154 ????? The Realm of Dream Demons and Temptation 2
The Samurai Masamune has been in the party and an ally to Aerial for a long time.
His skill with the blade has been said to be nothing more than miraculous, being able to slice even magic.
As a wanderer, he met Aerial who then invited him to become an ally.
Masamune, himself, had no desire to show off his swordsmanship and refused, but Aerial is pretty persistent, so Masamune gave a condition.
They will fight, and the one who loses shall listen to one thing that the winner wants.
The two of them don???t like to talk about it, so I don???t know the details of the match, but it somehow ended in a tie.
Masamune thought that Dungeon Clears were merely a show, but then he thought there had to be something to it if there are people who fight as seriously as Aerial does, so before long, he joined the party.
Those two have fought side-by-side ever since.
The Samurai who wields earth rending, sky splitting, and magic cutting sword techniques.
???Uh oh, I???m starting to enjoy this a little.???
Said Aerial, smiling like a child.
I can???t see Masamune???s hand. All I see is a blur.
Every time there was a high-pitched sound, it???s followed by a sound like air being sliced.
It was Aerial???s Wind Blades being cut.
In a flash, Masamune dips and gets in close on Aerial.
Aerial immediately stopped Masamune???s swing with his Holy Sword, but???
???the sword started to crack.
The Holy Sword itself isn???t an exceptional blade. No matter how inferior the item is, if a Spirit inhabits it, it will turn into a holy weapon. Its attack power, durability, Magical Energy flow, etc will increase dramatically.
For example, Fenix???s Holy Sword is just a cheap sword I got him as a graduation gift.
It???s the only thing a penniless thirteen-year-old could possibly buy, so it wasn???t some top-of-the-line sword or something, but the Fire Spirit inhabited it and it became a Holy Sword. Instead of a crappy sword, it changed its appearance to a really cool shape and I was kinda surprised.
So, even if it breaks, the Spirit can just inhabit another weapon and turn??that??into a Holy Sword. That isn???t the issue.
The issue is that a weapon with the divine protection of one of the Four Great Spirits is being damaged by a weapon that is??none??of that.
It was different from when Fenix???s Holy Sword was covered with the Flames of the Gods so it might be incomparable, but my fully horn unleashed fist wasn???t able to damage his Holy Sword one bit.
???Is there something more there than pure strength?
A katana is different from an ordinary sword, I hear that it is a weapon that specializes in slashing rather than hacking.
Rather than swinging a lump of heavy metal with herculean strength, he cuts down his enemies with a sharpened blade and skill.
???Now then, what to do????
Aerial was having fun, but at the same time, he was also worried about what???s going on behind him.
With Wraith and the others.
???Oh? Don???t you have one of those, Wraith? A Holy something? All the Spirit Contractors have one.???
Said Sitri in Lemegeton form.
???I don???t carry anything heavier than a spoon. Am I cute now????
???Ahaha, are you bitter over me calling you not cute just now? I have to say, that is kinda cute-whoa!???
Sitri ducked immediately.
A giant arm was swung over her head. The wall behind her was destroyed with a thunderous roar.
???Wha? Why are??you??angry????
The one who attacked was Fran.
The girl with no expressions is hard to read, but she certainly has a dangerous aura around her right now???
???I???m not angry.???
Fran pulls out her giant right arm from the wall and opens it to smash Sitri like a bug on top of a table.
???Whoa, hold on a minute, it???s huge but it???s fast!???
Sitri used Black Magic well, casting Speed Down and Confusion at the right time, allowing her to dodge Fran???s attack.
It seems that Black Magic works on a Destroyer opponent. Or perhaps she???s too angry to deal with it right now? Whichever way it is, what works, works. This is good to know.
???Oh, I get it. I called Wraith cute and you-???
???I???m not angry.???
Fran clutches her previously open fist and swings it at Sitri.
This time, she increased the speed, so Sitri failed to avoid it.
??????sigh???this is not cute, this is SO not cute. It???s so not cute that it hurts.???
I???m not sure if she???s saying that about herself, but her being in the form of Lemegeton has its advantages.
She is able to combine and reproduce special characteristics.
