Side Story: Additional Experiment – 1
The end has arrived…
With that phrase, the phase changed. The music entered its highlight, and the speakers roared as if they would burst, while the boss began to rampage.
I moved the controller to dodge attacks, simply watching the motions. After parrying a flurry of 17 hits mixed with fakes and irregular rhythms, Aurora, who had been watching from behind, dropped her jaw in shock.
“What the heck? How did you just do that?”
“Just watch and dodge. His preliminary moves are pretty exaggerated.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
She sounded incredulous, but honestly, all I could tell her was to just watch and dodge. Isn’t that how Brightest Darkness 4 works? You either watch and dodge or memorize it and dodge.
“You mean to say it’s nothing big for you—”
Suddenly, the creature bouncing around what could be called a boss field let out a roar and gathered strength. A faint mist swirled around its body.
Then it jumped into the sky and crashed down, attacking, only to soar back up into the heights. Aurora gasped mid-sentence and leaped back.
“That! What I was talking about! How do you dodge that pattern? Rolling and parrying aren’t working!”
“Not working, huh?”
I rolled to evade the next attack and parried the one after that. Aurora froze in shock, her mouth agape.
“It’s not impossible, it’s just that the cloak has hit detection. Think of it as similar to a multi-hit attack. Or there’s also this method.”
I dodged various attacks, baiting the pattern. When I saw the creature getting ready to launch into the sky again, I switched the consumable I had in my quick slot to a throw weapon.
The damage was too low; it was just a kukri that was barely usable in the early areas. Once you get past the beginning, it only deals one against the ordinary mobs.
But the core of this gimmick wasn’t about the damage but something else. I gauged the timing and threw the throw weapon at the right moment.
Thud!
The weapon flew accurately and hit its head. With the crisp sound heard when an attack is parried, it crashed down and rolled around.
That single hit put it in a groggy state.
I rushed over and hit the attack button. My player character thrust the weapon into its head. The boss fell back limply.
“When it’s flying or jumping like just now, if you hit its head with anything, it goes straight to a groggy state. It’s a sort of gimmick.”
Having explained that, I took the next hit without dodging. The character that resembled Aurora had her head taken off in an instant. The screen displayed “You died.”
“Well, what do you think? Not too hard, right? You’re good at this, so a few practice rounds should be more than enough.”
“…”
“…”
Kaiquilia looked at me like I was some sort of crazy person, and Aurora had an utterly stunned expression.
“So what you’re saying is that I need to hit the head of a boss who flies around without any lock-on or homing ability with a throw weapon that isn’t even very fast?!”
Aurora jabbed a finger at me.
“How am I supposed to hit a flying creature with a throw weapon? Are you joking right now?!”
“Just now it looked difficult because I used the cheapest one. If you practice with an expensive one, it’s not as hard as you think. The pricey ones are worth every penny.”
Throw weapons made for serious use have homing abilities, fast projectile speed, significantly less delay, and wider hit detection. Using those makes it a surprisingly easy gimmick.
“Oh, or you could just wear a Spike Set and roll at the right time. That might be easier?”
Using a Spike Set that deals minor damage while rolling to hit the head works too. Ultimately, the key is to deal damage to the head whenever possible while it’s flying around.
“…I’ll just figure it out myself.”
Aurora half-pushed me out of the room. Thud, the door closed.
I showed her that rolling and parrying were viable, showed her how to make it groggy by throwing a throw weapon at its head, and suggested the rolling method while wearing a Spike Set, but still…
‘Both of them probably only need a few practice rounds to get the hang of it.’
Feeling embarrassed, I turned away and locked eyes with the Pope sitting demurely on the sofa, along with Stella and Selene, who were awkwardly finding their place next to her.
“Good afternoon, Delta.”
“I hope you had a peaceful night.”
“Ah, hello, Holy One.”
“U-Um, Holy One.”
The Popes, dressed in modest semi-transparent black robes as opposed to their short-sleeved t-shirts and jeans, greeted me with awkward voices. Stella and Selene had similar reactions.
I was just going to acknowledge their greetings, but observing their demure sitting posture piqued my curiosity. I suddenly approached and sat among the Popes. Floretta and Luna flinched and tightened their thighs.
They subtly clung to my arm, but their demeanor was a far cry from the overwhelming desire they had displayed before. It felt more like a cute show of affection.
