Chapter 240 It's a one hit combat duel?
(POV: Lumiere)
"Is that really an Immortal Demon King?"
"Yeah, I think that's what I heard.."
"What's the short teacher gonna do to her, bore her to death."
"As long as it works I'm fine with it, I don't like demons."
"Why hasn't the school contacted the attention of the kingdom?!"
"I don't know man."
"Oh gosh, I'm too beautiful."
There was so much murmuring and words flying around.
And I could've sworn I heard Lance's voice at least once in the crowd.
I turned my gaze towards Stellaria again.
"Stellaria, I need you to erect a barrier around me and our 'friends' here to make sure no one gets hurt," I implored.
"Got it."
In response, she snapped her fingers with ease, a seemingly effortless display of her magical prowess.
"There, the barrier's in place," she said.
I couldn't help but quip, "You could've waited for me to step inside first, you know."
Stellaria let out an airy yawn, her nonchalant demeanor evident.
"I'm not an idiot, darling. This type of barrier allows things to come in but prevents anything from getting out."
Stellaria might be lazy, sexy and sadistic but she knows her stuff...
In and out of sexual activities, mind you.
Nodding in understanding, I retraced my steps towards Dendrossa and her two loyal demons.
The aura these guys were emitting was intense.
It was like they were unintentionally using the [Mana Pressure] skill.
"Eh, Dendrossa..."
"Yeah?!" she replied, energetic.
"I see you've brought some friends along," I remarked, attempting to break the ice.
Dendrossa flashed me a grin, the amusement in her red eyes didn't let down one bit.
"Indeed, this is Tapas, the Unruly," she introduced, gesturing towards the demon who stood before me, arms folded and a menacing scowl etched upon his face.
"Uh, hey... Tapas," I greeted Tapas with a friendly salutation, though he merely responded with a blast of steam erupting from his flared nostrils.
Geez, dramatic much?
Dendrossa then directed my attention towards the stunning demon beside her.
Her, I'd like to know.
"And this, my dear, is Senesica, the Queen of Darkness," she presented with a touch of pride in her voice.
"Queen of Darkness?" I echoed. "That's totally not concerning."
Before I could fully process the implications, Senesica sidled up to me, her curvaceous, meaty breasts pressing against my back.
Her voice was a sweet and sultry whisper.
One that brushed against my ear as she marvelled at my eyes.
"My, you have the most beautiful eyes," she purred enticingly.
Perplexed, I raised an eyebrow and managed to utter a somewhat bewildered, "Thank you?"
Dendrossa's face contorted with a frown as she chided Senesica.
"Leave him alone, Senesica."
The alluring demon smiled, "Ara~Ara... You don't have to be so strict. I just wanted to greet our Curse King."
My eyes peeled wide-open. How the hell did they know that?!
Sigh.
At this point, what's the use of the [Status Modification] skill if it can't keep me safe from powerful guys.
"How'd you know about that?"
I asked, lowering my voice to ensure that our conversation remained hidden from the onlookers lingering by the invisible spatial barrier.
Dendrossa flashed a sly smile and replied, "My sister told me."
Perplexed, I inquired, "Your sister? Who's that?"
Just as the question escaped my lips, a voice echoed from behind me.
"That's me."
Turning, I came face to face with Abaddon, who confirmed that she was indeed Dendrossa's sister.
Startled by this new information, I stammered, "Wait, you're really sisters?"
Abaddon simply nodded.
"Of course! Can't you see the resemblance!"
I looked at Abaddon?s breasts and Senesica?s "huge" breasts and then at finally at Dendrossa?s chopping board of a breast.
No, no, I cannot see the resemblance.
"S... Sure."
Seemingly intrigued by our conversation, Senesica materialized as a small black cat on my shoulder.
Purring softly, she said, "And I'm the youngest sister..."
For some reason I enjoyed having her in this form on my shoulder.
It was weirdly... comforting.
I looked at Dendrossa's small stature and couldn't help but quip, "So, let me guess, you're the oldest sister, then?"
At this point, I couldn't understand how this world worked.
The youngest sister was conveniently the one with the largest breasts and the best curves.
It was like she was my mommy with those black hair and blue eyes of hers.
So I thought, if Senesica was the youngest, then Dendrossa was likely the oldest.