In other words, She takes my appearance while having the characteristics of a normal Majin.
There may be people who appear, suspecting that Lem and Lemegeton are the same person. There are already people who can sense someone with first-rate abilities and those that know.
I am a Human. I can pretend to be a Majin, but if I get found out, they can link Lem and Lemegeton together.
Whether or not they think that I use summoning magic with the help of a Magic Tool, the fact is that I do.
However, when Sitri changes into Lemegeton and if she shows the characteristics of a Majin???
???It will leave a strong impression that Lemegeton is a Majin who is good at using Black Magic.
If she can also demonstrate that Lemegeton is a Majin that is good at close combat, it can make others think that closing in on me is a bad idea.
No matter how much I am trained by Furcus, my own pure combat ability is no match to combat-focused Jobs.
That is a harsh reality that cannot be easily overcome.
On top of that, I decided to become a hero who will bring victory to Monsters.
Making people think that I am a greater threat than I actually am will be useful in attaining that victory.
?????????
Fran was expressionless as usual, but her mouth was opened slightly. Perhaps in surprise.
Her giant fist that she swung overhead was caught???by Sitri???s right arm.
That arm was covered in something black. And from the elbow, stuck out something sharp and black.
Of course, it???s all fake. In regards to what is covering the arm, it???s her shapeshifting ability reproducing the appearance.
The thing sticking out of the elbow is the horn of a Majin.
Not my master???s.
It seems that she is able to reproduce innate things but how I inherited the horn is the exception of exceptions.
Smashing the horn into powder, suffering for a long time to convert it and have it take root in my body using a secret technique.
She admitted that she can???t reproduce it, at least not right now, so the horn that is sticking out of the elbow is the horn of a Majin she knows.
Even if it isn???t me, Majins are a race that inherits horns in the first place.
She reproduces the image of Lemegeton under the guise of having inherited a horn from another Majin.
???It???s not like I don???t like everyone, yknow? It???s just that each person has an ideal self. If I could, I???d wanna be cute all the time.???
??????I don???t care.???
???Aw, but you???re so cute.???
??????I am not???cute.???
For a moment, Fran showed a pained expression???at least that???s how it seemed.
Sitri pushes Fran???s fist back.
???Haha, yeah you???re a Majin, alright. So you won???t lose to Fran in terms of strength if you become the Chief of Staff, huh????
Wraith nodded as if in admiration.
By the way, the reason Sitri doesn???t turn into mist to dodge is that she is wary of him. Wary of the Wind Magic he used to defeat the materializing Vampire in the third stratum. If that happened to her while she materialized, even Sitri would be in trouble.
Also about what Wraith said, if I ever compared my strength with Fran, I would be crushed and defeated.
???Wraith.???
???Yeah, yeah.???
Fran swung her left arm. That arm was the arm of an ordinary little girl???but not for long.
As it swung, Wraith covered it with rocks using Earth Magic.
???Ah, geez. I really hate this??????
Just when I thought she was about to be hit.
Sitri???s figure disappeared.
???Oh my???you reacted????
She sounded surprised.
She appeared behind Hamill and was about to hit him with her right arm.
It was the magic of the Time Demon Agares of the Big Four.
His spatial travel ability makes him look like he traveled through time.
While not hostile towards each other, Sitri and Agares don???t exactly get along. There are many times where I???ve seen Agares get mad at Sitri for fawning all over her Highness.
She probably hates having to use his powers.
But his magic is no joke. Hamill was somehow able to react to Sitri, who suddenly appeared behind him.
In a flash, he turned around and used his sword to clash with her right fist.
But it didn???t end there. It seems that he fired off his Flying Slash at the same time, and Sitri???s head went flying??? Not.
It missed.
??????That was close??????
Muttered Sitri.
Hamill???s reaction time was fantastic.
If things were normal, this would be the time where the Monster had an opening to exploit and the Adventurers turns the tables.
More precisely, when he let loose a slash aimed for Lemegeton???s neck. At that moment???
Even so, there???s a reason it missed.
And that???s because Sitri???s height changed.
She still looked like Lemegeton. Her right arm was the same.
It???s just her physique that changed.
