Ch.211211. Conquest

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[“…What are you doing?”]

Calivan threw those words at me from inside the Soul Linker.

His voice dripped with utter bewilderment.

I suppose anyone would have a similar reaction seeing a human literally biting into a Demonic Vessel.

“…”

I don’t have the energy to respond right now.

Faynol’s cold gaze is fixed on me.

He looks similar to Elnore when she was possessed by the Grey Demon. The vessel’s rationality is completely submerged, with only the fragment’s ‘evil form’ surfacing.

“…!”

The moment our eyes meet, a chilling sensation runs up my spine, and I immediately distance myself from him.

As I land on the ground, several swords made of flame pierce through the spot where I had been.

[“…One hit from those and you’d be dead?”]

Calivan muttered after seeing the energy contained within them.

“Without a doubt.”

The vessel itself is an exceptional mage with tremendous advantages in utilizing magical power, and on top of that, it’s overlaid with the Red Demon’s authority of Infernal Flame.

Even for someone like me with survival instincts fully activated, it’s natural that even a graze would be fatal.

If I hadn’t moved away just now, I’d be dead already.

[“Why on earth would you approach that close and do something like…?”]

“He was so dumbfounded that he took interest in me.”

[…]

“That was the point.”

I’m not joking, seriously.

Ignoring the silence transmitted through the Soul Linker, I look at Faynol, who continues to stare down at me with an emotionless gaze.

More precisely…

He’s not looking at me, but at the lion-shaped breastplate I’m holding.

“…Guardian.”

As the Red Demon mutters this, the Infernal Flame rippling around begins to concentrate toward me.

Yes, this is what I was aiming for.

Whether biting or whatever, once I got him to focus his attention on me, it was inevitable he would react like this upon seeing this.

[“Why would you do such a thing…?”]

“…Because attacking me creates an opening.”

If he had just remained dazed, focusing only on increasing the size of the pillar of fire…

Honestly, there would be no way.

With the Holy Sword, my only means of inflicting damage, being ineffective, even if I pulled out all available resources, I couldn’t land an effective hit on him.

‘What needs to be done is…’

As I originally told Elia, creating an “opening” for her to finish things.

For that…

“I need to engage once more.”

Like when I clung to him earlier, I need another approach method.

[“But how are you going to do that?!”]

“Skillfully.”

Fortunately, there’s one good thing.

Faynol in this state is somewhat manageable.

He’s not using his reason and ‘thinking’ to try to kill me, but moving according to ‘fixed patterns.’

At the same time, surging Infernal Flame pours down from above.

“I just need to avoid getting hit even once, right?”

[…]

Ignoring the silence that clearly conveys “this guy’s at it again,” I immediately start moving.

From here on…

It’s a battle of memorization.

A wave of flames penetrating in a straight line. At least a dozen or more.

The heat is so intense it makes me think he’s not just any demon.

‘4 seconds.’

I mutter as I step sideways.

One. Two. Three. Four.

The spears flying in droves narrowly miss me.

Pattern ends at the 4-second mark.

The pattern following the flame spear throw is a rain of fire from above.

‘3 seconds.’

One. Two. Three.

During that time, I keep running forward without stopping.

Pattern ends at the 3-second mark.

The next pattern is unavoidable. So I’ll block it.

“Valkarsus.”

[“Mm!”]

The alchemical formation that previously cleared away the Infernal Flame spreads nearby.

The range covers my entire body, in a form that wraps around the front 120 degrees.

-!

The storm of flames rushing from the front is immediately blocked by the formation.

Within the wall of fire spreading around, the intensely hot energy collides with the formation and splits in two.

[“…Are you seriously insane?!”]

Such a scream erupted like a shriek inside the Soul Linker.

[“You’ll die if you make even one mistake, you know that?!”]

That’s painfully accurate.

But.

“Well, when has that ever not been the case?”

I respond nonchalantly and repeat the same actions.

Calculate the opponent’s patterns by the second, derive appropriate movements, and fit my actions into them.

Gradually, in this way, I approach Faynol.

As Calivan said, one slip and it’s over, but without slipping once, smoothly. Continuously. Without stopping.

‘…Because I have it all memorized.’

I know all the patterns this guy can show by heart, enough to recite them with my eyes closed.

That’s how well…

I know this guy.

While I’m knowledgeable about many elements in the game, the Red Demon was especially significant.

“…”

Even the ‘strategy’ I’m thinking of now mostly originates from there.

[“…You’re plotting something again, aren’t you?”]

“Yes.”

[“Give me a hint at least. So I can make a guess.”]

“Calivan.”

[“Yeah?”]

“You know the Red Demon, right?”

[“…Yes.”]

Though his tone conveyed a premonition that nonsense was about to spill out, I continue with a smirk.

“His appearance is most to my taste.”

[…]

Well, I mean.

Honestly, all the vessels around me are beautiful.

But if I had to say which one hits my strike zone the most, it would be the Red Demon.

That’s why I memorized all the information about him. Somehow, I ended up looking at him in detail.

[“…So, his appearance is most to your taste. What are you going to do with that?”]

“Want another hint?”

I prepare the breastplate with a smirk.

Inside sleeps Tatiana’s soul. She’s certainly capable of ‘connecting’ Faynol and me as I wish.

