This Isn't an E*otic Game?-Chapter 98: Descent!

The inside must’ve been entirely mechanical—shards of metal poured chaotically out from Ketraltus’s vertically-split body.

It twitched for a moment, then stopped moving entirely. Looked like it was permanently wrecked.

The problem was... I couldn’t move either.

“Shit... fuck!!”

I dropped the sword and collapsed.

The skin on both palms had been completely flayed off, and the arms and legs that had been overstrained through extreme body modification were trembling and losing strength fast.

“...You can’t heal this, right?”

[I told you, dumbass!! You pushed your body past its limit with that last mod!]

“Still... try something, Kon. I seriously feel like I’m dying here.”

Since reincarnating in this other world, this was the first time I’d felt pain like this.

Cold sweat poured down my face, and my limbs wouldn’t respond properly.

Tendons, muscles, bones—everything screamed at once. It was a kind of suffering no one could tolerate.

[You're not a hero, Amayel. Want me to be blunt with you? You're just an average guy. We’ve only made it this far by relying on those bizarre skills I've never seen before. You’ve never even had proper combat training, have you? Never trained your body, right? If you keep going like this, you’re going to break. You’re gonna die!!]

Even while I lay there on the ground, gasping for air, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Would you believe me if I told you... that’s what I’m hoping for?”

They sent followers to smash into me. Then a mechanical knight that didn’t die.

And that burning sword still glowing as it slowly melts the surrounding stone? There’s no way that’s an ordinary weapon either.

If I’ve survived even this much, then next time—without a doubt—

The three Demon Lords will have to descend themselves, just like in my dream, and tear me to pieces.

[Why? Did you commit some colossal crime or something? Are you carrying around some giant unforgivable sin? If not, then why go this far just to protect Kanya? I’m asking because I seriously can’t understand.]

Kon was probably working on my body with modification skills. The searing ache in my limbs eased a little.

I staggered back up to my feet.

“Because it’s just the right thing to do.”

Because that’s the only way to get Asmodeus out of my soul... and let everyone finally be truly happy.

While I was talking to Kon—

A massive rumble echoed from far away, like the ground itself was caving in.

The sound made me hold my breath and rise again.

“Kon. Looks like there’s more fighting ahead.”

[You fucking idiot, what didn’t you understand?! You’ve already pushed your body past its limit! Keep this up and your limbs might get permanently fucked!]

“Still... I have to protect Kanya. Isn’t there anything you can do?”

Kon went quiet for a moment.

And then—

Suddenly, the pain in my arms and legs just... disappeared.

[I blocked the pain. I used Absolute Hypnosis to mess with your brain a little. You won’t feel anything now. But your body will wear out a lot faster. This is a terrible idea. You’re supposed to be resting right now. Got it?]

“Don’t worry. I’m not the type to self-destruct. I’ll just push through until I’ve saved Kanya.”

Kon let out a laugh full of disbelief.

[That’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve heard all year, Amayel.]

Strength returned to my limbs once again.

[I pushed through and did one more body modification. You’ll be able to fight for now. But remember this: you’re burning through your body’s lifespan. Some parts might get permanently destroyed beyond even my repair!]

“Thanks.”

I looked down at the burning sword lying on the ground.

I wanted to take it. Desperately.

But my melted palms still hadn’t healed.

I couldn’t hold or swing it.

There was no choice.

Right now, the priority was getting Kanya to Talhaim’s Rock Mountain.

I left the burning sword behind and sprinted toward the sound.

****

Kanya’s revolver roared with fire.

Four of Envy’s followers, rushing at her, dropped with burst eyeballs from her rapid panning shots before they could do anything.

But that was all she could manage in resistance.

The jagged, uneven mountain terrain.

Her emaciated limbs.

And most of all—the overwhelming physical strength of the enemies chasing her, which had clearly surpassed human levels.

“Surround her from both sides! Hurry! Too much time’s already passed!”

The leader yelled impatiently, and the followers began spreading out.

Kanya frantically reloaded and whipped her revolver around, firing in every direction—but that only worked for so long.

