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A one-on-one between an orc and a succubus. Nazar honestly believed that Bash had no chance. As strong as Bash was, and even though he was considered the strongest of all races, a man was a man. Besides, Carrot’s charm was so powerful that a man as resistant to magic as he was couldn’t even move, even if he used every possible countermeasure. Being charmed in an instant by Carrot, he was already imagining how she would ride him, draning his energy and leaving him dry on the spot. Nazar intended to save Bash if it came to that. He was willing to watch until the end, but he couldn’t let him die. But that didn’t happen.
What the hell is going on…?
Bash had started to fight, not slowing down, let alone stopping his movements.
Don’t tell me he’s completely undone the charm…!
It didn’t look like Bash was affected by anything. Nor did he seem to be wearing any special equipment. But it would be impossible for him to move with such agility without doing something to nullify it.
…Anyway, we might be able to win if he keeps it up…
By the time Nazar had swallowed saliva, Bash was very close to Carrot and threw a punch at her beautiful face. It hit with an overwhelming force that would shatter a large boulder if it hit well.
“Hmph!” Carrot countered with her own fist from the side, and the two collided. And then, without the force of the previous clash, she unleashed a scythe-like body blow. Carrot’s fist, thin and small but tightly clenched, slammed into Bash’s side.
Anyone who saw it could tell how powerful the hook was. The hook lunge of the succubus’ martial arts could pierce skin and muscle, shatter bones, and pierce internal organs, and a single strike could be fatal. Not to mention that she was “Carrot of the Hissing Voice”. She was the ultimate succubus. If an average person was hit by her, the upper half of their body could be shattered. That’s how strong her body-strengthening magic was.
“Groaaaaaaaah!” However, Bash didn’t care. No matter how much body-strengthening magic she used on her fists, the damage to Bash was negligible.
“Haaaaaaaaah!” Carrot may or may not have been aware of this, but she continued to throw her fists at Bash’s body with precision. Fists forward, fists back, spinning kicks, elbow strikes, knee kicks, jumping kicks, heel drops… She continued to attack Bash with fluid combinations. But if that was all, it wouldn’t have been called succubus martial arts.
Carrot jumped. She flapped her two wings, scattering dust around her. Double jumping kick, wing strike, inverted heel drop strike… The continuous attacks, which would be impossible for not only humans and beastmen, but also orcs and ogres to replicate, easily hit parts that were normally difficult to aim at. If a human martial artist had seen this, they would have exclaimed in admiration, wondering why they had not been born a succubus.
“…!”
It was some pretty fancy martial arts, but the only thing that connected well was the first hooking blow. Bash’s guard was solid, and every hit to his vital points was blocked, and every time he launched a counterattack. Although he looked like he was swatting away a fly, these random counterattacks were precise and accurate. And Carrot predicted that if she received them directly, her bones would take such a beating that they would most likely suffer almost irreparable damage. The only option was to parry each one, but even that required the finesse of a bomb disposal. Bash overwhelmed Carrot, both offensively and defensively. The Succubus was quickly backed into a corner.|
“Ggh!” Soon, Bash’s fist penetrated Carrot’s defenses, striking deep into her abdomen, and she was thrown toward the entrance.
“Gebohaa…” A large amount of blood and vomit splattered everywhere. Carrot’s legs shook and she fell to her knees. She never let her guard down. She had also used a magical barrier. But still, her bones broke and she finally threw up everything in her stomach. “…Ehehe.”
How many years had passed since she had vomited blood from an attack? Nazar hadn’t seen her do it since the time she fought Liscia.
“So you really beat me, didn’t you?”
“Of course.”
Carrot stood up at Bash’s answer. Nazar looked at her and envied her. She must have been full of pure emotions. After all, the Orc Hero didn’t fight for fun or in a bar fight, but for real. As a warrior, there was no greater honor than that.
“But it’s really a pity… it seems that time is running out.” Carrot muttered.
“…!”
When did that happen? Well, it was more appropriate to say “before he realized it”. So, before he realized it, a woman was standing next to the succubus.
“…” She was dressed in a deep black robe that seemed to consume even the darkness, and she had a goat skull on her head, a tall, pale woman. She looked around, saw Bash clenching his fists and Carrot kneeling, spitting blood, and cocked her head.
“Sir Bash will be our enemy too?”
“Yes. I couldn’t convince him.”
“I see. Too bad… if your tricks didn’t work, we won’t be able to do anything…”
“Forgive me. I am a proud succubus. Therefore, I would never use my charm on someone I hold in such high esteem.”
“I see.”
The woman had two horns on her head and black circles under her eyes. In her hand was a sticky staff; darkness dripping from the tip like mud. Everyone in the place recognized her appearance. Nazar spoke her name. The name of the mage who, as a close associate of the demon king Gediguz, had cast all his enemies into the shadows.
“Poplatica, the Shadow Vortex…!”
She was a demon mage.
“So, did you get it?” She asked Carrot without looking at Nazar and Bash.
“Yes. I was interrupted though…”
“I don’t know how you survived the fight with Bash without the charm.”
“I guess it’s because I’ve always been this good, huh?”
“How funny.” Poplatica dropped her eyes to the ground with a half-smile. “Still, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
He noticed the shadows on the floor growing larger. As if something was approaching from the depths, the shadows moved and covered them.
“But there’s still a chance.”
“Good.”
And then, with a snap, the darkness swallowed them both.
“Wait!”
Nazar yelled and ran, but it was too late. When the darkness vanished, there was nothing. It happened in an instant. But it was to be expected. Carrot said she didn’t have much time, but there was no sign of her moving, nor did she show any signs of heading for the exit. Although her natural enemy, Thunder Sonia, was also in this royal palace. She was probably planning to use Poplatica’s Shadow Crossing to escape from the very beginning.
“So there’s no way to follow them?” Nazar paused and muttered to himself.
Shadow Crossing was a magic that could be considered the secret of Demon magic. They moved from shadow to shadow in an instant. It couldn’t transport a large number of people at once, and there seemed to be many restrictions on setting up entrances and exits, but it was unrivaled when it came to sending a small number of elite people into a local area. It was the pinnacle of magic that only a handful of demon mages could use.
The distance to travel would normally be shorter, but the Poplatica’s Shadow Crossing was different. The episode of the ogre “Gardner the Berserker,” who had been trapped deep inside a Beastmen stronghold, escaping outside the castle walls was well known. It was not unreasonable to assume that Carrot had already escaped beyond their reach. Then it would be best to explain the situation to those who might have heard the commotion and come here. In some cases, Bash would be suspected of something else. Nazar thought about that and relaxed his shoulders.
“Sir Bash, first of all, I will tell everyone about…”
Nazar turned and saw the two, a man and a woman, staring at each other.