Episode 136. Grand Archbishop of Desire, Laktasia (2)

Grand Archbishop of Desire, Laktasia.

As her name suggests, she possessed magic capable of manipulating human “desire.”

A seduction magic that had turned countless heroes into her puppets.

The condition for falling under her seduction was simple.

One had to harbor sexual desire for her.

The moment even the slightest desire was felt, she could amplify it tenfold, a hundredfold, turning them into puppets of desire.

But.

“Why isn’t it working?”

While the puppets she brought were fighting Yuren’s party, she first used her seduction magic on Yuren.

But for some reason, instead of falling under her spell, Yuren was fiercely cutting down her puppets like a wolf among sheep.

“Looking at me… he harbors no desire at all?”

Laktasia frowned and glanced down at her body.

Her voluptuous chest like ripe fruit, her slender waist, wide hips, and smooth legs.

Even though she possessed every element that could make a lifelong clergyman lose their mind with desire, why wasn’t he falling under her seduction magic?

“Hmph. Fine then.”

Laktasia bit her nails irritably and turned her head.

“That guy, Dale, was it?”

The insolent human who dared to interrupt her.

“Well… I’ll just have to use the seduction magic on him first.”

Judging by the atmosphere, he seemed to be the leader of the party.

If she could seduce him and turn him into a puppet, subduing Yuren would be easy.

Laktasia slightly exposed her chest and sent a seductive glance towards Dale.

“Come to me.”

“You said I was ugly and you didn’t like me before.”

“……”

Once again, the seduction magic didn’t work.

“I even showed my chest, why isn’t it working?”

Laktasia frowned fiercely and gritted her teeth.

Then, a woman with pink hair entered her field of vision.

Iris, was it?

Judging by how she defended Dale’s appearance, it seemed like they were lovers.

“Why isn’t that girl feeling any desire for me…?”

Frowning, Laktasia scrutinized Iris’s chest.

“……!”

Soon, her eyes widened in shock.

Though hidden under her loose priestess robe, upon closer inspection, the outline of a monstrous figure was faintly visible.

Not just in size.

Judging by the lines of that outline, its shape clearly surpassed her own.

“Ugh…!”

Laktasia trembled with a sense of defeat and shifted her gaze.

The only man left was a big, muscular hulk.

“Ugh. I really hate that type.”

For someone who preferred slender, handsome men, Berald was completely out of her taste.

Normally, she wouldn’t even use seduction magic on such a hulk.

“But I have no choice.”

Tsk.

Laktasia clicked her tongue and cast her seduction magic on Berald.

“Huh?”

Berald tilted his head, as if sensing something strange.

Seeing this, a deep smile formed on Laktasia’s lips.

“Yes, this is the reaction I expected…”

“Brother Dale! Do you have any jerky left in your bag?”

“Here.”

Dale took out some dried jerky from his bag and threw it to Berald.

“Hahaha! You saved me, brother! It seems this Iron Fist’s legacy consumes a lot of stamina!”

Berald chewed the jerky noisily and swung his fists at the puppets again.

“……”

Laktasia stood frozen with a dumbfounded expression.

She gritted her teeth as she watched Berald, who didn’t even glance her way.

“What… what is going on here?!”

Could it be that her seduction magic doesn’t work on any of the three?

Is this party some kind of gathering of eunuchs?

“Damn it, damn it, damn it…!”

Her once high pride shattered into pieces at this unprecedented situation of three rejections.

Laktasia bit her nails nervously and cursed.

“Your seduction magic won’t work on Berald.”

I smirked at Laktasia.

“That guy Berald… he’s only interested in the ‘microscopic world.'”

“…What?”

Laktasia frowned, looking at me as if I were spouting nonsense.

I shrugged and continued.

“Well, to put it simply. Light women like you aren’t his type.”

“You…!”

Laktasia glared at me with murderous eyes.

She gritted her teeth and raised her magical energy.

As Laktasia stretched out her hand, the magical energy gathered in the air, forming a purple whip.

“How long do you think you can keep being so insolent?”

Swoosh!

With a terrifying sound, the whip lashed out.

A speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.

I reflexively swung my sword to deflect the whip.

Clang!

A heavy shock ran up my arm.

“Even if she’s the weakest in combat, an Archbishop is still an Archbishop.”