Some of them started covering their eyes with their hands as they moved, and that made her bullets completely ineffective.

Eventually, while firing wildly at the three squads closing in from left, right, and center, Kanya was forced to give up ground.

Her revolver was sliced by claws and hit the ground just as one of the followers grabbed her small head with his hand and lifted her up.

“Let go!! I said let—!!”

“Filthy little bitch.”

His voice was dripping with hatred like he wanted to kill her, but instead of replying further, he silently activated dark magic.

Thorn-like tattoos surged up her arms and legs, tightly binding her body.

Kanya tried to struggle, but every time she moved, the thorns constricted tighter around her limbs.

The pain was so intense, she couldn’t hold back a scream.

“It’s better if you don’t move. If you don’t want it to hurt even more, that is.”

They ripped off her bandoliers and crushed them underfoot, making sure she couldn’t use them, then quickly started heading back toward the portal they’d come through.

Kanya wanted to scream—but the thorn tattoo had wrapped tightly around her mouth.

Even the slightest attempt to open her lips sent unbearable pain stabbing through her.

She couldn’t writhe. She couldn’t yell.

“Hurry! Hurry up! Get back through the portal!... You fuckers!!”

The cult leader had been directing things with frantic hand signals—but then he cursed loudly.

At the exact same moment, a rock the size of a brick flew at him.

Moving faster than the speed of sound—even though he blocked with his arm, his entire body staggered violently from the impact.

Kanya’s eyes went wide.

Jericho.

“Run! Get to the portal! I’ll hold him off!!”

The cult leader yelled and charged forward.

“O, Jealousy!!”

The tattoos engraved on his body radiated a horrifying gray light.

Stones flew at supersonic speed, exploding the skulls of several followers—then stopped.

A loud crash followed, and savage impact noises rang out behind them.

Jericho was going all-out, brawling with the cult leader with everything he had.

Every punch made blood splatter from his fists.

Even though it looked agonizing, he never stopped fighting.

Kanya watched—and felt pathetic.

A complete stranger, who knew nothing about her, was doing all this... for her.

And what was she doing?

Getting dragged off like a sack of meat, unable to do anything.

Kanya scraped together every last bit of Belia’s divine power still left in her body.

She looked around desperately, trying to figure out what she could possibly do.

Then—at the critical moment—

She detonated all her remaining divine power in a sudden burst.

“AAAGH!!”

The follower holding her screamed and dropped her.

Of course, that didn’t dispel the thorn tattoos wrapped around her body.

Even the slightest movement made unbearable pain flare through her.

And she had triggered the blast on a slope.

Under the pull of gravity, Kanya tumbled violently downward, crashing into rock after rock.

Her body was twisted and slammed every which way, and the agony from the thorn markings made it impossible to think.

She finally rolled all the way to the bottom—slamming hard into a heavy boulder.

And lost consciousness.

The last thing Kanya saw before everything went dark—

Was Jericho, running toward her with desperation in his eyes.

****

They had clearly prepared very thoroughly.

The man in front of me wasn’t affected by anything.

[Absolute Hypnosis won’t work!! 3000x Sensory Amplification won’t either!! He’s showing up as an invalid target!!]

The gray tattoos engraved across the man’s body were glowing like mad.

Of course.

The three Demon Lords had to know about my abilities.

This was already our second encounter—they’d come prepared.

Hypnosis and Sensory Amplification were useless. Time-stop couldn’t be used.

And Body Modification? My body had already been pushed far past its limits—it was barely hanging together.

I could feel it. My body wasn’t responding the way I wanted.

Even with Kon’s modifications, my physical capabilities had clearly dropped.

Yeah.

That’s right.

I wasn’t someone trained in actual combat.

There were limits to forcing a regular person’s body into battle with nothing but enhancements.

“What are you doing?! Hurry up and take her!!”

The follower blocking my way shouted.

I saw Kanya.

She’d fallen down the slope and was unconscious, her entire body mangled and wrecked.

And other demon followers were rushing to retrieve her.

If things continued like this, they’d take her.

She’d be taken away from me.

