I Took A Succubus's First Time-Chapter 113: Game Logic

Masaki had surrounded the entirety of the mansion using her ability, keeping herself well outside Aria's detection range. She knew her enemy, which made this setup effortless. On the other hand, Aria barely understood Masaki. While she was aware of Masaki's cloning ability, the exact mechanics of it eluded her. Masaki intended to exploit that ignorance, using her cunning to gain the upper hand.

Around her, hundreds of clones moved in perfect unison, each one gripping a bow, their movements synchronized like a deadly symphony. Bowstrings were drawn back, arrows nocked, their sharp tips glinting under the dim light. Without hesitation, the clones released their volleys, the sound of arrows cutting through the air filling the atmosphere with an ominous hum.

The mansion was bombarded from every angle, the relentless hailstorm of arrows pounding against its structure.

Inside, Aria was a blur of motion, her blade slashing through the air as she intercepted arrow after arrow. Her strikes were precise, each one deflecting a deadly projectile with the sound of steel slicing through the wind. But no matter how skilled she was, this barrage wasn't meant to kill—it was meant to wear her down.

Although Aria seemed to be holding her ground, she was nearing her limit. Masaki, however, could keep this up indefinitely.

Two hours. Two hours of unrelenting assault. Sweat glistened on Aria's skin, her breathing ragged as she fought to keep up. She could feel her strength waning, her muscles screaming in protest. Her sword arm was starting to tremble.

Outside, Masaki watched with calm eyes. She and her clones were as fresh as ever, their energy seemingly infinite. She, along with her countless clones, readied their bows once more. Another wave of arrows was drawn, the strings pulled taut before being let loose.

This time, Masaki didn't even bother to aim. She didn't need to. Her skill with the bow was unmatched. Breathing, posture, stance—none of it mattered to her. The moment she let an arrow fly, it hit its mark unless something physically stopped it. She was that good.

As the arrows soared once more, a strange feeling crawled up Masaki's spine.

"Hmm?"

Masaki's sharp eyesight had always been one of her greatest strengths, allowing her to track enemies even at great distances. But now, something wasn't right.

"What did they do?" she murmured to herself.

Even her clones mirrored her confusion, tilting their heads in unison.

Her sharp eyes scanned the mansion, narrowing as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Something was wrong. Thick smoke began to curl out from the mansion, shrouding it in a dense, choking fog. It clung to the air, making it nearly impossible to see inside.

Then, she felt it—a sudden chill, sharp and icy, slicing through the tension in the air. It wasn't the kind of chill that made your skin crawl; it was the kind that stabbed straight into your gut.

Before she could react, a blur shot toward her at an impossible speed.

"Wha—?!"

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It was Aria, her sword gleaming in the faint light, her body moving like a streak of shadow and steel. Masaki's eyes widened as she realized the tables had turned.

But how? How had she closed the distance so quickly? What had she done in the short time it took for this to unfold?

To understand, we rewind to moments earlier, when Aria spoke to Kouhei amidst the chaos of battle.

"Why do you want to know about her, Kouhei-sama?"

Aria's voice was steady, her focus unbroken as she continued to slash through the storm of arrows. Each swing of her sword sent splinters of wood and metal scattering around her, but her attention never wavered from her master.

"I need to know everything about her," Kouhei said, his tone firm.

Knowledge wasn't just power—it was survival. And in this world, survival meant staying one step ahead of your enemies.

Aria didn't fully understand his reasoning, but she trusted him. Strategy wasn't her strong suit; she would leave that to Kouhei.

"Masaki is a demon from a unique clan that can multiply themselves," Aria explained, her voice calm despite the chaos. "But her ability is unlike anyone else's. Most of her clan can only create one or two clones, but Masaki can spawn hundreds—thousands, if she chooses. And her clones are just as strong as she is."

"That's… a pretty powerful ability," Kouhei mused, his brow furrowed.

"It's more than troublesome," Aria said. "Masaki is also highly skilled with the bow. Her accuracy is unparalleled, and she never misses. Ever."

Which meant, of course, that her clones shared the same deadly precision.

Kouhei's mind churned, trying to formulate a plan. But even with all his knowledge—every video game he'd ever played, every strategy he'd ever mastered—he couldn't figure out how the hell to beat someone like Masaki. She wasn't just a boss-level enemy. She was a nightmare in the flesh.

