Chapter 165
The voices of the others were incredibly low, as if they themselves were aware they were plotting something shady.
“We’ll do it like last time, right?” “Right, we just have to show them the mirror. Then that body is free.” “Ha, it really was a good decision to serve *The One*...”
It was a good thing my hearing was far superior to others'. Thanks to that, I could clearly hear even those faint sounds. Anyway, the ability Amdusias gave me was working overtime. Right now, that guy is probably shedding tears of blood in Hell, watching me, who am no longer a virgin...
Anyway, I listened to their conversation and pieced together the information.
*...A mirror.*
I didn't know exactly what it was, but it was clear I shouldn't look at it. The way they referred to “*The One*” made it clear there was something behind this. Perhaps the Demon's power was projected onto this 'mirror' they spoke of.
Listening to their real-time discussion of assault, I decided how to act.
For now, I'll stay still.
They'd have to come closer for me to catch them and interrogate them for information, wouldn't they?
Creak... As I pretended to sleep for a moment, the door slowly began to open. Their approaching footsteps held no hesitation, as if this wasn't their first time.
“Hmph... Sir, just wait. Huh? If you just look at the mirror, you will feel good right away.”
When they approached closely, I initiated my move.
Thwack!
“Guh...”
First, I swiftly moved my foot and struck the temple of the person closest to me. For a human, it would be impossible to remain conscious after a direct hit to the head.
When I opened my eyes, the number of personnel I saw was two. It was the now-familiar Freckled Girl and a black-haired woman who seemed quite beautiful.
This... now that I see them, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad to just let myself be 'eaten' by them?
Of course, since I'd already started, I had no intention of letting myself be 'eaten' now.
“Tsk, when did he...? Was he awake?”
The Freckled Girl initially showed signs of panic. But that was only for a moment; she soon began to rush at me to subdue me. It seemed she had no intention of harming the person she intended to 'take,' as she tried to grab me with both hands.
Since I also intended to subdue her, I grabbed her hands. And I couldn't help but be surprised.
*This is: her strength is more than I expected.*
It was stronger than I had anticipated. What? Had she been secretly training? No, if that were the case, I didn't see any particular muscles on her body. I checked to see if she had perhaps poured a lot of mana into her body, but that wasn't it either. Instead, I felt something else: a murky, dense energy, darker than mana—demonic energy.
*Hmm...*
She couldn't be a Manifestor. It definitely seemed like a Demon had done something. Although her strength was greater than expected, it wasn't enough to push me back.
I pulled my hands free from hers, grabbed her by the collar, and performed a Shoulder Throw.
CRASH! A loud sound, unbefitting the early morning, echoed. After subduing the two, I picked up the mirror that had fallen near the black-haired woman.
It was an ordinary-looking mirror, devoid of any ornamentation. Honestly, I couldn't guess what kind of ability it possessed, even looking at it. Because of that, I looked at the girl gasping on the floor and asked.
“What happens if you look into this mirror?” “Tsk, cough, why ask, Sir? If you just look once, your curiosity will be satisfied.” “Sorry, but I already heard you guys planning your operation outside.” “Oh? Then this will be easier. Just take a look. It's for your own good, Sir.”
How could trying to 'take' me possibly be for my own good? Even as I was dumbfounded, her words continued.
“Huh? Sir, you like naughty things too, don't you? As a human, you can't help but like them. Just look once, and you'll feel good and happy right away...” “...”
I carefully observed the opponent's face. I hadn't noticed because her eyes were small, but now I saw she was completely out of it. Her pupils were unfocused, making her look as if her soul had left her body. Meanwhile, her breathing was ragged, like that of someone aroused.
No, she was actually aroused. “In heat” would be a more fitting description. She had seemed perfectly normal and conversational during the day... but seeing her like this at night, she was clearly not in her right mind.
I wanted to continue the interrogation, but unfortunately, there was no time.
“...What are these bastards doing!”
A familiar voice came from the room right next door. It was Shin Hanbyeol's room. It seemed someone had broken into her room too.
“Damn it.”
Thwack! Hearing the sound, I immediately knocked out the Freckled Girl in front of me and headed to the next room, with the mirror she had dropped tucked into my back pocket.
*
CRASH! As soon as I opened the door to the next room, I saw about three young men and women. One man, two women. For intruders breaking into someone else's room in the middle of the night, they were all remarkably beautiful. However, there was no time for further admiration.
By the time Yor entered, it was already too late. Two women were holding Hanbyeol still, and the Man was showing her that very mirror. She hadn't been sleeping separately, but unlike me, her hearing wasn't as good. She might not have known the danger of that mirror.
“Let go...”
Hanbyeol's resisting gaze was fixed on the mirror, as if she were being sucked into it. It was clear she was being affected.
*Damn it.*
Yor quickly stepped forward to subdue the opponents. First, he kicked the man's hand, making him drop the mirror.
CRASH! With that sound, the mirror shattered into pieces and scattered. The startled male looked at me and shouted.
“Who's this bastard? Get him!”
