This Isn't an E*otic Game?-Chapter 88: Negotiation and Battle

The sky was dyed black.

And the earth was torn apart.

From the gaping fissures, an endless horde of demons and hellspawn poured forth.

Twisted and grotesque beings, filled with an unrelenting hatred and fury toward the living and anything created with goodness.

Between the sundered land and the blackened sky, a crimson moon rose, casting its glow upon three figures.

A grotesque woman, painfully thin, her eyes brimming with paranoid jealousy.

A muscular man, his body forged of steel, his face crafted from brass.

And lastly.

A woman who looked younger and more fragile than anyone, her drowsy eyes half-lidded.

The three of them stood, gazing down at a woman who had collapsed on the ground.

Her limbs were withered as if she had been tortured since childhood, her back twisted with a bulging hump.

A hunchbacked woman was lifted into the air by the three figures.

As their hands tightened around her, her body was pulled apart.

At the final moment, the hunchbacked woman did not scream. Instead, she stared straight at me.

"Save me."

Her voice was chillingly calm as she pleaded.

And then, her body was torn apart.

From within her, a woman’s face emerged—one contorted in agony.

The brilliant golden light was soon swallowed by the three figures under the mocking glow of the crimson moon.

And before long, light ceased to exist in this world.

****

[Holy fuck!!]

Kon shrieked as I jolted up in bed, practically thrown from my sleep.

It had been quiet for a while, but here we go again.

Erfa.

Following Iomene and Almene, this made the third time.

[That dream you just had? It’s like watching a golden-maned stallion take the virgin mare I’d been eyeing—right in front of me. You good?]

Even drenched in sweat, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at Kon’s absurd analogy.

“I had a terrible nightmare,” I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

“But it was a good nightmare.”

[That’s as contradictory as a ‘pure non-virgin.’ What the hell kind of dream was it?]

“A dream where the world ends.”

[Now that’s one hell of a nightmare. No wonder you freaked out. But why the hell is that a good thing?]

“Because I just figured out a way to die.”

[What kind of bullshit is that now?]

I glanced down at my body.

What exactly had happened in Scrap Yard?

I had no idea.

But one thing was certain—Mammon alone had been no match for Asmodeus.

If Mammon had won, I wouldn’t still be here.

But those three under the crimson moon in my dream.

Those were Demon {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Lords, weren’t they?

Three Demon Lords.

Three against one—Asmodeus had a real chance of losing.

Which meant...

It meant my soul could be destroyed, right?

"Kon, change of plans."

[Okay, hold the fuck up. Explain this in a way that makes sense. What the hell is going on?]

“For the sake of the world, I have to die. You get that? But I can’t just die in an ordinary way—I need to be completely annihilated, soul and all. And just now, in my nightmare, I saw the way to do it. So we’re changing the plan.”

[You realize you sound like a total fucking lunatic right now, right?]

Yeah.

I was a lunatic.

A lunatic desperate to die by having his soul obliterated.

“Kon. For world peace. And for your sake too, I have to die. Got it? So help me out here. It’ll be easier with you around, don’t you think?”

[No clue what the fuck is happening, but... fine. You need help? I’ll help. What do I need to do?]

“A woman. We need to find a woman. A hunchbacked woman with withered limbs.”

If I took her place and let myself be torn apart by those three Demon Lords, everything would be perfect.

I’d die a martyr and get reincarnated in Korea.

The world would be rid of Asmodeus’s potential rampage.

Hell would lose a Demon Lord’s throne, meaning they wouldn’t be able to meddle in the human world as much.

Flawless.

The only problem was that, once again, I had to find a woman from a prophecy.

First, I had to locate her. Then, I’d figure out how to take her place.

But how the hell was I supposed to find a hunchbacked woman with withered limbs on this massive continent?

“Goddamn it. Where do I even start?”

Just as I was about to rip my hair out in frustration—

[How old is she supposed to be?]

“Early twenties... maybe mid-twenties at most.”

[A hunchback with withered limbs in her early twenties, huh? Alright. I’ll scan the area with my psychic abilities.]

Kon sounded way too confident about it, leaving me utterly dumbfounded.

“Wait. You can actually find her?”

[Listen, if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s finding females. With my psychic powers, I can sense whether a mare is a virgin even if she’s 20 kilometers away. Do not underestimate my abilities, Amayel.]

I couldn’t believe it.

This perverted, sex-crazed undead unicorn was actually proving useful?

Maybe it was true what they said—live long enough, and you’d see everything.

“Kon. I’m counting on you. Find her. Fast.”

[Hmm. Nothing within range yet. We need to move somewhere with more people. Head that way.]

“That way?”

[Yeah.]

I immediately activated time-stop, adjusted my physical modifications, and sprinted at full speed in the direction Kon pointed.

[Shit. Still no sign of her. No hunchbacked woman anywhere. Ooooh!! 10 kilometers northeast—an entire stable full of untouched mares!!]

“Shut up, Kon!! Focus and find the woman!! This is urgent!!”

[Goddamn it, if only I had a physical body...! Just keep moving! I’ll expand my detection range!]

Despite the occasional nonsense about mares, Kon’s help made this a hell of a lot easier.

Together, we raced through the frozen world, covering ground at insane speeds.

****

Her skeletal limbs were covered in wounds.