Maybe "they" and their breasts were aging backwards.
Dendrossa grinned, her fangs on full display. "Woah, how'd you know?" she retorted playfully.
Shaking my head in amusement, I brushed off her question.
My attention then shifted towards Tapas, the fearsome and brawny red demon.
He was still staring at me with animosity.
Like I took his candy or something.
With a playful tone, I jokingly asked, "So, what about Tapas? Is he the second oldest sister?"
Clearly agitated, steam spewed from Tapas' flaring nostrils as he stormed over to face me.
Fists clenched tightly, he vehemently declared, "No!"
Rubbing my chin, I pretended to ponder for a moment.
"Ah, so you're the third oldest sister then," I chuckled, fully expecting him to join in on the jest.
To my surprise, Tapas' rage only intensified.
Without warning, he lunged at me with a powerful punch.
Reacting instinctively, I intercepted his assault with ease, catching his fist effortlessly in my hand.
Big mistake.
"Oi, Tapas," I said, my eyes flashed red a bit, "you really should be careful. That kind of temper could get you killed."
Tapas, visibly taken aback by my effortless interception, took a cautious step back, the sound of his swallowing audible.
Dendrossa immediately laughed loudly.
"Wow! You really tamed Tapas...!"
Alright, I know I was the one who started it...
But "tame"? No, that was just a harsh thing to say.
Senesica, still in her cat form, gracefully made her way up my body.
With each step, her tiny paws lightly landed on me, until she perched atop my head, her warm body snuggling against my scalp.
As she began to purr contently, Dendrossa, her sighed heavily.
"We're losing daylight! This is why I hate the Blue World!"
We were barely into the morning yet.
"Only if you promise to explain everything afterwards," I insisted.
"I promise that I'll personally do that," Abaddon reassured me.
"Somehow I doubt that."
"Trust me, I'm not a fan of the Tenebrous Slade way either, but apparently my older sister here doesn't want to let that stupid rule go."
"HEY! That rule?s one of the best things about our realm!"
Dendrossa was quick to defend her stupid rule.
"Sure, whatever..." said Abaddon and me.
Resigned to the situation, I sighed, accepting their terms.
"Sometimes it's exhausting to constantly be thrust into battles, always on edge."
Exasperation was heavy in my voice.
"Actually, it's exhausting every time..."
I stretched my tired limbs, the sound of my joints popping echoing in the silence.
Senesica, sensing my unrest, made a soft meowing sound, her eyes locking with Dendrossa's as she offered her own suggestion.
"Maybe we could try the rule of one hit combat?"
Senesica mused, her tiny pink tongue gliding over her sleek fur.
Confused, I turned to Dendrossa. "One hit combat, what's that?"
Dendrossa wore a serious expression.
"The rule of one hit combat," she began, "is a fundamental principle of the Tenebrous Slade's combat rules. It emphasizes the importance of precision and strategy."
"And?" I asked, already intrigued.
"And..." Dendrossa trailed off, sheepishly scratching her head and chuckling softly. "I seem to have forgotten the details," she admitted, a touch of embarrassment tinging her voice.
Sigh... Why do I even bother.
Frustration etched on Abaddon's face, she facepalmed, exasperated by Dendrossa's absentmindedness.
Senesica let out another meow. "Typical," she said as she continued to groom herself, gently licking her black fur.
In a matter of seconds, Abaddon explained the one hit combat rule.
It was a sacred tradition instilled within the Tenebrous Slade.
Just like Dendrossa said, a test of skill and strength, where precision is paramount.
The premise was simple.
When engaging in one hit combat, the challenged must unleash their most potent attack.
The challenged would be the one who struck first, and the defender would bear the full brunt of the attack without retaliating.
If the challenged's attack was enough to defeat the challenger, they would be declared the victor.
However, if the challenger remained standing, they were the winner.
"So the challenger can't attack right?" I asked.
Senesica nodded. "Yeah, because they're the one challenging."
"Oh, cool," I said.
Dendrossa rubbed her chin.
"Now it makes sense why I forgot that rule. It's so boring."
As long as it kept me alive, then it wasn't. n0VeLuSb.c0M
"And don't worry about the people watching," said Abaddon. "They won't remember a thing..."
"Hm?"