The Handbook for Completing Demi-Human Girls

Chapter 606: Awakening

"Why not go ahead with it, Eliog?"

Facing Barbatos' question, Eliog's refusal came decisively. She merely shook her head and said,

"Compared to that whatever Dragon-kin, Baimon is the thorn in my eye and the flesh-pricking needle, awooo. The very thought of doing what she wants makes me uncomfortable all over... Moreover, it's quite beyond my expectation that you guys would actually believe Baimon's nonsense without a doubt.

"She fundamentally never released you guys at all. She merely used the Base of Spirit World Contamination formed by Northern Territory Phoenixes to temporarily break you free from that False God's seal. Fundamentally speaking, you never escaped the cage from beginning to end, let alone that Fafnir's Blessing or whatever... She is utilizing you guys to help her achieve certain goals, yet you're helping her scheme while being sold out, and you want to use this to persuade me?"

The same words spoken by Fisher would clearly not be believed by Barbatos and Agreas, but since they were spoken by Eliog at this moment, they fell into a brief contemplation.

Behind them, Fisher, clutching his injured body, slowly sat up. He looked down at the fresh blood on his hands, feeling his wounds healing rapidly while the murmurs in his ears grew increasingly dense.

However, he still forced himself to stand up and arrived at the side of Eliog, who was confronting the two Demon Gods. His attention, though, constantly rested behind them, in the territory within the Gate of Knowledge.

He was waiting for Jasmine and the Lord of Death to accelerate and complete breaking Helaire's barrier sealing the Base.

Upon hearing this, Agreas pondered for a moment but shook his head. Soon, with a smile, he said,

"You speak with such conviction, but I feel, Eliog, couldn't it be that you've been deceived by this glib-tongued human before you?""?"

Ignoring Eliog's question, Agreas took a step forward and extended a fist towards Eliog. The eyes hidden beneath his glasses seemed to erupt with a blazing pillar of fire.

"We indeed know Baimon used the Base to release us, and we also know Baimon might be utilizing us to accomplish something. But only regarding breaking the seal upon us, we can be certain it's something Baimon practically achieved... You should know my adaptability to entirely new power is very strong, which is why I could comprehend that lunatic Tao's chaotic power in a very short time. Therefore, I also have deep research into the seal placed by that False God...

"I am currently certain that the seals on Barbatos and myself have completely vanished. In other words, we are entirely free right now."

Saying so, Agreas gave a mocking laugh. Raising his hand to point at Fisher beside Eliog, he continued,

"The power of the Base is of course incomplete, which is why it could only release the two of us. Therefore, we need the Blessing comparable to a True God on that Dragon-kin's body to liberate our entire race. Eliog, this human has merely hit a dead end, so he fabricated lies to gain your support. He has a deep relationship with Baimon, so of course he knows how to provoke your competitive nature. That's why he came looking for you bearing Baimon's sigil, making you fight Baimon for his sake. He's fundamentally not thinking of you; from start to finish, he has only been thinking of that Dragon-kin woman of his...

"Let me ask you, if you help him like this, what kind of end will we meet? He is a human, a usurper living in an era of withering myth. Without us, he could very well rely on this chaotic Mythic power to do anything he desires here. Simply taking yourself as an example, in your current out-of-body state, what can you accomplish? I am your true friend. I am the one who will help you break free from the cage. At that time, whatever you want to do, won't you be able to do it?

"Let alone that this scheming, lowly man's current deception of you has been seen through by me; even if you still like him at that time, I am also willing to help you fight Baimon. Regarding the women around him, the only ones requiring a bit of attention are Baimon and that God of Destruction's daughter. But now that God of Destruction is also hiding at the bottom of the sea, refusing to come out—presumably her old injuries haven't healed—when our entire race emerges into the world, what can she do?! When the time comes, I'll tie him up and give him to you, letting you play with him every single day. Isn't that fine?!"

Barbatos cast a glance at Agreas, wondering if he wanted to say, "Don't include me when you boast." That God of Destruction simply wasn't coming out of the ocean, not dead.

