My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 74

“I was the one they tried to buy…”

Her blue eyes were lifeless.

She looked as if she hadn’t washed in two days and had been working like a laborer.

Her hair was tangled and frizzy, and her clothes were riddled with large tears, almost ready to fall apart.

Visible beneath the fabric, her skin was marred with numerous scars.

It was clear she had been dragged off by demons and was suffering.

Moreover, the fact that she could move so freely like this meant she had undergone significant succubus transformation.

She had probably even implanted some kind of suggestion to develop animosity towards humans.

[Praus, that woman… is strange.]

“What do you mean?”

[It seems like she’s right in front of me, but somehow it feels like her essence is somewhere else.]

Somewhere else?

Could it be…?

“Right. I was going to buy you. But after getting robbed by Habito or whatever, I started to feel a bit stubborn about it.”

“Stubborn…?”

“It means I began to genuinely want you.”

“…I’m not a tool for sexual matters.”

As I tried to grab Inkuro’s wrist with my remaining hand, I drew my sword.

“Pasma!”

[Understood.]

“‘Phantom’. ‘High-Speed Movement’.”

I quickly interposed myself between Inkuro and Stella, infusing my sword with aura.

“‘Ascension Sword’.”

It was a basic skill that cut upwards. The vengeful aura sliced through Stella’s arm.

<Swish!>

Her severed arm flew into the air like a piece of paper. However, instead of blood, a deep purple mist erupted from the stump.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!”

“Inkuro, fall back. That’s—”

“It doesn’t hurt that much.”

Even though I had cut with an aura that would slow down healing even for Peremus, her forearm quickly healed.

It was then I realized.

The person we were looking at wasn’t the real her.

Thinking back, it made sense. There was no way she would be here alone in this outskirt. Not until that ‘crossroad’ had been reached.

She was trying to grab Inkuro’s arm again.

“Inkuro!”

“Quit the fuss.”

Dodging, she evaded Stella’s grasp.

Having flicked Stella’s hand aside, Inkuro jumped back to create some distance, lowering his Zweihänder. He readied his stance to swing the sword.

“Do you think I can’t tell the difference between humans and demons? She’s already not human.”

“So you knew all along and still stayed close?”

If her forearm had been caught, a magic beast would have infiltrated his body.

Thanks to the Purification Stone, I could heal even if it was injected, but there was no reason to take that risk willingly.

“Such meddling. But honestly, I’d still like to cuddle with a demon a bit. It’d be nice if they were humanoid.”

Even in such a situation, how could he say something so ridiculous? What a remarkable crazy bastard.

“Is your dick made of steel or something?”

“When I get angry, it’s pretty damn hard, yeah.”

Picking only the most infuriating words to say, that itself was a talent.

“Don’t go blabbering about love somewhere else.”

“Hah, I know how to love, you know? I love every woman I’ve held.”

What a deranged individual. I couldn’t help but feel incredulous at Inkuro boldly declaring that. For a moment, I glanced at him before looking straight ahead.

Stella was walking towards us.

“…Why do you hurt me? What did I do wrong? Why did you send me to demons? Why did you make me a slave? Why did you… make me into this?”

Her head twisted in an unnatural way.

It felt like watching some bizarre horror film. The madness sparkling in her lost liveliness sent chills down my spine.

“Why did you act as a demon’s infiltrator? It would’ve been fine if you had just not been with them.”

“I didn’t! I never did.”

“Liar—”

“I know.”

I cut in on Inkuro’s words. Her gaze, which had been solely on Inkuro, shifted towards me.

It wasn’t the crossroad yet, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to lay some groundwork.

“What did you say?”

Looking into her dark blue eyes peeking through her tousled hair sent a shiver down my spine. Damn, that was frightening.

“I said I know.”

I steadied my trembling voice.

“…What?”

“You didn’t even know that your father was the one acting as an infiltrator, let alone your own pranks.”

She didn’t answer. Her steps halted as she stared at me intently.

“You were just unlucky.”

Had I rescued her without worrying about the variables, I wouldn’t have mentioned luck at all.

“You…?”

Did I pique her interest enough for her to ask?

“Praus.”

“Praus… Have we met before?”

“We met a long time ago.”

At the slave market. And in the game.

“Right. You know me. But it doesn’t change a thing.”

She reached her arm toward the sky.

“‘Manifestation’.”

With those words, her form suddenly shifted to become me, and a sword materialized in the air.

Grasping that sword, she murmured.

“Inkuro, your shame is this, isn’t it?”

