Chapter: 117
The movements were different.
Compared to the lackluster hunting dogs controlled by that Eternal Dark organization, these tentacles were fundamentally different. Each one was launching a remarkably swift assault.
It was an expert. Yuri Frostlover… that girl was a battle specialist!
Her ability to read magical energy, and the sheer amount of it, were superior to the Four Heavenly Kings. Even looking for a weakness, there was nothing lacking anywhere.
If he got close, he was outmatched in close combat, and if he stayed back, he’d be caught by the plant stem. The trump card to turn around this unfavorable situation was Transformation—but!
He couldn’t use it.
If he invoked Transformation once more, it was possible that the Transformation Device (Dreaming Mirror), now malfunctioning, could turn him into a girl permanently. The battle dynamics combined with Roderus’s hesitance—
Whiriririck—!!
“Cough…!!”
“I’ve got you, Magical Girl Pure Knight.”
It ended in Roderus’s defeat.
The plant stem wrapped around Roderus’s ankle and lifted him upside down. His clothes flipped and sagged under the influence of gravity. Fortunately, since he was wearing drawers, his lower half was somewhat protected, but…
“Your pretty belly button is showing.”
“Damn it, don’t, don’t look!!”
Even struggling desperately, there was no sign of the restraints loosening. Magical energy… Pure Energy was far too lacking!
Looking at the two dangling Magical Girls, Mungae shouted.
“Citizens around you are watching your fight! Hurry and draw out that Pure Energy!”
“Then what do you expect me to do in this situation?!”
“Looks like I’ve caught you all. Now I can leisurely torment you… and extract your Impure Energy to the extreme. Just be a good little production factory for me.”
Chills…!!
“This bastard, looking at me with such a sexual gaze…!”
“There’s a certain joy in subduing a feisty girl.”
Swish swish swish!
The slick plant stems began to burrow into Pure Knight’s clothing. Starting from the edges, like inside her socks, neck, and the arms where ribbons were tied.
“Ugh, huff…!!”
A moan escaped from Pure Knight. Roderus gritted his teeth and tried to endure, but he was right about what he saw in the mirror.
Simply touching her skin was torturous. For her sensitive body, the stimulation was far too intense. The tentacles hissed as they crawled all over Pure Knight’s fair skin.
“This, this is…!!”
Pain could be endured. He could manage the chills and the strange heat creeping from his body. But—
But, that gaze! The eyes of passing bystanders, ignited with excitement, were—
It was a shame that felt like it would burn his head off. Captured by a monster, displayed like a toy for everyone to see.
What made it worse was that Pure Energy was streaming directly in from the citizens. Even if she closed her eyes, she couldn’t turn away. She literally felt the gazes all over her body.
Trembling with unspeakable shame, Pure Knight shivered.
But, calm down. The influx of magical energy was a good sign. It was those depraved onlookers’ lascivious spirits that were wrong, not the resulting magical energy.
She could turn the tables with this energy.
Pure Rodeo, who had been caught before her, must also be accumulating power, so they would probably break free almost simultaneously. That timing could be the opening for a counterattack.
Roderus cast a sidelong glance at Kim Lulu. She too was gathering magical energy while enduring her own embarrassment…
“Feels good. Yes, uh-huh, there. Your shoulders feel really good. So nice~”
“⋯⋯What are you doing?”
Why was she enjoying this?
“Oh, Pure Knight. What do you mean, ‘what are you doing?’”
“No, seriously, what are you doing? Why aren’t you struggling and just passively being captured?”
The response was outrageous.
“Well, I’m getting a free massage, aren’t I? It’s smooth and relaxing, and it feels nice.”
“⋯⋯No, you know! We’re in the middle of being captured by the evil organization’s Four Heavenly Kings!”
“Yeah! I don’t know why that stupid monster suddenly decided to give me a massage, but good things are good! I’m just enjoying it, and I’ll defeat it all at once later.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Roderus’s brain froze at her nonsense. What in the world was she talking about?
