The mage lair main hall, again.

I got here with no trouble. Whether it was because of arrogance or insufficient time, no-one had ordered the minions to actually stop me and they ignored my presence, allowing me to skip straight to the boss battle, so to say.

As I sneakily sneak in, the three mages are standing each on one third sector of the circle. And, contrary to several hours earlier when I left, now in the middle of it all, heavily chained to a rough stone altar like a spring roll, is...

"Ce-- (Celica?!)"

I barely managed to keep my voice down.

Yes, it is Celica. So she's the one who triggered that stupid trap in the dungeon...? Yeah, actually I get it. She must have gotten curious and came to visit me for no reason... that'd be just like her. And then she went to snoop around the dungeon after hearing the muffled moans and got caught. That'd be just like her too.

And now her part in this is that of a ritual sacrifice, clearly. So this was the reason for that trap... AND, most likely, for them to summon me in the first place. I was the original target. Not that I would have fallen for something elementary like that, but it still annoys me. To dare use a demon of all things as a sacrifice... how nefarious. Nefandous. Nefast. Nefazodone! Oh wait, that last one was an anti-depressant.

I take an additional look around. Besides a whole lot of undead and flesh golems, I spot another victim stuffed into one of the rusty cages hanging from the ceiling (lovely choice of decor by the way). It's Silvana. The elf looks to be unconscious. Again. I'm not even capable of being surprised anymore.

Why, oh whyyy are all my allies so stupiiiiiid!? I scream internally.

Or... are these three mages actually just that dangerous enemies? ......... Probably bit of both, I conclude.

While Celica is the surprise main star of the event, I assume they kept Silvana near in case they need additional sacrifice. Or maybe this is that stereotypical villain habit of wanting to gloat at your enemies? In any case, this won't do. I already resolved myself to end this, and mistreating my idiotic fri-- acq-- followers is just another nail in their coffins.

Onwards then, to stop the embarrassing legacy of my previous incarnation, to pay back for their double-cross, to apparently save Celica and Silvana, and... uhh, yeah, to save this city too...! It may be shitty city full of unwashed people, but I guess I'll save them too.

Since I'm considerably weakened, I can't just toss hellrime at the unsuspecting mages. Instead I'll use the equally unsporting tactic of relying on sneak attack multiplier to take the squishy mages out quickly. Stealth impalement via swordstaff is definitely better than your normal impalement, after all.

I ready myself to dash at them, swooping in from between the dully staring monsters and take out at least two of the three before they have time to react. Ready, set, g--

"Oh~! Yuhuuu~ Ais! Celica came to see you~!"

This is when Celica the definitely-not-virgin sacrifice decides to wave at me. Only her palm moves since she's chained up pretty good. Don't wave at me! Just because you're immortal doesn't mean you can do whatever!

The mage triumvirate all interrupt their ritual preparations and turn to address the intruder. After initial surprise fades, they start acting pretty confident. I don't think they realize I was this close to assassinating them...

"Oh ho ho, we got a visitor! You're bit late, demon Ais."

Still, they obviously know I can't fly, since my wings are tattered. I'm also pretty sure their golems and undead would be indeed pose a serious trouble, especially now that they close their ranks into a wall of flesh between me and the mages. As of now their confidence isn't completely unfounded.

The demonologist woman acts as their spokesperson this time.

"So, did we--"

"Celica goddammit!!"

Too bad I want to complain to Celica first!

"I was attempting to be sneaky. You ruined it."

"Ooooh, so sorry~! Tehe~!"

The demonologist just incredulously keeps opening her mouth as we carefreely continue our banter.

"Just you know, keeping you alive is now an optional objective."

"Owwww! ...But 'tis still on the list~?"

"I'd say 4th or 5th priority."

"4th or 5th?! Ais, how cruel you are~, abandoning your big sis like that~! Sniff~! Celica is sad~."

They couldn't quite find the timing to interrupt our comedy routine. Dark mages are this world's socially awkward nerds...

The demonologist woman is now tapping her toe irritated, while other two flank her, apparently still satisfied with her taking the lead.

"...Are you two done now?"

"Oh. Yes."

She starts with the same speech she tried to say at the beginning, though her stolen momentum makes the delivery bit clumsy.

"Did we forget to sell... t-to TELL you that part of the ritual was blood of a demon?! A-and that we're using ALL OF IT to be certain? Oh my, such a grove... grave o-oversight!"

She messes up it a bit, and gets progressively more flustered and annoyed as she does.

"And of c-course, a shitty succubus is the best demon for a SACRIFICE! Any would do, but when this Celica creature--

"That's me~!"

"--s-shut up you! ... When this one showed up, I knew it was f-fated! Both r-revenge and the WORLD with one sacrifice! Hohohoho!"

She starts laughing exaggeratedly arrogantly while holding her hand in front of her mouth. The fleshmask dude grimaces while the sleepy necromancer looks even more bored than he usually does.

"HOHO-- Iaaarrrrrghhhh!"

That's when I throw my swordstaff through a small opening in their guardian's ranks, right at her.

Just because you were kind enough to let me talk uninterrupted doesn't mean I will return the favor! I used same move once before on an arena - no-one really expects something like that, since my weapon clearly isn't meant for throwing. But with enough strength anything is a throwing weapon!

Anyway, the sword impales her and pushes her back at least ten meters. I think we can cross her name on the list.

"Nooooooo!! Astelia!!!"

"...Regrettable. But the ritual is ready... She had... played her part."

