Ch.313Trusted NPCs. (4)

“…Miss Miho. I don’t mean to blame you, but why did you suggest we retreat?”

“Wait, Lize, my sister…”

“No, sis, I think Lize’s question is valid. Clearly, if I hadn’t been watching from behind, giving that monster time in that situation would have made no sense.”

“Right. And I’m starting to run low on magic energy again? My subordinates are sending me magic, but it’s not enough to cover what I’m using in battle.”

Even though I was the one who ordered the final retreat after hearing Miho’s words, it seems both Lize and Luxuria are quite dissatisfied. Hmm, as the adult here, I should mediate properly.

“Lize, Luxuria. Don’t get excited. Miho, I judged that you noticed something. Am I right?”

“Yes. I figured out why our attacks weren’t working. Why that thing keeps recovering.”

“I knew it! That’s my sister!!”

In the dark forest, where the sky was obscured by dense magic energy, we had escaped Greed’s pursuit and could feel a glimmer of hope at Miho’s words. Hmm, she’s definitely grown while working with Jack.

“Good. So what’s your plan to deal with it? I assume you thought it would be too difficult to explain there, so take your time.”

“…Remember what Jack told us before?”

“No matter how bloated and massive it becomes, there’s only one main body. And those who are swallowed cannot be saved. Right?”

“…It didn’t seem to grow larger, but if we think about how its numbers increased, that statement was correct. But even when we killed what looked like the main body, it kept reviving. Did you notice something, Miho?”

As Chikuyo offered her interpretation, Miho nodded slightly in affirmation before continuing.

“Even if it bloats, there’s only one main body. Your interpretation isn’t wrong, sis. But the important part is what comes after: those who are swallowed cannot be saved.”

“I know it would be arrogant to think we could save everyone. But at least avenging those who have already died and rescuing those who remain…”

When Lize spoke with an angry tone, Miho shook her head as if that wasn’t what she meant. Huh? If not that, then what?

“Everyone saw it, right? How it copied all our techniques.”

“The Yorei Phantom Blade. It was even using its teeth to mimic the Yorei Blade and all my basic sword techniques.”

“That damn pig bastard. It even copied techniques I’ve never shown before. I was really shocked, you know?”

“…I was terrified when it used Green Doll’s sword energy. Honestly, if Green Doll himself hadn’t been here, I would already be dead.”

“Miho, it was copying your punches too. As if it already knew the techniques. But what are you getting at?”

As everyone shared what they had seen and experienced, Miho furrowed her brow and spoke with difficulty.

“Do you remember who saved us among the people here?”

“Not a person, right? It’s a demon. Me, or more precisely, me and my daughter.”

“Then, do you remember what I said at the very beginning?”

“At the very beginning? What are you talking about? You’ve said so many things, I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

As Miho seemed to be trying to jog Luxuria’s memory, deliberately making her point difficult to understand, I began to feel confused. Beside me, Chikuyo’s tail started flapping excitedly as her vermilion eyes grew as big as lanterns. Hmm? Could it be. Did she figure it out?

“…Miho. Don’t tell me.”

“Yes. Sis, you’ve caught on?”

“Hey, please stop being so cryptic. I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Yeah, let’s just get to the point and deal with it quickly. I really don’t have much time left, you know?”

When Luxuria mentioned she was really running out of power, Chikuyo told her to stay still and promised more kisses. Sigh, the moral compass of our kids. Jack, this is all your fault.

“…We’ve been eaten, all of us. We’re inside its stomach. Remember when I said if Luxuria’s power is canceled, we’ll all die?”

“Huh? That? I did say that, but I’ve extended my power within its power, right? We’re still alive, and so are the Ponia humans soaked in my power.”

Luxuria, who had said we would all have been digested otherwise, frowned as if she didn’t understand Miho’s point… and I finally caught on to why Miho kept talking in circles. Damn it, could it be.

“No, wait. You don’t mean…”

“…I think we’re already being digested. That’s why it can copy all the skills we have.”

“What? No, what are you saying? My power is blocking its power!”

“…I see, so a creature that should have been vulnerable to holy power suddenly became able to consume it during our battle. At first, I thought it had adapted to our attacks. But that wasn’t it?”

When I asked if my understanding was correct, Miho nodded painfully. I see, so that means…

“So we were finished the moment we entered. There was no escape hole. That’s why you only said you knew the reason.”

“W-wait. Then…”

“Those who are swallowed cannot be saved. So from the moment we were eaten, ‘we had no way’ of being saved?”

Finally, both Luxuria and Lize’s expressions changed as they understood. Yes, what Miho is saying is…

“The only ones who can get out of here now are me, my sister, and Luxuria herself, who said she could forcibly pull us out. The rest…”

“T-that can’t be.”

“……”

So, from the moment we were eaten, there was no way to avoid being digested by it. Luxuria’s power only extended the time before we died, but there was no way to survive?

“Ha, haha. Damn it, to think 4,000 years of life would end like this…”

“T-there are 15,000 people alive here right now? A-all those people…!!”

“…Elder, Lize.”