The hunch on her back twisted her posture, making it difficult for her to walk. Her deformed spine pressed against her lungs, making each breath a struggle.

She had pushed herself to keep walking, step after step, but her tattered body had finally reached its limit.

“I... I can’t walk any further, Goddess.”

Kanya collapsed onto the ground.

“I’m so hungry. My throat is dry... I don’t have any strength left.”

The Goddess did not urge her forward.

[You did well. Let’s rest for a bit. And then we’ll see if we can find food and water.]

For six hours, Kanya had walked without stopping.

The fact that she had made it this far with such a broken body was nothing short of miraculous.

Her breath came in ragged gasps.

She had no way of knowing when the servants of Sloth would come for her.

Because of that, she had avoided crowded places for as long as she could.

But now, she had reached her limit.

Even if she could compromise on everything else, food and water were absolute necessities.

“I’ll try heading to that village.”

From the hill where she rested, she spotted a town.

Judging by the number of cars and people, it was no small settlement.

Taking a deep breath, she forced her trembling, overworked limbs to move again and made her way toward the village.

And the moment she stepped inside—

“The smell!!”

“What the hell is with that woman?”

“God, what is that stench?!”

People scrunched their faces in disgust, instinctively stepping away from her.

The unbearable stench of an unwashed body made it impossible for them to ignore her.

And on top of that, her skeletal limbs and the hunch protruding from her back made her appearance downright unsettling.

[This works in our favor. The fewer people around you, the safer you’ll be. Grab some food and water quickly, then leave.]

Kanya nodded at the goddess’s words.

That was when a pleasant aroma wafted into her nose.

A restaurant.

A place where she could get food and water.

Slowly, she approached.

As soon as she carefully stepped inside, the lively chatter began to fade.

And in the span of a few moments, complete silence filled the restaurant.

Stares of shock and disgust bore into her, and Kanya shrank under their gazes.

“P-Please... grant me... some food and water.”

She spoke hesitantly, her voice trembling.

The customers turned to look at the owner.

He had a rough, intimidating face, his expression unreadable.

He took a step toward her.

[That bastard... If he dares lay a hand on my child—!]

The goddess quietly gathered her power, and Kanya tensed as the man approached.

But surprisingly—

The worst did not happen.

“Miss, are you alright?”

The rough-faced owner spoke in an unexpectedly gentle voice.

Then, he smiled.

“I am a follower of Lilia. The Goddess teaches us to aid those in need. Come, let me provide you with food, water, and a place to wash.”

Kanya blinked in disbelief.

“...T-Thank you. If possible, I’d like food and water first...”

“I’ll bring it right away. While you eat, I’ll contact the local temple and have the priests come. They’ll tend to your wounds.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Kanya’s relief turned to sheer terror.

A priest?

Someone with divine power?

The instant that person arrived—

She would be torn apart and die on the spot.

“N-No...! I can’t!!”

With a shriek, Kanya bolted from the restaurant.

“Miss! Miss! Where are you going?!”

The owner called after her in shock, but she didn’t answer.

She ran, sprinting through the streets, out of the city, and toward the nearest deserted hillside.

Only when she had reached a secluded area outside town did she finally collapse onto the ground.

[The grace of Lilia... It seems her followers have grown in number while I was sealed. Strange... She suffered the most wounds during the Heavenly War...]

“I never expected kindness to turn into a death trap, Goddess.”

[Indeed. This is troublesome.]

Her stomach growled loudly.

She hadn’t eaten properly in days.

If she tried to eat wild plants, her already frail body might not withstand the sickness.

She needed real food.

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But where could she possibly find food and water?

[I'm sorry, my child. My power can only destroy evil. I cannot even provide you with a morsel of food. I am utterly useless.]

“No... Please don’t say that.”

Even as she spoke, Kanya’s expression darkened.

She needed food and water, but going back into town meant risking an encounter with a priest, which would be the end of her.

She was completely stuck.

“What am I supposed to do...”

As Kanya sighed and lowered her head—

“You seem hungry.”

A voice, eerie and unsettling, spoke from behind her.

Kanya sprang to her feet as if struck.

At the same moment, a black magic circle spread across the ground, and the sky suddenly turned pitch-black.

[Damn it!]

The goddess’s divine power instantly surrounded Kanya.

She gripped her staff, pointing it forward like a spear.

But the figure before her only sneered.

Black robes.

A mask covering their face.

And an unmistakable crest of Sloth emblazoned on their chest.

A servant of a Demon Lord.

“You shouldn’t have run. If you had just remained under my master’s protection, you wouldn’t have had to starve.”

Kanya took slow steps backward.

But the moment she reached the edge of the magic circle, she realized—

Some kind of force was preventing her from stepping out.

“You won’t be able to escape. The only way out is to kill me.”

[Kanya. You must fight.]

At the tip of her staff, divine energy flared to life, forming a sharp spear of light.

Gritting her teeth, Kanya pointed her weapon at the servant of Sloth.

“...I’ll do it.”

“So, you choose resistance. Not a bad choice.”

The masked figure pulled a dagger from their cloak.

“I was given permission to take you back, even if I have to cut off a limb or two.”

[They’re coming! Be ready!]

The goddess’s warning came the moment the enemy lunged forward, their dagger’s blade turning jet-black.

The battle had begun.

Divine energy and dark magic clashed violently in the air, lighting up the blackened sky.