A weapon that should never have been in her hands was now held tightly.

‘The Unbreakable Glory of the Past’ was in her grasp.

“Suddenly turned into Praus, huh?”

“What the hell is going on…”

It was one of the succubus queen’s skills, ‘Manifestation.’

It creates a scenario identical to the one where shame was felt after glimpsing the memories of the contacted individual.

However, the skill had severe drawbacks: the target had to be in a state of hypnosis, require physical contact, and possess a trauma that could be utilized, making it cumbersome for frequent use.

But the scary part of manifestation was that it became identical to the cause and essence of the target’s trauma.

In other words, Stella didn’t just look like me; she now possessed my level of ‘power.’

“Wait, what’s that? Magical energy…!”

“She has the same magical energy as Lord Praus!”

Ariel and Ella gasped.

“I didn’t expect the person who gave me shame to be standing right next to me.”

The moment she said that, goosebumps crept up my spine and my muscles began to tremble.

“Gah?!”

I nearly collapsed as my legs gave way. I grasped the tree to steady myself.

Is this what killing intent feels like, that I typically directed towards others?

Despite the Purification Stone ensuring she wasn’t in a state of hypnosis, the sensations coursing through my body were genuine.

Perhaps it was because she had created a physical clone that could exert influence.

As those physical clones can affect others.

“Guh!”

While Inkuro faltered, Stella clenched and relaxed her fists repeatedly.

“Interesting feeling. It feels strong, yet weak. What is this?”

“Pasma!”

I had to kill Stella before she got accustomed to my body.

Pasma rushed forward, utilizing my body to swing the sword at Stella.

“‘Absolute Defense,’ was it?”

Clang!

I nearly dropped my sword. The tingling that started at my hands spread throughout my entire body.

“Guh!”

I gripped the sword tightly to stop the trembling. Pasma whirled my body around and landed another strike.

<Swish!>

Stella’s head flew into the sky. Her body landed lifelessly on the ground.

“I wondered why it couldn’t entice me, but it’s due to that stone. Because of that stone, my magic beast didn’t enter your body. That’s why you couldn’t see my shame.”

Even with her head severed, she continued speaking. Looking at the decapitated head of myself was enough to make my expression sour.

Of course, it was Pasma who did it, not me.

“You’re an interesting person. What’s your shame? I’m curious.”

“I have no intention of telling you.”

“You don’t need to tell me. I’ll find out for sure. I can’t be the only one living with shame.”

Shame.

Repeatedly uttering that word signified that she had undergone something far beyond her ethical boundaries to become the succubus queen.

Though I had sensed it from the moment she used the skill, she must have faced unspeakable things.

In hindsight, maybe I should have saved her.

But now was not the time for such thoughts.

At that moment, I felt it was the right decision to not interfere with the episode’s flow to eliminate variables.

However, having resolved to become the princess’s force, I couldn’t just leave her be.

“…I will find you someday.”

“What for?”

“To ask whether you’ll live as a human or a demon.”

At my words, she briefly fell silent, then burst into a laugh.

“That’s a pointless question. Still, I see your level now. I have something to report to Lord Habito.”

“Don’t trust demons too much.”

“Better to trust demons than to trust humans. Next time we meet, I’ll be sure to kill you, Praus.”

The Stella that looked like me dissolved into black powder. The glory of the past also vanished. She blended into the swirling purple aura in the air and disappeared.

“Hah…”

I sighed upon seeing that.

Has she already grown this strong?

It really felt like reality and the game couldn’t be more different.

I felt yet again the demons wouldn’t wait for the heroes to grow stronger.

“What was that woman just now?”

“…She was the deputy commander of Lord Habito’s legion.”

“The deputy commander? She seemed weak for that…”

“Because she was a clone.”

And since it was my appearance that was altered.

Even though my magical energy was strong, my physical body was still that of an ordinary person, making it easy to overpower her. Plus, ‘Absolute Defense’ could only be used once.

“This is getting annoying.”

If Stella chose the option to remain a demon, it would be my duty to eliminate her.

In the game, there was no character called ‘Praus,’ which meant the only being stronger than the heroes was the Demon King.

But now, with my existence among the heroes, I could possibly become a source of shame for them.

“Ha.”

I reflected on what I had failed to consider up to this point.

I had recognized myself as a variable, but I hadn’t anticipated that I would become something they would use.

“Teacher!”

The heroes finally showed themselves late. Seeing Tina’s appearance had cleaned up, I swallowed a sigh and turned my body.

“Let’s head back.”

I needed to hurry the search for artifacts.