“Shit. So the reason that pig kept recovering and wouldn’t die was…”

“I think it’s using the souls of the people it ate. And not just that, but also the life force of the people in here and…”

“My magic energy. It was eating that too? No wonder the energy Chikuyo gave me seemed to wear off quickly. Even considering the battle, the magic my subordinates were sending was being consumed too fast. So that’s how it figured out I wasn’t my daughter.”

After saying that, Luxuria clicked her tongue loudly and ran her hand across her forehead.

Did Jack know this would happen? I had hoped he would at least tell us what to do after being eaten. No, if he had known his women would be eaten too, he would have stayed behind himself. As Luxuria was surprised earlier, none of us thought we would be eaten like this.

“…I’m sorry, but I can’t die here. And I can’t let Miho and Chikuyo, Jack’s women, die either. I’ll share energy with Chikuyo again and escape.”

“……”

An apology uncharacteristic of a demon. She’s been saying she could escape from earlier, but she’s been helping us despite the strain. If she says she’ll cut us loose and flee, I can’t think of any words to stop her. Then, at the very least…

“…Can’t you take Lize with you too?”

“Green Doll?!!”

“I’m sorry about that too, but she can’t come because she’s a saint. If she were just an ordinary priestess, there might have been some possibility, but her holy power is too great. Even at my peak, it would be questionable.”

“Kuk. Then, if Lize releases all her holy power right now…”

“No, I’m staying. I can’t leave these people behind. And I can’t leave you behind either!”

She cut off my words, grabbed my arm, and insisted on staying, which made me clench my teeth. To think I would die less than a year after finding the woman I wanted to marry. I really never imagined something like this would happen…

“…There is a way.”

“What?”

Miho, who had calmly assessed the situation from the rear and reached a conclusion, quietly uttered those words, causing our eyes to widen in surprise. Could it be, there was a method after all! Or perhaps Jack had told only Miho about a way…!!!

“…First, let me say that this is just my guess. There’s a possibility it might fail, no. It might not be a viable method at all.”

“Tell me! Even if I die here, I want to make sure Lize survives!!”

“Me too!! I can’t let Green Doll die here!!!”

Even though the situation is desperate, if there’s a method, I’d rather cling to Miho’s idea than have nothing at all. Seeing our determination, Miho grimaced as if in great pain and spoke again.

“…Jack said: Those who are swallowed cannot be saved. But earlier, before it digested Lize’s holy power, it vomited out both my sister’s sword and the Elder’s sword. Do you understand what this means?”

“Don’t tell me, the three of us escape and… make it vomit everyone out?”

*Crack*

As soon as Chikuyo understood, Miho clenched her teeth so hard they nearly broke. I see, that’s truly like an illegal scam with a 0% win rate that even casinos would ban.

“…Luxuria.”

“I don’t know. If I release my power, they might be digested immediately, or it could take a day, an hour, 30 minutes. How am I supposed to know this bastard’s digestion ability? And at this point, after it’s adapted to the saint’s holy power, how exactly are you planning to make it vomit?”

Luxuria immediately caught on to what Miho was about to ask and shook her head with a frown. We don’t have the ability to make it vomit even if we escape and launch a surprise attack right away, now that it has digested Lize’s holy power. Hearing this, a feeling close to resignation began to rise within us…

“…What about something other than holy power?”

“Huh?”

Just as I, as we were about to give up and stop thinking, Lize clenched her fist and began searching through her pocket. Does she have something?

“This is holy water. The one that person Jack brought. I haven’t used it yet because there was no need. Holy water is like a potion that enhances holy power, not holy power itself. I don’t think it would have willingly drunk holy water. So…”

“Holy water. Holy power. Enhancement…? Ah, AH!! There’s something else besides holy water!! Something this bastard probably hasn’t eaten yet!! Back in the day, I…!!!”

After hearing Lize’s words, Luxuria suddenly seemed to remember something, and as we focused on what she was saying, all of our eyes widened in shock. No, a demon did something like that? Why on earth?

“W-wait!! What are you saying?!! Don’t do such things with my body…?!!”

“Eek!! Daughter, shut up for a moment!! This might work!! Saint!! Can you do it?!!”

“If something happens to you…”

“You’re all going to be 100% dead anyway, and you’re worried about what might happen to me?! Don’t worry. I’ve done this before. Daughter, don’t try to resist me now, just cooperate. If you resist and interfere unnecessarily, even something that could succeed will fail. What if Jack gets sad? What if he abandons us?”

“……”

When even the current Luxuria, who seemed genuinely disgusted or had involuntarily emerged, fell silent, we all nodded and stood up. Well, now what I need to do is…

“Elf, go tell my subordinates. If I disappear, this domain of power will vanish, and they’ll all be absorbed by Greed. If you tell them that, they’ll struggle to survive with all their might, even if they don’t want to. Chikuyo, Lize.”

“I see. Understood. I’ll deliver the message.”

“*Gulp* Okay. This time it’s really a kiss for victory, right? Suck all you want!”

“Sigh, I hope a kiss with Luxuria won’t be the last kiss of my life.”

“…While you all prepare, I’ll keep watch around us.”

With our roles decided, we immediately set into motion. I pray the plan succeeds. As I turned my back and started moving, I pretended not to hear the small moans of Chikuyo, the demon, and Lize behind me.