“You bunch of idiots! You have no idea what you’ve just done!”
Seeing that Cluru was safe, I quickly activated Spiritual Blade Form, slicing off the tentacles wrapped around my mouth and pulling away from her at the fastest speed possible.
Heaven and Man as One— Activate!
I went on high alert as if facing a great enemy, entering a state of extreme combat readiness at lightspeed.
This was bad.
Really bad.
Cluru wasn’t poisoned— in fact, to be precise, that drug only put her body into a sleep-like state.
It also suppressed her body’s natural wake-up mechanisms, allowing her to enjoy a perfect, baby-like sleep.
If that were all, there’d be no problem.
But… damn it, this is Cluru we’re talking about!
Normally, dreams are mysterious.
No matter how bizarre they are, they rarely affect a person’s actions in the real world.
But Cluru is different.
Maybe it’s because of her unique fairy spirit nature, or maybe she was just born this way—
Cluru sleepwalks.
Sure, plenty of people sleepwalk.
Usually, it’s just someone sitting up in the middle of the night— kind of creepy, but not a big deal.
But Cluru’s dreams? They’re outrageously vivid.
“Hee~ah…”
Cluru moved.
She let out a soft, flirtatious giggle, her rosy lips parting slightly as her supple, agile tongue extended to lick away the fluid from her severed tentacles.
With a slick, slurping sound, the cut tentacles instantly regenerated.
“You’re still resisting…? Ahhh~~ You’re just making me hungrier and hungrier…”
Her voice was playful and seductive, every syllable laced with soft, teasing breaths that felt as if they were brushing right against your earlobe— just hearing it made your legs weak and your stomach burn with heat.
Her violet eyes slowly opened, misty and unfocused, deep like a black hole, as if they could suck the soul right out of any prey.
If the usual Cluru was a sweet, shy girl who made people want to protect her—
Then this Cluru was a demonic queen reigning over the world of darkness.
There wasn’t even a hint of her usual shyness on her now-perfect, slightly unhinged face.
She took a step forward.
Her bare feet, clad in sheer black stockings, lightly tapped the air, creating dark ripples with each step.
Step by step, she walked on air, an overwhelming pressure radiating from her as she approached me.
“You little shrine maiden… quite the stubborn one~…”
Just as I feared…
Normally, Cluru might be semi-conscious, but most of her awareness would still be trapped in the dream.
Her body wouldn’t act too wildly.
But under the influence of the drug, she had completely mistaken the real world for her dream.
Not only was she moving without any restraint— those deep, hidden desires had been completely unleashed.
“What’s going on?” some of the bandits muttered in confusion. “That was Pink Fluff Butterfly’s sleep powder! Even high-level fairy spirits would be knocked out cold… How is she still up…?”
“Idiots,” I cursed, wishing I could kill them on the spot. “You’ve just awakened a true demon.”
“Demon? Tch— don’t try to scare us. I don’t know what tricks you’re pulling, but I suggest you behave and get into the cave. Don’t make us use force.”
“Force?” I gave the group a scornful once-over, letting my gaze linger suggestively down low. “You guys? I’m afraid she’s got more force than all of you put together.”
“You little brat!”
Male creatures never take that kind of insult well.
Especially those who pride themselves on being macho tough guys— these shirtless thugs showing off their muscles instantly flew into a rage.
“Grab that little bitch! Let’s show her just how hard we are!”
Two men came at me from the left and right.
Both attacking at once— not underestimating me. Pretty cautious, huh?
“Scram.”
A cold snort— laced with deadly charm and murderous intent.
The two thugs saw only a blur of shadow flash before their eyes before their bodies were slammed like they’d been struck by reinforced steel beams— ones hurled with the force of a dump truck— sending them flying into the treetops.
When they tried to get up again, their expressions changed drastically.
“M-My body… why won’t it move…?”
“Poison…? When—? So fast…! Damn—!”
It hit them the instant they were struck.
My expression grew even more serious.
An octopus’s tentacles are laced with terrifying venom.
Some of the suction cups even hide fangs like venomous snakes— retractable stingers that strike with lightning speed to paralyze prey the moment they’re caught.
Under normal circumstances, I’d be cheering for Cluru’s battle prowess right about now.
But now—
It seems I am her prey…
“Who gave you the audacity to touch what a god has marked as hers?” Cluru tilted her delicate, porcelain chin ever so slightly, looking down at the crowd from above with a chilling air of supremacy.
That dark, bottomless gaze sent shivers down everyone’s spines.
“Teacher Ishida,” I swallowed hard and whispered, “It’s complicated. No time to explain. Leave these thugs to you. I’ll draw Cluru away.”
Whether or not I can wake her up— Even if I get caught— it can’t happen here…
I need to run.
In this state, Cluru isn’t someone I can hope to fight.
“Got it. Go. Leave this to me and the class rep.” Ishida nodded firmly.
“See you on the other side.”
With a quick pivot, I darted into the forest.
“…Pathetic little thing. You think you can escape me~?”
Cluru narrowed her eyes nonchalantly, her tentacles slowly retracting like a sword slipping back into its sheath, concealing its killing edge until the next fatal strike.
“Well… since you want to play, I’ll play with you. Heh… let’s call it a little game before dinner.”
In a blink, her figure vanished.
……
Meanwhile, inside the cave—
“Don’t be scared, everyone! The Bifang must be just up ahead! Let’s pick up the pace!”
Sen Daluo ran at the very front of the group.
Not because he was brave or eager to shield his classmates from danger— But because he wanted to be the first to catch the Bifang’s eye.
What if the Bifang only bonds with the first person it sees?
Better safe than sorry.
“Ssshhh.”
A faint sound slipped out from beneath Sen Daluo’s feet.
It was subtle— he didn’t notice it, and just kept running.
Running…
…Wait.
Where are my legs?
?!
It wasn’t until his body slammed onto the ground with a sickening thud, face-first into a pile of bat droppings, that Sen Daluo felt the searing pain shoot through his knees.
The agony was unbearable.
At first, he didn’t react at all— too stunned to process what had just happened.
He just stared blankly at the cleanly severed stumps where his knees had been.
Then he noticed the rest of his legs— lying a short distance away.
A few seconds passed before the adrenaline of “the Bifang is right ahead!” wore off.
And then, terror swarmed him like maggots crawling up his spine and devouring his brain.
“Aaahhh— Aaaaahhhhhhhh!!”
Only now did he start to feel the pain.
Only now did he realize that wild expeditions were deadly gambles—
That danger could strike at any moment, from anywhere, and you might never even see it coming.
He screamed.
He howled in agony.
But…
It was too late.
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