The Magical Girls weren’t receiving a full-body massage; they were being violated. Judging by the tentacles shamelessly groping Kim Lulu, it was clear they were loaded with intentions of lewdness and teasing.
Those that started first had already wandered deep inside their clothes. And now, she was dismissing it as a massage? Did she have no sense of shame?
No way.
With a sense of disbelief, Roderus asked, “Do you know how babies are made?”
“Don’t know? They’re just made somehow, I guess.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“Oh, I know you need an alchemist!”
She wasn’t just fine after being toyed with. She genuinely didn’t even know what humiliation was!
Slither slither…!
The tentacles that were groping Kim Lulu seemed to realize their awkwardness and began to retreat. Then, they turned into a proper muscle massage as if they had originally been innocent all along.
Meanwhile, other tendrils were digging deeper into Roderus. Feeling a wave of injustice swell inside him, he shouted.
“Why the discrimination?!”
“I don’t find joy in teasing pure ones.”
“That kind of stuff…! No, don’t! You shouldn’t go inside her tunic…!!”
Finally, one side received a full-body muscle massage, while the other was being endlessly assaulted. After gathering enough Pure Energy from the citizens, they finally managed to escape.
“Ugh, ugh… cough…”
“The massage is over! Rodeo Punch!”
“Geez, to break those restraints… you really are a Magical Girl. I’ll back off for this time. Farewell.”
The Four Heavenly King left with a satisfied expression after enjoying herself. Kim Lulu struck a victorious pose to commemorate the battle, while Pure Knight lay there in a sticky mess, utterly defeated.
“Damn it…!! Next time, it won’t be like this…”
“Oh Dae-su, acting all high and mighty, and yet here you are, whining. You’re the type to moan when I massage your shoulders, huh?”
“This— Aaaaah…!!”
Kim Lulu delivered the final blow. Roderus shrieked in frustration. It was a battle that left him scarred in more ways than one.
===============================================================
“Are you sulking, Oh Dae-su? Come on! Losing to a strong opponent isn’t something to be ashamed of! Let’s go, fighting!”
“Could you please—just shut up, you airhead with nothing in your skull?”
“A light head isn’t a bad thing, is it? It puts less strain on your neck.”
“I’m seriously cursing you right now-!!”
Roderus’s fragile girl’s body sometimes faced low blood pressure, but right now, it felt completely healed. Kim Lulu was a walking blood pressure booster for him.
Still, he did get help with cleaning up.
After carrying the limp Roderus to Oh Hye-in’s house, wiping off the sticky substance that oozed from the plant stem, and changing him into fresh clothes.
Being washed by a girl in a girl’s body was undeniably humiliating, but the fact that Kim Lulu was just an oblivious pure soul was somewhat comforting.
As Roderus lay draped over the sofa in a thin T-shirt and shorts, Oh Hye-in sat beside him, lightly tapping his head.
“You had a tough day today, Dae-su. That Four Heavenly King was pretty intense~”
“Just get your hands off me… I’m not in the mood to be angry right now… Oh Hye-in, did you also go through something like this while fighting?”
“Ah, well… I’ve had my share of similar experiences, but it did seem like they were particularly hard on you? It must be their preference. You’re quite popular with the ladies!”
“⋯⋯I never asked for that kind of popularity.”
He was exhausted. Roderus felt both his body and mind were battered. Of course, it was much better than rolling around in an underground prison… but fatigue was fatigue.
Unintentionally dozing off, Oh Hye-in whispered.
“Dinner is almost ready, right? How about staying awake a bit longer, Dae-su?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Dinner.
Roderus rubbed his eyes and got up. He couldn’t bear to miss a meal.
The food in this world wasn’t particularly exquisite. Roderus had had his fair share of luxurious meals as nobility.
However, after being stuck in an underground prison, chewing on cockroaches, he had been terribly hungry and thus… eating was a joy.
“Just wait a moment, I’ll have it ready soon. Lulu, help Dae-su come to his senses!”
“Oh Dae-su, let’s play the chopstick game, the chopstick game!”
“I don’t know what that is, but I have no intention of playing any game with you, so get lost.”
