
"Ah, aaah... Kyaaak, kyaaaaah!!"
Kadim chewed something in his mouth, then spat it out with a thwack. A chunk of bloody flesh hit the ground, molars embedded in the cross-section.
The demon's tongue.
"And nothing's tougher than the teeth of a foul-tempered Atalan."
Kadim wiped his mouth and raised his sword again.
"Not just your scent—your blood tastes foul too. Might as well go back to that dog-milk brew you offered."
"Kyaaaaah! Aak, aaah..."
"Anyway, enough of your games, demon. Shut that rotten yap and say goodbye to your neck."
Mesetis realized too late. The gleam in Kadim's eyes hadn't been obsession or longing.
Revulsion. Pure, blind, searing hatred for the demon.
Her eyes dulled. Shoulders trembled. Incomprehensible terror and shock toward the warrior before her began eroding the demon's core—the same that had gripped human hearts her whole life.