Vol. 2 - Chapter 2.3 - The Slaves Of The Phantom Ship (3)
With fangs bare, Duma leaped at Takashi.
(Hu… HUH–!?)
Shaken, Takashi backed away. Duma was ferociously trying to bite Takashi's neck, but Nephira intervened with tremendous speed, and swatted her away, using her arm with a "Fuah," fueled with fighting spirit.
Duma received Nephira's fist and slammed into the wall of the ship's cabin. However, although she crashed into the wooden wall, Duma quickly scrambled back to her feet. She appeared to be completely unscathed.
"C-Cute Suzuki!! I-I want to make him my own personal doll! I want, I want, I waaaaaantt!!"
Before long, Duma's eyeballs turned hollow and black. With a terrifying facial expression and displaying sword-like fangs, Duma truly looked and felt like a vicious boss-class monster.
Fearful and agitated, Takashi shouted frustratedly.
"Pritis isn't working!? Why does she KEEP attacking me!?"
"P-Perhaps, the more you doll yourself up with Pritis to look cute to her, the more Duma wants to transform Lord Hero into a literal doll!?"
Takashi gritted his teeth at Excella's words.
(I-In other words, does this mean that Pritis will have the opposite effect on Duma?)
"Kikia Kekeke!! M-My body fluids!! I'll permeate you with them noooowwwww!!"
Duma crawled on all fours and approached Takashi as ferociously as a beast, but Nephira stood in his way once again. Even so, Duma's momentum was unstoppable. She bit down on Nephira's arm.
"Gigegagarurururu"
"…Enough is enough!"
Nephira grabbed Duma's head while she was still biting her——and snapped her neck, producing a "Pakin" sound.
(Wh-Whoa! She killed her!?)
However, even when Duma's neck bent more than 180 degrees, she still had a blank look on her face.
"H-huh? Huh? Huh?"
"Have you come to your senses?"
At Nephira's prompting, Duma pulled away from Nephira, still with her neck crooked. Then, with a rumbling "gokigoki" sound, she put her head back on her place at the neck and laughed, "Kikeke" as if nothing had happened.
Nephira sighed and then spoke as if to admonish her.
"Duma. You were in the wrong a while ago. Suzuki is a human. He has every right to be angry when his fellow humans are turned into chairs or tables.
(Eh. Nephira…?)
Takashi was surprised by Nephira's words. A little moved, Takashi approached Nephira and thanked her.
"Nephira. Thank you."
"Fuun. Being with you has changed my perspective a little bit."
"I see. But…"
Takashi turned his white eyes to Nephira, who was dignifiedly sitting on a human-chair.
"...I've been telling you to stop sitting in the human-chair for a while now!!"
"Well, let's leave it at that… Duma. Wouldn't you hate it if your fellow race was treated the same way? That's what I'm saying."
"I-I see. Fellowship. I-Indeed…"
Duma approached the human-chair and rubbed his head.
(You understand me a little more——)
Just as Takashi thought those words, Duma swung her leg up and dropped her heel on the human-chair's head.
"Wha–!?"
The human-chair's upper body was shattered into pieces by the heel strike containing tremendous force. Stomping on the severed arm, Duma let out a dry laugh.
"I-I don't need any fellows! I-If they break, j-just make more! A-Any number of puppet dolls and undead, easily replaceable! Kike! Kike kiki ke ke ke ke!"
"Th-This bitch! Seriously!"
Takashi's anger, which had begun to subside, flared up again. Immediately, Nephira grabbed Takashi by the shoulders.
"Enough, Suzuki!"
Uncharacteristically, Nephira directed strong words of rebuke to Takashi. The hand gripping his shoulder was also unmistakably filled with strength. Nephira brought her serious face close to Takashi's ear.
"The Immortal Fleet was entrusted by our Lord, the Demon Lord, with all the battles on the vast oceans. In other words, they boast and possess that much power and ability. The rank of the Immortal Fleet is also higher than the Thunder-Lance Charge. And above all…"
After a short pause, Nephira spoke.
"Duma is strong."
(Uh–! How can even Nephira say she's strong…!)
Takashi watched the battle between Marguerite from the Salvation Crusaders and Nephira up close. Nephira, holding her lightning spear Blitzberg, was truly as strong as the might of a fierce god.
(A-And yet, is Duma even stronger than THAT Nephira!?)
"No matter how powerful the attack, whether physical or magical, Duma will not die. Or should I say, she will not break. She is a genuine, invulnerable immortal monster."
"Invulnerable immortal… monster…!"
Takashi repeated, feeling a sense of fear at the sound of those words. Duma was nearby, still laughing, "Kike-ke-ke," and said.
"I-I merely, w-wanted to make Suzuki happy, ya know…"
"Duma. I've had enough of your bad-taste grotesque collection. Are there separate individual bedrooms? I want to rest."
"Then, I-I'll show you the way! F-Follow me."
With these words, Duma started walking away.
Soon after, the group also left the huge ship's cabin. While walking slightly away from Duma, Nephira whispered to Takashi.
"She is dangerous. Never approach Duma without me being present, okay?"
"A-Ah. I understand."
Takashi nodded with a meek face at Nephira's words.
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