As for Fisher, he blinked even more, unclear why Agreas would speculate on him with such extreme malice.

Although they were enemies, they shouldn't have seen or understood much about each other, right? Why, from your mouth, Agreas, had I, Fisher, become such a scumbag who utilized women at any cost?

But now wasn't the time to care about his right to reputation and fight against Agreas' slander. His true focus lay on Agreas saying, "They genuinely escaped the seal."

This intelligence had been imparted to Fisher by the Lord of Fate. Moreover, she possessed an extremely profound understanding of the Mother Goddess's power, which was why she had been extremely certain when stating that the Base couldn't possibly help them escape the seal.

The likelihood of her deceiving Fisher was minute. Her relationship with Asuka Karasawa was unusual, and since she already knew of the connection between Fisher and Asuka Karasawa, and still needed him to help search for Asuka, how could she possibly tell an unfathomable lie at this juncture?

Then, could someone like her—a contemporary of Asuka Karasawa and a First-Generation Transferred Person who hadn't died even now—have misjudged the Mother Goddess's seal?

Upon hearing this, Eliog frowned. Looking at Agreas, she said,

"Both you and I know the Mother Goddess's seal was placed upon us all entirely. Where does the logic of the two of you being free while we're remain trapped in the seal come from?"

"But this is the truth, Eliog. The Base and the seal both originate from different powers of Chaos. You also know that Chaos repels Chaos. Perhaps the Base can destroy the rules of that False God's seal? If not the Base, do you think it's Baimon? Does she have universe-spanning abilities to effortlessly surpass the power and rules of a True God to singly pluck the two of us out?"

Eliog shut her mouth. Of course she wouldn't easily believe Agreas' evaluation of Fisher. She was willing to believe that Fisher was speaking the truth, but at this moment, the conversation reaching this point also meant the negotiations between the two sides had completely broken down.

Fisher exhaled a long breath, unable to stop himself from pondering the worst of the worst-case scenarios—the situation where what they said was true.

Simultaneously, he looked at the two Demon Gods before him and asked,

"I understand. Your original plan was to use the Chaos on my body to seize the Blessing related to the Dragon God on Raphaela, utilizing it to release the demons... Moreover, according to what you said, Raphaela will die afterwards, correct?"

"What, changed your mind now? Great, come with us to see her. It'll even give you guys a chance to properly say your goodbyes... anyway, you have so many women, losing one won't really matter, right?"

"..."

Fisher dangerously narrowed his eyes. Beneath the clothes soaked thoroughly in fresh blood, it felt like something invisible was squirming. He could only feel the chaotic aura within his body continuously swelling.

He looked at Eliog beside him, and Eliog also muttered,

"Hope that unintelligent-looking little Whale-kin girl can adapt to circumstances..."

"So to speak, you guys still intend to resist?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?"

Agreas adjusted the glasses before his forehead, subsequently laughing helplessly and shaking his head,

"Eliog, you truly are... quite different from before."

"Yeah, awooo. But you're still the same as before. Therefore, you will never understand why I must remain in eternal slumber, nor will you understand why I must overcome my own nature. Because you never care about other existences. Merely to satisfy your nature, you didn't hesitate to extend a butcher's knife towards Tao, who was bitterly supporting our entire race... you didn't hesitate to use countless lives to experiment with the knowledge in your mind... It was precisely because we all indulged in depravity back then that our entire race was dragged into that war, ending up in our current state."

"..."

Agreas merely listened, offering no response whatsoever. Perhaps a demon like him, who always indulged his nature, was inherently incapable of comprehending the concept of "restraint". Thus, even though he was adept at making friends, he could never truly enter their hearts.

Barbatos was like this, Cidi was like this, and Eliog was like this...

Barbatos understood Eliog's words, but he was doing this to save Cidi from the eternal cage. Therefore, at this moment, he didn't say anything else, merely asking a single question in the end,

"By the way, Cidi has awakened. Was he with you guys just now?"

