CHAPTER 38: THE STUFFED MENACE (2)

Blood gushes freely from my nose, the pain so sharp it clouds my vision.

But how... how the hell did that abomination manage to react so quickly...?

More importantly, how did it counter my surprise attack from behind with such precision?

It’s as if it had eyes in the back of its head...

Eyes...

Damn it, I’m such an idiot! It’s a giant plush toy! Just as it doesn’t feel pain for lacking organic parts, it shouldn’t even rely on sight!

Which means...

My gaze shifts to Priscilla, now sitting on a small pink-and-white throne.

She’s watching her animated toy with clear satisfaction... but also with intense concentration.

It’s obvious... how did I not realize sooner?

«Gerard, get over here!» I shout.

Meanwhile, Gorilionbear’s massive fists rise again, ready to crush Gerard’s fallen body.

With providential timing, Gerard rolls aside, barely dodging the devastating strike.

Hearing my voice, he hurries over to me, placing himself at my side.

His face—twisted with pain, smeared with blood—looks just like mine.

«I think I know how to beat that beast,» I whisper, keeping my voice low so Priscilla can’t hear. «I’m almost certain she’s the one controlling its movements. If we could somehow break her line of sight with the puppet, I’d have the chance to take it down!»

«And what exactly are you planning to hit it with?» Gerard snaps back. «Bare-handed strikes don’t work. Your sword’s too far away, and Priscilla isn’t the type to fall for the same trick twice. Even if we made her lose sight of the puppet for a second, you wouldn’t have the time to recover your sword and strike!»

«Leave it to me—I have a plan. Keep it busy and just try not to get yourself killed. I’ll handle the rest!» I shoot back.

My voice sounds firm and decisive, but it’s more to keep him from losing hope than out of real confidence in my plan.

I do have a plan, but it’s far from feasible: I know what I need to do, but not how to pull it off.

Right now, improvisation is all I can rely on!

Here’s our current setup: Priscilla, seated on her throne, is at one end of the arena.

Gorilionbear stands on the opposite side, its right flank facing the little vampire.

Gerard and I are positioned about twenty meters in front of it.

Not to brag, but back when I captained my soccer team, I was great at coming up with and improvising attack strategies.

If I hadn’t become Ayra’s familiar, I would’ve certainly gone on to coach a major European club.

Having a 360-degree vision of the field is a key skill for any professional, and honestly, this situation isn’t so different from those I used to face on the pitch—just a little more lethal.

At my signal, Gerard charges straight at Gorilionbear, while I follow close behind, aiming instead for its right side.

A dense aura of violet energy forms around my right hand.

Gorilionbear’s left arm swings wide in a broad arc, striking Gerard squarely and hurling him to the ground.

An instant later, it neutralizes my attack the same way, swinging its right arm out and slamming a heavy elbow into my stomach.

Damn... the strength and speed behind that blow are way beyond what it showed the first time it floored me barely half a minute ago.

It’s like, moment by moment, Priscilla is getting better and better at controlling it.

Just like before, the impact of that powerful elbow sends me flying... but this time it launches me exactly where I was hoping: toward Priscilla!

The dense violet aura still envelops my hand—I’m struggling like hell to keep it active despite the excruciating pain of that strike.

But now’s the moment!

The moment to unleash the Blood Word Daphne taught me during this past week—Burst!

Burst is the most powerful Level 1 Blood Word—a spell I’m still far from mastering enough to use reliably in battle.

Not that I can’t cast it, but with my poor stamina and lack of control over Sanguis energy, the backlash usually knocks me out by itself.

But this time, it’s precisely that backlash I plan to exploit to win the match!

Still midair from the blow that sent me flying, I extend my right arm toward Gorilionbear and...

«Blood Word: Burst, Level One!»

A beam of pure blood-colored energy erupts from my palm, shooting toward Gorilionbear at incredible speed.

At the same time, like a rocket engine, the backlash propels me in the opposite direction—straight toward Priscilla.

My figure, perfectly blocking her line of sight with the puppet, combined with the blinding flash of Burst... well, the plan worked flawlessly!

The powerful beam slams right into the bear’s torso.

A massive gash rips open at the center, and thousands of feathers burst into the air like oversized snowflakes, covering the ground in a soft white blanket.

Meanwhile, me... well, I couldn’t stop myself or change trajectory, and I crashed right into Priscilla.

Damn it, I’m exhausted...

Using Burst drained every last drop of energy—I can’t even move a muscle.

And now... why did everything suddenly go dark?

And what’s this warm, soft pressure pressing against my cheeks? Could it be...?

I lift my head, horrified and terrified at the same time.

Priscilla is sitting on the floor in front of me. Her face is redder than her eyes—a mix of rage and embarrassment.

And me, lying face down... with my head buried between her thighs!

«L-L-L-L-L-LYON...» she stammers through clenched teeth.

She’s frozen, her voice trembling with shame.

But the worst part of it all is that the crushing exhaustion weighing down every fiber of my body keeps me from breaking free of this ridiculous position.

Damn it... I’m completely stuck with my face pressed against Priscilla’s most intimate spot!

This has to be the worst day of my life—even worse than when I nearly died!

«I... I’ll kill you, you filthy lolicon bastard!»

Priscilla’s Sanguis energy explodes with terrifying violence.

I’m hurled away, rolling helplessly across the floor until I land at Gerard’s feet.

Priscilla, now back on her feet, walks toward us with an aura so menacing—no, menacing doesn’t even begin to describe it.

She’s furious—so furious she almost terrifies me as much as Ayra in her Shadowshaper form!

«Y-You filthy human... You dared destroy my loyal Gorilionbear, and then... and then... you dared shove your disgusting face between the thighs of an innocent young princess. I-I’ll never forgive you, Lyon!»

She’s about to bring her whip down on me—ignoring every law against harming someone else’s familiar—when someone bursts into the giant dollhouse.

It’s Priscilla’s bodyguard—a towering vampire with a youthful look, his short red hair spiked up.

It’s Syrius Vondler, the one in charge of teleporting her familiar.

«Princess Priscilla, the sun is about to set. King Viktor ordered me to escort you to the royal castle immediately,» he announces, not even sparing us a glance.

«Oh, right. I almost forgot that tonight is that night,» Priscilla sneers.

Her anger and embarrassment vanish in an instant—replaced by a sadistic smile.

That night... what does she mean?

Could it be the event Clotilde mentioned—the one that put Sasha and Daphne so on edge?

«Syrius, return these two mutts to their kennel,» Priscilla orders her guard.

Then she fixes her gaze on me.

A look full of cruelty, as if she’s certain something far worse than her whip awaits me.