I frowned as I looked at my bloodied palm after just one block.

“Hmm. You blocked it, huh? You do have some skill to be so insolent.”

Laktasia’s eyes sparkled with interest as she looked at me, who had blocked her strike.

She fiercely raised the corner of her mouth and swung the whip again.

“Let’s see you block this!”

Swoosh!

The whip seemed to split into multiple strands, lashing out from all directions.

I ignited Ash Fire and swung my sword towards the oncoming whips.

Ash Fire Sword 1st Form, Ash Extinction.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A terrifying roar echoed, unlike anything one would expect from a clash of sword and whip.

“You blocked all of that…?”

After a brief exchange, Laktasia looked at me with surprised eyes.

She narrowed her eyes and scanned me up and down.

“Strange… I’ve never seen your face among the Republic’s rankers.”

How could a hero, not even a ranker, dare to block an Archbishop’s assault head-on?

“This is starting to get interesting.”

Laktasia’s eyes sparkled like a predator that had found a delicious prey.

“Hehe. I think I’ll make you my pet too.”

At first, I thought you were nothing compared to that ‘Yuren’ guy, but looking again, your face is quite decent.

“Three rejections, and your mouth is still alive.”

“Ugh…!”

Laktasia’s expression twisted at my mockery.

She twitched the corner of her mouth and trembled the hand holding the whip.

“I’ll have to teach you some manners first.”

“Sorry, but I’m not into your type.”

I kicked off the ground and quickly closed the distance to Laktasia.

Recalling Yuren’s previous battle with Laktasia, her weakness was close combat.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Laktasia swung her whip fiercely, not allowing me to get close.

With a tearing sound, the whip surged forward.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sword and whip clashed.

The exchange was so fast that an ordinary person would only see sparks flying in the air.

“Ugh…”

As the battle dragged on, a groan escaped my lips.

Every time I blocked her whip, my body felt heavier, as if carrying a heavy sandbag.

“What’s wrong? Feeling weaker?”

Laktasia smirked at me.

I frowned as I saw the purple energy swirling around her whip.

‘Blessing of Exploitation.’

Her blessing, which drained the life force of its target, was making my body heavier.

“So, how about surrendering now?”

Laktasia swung the whip in her hand with a relaxed expression.

“The longer the battle goes on, the more disadvantageous it becomes for you, right?”

“……”

As she said, in a prolonged battle against her with the Blessing of Exploitation, the opponent would be at an overwhelming disadvantage.

“Huh.”

Of course.

That is, if the opponent were ‘ordinary.’

“This is fun.”

I slightly lowered my sword and turned my head towards Yuren.

Yuren, who had just finished dealing with the puppets, was looking in my direction.

“Haah, haah! Dale! I’ll join you soon, just hold on a little longer!”

Yuren shouted, panting heavily.

“No.”

I shook my head softly towards Yuren.

“Yuren. Take the party members and get out of the ruins.”

“What? Y-you’re planning to fight alone?!”

I nodded softly and looked around at Berald, Camila, and Iris.

All the party members were breathing heavily, having almost exhausted their magic power in the battle with the puppets.

Only Yuren was in decent condition.

“In that state, they can’t fight together, right?”

“But…”

“Please, Yuren.”

“Ugh.”

Yuren bit his lip and nodded.

“Alright, Dale.”

He helped the other party members and headed outside.

“My, my, you think I’ll just let them go?”

Laktasia swung her whip towards the fleeing party members.

Whoosh!

Ash Fire Sword 2nd Form, Flame Blade.

The flaming blade deflected her whip.

“You…”

Annoyed at being constantly interrupted, Laktasia glared at me fiercely.

She turned her body towards me, leaving the fleeing party members behind.

“I’ll have to teach you a lesson first.”

“Go ahead.”

I swallowed a smirk and slowly raised my lowered sword.

“If you can, that is.”

The reason I sent the party members out of the ruins before the real battle with Laktasia.

Of course, it was to quickly evacuate them, exhausted from the previous battle.

“But I’m still a bit clumsy with control.”

“…What?”

“If there’s no one around…”

I can burn everything to my heart’s content, right?

I placed my hand on my left chest and twisted my lips fiercely.

Sizzle.

With a sound like flesh burning.

“Bloom.”

Ash-colored flames wrapped around my body and ignited.