How to Redeem a Trashy Side Villain

Chapter 94: Selgaath

For a demon, he's rather small, don't you think?" Sun asked, eyeing the diminutive figure.

That's only because he hasn't returned to his true form yet. You won't be calling it small then.

"Just because he's small doesn't mean we can underestimate him... or her," I cautioned.

"True," Sun nodded. "Big things do come in small packages."

Haha. Small packages. Hahaha. Whoever coined that saying deserves a spot in Life's Hall of Fame.

Admittedly, I was trying to remove nerves from my body by keeping my mind relaxed and in a playful manner.

The three of us clutched our weapons tightly as we watched him approach, one short foot at a time which felt like a far distance considering just how much mana was exuding.

"If I don't make it, tell my mama I love her," Sun joked, also trying to ease his nerves. "And delete my browser history."

...How do you even know that joke? You don't have a modern phone.

"Stupid," Moon muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Look at that purple little octopus. How's he floating in the air like that? It's like watching a baseball move in slow motion," Sun remarked, brushing off Moon's insult. He then mimicked the swing of a baseball bat, placed his hand above his eyebrows, and said, "Bang! Home run. And the crowd roars."

"While we have the moment to talk, could you tell us the demon's special ability that led you to kick those girls out?" Moon asked. That was the most words he had spoken since he appeared before me.

It goes to show just how serious he was taking the situation.

"Oh yeah. That would be nice information to know," said Sun who had stretched his hand out into the air and was gathering energy in his palm.

Small orange particles began to gather and this chaotic ball of flames began to form, growing in size very slowly.

"I almost forgot. Thanks for reminding me. The demon's tentacles are coated in a poison that melts you with a mere touch. Try your damn best not to let it touch you. Also, coat your weapons in a thick layer of mana so that it doesn't melt the blade so easily. No potion or elixir can regenerate your limbs back," I informed them.

Unlike Gon, their weapons were bound to be melted by the poison. But that was fine because Moon had extra in his inventory.

"So that's why you kicked those two beauties out. Because they couldn't regenerate any lost limbs," said Sun.

"...Understood," Moon nodded who must've been coming up with a strategy in his mind during those few seconds of silence.

He opened his inventory and pulled out three identical plants.

"What are these?" I asked, although I already knew.

"I call these power-up plants," Sun said, already chewing on the one he received.

"Do they live up to their name?" I asked, pretending to be curious.

He nodded his head.

"Why have I never heard of these before?" I asked, raising an eyebrow to show them that my curiosity was piqued.

"Because they only grow in areas that have been contaminated with demonic energy and then purified with holy magic," Sun explained. "It's a very rare plant. I only found it a few years ago when I mistook it for a different plant."

"Contaminated? Demonic energy? Are you sure these are safe, then?" I inquired, cautiously taking a bite.

Just as the novel had described, the taste was extremely bitter with a hint of sourness. But as I continued to chew, it turned sweet like a less flavorful sugarcane.

Sun shrugged for his answer.

"What do you mean, shrug? You can't just shrug. Is this safe or not?" I softly pressed.

"We'll see in a few years," Moon replied, his nonchalant attitude not helping to resolve my fake concerns.

Had I not known this plant was safe beforehand through the novel, I might have punched these two in the mouth for the answers they gave me.

"So, how should we approach this? We rush in all at once? One at a time? Switch? What's the fighting style the three of us should adopt?" Sun asked.

A solo party was the epitome of freedom — you could chart your course without any need for consensus.

A duo party, while slightly more intricate, still retained a sense of simplicity. You held onto your individual liberties, only treading carefully to complement your partner or sidestep potential conflicts.

However, once you ventured into a trio party or beyond, a harmonious dance of coordination became imperative; otherwise, the whole affair threatened to dissolve into chaos.

"Let's go with two in the frontline, one in support, and then switch in and out as needed," I suggested. "How does that sound to the two of you?"

"Sounds like a plan. Better than the one before," Sun said nervously, eyeing the approaching demon whose mana had gotten so thick that I could taste it on my tongue.

"Good plan," Moon agreed.

"By the way, what are you doing with all that unstable energy in your hand?" I asked Sun. "It seems like it's about to implode on itself at any moment.

"Unstable? No no no. Don't worry about it. I'm just charging up for one of my most powerful spells," he explained. "It'll take some time to charge to completion, so I'll play support first. How does that sound?"

Moon and I exchanged glances and nodded.

"Good luck you two," Sun told the two of us as we assumed our combat stances.

As soon as Moon took a step forward, I followed suit. Our walk turned into a jog, and then we broke into a run, sprinting towards the oncoming demon.