At my words, the two women holding Hanbyeol rushed at me. As soon as the Subdual was released, Hanbyeol collapsed blankly onto the floor. Amidst all this, I had this thought.
*But there are three on their side, and why are there only two on mine?*
Hanbyeol's appearance was certainly outstanding, but somehow, it felt strange. He thought they probably dispatched more personnel to subdue her because Hanbyeol was a 'woman'.
Anyway, the battle ensued.
“Don't damage her face! She must be offered to *The One*!”
Indeed, it seemed Hanbyeol hadn't been Subdued for no reason; the Opponent's speed was quite fast. They seemed confident, even displaying composure in this situation. Indeed, when I blocked a punch, the raw power (Valiant Strength) within it was considerable. It couldn't be considered the strength of a Common Person.
It doesn't seem like they've trained either, from their stance.
Perhaps they've grown stronger little by little due to the Demon's power? Of course, that wasn't enough for him to be pushed back. He diligently extended his arms and legs, taking them down one by one. He struck the man and one woman on their temples to knock them both out, and hit the remaining one in the solar plexus to incapacitate her.
“Ugh!”
“Cough...!”
He left one alive, hoping to extract some information. After resolving the situation, Yor looked at Hanbyeol and asked.
“Are you okay?”
“...Uh, yeah.”
Although she had looked into the mirror, Hanbyeol appeared fine on the surface. She understood what was said and her eyes were clear. Perhaps because the time she spent looking at the mirror was short, it had less effect on her mind.
Indeed, Hanbyeol herself didn't feel anything particularly strange. When she looked into the mirror, her head felt momentarily hazy... but that was all. Both her body and mind were perfectly fine. Well, it's a game; if something changed just from looking into a mirror once, that would be strange too.
“Really? ...Then that's a relief.”
After confirming her well-being, Yor immediately began the interrogation. He looked at the Opponent, who was still gasping, and asked.
“Did “The One” you speak of give you that mirror? I already know it's a Demon, so let's skip that. Tell me, what kind of Demon is it?” “...Get lost, I'm not interested in men.” “...!”
Indeed, that's why she came to Shin Hanbyeol's room — was she a lesbian? This kind of reaction was new to me, so I was a bit flustered.
Of course, I had no intention of meekly complying just because she told me to get lost. This is good when things have just exploded, because I can interrogate without holding back.
SMACK! SMACK! Without adding any words, he just slapped her across the cheek. Perhaps not expecting such a response, the Opponent widened her eyes.
“Come on, you don't like pain either, do you? Huh? Let's end this nicely.”
“You crazy bastard!”
Thwack! I also, as an extra, punched her in the stomach. Hitting a woman like this made me feel like a piece of trash... but then again, I was almost the victim first.
Indeed, after this, she seemed to want no more beatings and spoke quickly.
“*Sitri*, *Lord Sitri*!”
“...*Sitri*?”
Yor tilted his head. The Opponent continued.
“Yes. *Sitri*, the Demon of Lust... If you believe in *The One*, you'll quickly become happy...”
The Opponent's expression instantly became blank. It was an appearance similar to that of the Freckled Girl I had just seen. Yor pondered the epithet the Opponent had mumbled for a moment. *'The Demon of Lust'...* The name itself felt peculiar, almost too direct. He wondered if there was a deeper meaning, or perhaps a play on words he was missing, given the demon's nature.
“And you.”
As I continued my conjectures alone, the Opponent opened her mouth again. Her gaze was directed not at Yor, but at the blank-faced Hanbyeol behind him.
“You've already looked into the mirror, haven't you? Hehe, if it gets too hard to resist, come over here.” “...” “You might feel fine now, but it'll get harder and harder to resist. Desires will boil up constantly; strange thoughts will keep coming. You won't be able to control yourself, will you? In that case, hurry and embrace *Lord Sitri*. You'll feel good right away...”
These were words whose meaning was hard to grasp. And her expression was so blank as she spoke, it was like looking at someone whose soul had left their body. Honestly, since he had never looked into the mirror himself, Yor didn't quite understand what this person was saying.
But Hanbyeol felt something because her lower body strangely tingled when Yor slapped the Opponent's cheek... and when he punched her in the abdomen.
Her lower body literally reacted to that sight.
*Shit... why am I like this?*
Hanbyeol was quite flustered by that fact. Honestly, her libido wasn't weak... but she wasn't someone who reacted like this all the time. Did that scene perhaps appeal to her just now?
*...Maybe.*
Hanbyeol decided to let it go for now. Honestly, these days she was slowly coming to terms with having such tastes. It was a difficult taste to satisfy, and there was no way to release it... so perhaps her accumulated desires had subtly surfaced.
“Here! A loud noise came from here!”
“Go up!”
As I was thinking that, voices came from downstairs. Since we had caused such a commotion in the middle of the night, it was natural for people to gather. Actually, they arrived a little later than expected.
“Damn it.”
Yor helped the blank-faced Hanbyeol to her feet. In the dark, single room, his firm physique was faintly visible.
“Let's get out of here for now.”
With that, they began to leave the Inn secretly. Hanbyeol stared at Yor's back, following him blankly.