Chapter 169
Honestly, I was a little flustered. When Odelia first declared it, she said they had gathered for exploration, not Extermination. But now, suddenly, she wanted to try to catch it. Moreover, it felt a bit strange to go in with such a small number of Personnel.
So I looked at her and asked.
Odelia continued.
“And since it’s not coming out of that Village... it probably won’t chase us either.”
In short, she wanted to use the “If Not, Then Not” Strategy. We'd charge in. If it was catchable, we'd take the Demon's head, and if it was stronger than expected, we'd just run away.
Even if we couldn't catch it, we'd gather enough information to prepare for next time.
It was, in effect, a plan with only benefits.
Moreover, having fewer personnel was an advantage in such a situation. Didn't that mean we could secure mobility? It was actually better for quickly breaking through the village and landing the first blow on the demon.
'Of course, we’d have to take on that much risk...'
Honestly, I wasn't too worried. It's awkward to say so myself, but I'm not weak. I've had plenty of experience catching Demons. I've even faced Demons alone quite a few times. This Demon's ability seems a bit unique, but I'm confident.
“···Hmm, all right.”
So I nodded comfortably.
*
The execution was set for a few days later. There wasn't much to prepare, but everyone needed to recover their condition as much as possible during that time. Everyone took a short period to recuperate.
Thanks to that, even I, who had been short on sleep, was able to get plenty of rest for a few days.
I practically just slept for days.
Hanbyeol, who had now come to her senses, was the same. Hanbyeol, who had barely slept, often logged out to get some rest.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much conversation during that time.
We were both busy recovering from fatiguee... and also other things.
She seems to be subtly avoiding me.
It was because she kept subtly avoiding me. It didn't seem like she held any ill will towards me; she just seemed busy being self-conscious.
Even if I wanted to tell her it was okay, it was hard to get a good look at her. Still, it was the first time I'd seen her like that, so it was quite refreshing.
'Well, there’ll be a chance to talk later.'
I thought that and decided to leave it for now.
A few days later, the day of execution dawned. I stood at the vanguard, looking towards the Village.
Sharp spears were peeking out over the Boundary Wall, which had been repaired somehow. Indeed, the Village's defenses had been strengthened due to the external intrusion. Just by the number of spears visible, the resistance seemed like it would be fierce.
Of course, that didn't mean I intended to withdraw the plan we had already set.
CRASH!
As we broke through the Boundary Wall, countless people began to rush at us.
“Damn it, how could they breach the Boundary Wall we repaired!”
“Catch them! Kill them!”
Sharp spears surged towards This Place. The spears were crudely made, perhaps hastily produced as standard issue, but with dozens flying at once, they were quite formidable.
*'Parry them.'*
I pushed against the spear shafts, deflecting all visible attacks. Indeed, parrying them took considerable effort, with dozens of people. For a moment, both my arms tingled from the excessive force.
It would be a bit troublesome, but I intended to be as careful as possible not to seriously injure my opponents. After all, they were civilians affected by the Demon. Since they were acting under duress, I had no intention of subduing them excessively.
“Hmph!”
The Extermination Squad also seemed to be as careful as possible, not wanting to unnecessarily provoke the mentally unstable Civilians. Of course, subduing them easily was difficult.
Unlike us, the Villagers were extremely aggressive. Their willingness to charge at the Knights without hesitation... seemed almost like madness.
“Kill them! Kill all those bitches who threaten Lord Sitri!”
“Ugh, why are these guys so strong?”
The Extermination Squad was flustered by the unexpectedly strong Villagers. The battle instantly intensified as a result.
Still, it's not impossible to break through.
Although people were getting injured, honestly, it didn't really matter. Behind us were Divine Power Vending Machines providing Automatic Healing. Not only Purification, but Healing and Buffs were also possible. Our Combat Fatigue dropped significantly.
Having to protect the Priests while Charging was a bit annoying, but it was certainly manageable.
After they advanced a certain distance, the Village Hall slowly began to appear. Although this place was wide for a village, it was still just a village.
If people were determined and charged with all their might, they would quickly reach the Village Hall.
“We’re going straight in!”
With Odelia's words, we entered the Hall.
CRASH! Immediately upon bursting in, we saw the surprisingly spacious interior of the Hall.
