Chapter: 498
I was hoping those idiots would stay a little more confused, but oh well.
If only I could buy time until the job was done, I could’ve declared victory without lifting a finger.
And then watching as Luca, gritting his teeth, got smacked around before I munched on his head while he was crying would’ve really been enjoyable.
What a pity. Well, it’s not so bad in its own way.
It’s fun to squash an idiot who thinks they can’t overcome me.
Holding up my shield, I pretended to stifle a laugh as I checked their formation.
Three had dropped out during the dungeon progress. That leaves Luca and five Followers of the Void.
Despite being a commoner adventurer, Luca’s skills as a professor at the academy are top-notch, and the other Followers of the Void seem to have pretty decent skills as well, having survived through several persecutions.
Considering that this area is being consumed by the Power of Void, their strength will likely be more formidable than I expected.
Can I handle them all by myself? Honestly, it’s tricky.
But, it’s okay. Just as they are not alone, neither am I.
– Nice to see you again, Followers of the Void. Your comrades have been desperately searching for you; what would happen if they saw someone else?
Adri appeared from behind, leading her spirits. At the forefront were the Followers of the Void who had just died here not long ago.
Those who had to do unwanted tasks without actually being dead made those who were once their comrades shudder.
“Hello, Professor Luca.”
And then Frey revealed her face from behind me.
“Oh. Good day, Young Lady Kent. Impressive to be coming out of a hallucination.”
“That was sloppy, wasn’t it? Is that such a big deal?”
“Hmm. I see my judgment was wrong. You are more remarkable than I thought, Young Lady.”
Not long ago, facing off against someone who used to teach her, Frey showed no sign of hesitation on her face.
To her, Luca wasn’t worth her concern at all.
“In a way, it’s a good thing. I can give you a trial now.”
“A trial? Are you going to give me something fun?”
Frey asked back as she drew her sword, wrapping it in a colorless aura and rushing toward Luca.
Luca simply held two daggers in both hands and faced Frey’s sharp sword strikes.
His actions were simple.
He didn’t elegantly swing his daggers.
He didn’t smash down with immense strength.
He didn’t show incredible speed either.
He just took a few steps.
Just a few steps, and Luca avoided Frey’s sharp strikes and wormed his way into her space, forcing her to retreat.
“… You read me?”
“Young Lady Kent, you see, I monitor anyone who seems to have talents. You are no exception. In fact, considering you have always been with Lady Allen, you could never be an exception.”
That’s Luca’s specialty. Analyzing each person to devise a strategy tailored to them.
According to the description, this strategy doesn’t just stop at who prefers which actions or what they avoid; it gets to the level of knowing there’s a 0.3-second gap when swinging a weapon and taking advantage of that window.
When implemented in the game, it was a method where the protagonist party prepared for all sorts of weapons, skills, traits, and combinations they found cumbersome, waiting for them.
So, there was a way to deliberately impose a specific strategy on Luca.
Handing him the two-handed axe, which was deemed the top-tier trash weapon at the Soul Academy. Making him fight like a magical girl would, with flashy techniques.
Each of those experiments was incredibly fun. I once stayed up all night thinking about how to make him even more trashy.
Anyway, there are two main ways to deal with Luca.
One is to build up my specs enough to crush whatever he’s prepared. The other is to counter his countermeasures.
In terms of tormenting Luca, the former would be the best choice, but that’s realistically impossible.
The latter is the path I have to choose now.
“Are you not coming, Lady Allen?”
“Huh?♡ Do I have to go?♡ Why would I go to a sleazy pervert who’s despicable to even breathe the same air?♡”
“Ha ha. That’s right. You’re not the type to come forward first. I knew it.”
While Luca had a creepy grin, behind him the Followers of the Void started clashing with Adri’s spirits. Individually, the Followers held an advantage.
Even though they were already dead, they gathered around Adri as a focal point, and it was only natural that the latter was stronger, having divided the Evil God’s power among them.
However, Adri overcame the gap in individual strength with the number of her spirits and her commanding presence through her spirit magic.
I knew they were strong, but were they that strong? They seem much stronger than I remember! Isn’t that enough to be openly hunted by the Jushin Church?
[It seems like they’re the ones you should hunt, not the church.]
‘If it really gets dangerous, what would the Lord Jushin say? He’s a sensitive guy about these things.’