“I knew you’d back off ‘cause you think you’ll lose…”
Chopstick game or whatever, Roderus started to attack Kim Lulu, using his fingers like a rapier. Soon, a finger fencing duel broke out between them.
It started with Kim Lulu taking the brunt of Roderus’s overwhelming skill, but as she grew hungry for victory, she began targeting Roderus’s weak spots. Such as his chest.
“Where are you poking…ugh!”
“You got tickled by the plant stem here! Take this, Oh Dae-su, judgment of justice!”
“What kind of sexual harassment could possibly be just?! You uncultured girl!!”
As they killed time in this manner, they could hear Oh Hye-in humming away and something boiling in the kitchen.
Bubble bubble bubble.
The soothing sound was calming. And it was a warm sound.
Though they hadn’t lived together long, they had shared a few meals. Under one roof, Roderus gradually learned about warmth. About this complacent world.
The sound of boiling water wasn’t for torture; it meant dinner was being prepared.
The sound of a knife hitting the cutting board wasn’t to slice flesh; it was cutting green onions.
The giggles of girls weren’t from women high on Lord Redburn’s drugs; it was Oh Hye-in and Kim Lulu.
Though similar, these sounds were completely different.
Three people gathered at the dining table. The menu consisted of soybean paste stew, kimchi, well-cooked spam, and stir-fried garlic stem. Though it was an unfamiliar taste, Roderus could now quite enjoy it.
He scooped up some soybean paste stew, complete with tofu and onions, and mixed it into his rice bowl, adding a piece of garlic stem before putting it into his mouth. Now, he recognized this unfamiliar feeling as comfort.
Clatter.
The sound of utensils hitting the rice bowl occasionally came from beside him. The quieter side was Oh Hye-in’s, while Kim Lulu was the one advertising her “I’m having dinner!” to the whole neighborhood.
His insides warmed up. It wasn’t anger. It was a feeling of comfort and stability.
“I think I fought pretty well today.”
“You really need to learn how to fight properly…!!”
“Strong ones don’t need cheap tricks, you know?”
“You! Right now! You are weak!”
Listening to Kim Lulu’s nonsensical declarations still simmered his anger, but…!
After scraping the bottom of his bowl clean and swallowing, Oh Hye-in looked at Roderus with a curious expression, as he had finished his meal so deliciously.
“How was dinner? Was it good?”
“⋯⋯Yeah, well. It wasn’t bad.”
“Oh Dae-su, can’t you say it a bit nicer?”
Roderus pouted his lips. It was only proper for a noble to offer praise to the chef who prepared a wonderful meal.
So he decided to speak nicely as she desired.
They cleverly managed to make it this good with such humble ingredients for a commoner… how about that for a compliment?
Then.
Let’s deliver it plainly. Without any flattery. Just… express his feelings.
“This meal was—”
===============================================================
“⋯⋯delicious, indeed.”
Roderus awoke from a long dream, opening his eyes.
His dry, cracked voice echoed in the damp underground prison. He gasped, filling his lungs with the stale and humid air instead of the warm, homely atmosphere.
It was confusing. A hazy sense of reality warned him. Was it just a dream?
Cold.
His rough, calloused hands brushed against the cold prison floor. The moisture he felt at his fingertips was chillingly cold. Roderus startled and shook his hands off.
Was it really just a dream? Scanning his surroundings, looking for the Magical Girls, chasing after the aroma of soybean paste stew, he found no one. The only person detained here was Roderus.
It was dark. Not a sound could be heard. All the sounds reverberating in this lonely underground prison were only the echoes of Roderus’s struggles.
The delusion ended. This painful place was the true reality.
He staggered, clutching his head with both hands and curling up.
Today was unusually cold.
===============================================================
“I will now begin the First Roundtable Conference of the evil organization Legend of Devils.”
“Why are we still sticking to the concept…?!”
“Among the Four Heavenly Kings, the weakest, Princess of Darkness, Espoir of Eternal Dark, please report.”
“I told you, it’s not that ridiculous name…!!”
The meeting of the evil organization’s executives had begun.