“···Oh, wow.”
And there were dozens of naked men and women. They were looking at someone with vacant eyes in a low posture, as if worshipping them. And in the center, a bronze-skinned woman was calmly receiving their gazes...
Although her form was human, I knew instinctively that she was the Demon, Sitri, who had turned the Village into an Orgy Site.
As the Extermination Squad hesitated for a moment at the scandalous sight, the woman in the middle turned to face us.
'Wow.'
She was a woman of exceptionally striking beauty. Even the clothes she wore were nothing more than translucent silk, the kind a dancer might wear. Unlike the naked men and women, she at least wore fabric, but it was so sheer that the color of her private parts was visible. With her brown skin and such attire, she felt even more alluring than the others.
“Oh my, cute children have come to visit. Have you come because you wish to be embraced by me too?”
As I admired her for a moment, the creature spoke. Her tone was soft and alluring, unfitting for the brutal atmosphere. Her appearance, aura, and voice were all utterly seductive.
She was truly a creature seemingly born for sex, enough to make one lose one's mind for a moment.
Hwaaaah... As I stared blankly, I suddenly felt a familiar yet unsettling energy from behind. It was Divine Power being infused by the Priests. Thanks to that, my mind felt much clearer.
I glanced back, and one of the Priests frowned and spoke to me.
“···Be careful. An Ominous Aura is seeping in. She must be secretly using her abilities right now.”
“Ah.”
It seemed I had been brainwashed without realizing it. No wonder my head felt a bit hazy. The creature itself was like the 'mirror' the villagers held. Well, it made sense, since the mirror was likely a projection of its abilities in the first place.
“What are you doing? Attack now!”
Fortunately, everyone quickly came to their senses. Perhaps because the Demon appeared as a female, everyone resisted easily. At Odelia's shout, everyone grabbed their weapons and began to rush at the Demon.
Swoosh! Unlike the Villagers, skilled Strikes surged towards the creature. The creature's response was simple.
“Rough children, aren't they?”
It used those around it as Meat Shields. As Sitri wiggled a finger, one of the naked male individuals stepped in front of the blade without hesitation. Truly, he was a Puppet.
“!”
One of the surprised Extermination Squad Members hastily tried to pull back her sword, but it was already too late. Too much force had been put into the swing to pull back. All she could do was forcibly slow the sword's speed.
It would easily slice through the delicate skin of a human.
Kagagak-! But an anomaly occurred. With his bare body, the naked Male received the sword. He sustained some minor scratches, but that was all; he was perfectly fine, as if he hadn't been hit by a sword at all.
“What in the...”
The woman who had attacked wore a dumbfounded expression. Seeing the aggressive stance of the Extermination Squad, Sitri spoke again.
“The last children were quite docile... Hmm, perhaps you don't like this form? Well, I suppose that's understandable if you're of the same sex.”
Then, Sitri suddenly began to transform.
Squirming... As muscles transformed, her physique also changed. Her body, which had traced soft curves, slowly began to reveal angular lines. Her full breasts flattened, filling with solid muscle, and her slender shoulders broadened.
By the time I came to my senses, the creature had changed from a woman to a man. The only things that remained similar were the gentle expression and her brown skin. Just like her female form, Sitri's appearance as a male was stunning enough to rival a celebrity.
“To change gender at will.”
Anyway, it seems there are hardly any normal ones among these Demon bastards. Still, the fortunate thing was that it made it easier for me to resist the Charm. Charm from a Man... If I were to fall for something like that, I'd bite my tongue off and kill myself.
“Whoa...”
“Oh, shit...”
The problem was that almost all the Extermination Squad Members, except for me, were in a dazed state. They were admiring Sitri's appearance, even dropping their weapons; it was clearly a sign of being Charmed.
“Snap out of it, you bastards!”
So this time, I shouted. If the Extermination Squad were Charmed here, even escaping would become difficult.
“That’s right! You must not fall for the wicked Demon’s trickery!”
Even the Priests, who had managed to keep their wits about them, sprayed Divine Power frantically, steadying the People's minds. As expected of Priests, they seemed to resist the Demon better. Somehow, my impression of Priests was gradually improving.
Hmph, the people hit by the Divine Power Beam came to their senses one by one and began to charge again.
The battle had just begun.