Seeing Adri take the initiative while I thought it would be lucky if she could just buy some time, I grinned and shifted my gaze back to Luca.
“Why are you just standing there?♡ Shouldn’t you be drooling and jumping in like a pervert?♡ Don’t tell me you’re such a gutless sloppy premature ejaculator, even as a pedo?♡”
“… I understand. With such a request, I’ll play along a bit.”
“Puhaha♡ A request?♡ That’s a serious case of self-importance♡ I’m so disgusted♡”
I watched as Luca came charging at me.
I observed how fierce his steps were, how much power was in his legs, where his weapon was aimed, and where his gaze was fixed.
I confirmed all of that.
And I was certain.
His strategy was not much different from the ones I knew.
In such close combat, moving my shield felt cumbersome.
If he couldn’t break down the walls, he’d just have to jump over them.
Predicting that, I purposely lowered my shield and slammed my forehead against Luca’s face.
Not expecting that to happen, Luca took a light hit and stepped back a bit.
As Luca’s first move ended in failure, my shield blocked his path.
“It seems like you couldn’t stand my skin touching yours, huh?♡ That’s why sympathy is disgusting♡”
Instead of responding to my provocation, Luca stepped forward again.
Hmm, I thought he’d revise his strategy on the spot, but is he trying to dig in further?
For a decisive move, Grandpa and my many skills are too quiet.
That’s a bit disappointing.
Even if he pretended to be calm on the surface, he had already fallen for my provocation and lost his head.
Well, whatever.
If he’s in such a state where I can toy with him, then I should have some fun.
“Did my skin feel that good?♡ Puhaha♡ The way you’re gritting your teeth and rushing is really desperate♡ What should I do?♡ Want to play some more?♡”
For the first trial of my new blunt technique, having someone like Luca isn’t all that bad.
*
Luca was aware that his rationality wasn’t functioning properly.
An oddly deep, crimson emotion allowed only the thought of killing the girl in front of him, while denying all other thoughts.
Knowing it was strange, Luca desperately tried to regain his sanity while moving according to his nature.
If this goes on, he’d only end up being toyed with by Lady Allen and just dragging time along.
Thinking about how Lady Allen had read through his strategy and countered it, he might really be looking at a possible defeat if he lost his reason any further.
He can’t allow that. If the strategy he had thought of so far had been countered, he needed to change it to another one.
He had to think. He had to think.
“… This is bad.”
As he tried to grasp his sanity, Luca let a gap appear and only noticed Frey’s sword strikes closing in on him in a rush, hastily trying to insert his dagger into the gap between the attack.
Perhaps due to a delayed reaction, even though he twisted the trajectory, a shallow cut marked Luca’s face.
If he had reacted just a moment slower, he would have been dead.
Realizing how close he had come to danger sent a chill down Luca’s spine, allowing him to shake off the anger that had briefly overtaken him.
And in that moment, Luca became aware of the obsession that had enthralled him.
It was familiar for rage to rise whenever he heard Lady Allen’s voice.
Regardless of how irritating her tone, expression, or actions were, Lady Allen’s voice possessed a power to touch human emotions.
He was well aware of this.
After all, he had seen Lady Allen make use of it several times.
So he thought he could manage it to some degree and had devised some countermeasures.
However, all of that became meaningless the moment he stood before Lady Allen.
The power she possessed effortlessly snatched away one’s reason.
What could it be? What is different? Why did my reason get devoured by her?
Why do I find it so exhausting to even think?
Ah.
Recently regaining some rationality, Luca saw Lucy’s movements and finally realized what the problem was.
It was so beautiful that it naturally drew attention.
But, if one stared too long, the playfulness contained within would swallow them whole.
It was a kind of dance-like movement.
How marvelous.
Look.
Even those consumed with wrath vowing to avenge their comrades are drawn in.
Even those fighting alongside are gradually stealing glances at her.
In the midst of all those gazes, Lady Allen was grinning way too annoyingly.
Ahh.
I want to crush her.
I want to make her cry.
I want her to bow down and apologize with her head on the ground.
I want to see her trembling in fear.
A vow?
What does a vow even mean?
What significance does a promise turned black, long since broken, hold?
From deep within, where those dark emotions swelled, Luca heard someone whispering.
And he decided to follow that voice.
To become Lucy’s trial.
To fulfill his desires.
To teach that damn brat some manners.
*
[The Evil God Agra is watching you.]
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