Author's Note: This chapter might be a little hard to follow, so I will really appreciate everyone's feed back for future reference.
***
Rewinding a bit to before Lu-el and Kaori's fight against Croc and Sera ended.
Lu-el's POV.
***
[LU-EL@LIVESTREAM – GODDESS'S VESSEL]
"Oh my… are you two still not done?"
Poru@Knight: AND SO AM I.
Poru@Sage: WE ARE NOT DONE!
Poru@Beast: JUST WAIT FOR A DAMN MINUTE!
"Seriously? Right now—ahh~!"
Poru@Ghost: Now is not a good time—I mean, it was good, but let them finish!
Poru@Astronaut: The Love and Lust are just about to come!
Luvira@Goddess: If they survive, they can continue later on. So just hold it until then, everyone… PFFT—HAHAHA!
"If you wanted me that much, then how about switching sides with us, Ms. Sera?"
"That's an offer as tempting as you, but unfortunately, I don't like sharing my lover."
"It's not like you'll have a choice once I put a collar on you and strap you to the bed."
Poru@Sage: You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?—Hahaha!
Poru@Knight: WAIT—That's actually a good idea.
Poru@Beast: You mean to NTR—I mean, NETORI Sera?
Poru@Ghost: STEAL HER!
Poru@Astronaut: CAPTURE—is the word I would prefer.
Luvira@Goddess: Are you all sure about that?
Luvira@Goddess: Didn't you only want our Livestreamer to steal the heroines?
"You know I'm not exactly serious…" Lu-el murmured—not only in response to the impending hardest quest he could foresee from his loyal viewers, but also to the murderous aura behind him. "…Right, Kaori?"
"Hmph!"
[Poru@Astronaut: That's a wild tsundere right there!]
"Ehh~! So you're just toying with my feelings?"
[Poru@Ghost: She might be a villainess, but you can't hurt her like that!]
"Enough with this bullshit! Keep that bastard alive just long enough for him to watch me fuc' that bitch!"
[Poru@Astronaut: Don't interfere with them flirting, DAMN BASTARD!]
"Leave Croc to me, Kaori."
[Poru@Knight: Our dude is gonna solo the boss—I mean, the mid-boss, since Sera is the actual final boss, right?]
"You're not gonna throw up again, are you?"
"I'm already past that point."
[Poru@Sage: It's disgusting even for a game, so don't do it again.]
"Don't die, Lu-el."
[Poru@Beast: RED FLAG!]
"You're all enjoying this from the sidelines, aren't you…" Lu-el whispered, reacting to the flood of comments as Kaori left his side to intercept the incoming bandits.
[Luvira@Goddess: Of course we are! And you should be grateful for it, my dear Livestreamer.]
"I'm not so sure about that."
Seeing Kaori completely overwhelm a dozen bandits, Lu-el gathered his resolve to fight as well.
"ARGHHH—!"
[Poru@Beast: What a savage girl! She's really a beast on a rampage!]
"You're not the only one who's fast!"
"That's my cue," Lu-el said, kicking off the ice floor with all the strength he could muster. A large crater formed as he launched himself toward Croc.
[Poru@Knight: Aim for the head—THE HEAD!]
As Kaori's afterimage faded, Lu-el swung his axe with his enhanced strength, aiming to cut Croc in half.
BAM!
Sparks erupted as Lu-el's axe clashed with Croc's sword.
Although Croc managed to block the strike, the impact shattered his weapon and sent him stumbling across the ice. His leather armor tore as he slammed into the bodies of his fallen men.
"Go ahead…" Lu-el said, allowing Croc to grab a nearby sword.
In truth, his arms ached, and his hands were numb from exerting power he hadn't fully adapted to.
"…Pick it up."
[Poru@Knight: HEY! That's from Puss in Bo—]
[Poru@Sage: More like from Death.]
"You'll regret messing with me, FUCKER!"
Croc charged at Lu-el in rage, brandishing his sword with brute force.
BAM!
Lu-el countered with another powerful strike, shattering Croc's sword as the blades clashed and sparks ignited in the air.
[Poru@Knight: That axe is definitely a high-level item!]
High-level as his weapon might be, if Croc had been more skillful with his swordsmanship, Lu-el would have struggled—even if he was physically stronger.
Croc rushed to pick up more weapons from his fallen men. Wielding two swords, he resumed his assault on Lu-el—or rather, continued defending himself against Lu-el's relentless strikes.