Changed back to that of the Dream Demon Sitri.
By changing the position of her head, the attack missed. Sitri is much shorter than Lemegeton.
A sweet face peered at Hamill from underneath the hood.
???Hey, why don???t you fight for me like that Samurai-Hey!???
The Charm attempt was canceled.
Ewan???s Wind Blade was approaching.
???Too many! There???s just too many of you. Everyone ganging up and bullying a sweet little girl isn???t gonna look good, y???know????
???Someone who???s able to stand up to this many opponents is not a regular little girl.???
Wraith used his freezing magic to freeze her feet to the floor.
???So it???s OK to be cold to an abnormal girl????
???I???d be nice to everyone, y???know? If we weren???t in a Dungeon.???
Sitri grabbed Hamill???s Magic Sword with her right arm and didn???t let go.
???Sir Hamill! Please move aside!???
Hamill looked like he hesitated for a moment, but then he eventually did as he was told.
Much like the Warrior Alba in the Fenix party, those who are particularly attached to their weapon tend to hesitate to let go of it even in times of danger.
In order to not hit an ally, Ewan reduced the speed of his Wind Blade for a moment.
Hamill got away.
The Wind Blade accelerates again.
But in that moment???s delay, Sitri got out of her predicament.
Using the Magic Sword???she cut off her own legs.
She changed into something tiny, a bug perhaps, and dodged the Wind Blade.
???I guess being stuck in place was preventing her from transforming. Which is why she cut off her legs.
???Gr???!???
That???s not all. She fired off a Flying Slash and carved a slice into Ewan???s shoulder.
???You???re good, but I gotcha now.???
Said Wraith.
He stuck out the thumbs and forefingers of both his hands and put them together to form a rectangle, staring at a space through it.
Hamill, who tried to take back his Magic Sword, noticed something.
???A wall???? Wraith, did you do this????
???Yeah. It???s like I trapped her in an invisible box. Not even steam can get through it, let alone a bug. You can???t get through it as a bug. You???re trapped.???
Magical Energy is needed to use magic. So she can???t cast magic as a bug.
Perhaps noticing this, Sitri returned to her Dream Demon form.
???I really wanted to fight more with Lemegton, though.???
???As a Dream Demon, I can show you naughty dreams, but in a Dungeon, I don???t think I can let Adventurers do whatever they want.???
???Ahaha, I wonder if you avoided revealing Mr. Chief of Staff???s hand. Well, I suppose I???ll know when I fight the real thing.???
???Wraith. Finish her.???
???Yup, well, see ya.???
He crossed his fingers and made the rectangle smaller. In accordance with this, the invisible box became smaller.
??????Geez, this is Milly???s fault.???
Sitri???s body changed.
Her left arm changed to that of a werewolf. An arm as large as Marchosias???s. Her right arm changed into a Majin???s arm.
She spread both arms in order to stop the shrinking box.
??????Hm. She???s putting up a fight.???
???Wraith. Can you crush her???????
???Yeah, I???m fine. This might be too gruesome, I should have gone with freezi-???
In the next moment???Masamune was defeated.
???Crap???took too much time.???
Wraith???s expression twisted in regret over his blunder.
That???s right.
Sitri didn???t fight in order to eliminate everyone.
She deceived them with her exceptional skills, but actually, her Magical Energy is almost out.
Masamune surpasses Aerial in sword technique.
And right now, he has become the Adventurers??? enemy.
Aerial was fighting with no intention to kill, but Masamune was not holding back.
Aerial can???t hold him off for long. It won???t take long for either of them to sustain enough injuries to fall.
Sitri fought the way she did precisely to buy more time for that to happen.
So now, Aerial had to use his Spirit Magic to defeat Masamune.
The Wizard Michelle lost her legs, the Alchemist Louie lost an arm.
Scathach???s Holy Sword and Suuri???s bow were broken.
Even though Aerial fought under the condition of not killing him until the last second, Masamune is the wielder of such swordsmanship to push these members to such limits.
???Oh, thank goodness. I???m all out.???
Sitri was frozen and was defeated.
The fifth stratum was Cleared with two casualties.
Despite succeeding???there wasn???t a hint of joy on the Adventurers??? faces.