Gon was firmly in my left hand despite my right being the dominant hand; the two Arthurrs would also find themselves doing the same very soon once they realized the reasoning behind my madness.

Much like how Diamesca had his own set of rules in the novel, which I abused to defeat him, so did this purple demon Selgaath.

The first rule was its predictable pattern for melting its victims. It started with the right arm, followed by the left arm, the right leg, the left leg, and finally, the head.

If you were to heal any of the previously lost limbs, it would go back to it instead of moving on to the next.

That's why I had my sword in my left hand. I was expecting to lose my right over and over.

There were four rules this demon, Selgaath would follow in total and we would have to adapt to them as they appeared.

Within the cramped confines of the hallway, as Moon and I closed in on the demon, it transformed back to its regular form in less than a second.

The demon still floated, its body a muscular, vibrant purple. It possessed webbed feet, tentacle wings with grotesque textures, two hands composed of five smaller tentacles, bat-like ears, a prominent set of horns on its forehead with two smaller ones below, and a disheveled Dutch beard. Its orange, pupil-less eyes seemed to bore into our very souls.

What an ugly demon.

As it opened its mouth filled with uneven, stained fangs, a deafening roar erupted, "Brrraaaahhh!"

Speak English, motherfucker! I know you can speak it.

There was a pattern to the way it would fight us initially. I knew it but that didn't make it any easier.

As the demon dropped his hands to the ground, pushed off, and lunged forward, I executed a swift slide across the ground, narrowly avoiding a tentacle-laden hand swung in my direction.

Canceling my slide and rising to my feet, I observed Moon using his spatial magic to push one of the demon's arms aside and land a strike with his saber. The blade cut the creature's flesh, but the wound appeared superficial, barely a millimeter deep.

"Damn it," Moon cursed, realizing that this was going to be a long battle.

He deftly evaded the tentacle wings that threatened to pierce his right arm. He then harnessed his magic, propelling himself backward while simultaneously tearing a locker from the wall and hurling it at the demon.

"Arghhhh!" the demon screamed as it smacked the locker away.

As he executed these maneuvers, I completed a complex spell, gathering lightning between my index and middle finger.

With a swift motion, I launched the accumulated energy at the demon like a cannon, releasing a powerful bolt.

The lightning struck the demon's back, leaving a small black mark on its purple skin.

"Hmph," it scoffed mockingly.

With lightning speed, it turned around and lunged in my direction.

My reflexes, honed by the relentless training I'd endured under Quentin's unforgiving hand over the past few months, kicked in. I narrowly avoided the demon's thrashing tentacles, maneuvering to its side and slashing it with Gon. My attack left a deeper cut compared to Moon's — a half-inch gash.

There was no opportunity for a follow-up attack or a combo, so I retreated with Moon's help. He accelerated my backward leap with his magic and took my place, landing two shallow cuts.

Then, I returned, repeating the same pattern.

Next, instead of replacing me, Moon seized an opportunity to attack while I continued my assault on Selgaath. The two of us struck simultaneously.

"Good work, you two! Clear the way!" Sun's voice rang out as he sprinted toward us, an arcane ball in his hand that resembled a miniature sun, blazing and intense.

It was like he had reached out to the sky and had literally plucked the sun out of it.

Why the need to announce your arrival or attack?

I tried to back away but was a fraction of a second too slow. The demon's tentacle wrapped around my right arm, and the flesh began to melt away.

"Shit!" screamed Sun about my melting arm.

With my arm completely gone, I created distance between myself and Selgaath, watching as the miniature sun was hurled like a baseball.

The projectile moved at an astonishing speed. Even with my enhanced sight, I struggled to keep up with it.

Selgaath, too, was taken by surprise and lifted himself higher into the air with his tentacle wings. He evaded the sun, emitting a mocking roar, but then, at the last moment, the sun curved itself around and struck him in the back.

That's two backshots he's taken now. Ouch.

The miniature sun didn't expand or explode but acted like an immovable, heavy ball that Selgaath couldn't escape. It spun in his back, slowly burning away his flesh.

Moon and I seized the opportunity to strike the demon with our blades. I had already regenerated my right arm using my regeneration code.

""Hahaha. Is this supposed to be a demon we should fear? Please. I've faced tougher opponents," Sun exclaimed as he launched small fireballs at the demon from a distance.

If I didn't know about the demon's future stages and dangers in advance, I might have smacked Sun for underestimating the threat and raising unnecessary red flags.

As the miniature sun dissipated, freeing the demon from its gravitational pull, a small crater about the size of a fist appeared on Selgaath's back, and black blood began to ooze from it

It seemed like significant damage, but if this were a game, I estimated his health had only decreased by a mere three percent.

Yes, you heard me correctly.

Just a measly three percent.