"Relax, your partner didn't help us. Just now, I was the one who threatened him to stop you from entering. He doesn't want to get involved; you'll see him after this is over..."

Barbatos nodded in satisfaction, uttering a "thanks". Following that, he abruptly raised the longbow in his hand. Instantly, an arrow akin to the wind appeared on the bowstring, carved entirely with runes used for teleportation.

He had dismantled one of Cidi's Portals, intending to use it now.

"Whoosh!"

As that arrow was fired, it abruptly shot into the air and sank into the stone wall. A spatial rift enveloped by a violent storm was slowly torn open bit by bit, gradually revealing the gray, rain-curtained sky outside.

"Kill them!"

"Boom!"

"Look quickly, what is that?"

"A storm is brewing!!"

Under their previous orders, the Human Allied Army outside was launching a general offensive against the Red Dragon Court of the Southern Branch Mountain Range. However, it was evident that both Barbatos and Agreas cared not for this war. It was just that the more chaotic the external situation currently, the better, because that Dragon Queen was bound to personally lead a team into combat...

And the roaring gale rushing out of the ground split into countless streams instantly after leaving the Portal, spreading out. Akin to a meat grinder, it tore apart the formations of both sides, thoroughly transforming the battlefield into hell.

Only after accomplishing all this did Barbatos look expressionlessly at Eliog and Fisher before him, saying to Agreas,

"The Portal has been opened; now, we just need to take him to that Dragon-kin."

"..."

Two Eighteenth-Tiers against one Fourteenth-Tier and one Fifteenth-Tier. Even if the Chaos on Fisher's body right now was growing increasingly dense, they still had no need to pay it any mind.

Raphaela, was dead for sure today.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

At the exact same time, within Baimon's palace, sensing the tremors transmitted from the battle above, Eimhart was so anxious he wished he could sprout hands and feet to personally assist Jasmine and the Lord of Death in dismantling that damn barrier.

Baimon! You truly are... you truly are...

You truly dying a thousand times isn't enough!

He cursed Baimon in his heart, not understanding why she had to design this barrier to be so thick. But the next second, driven by the full power of Jasmine and the Lord of Death, the fissures on the barrier's walls multiplied, and the crimson light leaking from within grew ever brighter.

"It's out! Quick, quickly seal those two Demon Gods back inside! Hurry, otherwise Fisher and the others..."

Eimhart flew excitedly towards the gradually dissolving barrier. Watching that formless entity bearing an odd red light slowly drift upwards from below, at that moment, everyone present seemed to hear an unknown murmur, as if some terrifying power had set its sights on them.

Both the Lord of Death and Jasmine's complexions were extremely pale, but upon hearing Eimhart's reminder, the Lord of Death still shook off the groggy feeling in his head, wanting to hurry up and have the Base seal those two demons back inside.

But the next second, a problem arose.

How exactly was this Base supposed to be used? It was merely exposed right now; did they have to smash it to pieces?

"How the hell do you make this thing seal those two Demon Gods away?"

He turned back to look at the excited Eimhart, not expecting this question to abruptly stump him. Even given the great Sir Book Artifact's repository of knowledge, he was unclear on the specific answer to this question.

"I... I don't know."

"...I-I'll try?"

Just then, Jasmine stared blankly at the crimson Base before her. Following closely, she added,

"I kind of feel like this Base wants to... say something to me?"

"Huh? Don't... don't listen to it! If Fisher comes back to see you turned into a lump of meat by the Base, I... I won't have any way to explain!"

But Jasmine had no time to hesitate. The next moment, she gritted her teeth and resolutely extended her hand towards that Base, making contact with it.

In an instant, an indescribably feeling of agony, frigidity, and isolation welled up in Jasmine's heart.

"Professor Fisher..."

She momentarily couldn't distinguish whether this call was an auditory hallucination she heard or something she had actually voiced. Because the moment she came into contact with it, Jasmine's consciousness was yanked by it, sensing its overwhelming power.