The Samurai Masamune has been in the party and an ally to Aerial for a long time.
His skill with the blade has been said to be nothing more than miraculous, being able to slice even magic.
As a wanderer, he met Aerial who then invited him to become an ally.
Masamune, himself, had no desire to show off his swordsmanship and refused, but Aerial is pretty persistent, so Masamune gave a condition.
They will fight, and the one who loses shall listen to one thing that the winner wants.
The two of them don???t like to talk about it, so I don???t know the details of the match, but it somehow ended in a tie.
Masamune thought that Dungeon Clears were merely a show, but then he thought there had to be something to it if there are people who fight as seriously as Aerial does, so before long, he joined the party.
Those two have fought side-by-side ever since.
The Samurai who wields earth rending, sky splitting, and magic cutting sword techniques.
???Uh oh, I???m starting to enjoy this a little.???
Said Aerial, smiling like a child.
I can???t see Masamune???s hand. All I see is a blur.
Every time there was a high-pitched sound, it???s followed by a sound like air being sliced.
It was Aerial???s Wind Blades being cut.
In a flash, Masamune dips and gets in close on Aerial.
Aerial immediately stopped Masamune???s swing with his Holy Sword, but???
???the sword started to crack.
The Holy Sword itself isn???t an exceptional blade. No matter how inferior the item is, if a Spirit inhabits it, it will turn into a holy weapon. Its attack power, durability, Magical Energy flow, etc will increase dramatically.
For example, Fenix???s Holy Sword is just a cheap sword I got him as a graduation gift.
It???s the only thing a penniless thirteen-year-old could possibly buy, so it wasn???t some top-of-the-line sword or something, but the Fire Spirit inhabited it and it became a Holy Sword. Instead of a crappy sword, it changed its appearance to a really cool shape and I was kinda surprised.
So, even if it breaks, the Spirit can just inhabit another weapon and turn??that??into a Holy Sword. That isn???t the issue.
The issue is that a weapon with the divine protection of one of the Four Great Spirits is being damaged by a weapon that is??none??of that.
It was different from when Fenix???s Holy Sword was covered with the Flames of the Gods so it might be incomparable, but my fully horn unleashed fist wasn???t able to damage his Holy Sword one bit.
???Is there something more there than pure strength?
A katana is different from an ordinary sword, I hear that it is a weapon that specializes in slashing rather than hacking.
Rather than swinging a lump of heavy metal with herculean strength, he cuts down his enemies with a sharpened blade and skill.
???Now then, what to do????
Aerial was having fun, but at the same time, he was also worried about what???s going on behind him.
With Wraith and the others.
???Oh? Don???t you have one of those, Wraith? A Holy something? All the Spirit Contractors have one.???
Said Sitri in Lemegeton form.
???I don???t carry anything heavier than a spoon. Am I cute now????
???Ahaha, are you bitter over me calling you not cute just now? I have to say, that is kinda cute-whoa!???
Sitri ducked immediately.
A giant arm was swung over her head. The wall behind her was destroyed with a thunderous roar.
???Wha? Why are??you??angry????
The one who attacked was Fran.
The girl with no expressions is hard to read, but she certainly has a dangerous aura around her right now???
???I???m not angry.???
Fran pulls out her giant right arm from the wall and opens it to smash Sitri like a bug on top of a table.
???Whoa, hold on a minute, it???s huge but it???s fast!???
Sitri used Black Magic well, casting Speed Down and Confusion at the right time, allowing her to dodge Fran???s attack.
It seems that Black Magic works on a Destroyer opponent. Or perhaps she???s too angry to deal with it right now? Whichever way it is, what works, works. This is good to know.
???Oh, I get it. I called Wraith cute and you-???
???I???m not angry.???
Fran clutches her previously open fist and swings it at Sitri.
This time, she increased the speed, so Sitri failed to avoid it.
??????sigh???this is not cute, this is SO not cute. It???s so not cute that it hurts.???
I???m not sure if she???s saying that about herself, but her being in the form of Lemegeton has its advantages.
She is able to combine and reproduce special characteristics.
In other words, She takes my appearance while having the characteristics of a normal Majin.