'So, the enemy's someone who's good at shooting from a distance,' Kouhei mused. 'That means the only move here is to close in. But how are we supposed to do that? Judging by how every attack has been dead-on accurate, she's got good eyesight too. Being good at both shooting and spotting targets… that's a troublesome combo. Beating her won't be easy. A sniper with precision like that is a nightmare.'

His thoughts raced as he assessed the situation. The sound of arrows slicing through the air filled the battlefield like whispers of death, each one narrowly missing its mark only because Aria deflected them with impeccable timing.

Fighters like this were often referred to as marksmen. Marksmen had their weaknesses, of course. They weren't built for close combat, and they usually folded under pressure when overwhelmed.

'But this one's not your typical marksman,' he thought grimly. 'Overwhelming her isn't even on the table. With her ability to clone herself, she's like an entire army. And there's no telling if she's good at melee combat either. Hell, for all I know, she could be just as deadly up close.'

Masaki's ability to multiply herself made overwhelming her impossible, and Kouhei couldn't shake the feeling that underestimating her close-range skills could get them killed.

'What should we do, then?'

Beside him, Aria was running out of steam. Her breathing was shallow, but she didn't let up for a second, her blade flashing as she deflected another volley of arrows. The sharp clang of steel against wood rang out, a desperate symphony of survival.

'I might not know the enemy well, but I know Aria-san like the back of my hand,' Kouhei realized, his mind locking onto a sliver of hope.

He had trained with her long enough to know her strengths, her weaknesses, and the hidden potential she didn't even realize she had. If anyone could turn this battle around, it was her.

"Alright, Aria-san, I've got a plan," Kouhei said, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

Aria's gaze flicked toward him, calm and unwavering despite the storm of arrows raining down around them. Another arrow screamed toward her, and without even glancing, she sliced it clean out of the air. The sharp crack of wood splitting echoed in the space between them as she turned back to him, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"I'll follow your lead, Kouhei-sama," she said, her tone steady, even as exhaustion threatened to pull her under.

There were no guarantees here—no promises of victory, no safety nets. But sitting on their asses and doing nothing was a guaranteed loss. There was no guarantee they'd even come out of this alive, but doing nothing wasn't an option. They had to act.

"Obscure us with smoke," Kouhei commanded.

Without hesitation, Aria began to cast the spell for smoke. The air around them shifted, thick smoke rising like a living entity, curling and twisting as it spread. It rolled outward in waves, enveloping everything in a suffocating, impenetrable fog.

As the smoke thickened, Aria swung her blade in a wide arc, pushing the haze further, creating a shield of obscurity. Their visibility was gone—swallowed whole by the dense, cloying gray. The air grew heavy, almost tangible, sticking to their skin like sweat on a humid day.

The enemy's arrows didn't stop, slicing through the smoke with lethal precision, but Aria's instincts were sharper than any blade. Even blind, she moved like a predator, her sword a blur as she slashed through each projectile. The sound of her blade meeting the arrows echoed like thunderclaps.

Kouhei kept his eyes on Aria, watching her slice through each arrow with unwavering precision.

Now came the second step.

Kouhei gritted his teeth, doubt gnawing at the edges of his mind. He knew it was stupid to apply video game logic to a real fight, but what choice did he have? Fighting wasn't his forte. Strategy wasn't his strong suit. All he could do was trust his gut and hope it wouldn't get them both killed.

"Aria-san, let's get out of here!" he called out.

Without hesitation, Aria moved to follow him, positioning herself between Kouhei and the relentless onslaught of arrows. Her sword flashed through the dense smoke, each swing cutting down an arrow with deadly precision. The air around them was thick and suffocating, but she kept her focus razor-sharp, protecting him with everything she had.

Kouhei noticed something, though—a subtle change in the rhythm of the attacks. Some of the arrows weren't coming straight for them anymore. Their trajectory was off, scattering into the floor or to the walls.

'The enemy's losing their accuracy,' he realized.

That was their opening.

"We need to get out of here, Aria-san," Kouhei said, his voice dropping to a hushed but urgent tone. "Keep spreading the smoke. Don't let the enemy see us."

Aria didn't reply. She didn't need to. Trusting Kouhei's plan without question, she raised her blade and swung it in deliberate, wide arcs, pushing the smoke further outward. The haze thickened, creating a shifting, impenetrable barrier around them.