The Mana Circuits on Jasmine's body instantly lit up, acting as a guiding beacon pulling the crimson Base closer to her. And exactly at the same time, she also sensed the Base's function...

"No... that's not right..."

Yet after temporarily gaining the ability to grasp and utilize the Base, Jasmine's complexion grew increasingly pale. She opened her eyes, looking incredulously at the Base in her hands, and murmured,

"I... I didn't feel it taking effect..."

"Didn't take effect, what does that mean? Does it mean this Base is fake? Can it not be interrupted by us?"

"No, no, Sir Book Artifact! Its power is indeed very strong, and it can indeed temporarily nullify the Mother Goddess's seal, precisely as we deduced earlier... But what I mean is, I didn't feel it removing any entity's seal. It didn't establish a connection with anything, and I also cannot sense that Agreas and Barbatos's seals still exist..."

Jasmine's hand holding the Base grew increasingly icy and trembling, and the pupils of the Lord of Death and Eimhart beside her also shrank smaller and smaller, clearly comprehending Jasmine's meaning,

"That is to say..."

"That is to say, Barbatos and Agreas truly escaped from the Mother Goddess's seal... It is impossible to use the Base to seal them back... but I don't know how they achieved it. I..."

Eimhart's eyes widened. As if struck by lightning, he slumped powerlessly onto the ground, as if the golden light radiating from his entire book body had dimmed,

"It's over... it's over... Baimon, ugh, you damn fellow... sigh, so this was waiting here all along, using such an insidious ploy to... Fisher, ahhh! How am I supposed to live without you?! Those are two Eighteenth-Tier beings that ran out. Them going is like throwing a meat bun at a dog; I fear there won't even be scraps left now!!

"Ahhhhh! Baimon! You truly deserve to die! Give my Fisher back!!! Baimon, wuwuwuwu!"

The Lord of Death also furrowed his brows, sensing the increasingly restless power above and worrying for the recently departed Fisher and Eliog.

Knowing the situation at hand was critical, Jasmine closed her eyes, her entire body trembling like a sieve. But the very next moment, she suddenly thought of something and hurriedly spoke up,

"Wait, wait... perhaps there's still a way..."

"There's no chance, wuwuwu, Fisher has definitely already been... by that fellow Baimon... wuuahhhh Fisher!"

Jasmine ignored the emotionally collapsed Eimhart, merely allowing her consciousness to continually sink alongside the Base. That power continuously swept across everything within the Dynasty, spreading all the way until it reached the territory of the Gate of Victory...

At an edge of the Gate of Victory, there stood a castle inhabited by the true body of the Demon God named "Eliog".

"Demon God Eliog... we can only leave it all up to you, Professor Fisher..."

Jasmine gritted her teeth, channeling the Base's power into that place she sensed.

At this moment, within the territory of the Gate of Victory, it felt as if everything had been dyed in a layer of crimson. Under that crimson contamination, the dense "∞" symbols hovering above the magma diminished bit by bit, causing the certain entity they were restraining to struggle increasingly violently...

Within Eliog's Castle, amidst the eerie gloom, a warm and scorching brilliance gradually blanketed the floor and the bed, much like a fireplace being lit.

Those shattered armors and weapons hung on the walls and weapon racks began to sway uncontrollably. And before them, that originally tiny, rope-thin pillar of fire danced little by little.

It flickered, it roared, until that light grew ever brighter, until that flame grew ever more intense, until it illuminated everything within the castle.

"Crash!"

"Swoosh!"

Within the Gate of Victory, countless Little Demons began to tear at each other uncontrollably. Without any apparent reason, they attacked each other with their sharpest claws and fangs, spilling their blood onto the reefs on the ground and into the magma...

The crisp sound of blood hitting the ground, the hissing of it evaporating upon entry into the magma, accompanied by the roars of strife echoed in succession... Akin to an alarm clock ringing in the morning, gradually awakening that flickering, ever-expanding pillar of fire.