There may be people who appear, suspecting that Lem and Lemegeton are the same person. There are already people who can sense someone with first-rate abilities and those that know.
I am a Human. I can pretend to be a Majin, but if I get found out, they can link Lem and Lemegeton together.
Whether or not they think that I use summoning magic with the help of a Magic Tool, the fact is that I do.
However, when Sitri changes into Lemegeton and if she shows the characteristics of a Majin???
???It will leave a strong impression that Lemegeton is a Majin who is good at using Black Magic.
If she can also demonstrate that Lemegeton is a Majin that is good at close combat, it can make others think that closing in on me is a bad idea.
No matter how much I am trained by Furcus, my own pure combat ability is no match to combat-focused Jobs.
That is a harsh reality that cannot be easily overcome.
On top of that, I decided to become a hero who will bring victory to Monsters.
Making people think that I am a greater threat than I actually am will be useful in attaining that victory.
?????????
Fran was expressionless as usual, but her mouth was opened slightly. Perhaps in surprise.
Her giant fist that she swung overhead was caught???by Sitri???s right arm.
That arm was covered in something black. And from the elbow, stuck out something sharp and black.
Of course, it???s all fake. In regards to what is covering the arm, it???s her shapeshifting ability reproducing the appearance.
The thing sticking out of the elbow is the horn of a Majin.
Not my master???s.
It seems that she is able to reproduce innate things but how I inherited the horn is the exception of exceptions.
Smashing the horn into powder, suffering for a long time to convert it and have it take root in my body using a secret technique.
She admitted that she can???t reproduce it, at least not right now, so the horn that is sticking out of the elbow is the horn of a Majin she knows.
Even if it isn???t me, Majins are a race that inherits horns in the first place.
She reproduces the image of Lemegeton under the guise of having inherited a horn from another Majin.
???It???s not like I don???t like everyone, yknow? It???s just that each person has an ideal self. If I could, I???d wanna be cute all the time.???
??????I don???t care.???
???Aw, but you???re so cute.???
??????I am not???cute.???
For a moment, Fran showed a pained expression???at least that???s how it seemed.
Sitri pushes Fran???s fist back.
???Haha, yeah you???re a Majin, alright. So you won???t lose to Fran in terms of strength if you become the Chief of Staff, huh????
Wraith nodded as if in admiration.
By the way, the reason Sitri doesn???t turn into mist to dodge is that she is wary of him. Wary of the Wind Magic he used to defeat the materializing Vampire in the third stratum. If that happened to her while she materialized, even Sitri would be in trouble.
Also about what Wraith said, if I ever compared my strength with Fran, I would be crushed and defeated.
???Wraith.???
???Yeah, yeah.???
Fran swung her left arm. That arm was the arm of an ordinary little girl???but not for long.
As it swung, Wraith covered it with rocks using Earth Magic.
???Ah, geez. I really hate this??????
Just when I thought she was about to be hit.
Sitri???s figure disappeared.
???Oh my???you reacted????
She sounded surprised.
She appeared behind Hamill and was about to hit him with her right arm.
It was the magic of the Time Demon Agares of the Big Four.
His spatial travel ability makes him look like he traveled through time.
While not hostile towards each other, Sitri and Agares don???t exactly get along. There are many times where I???ve seen Agares get mad at Sitri for fawning all over her Highness.
She probably hates having to use his powers.
But his magic is no joke. Hamill was somehow able to react to Sitri, who suddenly appeared behind him.
In a flash, he turned around and used his sword to clash with her right fist.
But it didn???t end there. It seems that he fired off his Flying Slash at the same time, and Sitri???s head went flying??? Not.
It missed.
??????That was close??????
Muttered Sitri.
Hamill???s reaction time was fantastic.
If things were normal, this would be the time where the Monster had an opening to exploit and the Adventurers turns the tables.
More precisely, when he let loose a slash aimed for Lemegeton???s neck. At that moment???
Even so, there???s a reason it missed.
And that???s because Sitri???s height changed.
She still looked like Lemegeton. Her right arm was the same.
It???s just her physique that changed.
Changed back to that of the Dream Demon Sitri.