"Ah... Yes. She'll be remembered in our coming empire!"

Well, they got over it quickly.

"The other succubus is... a hindrance. Creations... slay her."

"Yes, tear her ASUNDER! A demonflesh golem shall replace the casualties! (Hmmm, two sets of boobs? The possibilities!)"

Responding to their creator's commands, the monstrous guardians lumber, crawl and other moving verb at me. I lunge at the nearest one on reflex, sinking my fist into its bulbous flesh for little effect except for grossing me out.

"Don't embarrass big sis~! Celica has seen sick puppies fight with more gusto~!"

"Do you want to be saved or not!?"

A burst of rotten fluid spurts out as I disengage my fist from the fat zombie creature's innards. Seriously, what possessed me to willingly seek a battle here?! I can't even remember what I was thinking at the time.

"Fuck this."

I end up running around in circles, kiting a bunch of monsters that monotonically follow me. At first I try to cast some magic to even the odds, but bunch of grotesque monsters assaulting you is really bad for concentration, and I decide to desist before I miscast and blow up myself.

Only good thing here is that the mage trio turned duo can hardly hit me with spells that'd mess up their ritual circle, and the monsters are blocking the smaller ones.

Still, they do try.

"Storm of... coldness..."

At the moment nearby monsters happen to be mainly skeletons, he fires a cloud of ice that quickly howls towards me. The skeletons taking a hit are merely coated in ice, hardly damaging them, while I get blasted head on before I have time to find a place to dodge that isn't filled with monster.

"Did you get her!? Tell me you got her?!"

Too early for you to get excited, flesh mask guy.

As the vapor drifts off, I shrug off the snow and ice. That wouldn't have felled even a normal demon, but it would have been troublesome enough without my (apparently still working) affinity for cold.

"What, didn't you know I specialize in coldness?"

"How unfortunate..."

"Grrrr! Minions, slay her! Double time!!"

Back to running around in circles. After some time of running around like idiot, I finally manage to pick up my weapon from the demonologist whose face is frozen in look of utter surprise, and decide to go for the jugular.

"Yaaaawn~. Go Ais~."

With Celica's bored cheers I try to attack the mages themselves, but they close in a wall of minions every time I approach. Of course, it's not like killing them would stop the monsters, but at least I could more freely use cheese tactics to wipe them out then.

I decide to stop wasting time and force my way through anyway, but my attempt ends with my weapon not reaching them. Worse yet, a bunch of gross hands grip and grope at my body in the process.

"Iiigh! Huaah?!"

Before I end up like victims in a zombie movies, I lunge at them with the weapon's pole to force some distance. The hands tear pieces of my clothing and one particularly ripe one got severed and was left half-dug in into my thigh like jaws of a mite.

"Bloody hell...!"

I make grand swiping attacks at the relentless enemy, but the blade gets stuck in their tough bodies all the time, and cutting them seems to be less effective than I had hoped anyway: majority of them pay no heed for missing body parts.

"Shit! Fuck! Celica! Mother fucker!"

"Oii~, are you using Celica's~ noble name as a curse word~!?"

This is like one of those nightmares where something relentless follows you and all your efforts are too slow, too weak, always for naught! Also, I'm covered in vile juices and my clothes are only kept together because of the breastplate's sticky enchantment stops it from falling off. My anger turns towards Celica, who spectates so nonchalantly.

"Celicaaaaa, are you just going to sit there and do nothing?"

"Oh, but big sis is sooo~ enthralled by Ais' skills of battle~! Is that called 'flying chicken~ maneuver' mayhaps~?"

Is she trying to piss me off on purpose?!

"How about less snarking and more trying to break free?"

"I'd love to, but those sillies~ soaked the chains in demon bane extract~, so Celica's not feeling her best~. Itches real bad just under my breast too~."

Sigh. I promise myself that I'll repeatedly dip her in a pool of concentrated demon bane later, getting her to join the fight takes precedence here and now.

After running close enough, I make a leap towards Celica and hit the chains against the stone repeatedly in attempt to break them. Just how many did they use!? I'd say this is overdoing it were it not so damned effective right now.

"Uuuuf~! Aaaaaf~! Celica's nice and tight~!"

Celica may have taken some collateral damage when the chain dug into her, but she's no closer to being freed.

And of course, the enemy catches up before I manage to free Celica. The others are getting in the way of each other, but the fastest one, a disturbing flesh golem creation with uncannily feminine legs and writhing tentacle hands lunges at me before I have time to dodge.

"You know Ais, big sis is starting to think you reaaally~ love tentacles~. You always~ play around with them~!"

"..."

I don't answer her blabbering and ignore the tentacles groping me, opting for bashing the monster's head against the stone forcibly. Celica is covered in mucus and blood in the process. I shouldn't hoard all the fun for myself, now should I?

I'm about to be overwhelmed by the monsters, and the flesh mage manages to fire a quick bolt of fire at me, setting my dress on fire too, effectively killing it.

"Fuck you, this was expensiiiiive!!!"

Just as a skeleton warrior and semi-fresh meat and bone creation are about to reach me, I aim one vengeful kick at the stubborn chain, just out of spite. Following this by a jump on the side, I repeatedly roll away from the pursuit like a Dark Souls player on drugs, expecting them not to relent. But then Celica screams victoriously...

"Tehe~! Celica has joined the battle~!"

No sooner than she had shouted this she gets completely covered in monsters. Reinforcements! For the enemy! AHahahahah...