Pawahara Seijo no Osananajimi to Zetsuen Shitara, Nanimokamo ga Umaku Iku Yō ni Natte Saikyō no Bōke

[Phoenix Crest]

“…Oh? You people are not dwarves, I suppose?”

It seemed he noticed us as we were standing dumbstruck, the man in black asked.

He was probably in his mid to late twenties.

He had a slender body, and he looked as beautiful as a statue appearance-wise.

Coupled with his pale skin, he really resembled a piece of art.

Honestly, the man was so beautiful to the extent that even I, a man, felt his charm, but he was not a human, apparently.

The whites of his eyes were black and the pupils in the center were glowing red like fresh blood.

Furthermore, he had jet-black wings folded on his back. He was probably from some demi-human race.

“…Who are you?” I asked doubtfully.

“My, how rude of me,” the man gracefully bowed and said, “my name is Hesperios. I’m here to kill the dwarves due to some circumstances. Oh, I’m an incubus, by the way.”

“Incubus…?”

As I frowned, Arca readied her Holy Spear and gave me a warning, “Be careful, Exa. I feel the same presence as us coming from this guy. It came to me as a little surprise as we’d only been coming across with saintesses until now but, the likelihood of that being the case is fifty-fifty if you think about it normally. The fact that this guy exist is not weird, actually.”

“W-what do you mean?” I got confused.

Arca said without lowering her guard, “It may be unbelievable since he committed this kind of act but, this guy is a—‘saint’.”

“Saint…!?”

I of course became lost for words at the astonishing fact.

Then did that mean, this man—Hesperios, was a ‘Shield’ Saint who possessed the 《Treasure Shield》 skill?

No, but the fortune-teller woman said I need to gather seven ‘holy maidens’.

I didn’t want to think too much about it because it was highly likely that Elma was one of them, but the woman probably meant to tell me ‘to gather women possessing each of the seven rare skills’.

If that was the case, it was unlikely that this man would have the 《Treasure Shield》 skill.

However, there was no certainty that there wouldn’t be multiple possessors of the seven rare skills in the same era, so I couldn’t say…

“Hmm, I see. You guys are that party of saintesses.”

But anyway, Hesperios nodded as though he just realized everything.

Seemed that although we didn’t recognize him, he knew who we were.

“Then there is no need to hide things,” Hesperios laughed boldly, “you’re correct, I’m a saint. The power I have received is 《Void Staff》. In other words, I’m a ‘Staff’ Saint, just like that lady over there.”

“The ‘Staff’ Saint, just like me…!?”

“Yes,” Hesperios nodded to the surprised Magmell and smiled, “but I’m endowed with several times more power than you.”

“……It looks like I’ve been severely underestimated. Certainly, I feel the same presence as us coming from you, and you may not be lying about having the same 《Void Staff》 skill as me.

“However,” Magmell pointed out her Holy Staff and said, “the Holy Armament bestowed upon those who possess 《Void Staff》 skill—the Holy Staff, has chosen me. That being the case, even if you also have 《Void Staff》 skill, you can never surpass me.”

However, Hesperios just stared at her sweetly and said, “Fufu, you are so adorable.”

“Wha!?”

She probably thought he was just making a fool of her.

As Magmell’s face became flushed in anger, Hesperios continued without removing his smile, “Yet you’re also ignorant. The Holy Armaments are, in the end, arms created by humans for humans. Since that’s the case, we saints of the demi-humans, which are superior than humans, of course have arms that surpasses them in terms of power. Behold, this is the ‘Sacred Treasure’ that has been bestowed upon us!”

““““““!?””””””

Having said that, Hesperios took out a staff that gave off a sinister vibe.

He called it a ‘Sacred Treasure’ but, was it really more powerful than the Holy Staff?

“And, you’re already checkmated the moment you met me. Do you remember what race I am?”

“What race, you ask? Isn’t it ‘incubus’… wait, no way!?”

She probably realized something just then.

“Everyone, don’t look at his eyes!?”

Zana hurriedly screamed towards the other girls.

But.

“It’s too late. —’Grand Temptation’.”

――Guwan.

“““““—Agh!?”””””

“—!?”

At that moment, the girls all collapsed on the spot.

Some hugged their own bodies and some crawled on the ground, all the while breathing raggedly as if desperately enduring something.

Their faces were bright red to the ears, and although I knew it wasn’t appropriate given the situation we were in, I thought they looked strangely erotic.

“E-everyone, are you okay!? What happened!?”

I got confused by the sudden happening, but it seemed that they didn’t even have the leeway to answer right now.

What the hell is going on… I could only stand around. Hesperios then said to me, “There’s nothing you can do to help them. Because, they’re already close to becoming my captive.”

“What!?”

“I’ve said it, haven’t I? I’m an ‘incubus’. No women, even a saintess, can resist the charm of us incubus. Yes, just like her.” Having said that, Hesperios lifted the chin of the dwarf woman who had just been rampaging around with the hammer in her hand.

The woman stared at Hesperios with hollow eyes, cheeks flushed.

As he said, she had been captivated by him.

That’s why she was rampaging as he ordered.

Could it be everyone was going to be like her?

No, they wouldn’t.

I knew best of how strong they were.

Even if they weren’t saintesses, they wouldn’t be captivated by a guy like him.

Hence, I roared at Hesperios, “Don’t give me that bullshit!? My wives would never be fascinated by a guy like you!?”

“Fufu, I wonder how long that conviction will last. I can already see it, you know. The sorry sight of you being able to do nothing but watch in a daze as the saintesses come into my embrace, that is.”

“That’s never going to happen! Because—”

At that moment,

““““““Because we’re Exa(-sama)’s wives!!”””””

““—!?””

Hesparios and I went wide-eyed at the sight of the girls who all had suddenly gotten up at the same time.

The girls’ bodies were glowing faintly, and the glow eventually gathered in their lower abdomens before engraving some sort of crest on their bodies.

It was most clearly visible on Ophir who dressed lightly but, I could see at a glance that the crests were all in the shape of a phoenix bravely flapping its wings.

…I see, so that’s the case.

“I-impossible!? Why was my charm not working!? No, how were you able break it!?”

I told Hesperios who had stepped back in shock with full confidence, “Isn’t it obvious? Because I love all of them. Now I’ll give your words back to you, Hesperios. You’re already checkmated the moment you stood against us. Why? Because my power is dwelling in them, that’s why. Yes—they’ll forever and always be my wives.”

“What…!?”

“And those crests are the proof of that. They are ‘Phoenix Seals’, crests symbolizing that they belong only to me!”

“Phoenix, Seal…!?”

“Now prepare yourself, Incubus. The punishment for putting your hand on another man’s wives—I’ll have you experience plenty of it through that slender body of yours!”

And so, our counterattack began.