‘…Is this a good thing?’
Floretta and Luna didn’t seem to be trying to seduce me despite looking at me, which seemed quite alright.
It seemed that the events of that day had been tough even for the Popes. Even though I had dragged seven of them in and it had lasted for 98 hours, the time allocated per person must have been significantly less than usual.
As for me, I had completely lost all memories of the ordeal, so I couldn’t recall a single thing.
“Why did you come out when you could have stayed and rested more?”
“Uh… I-I’m not! I’ve already rested plenty.”
“Yes, it’s been two days. I should show my face to you, Delta.”
“And you guys?”
Stella, sitting to Floretta’s right and fidgeting with her fingers, and Selene, who was left of Luna and twirling her hair, both jumped in surprise at the inquiry.
“We, we’re fine too.”
“Y-Yes, Holy One.”
Observing the four of them, I noted the blush on their cheeks, how they were rubbing their thighs together, and the fidgeting hands positioned between their legs. It seemed like they wouldn’t last long in that state.
Maybe a week at most, but that was okay. I didn’t expect this state to last forever either. I was just pleased to see the Popes in a new light.
With a smile, I petted each of their heads a couple of times before creating a portal. When the Popes asked where we were going, I told them we were heading to the Imperial Palace. I had someone to take care of before stopping at the Mage Tower.
‘Since I just saw Nix, she should be fine.’
Nix had again curled up in my bed.
She had said she almost broke during that time, but with a blushing face, asked if I could do it one more time. Since I had no memory of the incident, I just awkwardly smiled.
Stepping into the portal with the farewells from Floretta, Luna, Stella, and Selene, my two legs hit the exquisite red carpet.
“Welcome, Delta.”
Lana, lying sideways with her elbows on the bed and hand propped against her ear while munching on snacks, waved at me. Her mouth spoke formality, but her posture remained casual.
I chuckled. Whether it was because the owner was Aurora or not, her behavior was surprisingly similar to Aurora’s, except that she was wearing a maid outfit.
Aurora’s clone was diligently carrying out the empress’s duties while sitting at her desk, in complete contrast to the scene before me. It was almost as if Lana was the mistress instead.
“Nice life you have.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Is it okay for a maid to act like that in front of the empress?”
“Who cares that I’m not the real Aurora? Besides, it was you, Delta, who said it was alright to do this.”
Lana shook the snack bag and devoured the last piece with enthusiasm. A robot vacuum approached and sucked up the crumbs that fell on the floor.
Sucking the powder off her fingers, Lana sprawled out on the bed.
“This is downright comfortable. I don’t have to clean, and I won’t get scolded by the maid. I can’t remember a time I was this comfortable while living.”
Thanks to the robot vacuum that Minerva had improved and set up, it did all the cleaning for her, and staying holed up here with no nagging had brightened her complexion considerably.
In addition, she was also free to rest all day and eat and drink as she pleased, so it would be hard for her to feel uncomfortable.
Since Aurora had practically taken residence in my world, she had been preparing various comforts for Lana so that she wouldn’t feel lonely, and to my surprise, she was doing far better than I expected.
“What brings you here?”
“I’m taking you to the Mage Tower.”
“Eww.”
Lana grimaced.
“Why would you take me there…?”
“Minerva asked me to bring one more person when she comes for an experiment.”
“An experiment?! Me?! You want to use me as that Eternal Magician’s subject?!”
This time she practically leaped up. Her voice tone had shot up dramatically.
“Don’t want to?”
“Of course not…”
She was about to say she absolutely didn’t want to, but Lana shut her mouth. Her eyes shifted to the object my finger was pointing at—the various conveniences I had previously provided and the snacks from that world.
“…I can’t say I don’t want to. I am a maid who serves the empress at close quarters. It is only natural that I also serve the orders given by the National Document.”
Her decision was quick. Lana immediately rose to her feet at an incredible speed, straightened her clothes, wiped her fingers which had been dampened by saliva, and adjusted her hair accessory.
“Shall we go?”
Now back to being a perfect maid, Lana bowed respectfully. The image of her lounging on the bed and munching on snacks was nowhere to be seen.
“…But, Delta, it’s not a strange experiment, right? I mean, not something like body modification or anything…”
“It’s definitely not a strange experiment, so don’t worry.”
“Then…?”