I had to save her.

I clenched my teeth and glared at the follower blocking my path.

He was clearly someone trained in martial arts—none of my attacks landed, and I was the only one getting beaten to a pulp.

And as I fought him, I started feeling a strange sense of wrongness.

This guy isn’t trying to kill me.

My body, which had already gone haywire, was being forcibly enhanced to keep moving—but even so, my strength, speed, and reflexes were clearly inferior to his.

He had a different kind of sense when it came to combat.

If he wanted to kill me, he could have done it easily.

But he didn’t.

Same as that metal bastard Ketraltus before him.

This guy too—

They were avoiding killing me.

So what did that mean?

“Aaaaagh!!”

I threw my head forward and charged at him.

At that angle, if he’d swiped with his claws, my head would’ve split open like a watermelon—everything inside gushing out.

But when I charged at him recklessly, deliberately exposing my weak point, the same guy who had been fighting so confidently just now recoiled in shock and pulled his claws back.

“You crazy fuck!!...”

Using that moment, I drove my head straight into his gut.

It was a clean headbutt.

Even with my wrecked limbs, they were still enhanced—so the impact should’ve ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) been strong.

We both went tumbling as a tangled mess.

Then I staggered back up, trying to run toward Kanya.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

A searing pain flared from my Achilles tendon—and I collapsed forward.

From the feeling of it, the guy I’d just tangled with had slashed my leg tendon with his claws.

Since I had just put all my strength into sprinting, I rolled uncontrollably and slammed into the rocky ground.

In the distance, I saw the followers carrying Kanya and running for the portal.

[Amayel! If you keep the body mods active any longer, your limbs will be permanently destroyed! Stop! That’s your limit!!]

I heard Kon yelling as he scrambled to reattach the severed tendon.

I know.

No one knows the state of my body better than I do.

Even if I stood back up, the bastard behind me would throw everything he had into stopping me.

And while there was a chance I could use Absolute Hypnosis on the followers dragging Kanya away...

The guy I fought just now wasn’t affected—so odds were high they’d be immune too.

They’d come very well-prepared.

I stared at Kanya as she grew smaller in the distance.

As she had tumbled down the slope, her emaciated limbs had been horribly fractured—they dangled pitifully, flopping around.

If she got captured, the treatment that awaited her would be even worse than this.

And right now—

For the first time since reincarnating in this world—

There was nothing I could do.

That helplessness... made me feel pity.

Kanya.

A child who had never once been happy, not even in childhood.

I wanted to save her.

I wanted her to be saved.

But right now—

I had hit my limit.

“That’s it! Take her through!!”

A voice full of euphoria rang out behind me.

Kanya was already nearly at the portal.

She was well beyond any distance I could hope to reach.

I was angry.

Why did someone who had done nothing wrong have to suffer again?

I wanted to save her.

I didn’t want her to be taken away.

And...

I knew the name of the one being who could grant this wish.

The name I’d sworn to erase.

The name I hated and despised more than anything.

But right now—I needed that name.

“Asmodeus!!”

I screamed.

“Save Kanya!!”

That was the last thing I cried out—

Before a violent impact struck the back of my skull, and I lost consciousness.

****

Envy’s Chosen slammed the Saint’s head from behind with a full-force kick, just as he screamed that final plea.

“Fucking idiot. Like it was going to change anything anyway.”

Grinning, the Chosen sprinted toward the portal.

Success.

The high-risk mission Lord Envy had warned about again and again... had succeeded.

As long as he got Kanya through that portal, the Demon Lord’s reward would be immense.

He couldn’t help but laugh—

But then, suddenly...

He felt something was wrong.

His body felt sluggish.

No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t move forward properly.

And it wasn’t just him.

“High... Priest...”

The other followers carrying Kanya, rushing toward the portal, were also affected.

Their movements had slowed.

As if only their bodies—not their minds—had started moving through time more slowly.

The lead follower.

“What the hell... is...?”

The one called the High Priest forced his stiffened neck to turn around.

And saw—

The Saint, who should’ve been unconscious—

was standing back up.