I had said this a few times already, but in the original game, Count Nicholas had also died once and came back to life to appear as a Boss.

    He was a notorious fucker who traumatized many Sera users. Not only was he an irredeemable trash heap of a villain, the way he came back to life was also horrible.

    While yes, the Magic Tower’s technology was the best in this universe—to the point as if they could change the whole world’s genre single-handedly—and they could resurrect the dead if they wanted to...

    The resurrection that they performed would never be a complete one. Case in point, the count’s body was horribly ‘warped’, and he had a completely different look from his original appearance.

    However, even considering that, the way he looked now was...

    Disgustingly monstrous. Calling it ‘warped’ wouldn’t do justice to how horrible he looked.

    “...U

    The cry that came out of ‘that thing’ as it opened its mouth was mixed with a bizarre reverberation that didn’t even come close to what a human sounded like.

    It was as if all its organs, muscles, bones, skin, and blood vessels—everything melted and meshed into one singular thing. The thing didn’t even look like a human, but a human-shaped molten liquid.

    Its appearance looked like something that would come out of an abstract painting that was painted by a crazy painter who was trying to show the world what hell looked like in his mindscape.

    The sound it emitted was similar to the sound of someone scratching on an iron plate; like a mix of the screams of a woman and fetus, filled with blind hatred and pain.

    I had heard this voice plenty of times when I was playing the game, but it was still blood-chilling to hear.

    “Ah, aaaa—!”

    Along with such a scream, the thing wriggled its body around.

    Anyone could tell that it was trying to make a move on us, but fortunately for us...

    There was someone who was extremely sensitive to that kind of behavior in this room.

    The Sword Saint, Radu Varphon, drew a short breath before grabbing the hilt of his sword.

    All the swordsmen who had reached the level of a master could unleash a terrifying degree of power with only a subtle difference in their breaths.No?v(el)B\\jnn

    It was already well-known that unleashing a sword strike in a short exhale would produce a more powerful swing compared to unleashing it while breathing in.

    While I didn’t know much about it, I did know that it was probably because in such a delicate routine, where even the amount of muscle’s cells and the minute details of angles on your body mattered, such a minor ‘percussion’ could change the composition entirely.

    And if a Saint—someone who had reached the level where he could even twist the principles that made up the current state of the world—were to utilize that...

    It wouldn’t be a wonder that such a small action would create a formidable result.

    A single strike flew with a ‘breath’—done in the most perfect timing, during a perfectly established routine—out of the tip of the sword that the Sword Saint had pulled.

    “Fuck, you crazy—!”

    Someone let out such an unadulterated shriek.

    It was none other than the chancellor who did that, even though she was someone who had always tried her best to keep her dignity.

    Then again, no one would blame her for doing that in this situation.

    —–!!

    —–!!!!!!!!

    Anyone with the ability to think and a shred of intelligence, or anyone with the most basic survival instinct would know...

    The moment they saw the one strike that the Sword Saint had swung, they should feel it in their bones...

    That this wasn’t something they could face head on.

    If they were to face such a thing, only a devastating end would wait for them.

    And this applied to Count Nicholas, who was in such a bizarre state.

    How the ugly fucker was immediately split to half by the strike proved it.

    Yellow blood soared like a fountain. You could tell by the color of his blood that it was just as abnormal as his appearance was, but no one cared about that. They all wore a relieved look, as if such an abnormal sight didn’t matter. R?

    Because the thing that mattered to them was that the Sword Saint had taken care of the disgusting thing.

    After all, no lifeform in this world could’ve survived that—

    “...”

    Wait.

    Lifeform?

    Can a fucker who had died once and came back to life be defined as a lifeform?

    The moment I felt such anxiety crept up my spine...

    Count Nicholas’ body, which had been spewing yellow blood, began to wriggle.

    Both sides of his body that had been split into two wriggled at the same time.

    “...He’s still ali—!”

    Before the Sword Saint could finish his words...

    I already made my way to get both Her Imperial Majesty and the chancellor lie down flat on the floor at the same time.

    And right after I did that...

    Each side of the thing’s divided body started to form something with its flesh, and shot out towards their surroundings.

    Some Imperial Palace’s soldiers who were standing on guard inside the hall failed to react and were swept by the irreverent tentacles of flesh.

    Their bodies rose to the air as their vital points were pierced in an instant. They dangled like scarecrows fluttering in the strong wind.

    “...!”

    I hadn’t seen him ever since Nicholas crushed the ceiling and barged in.

    “...”

    I’d have to settle the score with him later, but...

    Before that, I had to take care of the matter at hand.

    “...Anyway, I just need to endure this, no?”

    I muttered while glaring at Count Nicholas, who was wriggling around in front of me.

    “Hey, Dowd. What was just—!”

    “I just sent the chancellor outside. She has the lowest chance of surviving out of all of us here.”

    “...”

    Hearing that, Her Imperial Majesty stared at me with a dumbfounded look.

    From her expression, it was clear that she was asking, ‘What about me, then?’.

    But I could only send her a bitter smile.

    “Unfortunately, I need you here, Your Imperial Majesty.”

    “...What?”

    “You told me that you like me didn’t you? So, please lend me your help. Everything will come to nothing without your help, Your Imperial Majesty.”

    I wasn’t lying. Her help was essential for us to overcome this situation.

    “...What kind of help could you get from someone like me even—”

    “Obviously the kind of help that only you could provide.”

    “What?”

    “Don’t worry, I’ll give you an appropriate reward for it. I’ll take out that thing circulating inside your body for you. I know that its power is quite something.”

    The moment she heard my words, she stared at me blankly, as the muscles on her cheeks wriggled. Before long, she let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth again.

    “...What is it that you need me to do?”

    Fortunately, she didn’t straight up refuse me or get mad at me. She seemed to be determined to adapt to the situation instead.

    Honestly, this was the best reaction she could give at the moment.

    “We’re trying to hold out until the Sword Saint gets back. Please support me from behind, Your Imperial Majesty.”

    “You’re the only person in this world who’d tell the empress to guard your back for you, you know?”

    “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any choice here. The only way for us to survive this is if we are to help each other out, no matter how small the help is.”

    Vertical yellow slits formed on both her pupils, turning them to look more like reptiles’ pupils than humans’.

    [I’m not sure if the help of a Dragonkin could be considered as small.]

    Something ‘polyphonic’ was mixed in her voice as she said that.

    [After everything is over, I’ll definitely settle this debt with you.]

    “...Anytime.”

    Of course I had to give her some sort of reward.

    After all, the power of the Dragonkin would reduce her lifespan.

    As I was making such a resolution inwardly, I turned my gaze to the side.

    “...Victoria.”

    “...”

    The Grand Assassin turned her gaze to me with a nervous expression. I let out a sigh before opening my mouth again.

    “...Can you bring Seras here?”

    “I can, but...”

    Victoria glared at the monster before her eyes while gritting her teeth.

    “Will you still be alive while I do that?”

    “If you can bring her in five minutes, yes, I will.”

    “I only need two minutes, but... Even if I were to bring her here...”

    What can we do against something like that?

    That was probably what she was trying to ask me.

    To that, I shrugged my shoulders and replied.

    “Don’t worry, I know of a way for us to survive.”

    “What is—”

    “I only need to touch your breasts again.”

    “...”