By changing the position of her head, the attack missed. Sitri is much shorter than Lemegeton.
A sweet face peered at Hamill from underneath the hood.
???Hey, why don???t you fight for me like that Samurai-Hey!???
The Charm attempt was canceled.
Ewan???s Wind Blade was approaching.
???Too many! There???s just too many of you. Everyone ganging up and bullying a sweet little girl isn???t gonna look good, y???know????
???Someone who???s able to stand up to this many opponents is not a regular little girl.???
Wraith used his freezing magic to freeze her feet to the floor.
???So it???s OK to be cold to an abnormal girl????
???I???d be nice to everyone, y???know? If we weren???t in a Dungeon.???
Sitri grabbed Hamill???s Magic Sword with her right arm and didn???t let go.
???Sir Hamill! Please move aside!???
Hamill looked like he hesitated for a moment, but then he eventually did as he was told.
Much like the Warrior Alba in the Fenix party, those who are particularly attached to their weapon tend to hesitate to let go of it even in times of danger.
In order to not hit an ally, Ewan reduced the speed of his Wind Blade for a moment.
Hamill got away.
The Wind Blade accelerates again.
But in that moment???s delay, Sitri got out of her predicament.
Using the Magic Sword???she cut off her own legs.
She changed into something tiny, a bug perhaps, and dodged the Wind Blade.
???I guess being stuck in place was preventing her from transforming. Which is why she cut off her legs.
???Gr???!???
That???s not all. She fired off a Flying Slash and carved a slice into Ewan???s shoulder.
???You???re good, but I gotcha now.???
Said Wraith.
He stuck out the thumbs and forefingers of both his hands and put them together to form a rectangle, staring at a space through it.
Hamill, who tried to take back his Magic Sword, noticed something.
???A wall???? Wraith, did you do this????
???Yeah. It???s like I trapped her in an invisible box. Not even steam can get through it, let alone a bug. You can???t get through it as a bug. You???re trapped.???
Magical Energy is needed to use magic. So she can???t cast magic as a bug.
Perhaps noticing this, Sitri returned to her Dream Demon form.
???I really wanted to fight more with Lemegton, though.???
???As a Dream Demon, I can show you naughty dreams, but in a Dungeon, I don???t think I can let Adventurers do whatever they want.???
???Ahaha, I wonder if you avoided revealing Mr. Chief of Staff???s hand. Well, I suppose I???ll know when I fight the real thing.???
???Wraith. Finish her.???
???Yup, well, see ya.???
He crossed his fingers and made the rectangle smaller. In accordance with this, the invisible box became smaller.
??????Geez, this is Milly???s fault.???
Sitri???s body changed.
Her left arm changed to that of a werewolf. An arm as large as Marchosias???s. Her right arm changed into a Majin???s arm.
She spread both arms in order to stop the shrinking box.
??????Hm. She???s putting up a fight.???
???Wraith. Can you crush her???????
???Yeah, I???m fine. This might be too gruesome, I should have gone with freezi-???
In the next moment???Masamune was defeated.
???Crap???took too much time.???
Wraith???s expression twisted in regret over his blunder.
That???s right.
Sitri didn???t fight in order to eliminate everyone.
She deceived them with her exceptional skills, but actually, her Magical Energy is almost out.
Masamune surpasses Aerial in sword technique.
And right now, he has become the Adventurers??? enemy.
Aerial was fighting with no intention to kill, but Masamune was not holding back.
Aerial can???t hold him off for long. It won???t take long for either of them to sustain enough injuries to fall.
Sitri fought the way she did precisely to buy more time for that to happen.
So now, Aerial had to use his Spirit Magic to defeat Masamune.
The Wizard Michelle lost her legs, the Alchemist Louie lost an arm.
Scathach???s Holy Sword and Suuri???s bow were broken.
Even though Aerial fought under the condition of not killing him until the last second, Masamune is the wielder of such swordsmanship to push these members to such limits.
???Oh, thank goodness. I???m all out.???
Sitri was frozen and was defeated.
The fifth stratum was Cleared with two casualties.
Despite succeeding???there wasn???t a hint of joy on the Adventurers??? faces.
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