Lu-el continued to overwhelm Croc in raw speed and strength.
Still, his attacks were as predictable as those of a newbie fighter, which was the only reason Croc managed to hold his ground.
[Poru@Knight: This fight is getting boring. I'm switching POV to Kaori.]
[Poru@Sage: Same here. I'm into magical fights, after all.]
[Poru@Beast: Kaori's fight is way more intense!]
"Oi—I'm putting my life on the line here!" Lu-el shouted, annoyed by the rude comments from his viewers.
"Keep blabbering your bullshit and die, fucker!" Croc roared, swinging both swords down as Lu-el got distracted.
"Shut it—!"
Lu-el gripped his axe tightly, steadying his stance as he blocked Croc's strikes.
BAM!
"I'm not even talking to you, bastard!"
Another strike from Lu-el sent Croc stumbling across the ice.
Lu-el charged forward, following up with a downward slash while Croc was still on his knees.
BAM!
Croc barely managed to block and dodge before his swords shattered, and Lu-el's axe slammed into the ice, creating another crater.
At that moment, the light illuminating the battlefield vanished as Sera dispersed her fireballs and shifted her strategy against Kaori.
"Whirlwind."
"Idiot."
"Fireball."
BOOM!
[Poru@Ghost: That was close! But I don't want to see Sera die yet.]
"You're full of surprises… First a mysterious, high-quality lover, and now a pair of divine weapons."
"You can die of envy for all I care."
[Poru@Astronaut: NO! Doesn't she deserve a second chance?!]
[Luvira@Goddess: Are you all sure about that?]
[Poru@Knight: I want to capture this villainess!]
[Poru@Beast: I want to watch lewd and naughty stuff with a villainess too.]
[Poru@Sage: It would be more fun that way.]
[Luvira@Goddess: Even if she wasn't as pure as a heroine?]
[Luvira@Goddess: What do you say, my dear Livestreamer?]
"A man who judges and shames a girl just because she has experience with other men is just another trash bastard."
[Luvira@Goddess: WELL SAID, MY DEAR LIVESTREAMER!]
***
[ISEKAI LIVESTREAMER SYSTEM]
[Quest 2 - The Witch]
[Reward - Servant Collar]
[Objective 1 - Dominate Sera through intimacy]
[Objective 2 - Obtain Sera's alliance]
***
"And how the heck am I supposed to capture Sera when Kaori wants to kill her?"
"Sera is mine, fucker!" Croc shouted, interrupting Lu-el's thoughts.
"I said I'm not talking to you—" Lu-el shot back, only to cut himself off in surprise as the night sky turned blood-red, with over a hundred fireballs hovering above Sera.
"That bitch has gone mad," Croc muttered, reconsidering running away.
"Kaori! Run!" Lu-el shouted in panic.
"Go ahead, take your shot! Let's see if you can even land a hit."
Just as Lu-el prepared to run with Kaori—FLASH!—flares shot up from deep within the forest into the night sky.
More bandits appeared around them.
But they weren't reinforcements.
"What the fuck is happening?!" Croc shouted, recognizing the distress signal from his own men.
"It's the Duchess's soldiers!"
"The Night of Von Fleur is leading them!"
"Tsk! Sera!"
"It seems I've played too much. Next time we meet, I'm definitely taking you, and those divine weapons from her."
Sera and Croc retreated into the forest with the remaining bandits.
Lu-el thought they were finally safe with the soldiers arriving—until Kaori grabbed his hand, looking at him in panic.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Huh?"
"We're running away, idiot!"
***
Lu-el and Kaori retreated to the cave first.
"Can you carry that moron?" Kaori asked while rummaging through a chest, packing items into a bag along with her bow and quiver.
"I thought you were going to leave him behind," Lu-el replied, packing supplies into another bag—along with the fur blanket, Reiji's clothes, armor, and silver longsword.
"I can't have him blabbering about us."
"To the soldiers?" Lu-el asked.
Kaori didn't answer, avoiding his gaze.
She was definitely hiding something, Lu-el thought—and that only made him more curious.
"Let's go, Kaori," Lu-el said, hoisting Reiji over his shoulder while carrying his bag and axe.
"Thank you… Lu-el…" Kaori murmured, clearly relieved that he didn't press her for answers.
***
End of First Arc.