“When I said I was going to eat him earlier, I was serious.”

Just that the meaning was a bit different.

I didn’t mean I was going to bite and eat him.

I meant it in a very metaphorical sense.

[“What does that…”]

Before Calivan could finish his sentence.

< System Message >

[ Entering the mental world of target ‘Red Demon’! ]

My vision went completely black.

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It’s something I feel every time I enter, but this place is really chaotic.

However, compared to Riru’s mental world or Valkarsus’s mental world that I entered before, this place is much more…

[“…Terrible.”]

I agree.

With a bitter smile, I look around at the surroundings burning bright red as if ablaze.

Melted into every landscape are terrible levels of pain, regret, and heart-wrenching grief.

Life is suffering.

A mental world that seems to say just that.

[“…So.”]

Calivan, who had been quietly observing the scene, suddenly spoke again.

[“You tried so hard to get in here, but I don’t see anything special. What are you going to do here?”]

“Please find it, Calivan.”

This person, being a spirit, should be able to find the way easily.

“There should be a path leading to the deepest place—”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Before I could finish my sentence.

With someone’s voice, my consciousness is sharply pulled away.

To a deeper place.

To an even deeper place.

To the innermost part of the mental world.

And what’s there is.

“…You’re out of your mind. Walking into a demon’s mental world of your own accord.”

In the middle of a pitch-black space with nothing in it, a red woman looking at me.

This is the first time I’m seeing her ‘materialized’ form like this.

“…So you’re the Red Demon?”

Unlike other demons, this one usually just gets subjugated by Elia without saying anything in the game.

It’s also my first time seeing her ‘speaking’ directly, not just in concept art.

“I don’t recall giving a human permission to call me that.”

And.

Unlike other demons, she clearly doesn’t have even a speck of affection for me.

The others all came running, calling me master, darling, companion, or whatever.

This one is treating me almost like an insect right now.

“…I wonder if it’s admirable courage or just stupidity.”

While I was thinking that.

The Red Demon continued with a sigh.

“You do realize that now that you’re in here, I can do anything I want to you, right?”

Those words dropped bluntly.

“Unlike the physical world where death brings release. I can slowly inflict terrible pain and completely shatter your mind over an eternity of time, you know?”

Speaking in that sense.

“No.”

I answer with a smirk.

“I don’t plan on suffering such things. And you probably won’t be able to do such things either.”

“…What?”

To the Red Demon who blankly questioned, I immediately extend my hand.

Thanks to her being right in front of me, it wasn’t difficult to touch her body.

It might be a sudden action, but.

“…”

She didn’t panic at all, just slightly frowned.

Rather than being slow to respond, she seemed too bothered to respond.

Indeed, as she said.

Inside this mental world, she’s bound by absolutely no laws. She probably has almost godlike powers in here.

Even if I tried to harm her here, it would have no effect, so she’s probably just ignoring me and thinking about what terrible things to do to me in return.

But that’s where she’s wrong.

I never intended to harm her from the beginning.

I grab her arm. Pull her body.

The Red Demon’s center of gravity tilts sharply toward me.

“…!”

Come to think of it.

There was something Faynol did to me before when I collapsed from overwork and he was taking care of me.

So, I should return the favor.

Just like that.

I kiss the Red Demon.

Without a moment’s hesitation, wrapping one arm tightly around her waist.

“…?”

At first, the Red Demon who couldn’t comprehend the situation looks at me with a blank expression.

Licking, sucking, with heated sighs mixed between movements. This repeats several times. Saliva mixes.

“…! …!!!!”

Horrified, she tries to push me away. It’s probably a movement that came from an instinctual level, too shocked to think of anything.

[“…You’re quite the player.”]

Calivan’s voice was heard vaguely.

It’s a sad story, but I’ve had my lips stolen by various people, so I can do this skillfully.

But this one probably hasn’t.

“…! …?! ……?!?!?”

Seemingly just now remembering that she has control over this space, the Red Demon snapped her fingers once to separate herself from me and gasped urgently.

A thread of saliva, evidence of our kiss just now, stretched slightly under her palm.

“W-what, what, what…!”

To the Red Demon covering her mouth with both hands and trembling with a confused expression, I continue with a grin.

“…You really can’t kiss. Is this your first time?”

“….!!!!”

One interesting thing.

She’s the Red Demon, so her entire body is red, but…

I can tell that a flush of shame rushed to her face right after hearing my words.

“I don’t know if you remember, but I made a promise to Faynol before.”

Regardless, I continue speaking to her, who still can’t follow the situation.

“I said I would make him happy.”

So, please don’t die.

I said I would save him.

Without a doubt, I said such things.

And in that.

“That includes you too.”

And from there derives a very simple strategy.

Red Demon. A being my Gift doesn’t work on. Unlike other demons, she doesn’t show clear affection for me, and she’s so indifferent that she doesn’t even take interest in me.

But.

But you know what.

She’s a woman.

And among them, a demon with evil tendencies maxed out.

Then.

‘…Can’t I just seduce her?’

Without the help of the Gift, just with my own skills.

It’s a matter of conquering her.

[“…That’s a strategy truly worthy of you.”]

Hmm.

I agree in many ways.

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