Later that Morning…
Despite our closeness, I didn't gain a new skill after having sex with Aria a second time.
So… skills only activate the first time? Or are there other hidden conditions?
Just as I was mulling this over, a knock came at the door.
"It seems someone has come to visit you, Master Kairi," said the village chief.
"Me?"
I dressed quickly and followed him to the village square, where someone was waiting.
Standing there was—
"I wonder… are you the one who killed the dragon in a single blow?"
She had to be in her twenties.
A tall, striking beauty with fiery red hair tied in a side ponytail. Her outfit? A bold bikini-style armor that left little to the imagination.
Yep. Definitely another world.A female swordswoman who looked like a cosplayer from an anime convention.
"You—"
"I'm Karen," she said, cutting me off. "Karen the Crimson Lotus Princess. An S-Class Adventurer."
"Crimson Lotus Princess" is probably a nickname.
Karen's presence was immense—almost crushing. Just standing face to face with her was overwhelming. She might've looked like a slender beauty, but the aura she exuded was unmistakably that of a seasoned warrior.
"I came here because I need a favor."
She strode closer, locking eyes with me.
"…I see. So you really are a reincarnated one from another world."
"…Huh?"
"I can tell when I look someone like you in the eyes," she said, matter-of-factly. "There's a certain light—something only those who've been reincarnated into this world carry."
"…?"
"The power you used to kill the dragon… It wasn't normal. I suspect it's part of your 'Reincarnation Perk'—a divine blessing given to those who cross into this world."
I scratched my head awkwardly. "Well… I did win."
"I want you to use that power and lend me your strength," she said boldly.
"There's a Demon I'd like you to defeat—together with me."
-----------
Demons.
A hostile species from the neighboring realm known as the Demon World.
Gifted with physical prowess and magical abilities far beyond human capabilities, they are a threat only elite warriors, master mages, and high-ranking adventurers can hope to face.
"So, a demon is scheduled to appear near here?" I asked.
"That's right," Karen nodded firmly.
"Demons… they're strong, right? Can someone like me even take one on?" I pressed, my mind flashing back to the dragon I'd felled with a single [Freeze] strike, wondering how a demon might compare.
Karen's gaze flicked to me, assessing. "Demons are ranked by strength, and their power varies widely," she explained, her tone calm but laced with authority. "The one expected to emerge this time is likely a Level 1—the weakest tier."
"The weakest?" I echoed, a wave of relief washing over me, though my guard remained up.
"Don't underestimate them," she warned, her voice sharpening. "Even the weakest demon is leagues stronger than typical monsters. If we fail to neutralize it immediately upon its arrival, the damage could be catastrophic."
"Damage… you mean they attack humans?" I asked, a knot forming in my stomach.
Karen's expression hardened.
"Yes. They kill, pillage, rape… they commit unspeakable acts. Their very presence is a declaration of war. The rule is simple—if you see one, you take it down immediately."
A chill ran down my spine as she said that. The aura of killing intent radiating from Karen was palpable—suffocating, even.
Her S-Class title wasn't just for show.
And somehow, in the midst of that intensity, her beauty seemed to take on a deadly allure. There was something irresistibly sensual about her when she was like this—fierce, furious, focused.
Could it be that her fighting spirit, her readiness to kill, was what made her so captivating?
Maybe… the angrier she got, the more stunning she became.
"How does a Level 1 demon stack up against the dragon I fought?" I asked, trying to gauge our odds.
Karen tilted her head, considering. "Dragons vary in rank as well, but broadly speaking, a Level 1 demon is roughly comparable in strength to the dragon you defeated."
"Then maybe we've got a shot," I said, a spark of confidence igniting within me, perhaps a touch too reckless.
"Will you aid me?" Karen asked, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of urgency.
"If this thing's as dangerous as you say, we can't let it roam free. I'll do my best," I promised, meeting her gaze.
"Thank you!" Her face broke into a radiant smile, and she clasped my hand, her soft, warm fingers enveloping mine with surprising gentleness.
I felt my cheeks heat, my heart stuttering at the contact. Her touch, combined with her fierce beauty and earnest gratitude, stirred something dangerously close to infatuation. Honestly, I might be falling for her. On a practical note, I'd learned there were international accords mandating demon extermination, with substantial bounties offered for their defeat. Securing that reward could set me up nicely for my new life in this world, making this fight a chance to prove myself and gain some coin.
Without delay, Karen led me to a clearing on the village's outskirts, the predicted emergence point for the demon. She explained that a specialized magical device could pinpoint the exact time and place of a demon's arrival, a marvel of this world's technology that left me quietly impressed.
"In a few minutes, it should cross the dimensional corridor and manifest here," Karen said, her eyes fixed on the sky. "Here it comes!"
She pointed upward, and I followed her gaze. A jagged crack split the heavens, a rift in reality, and from it plummeted a black sphere, hurtling toward us like a meteor.
Boom!
The sphere crashed several dozen meters ahead, kicking up a cloud of dust. As it cleared, a humanoid figure emerged, cloaked in a flowing purple robe and hood, clutching a large, ornate staff in its right hand—a silhouette both eerie and imposing.
"'Magus Type,'" Karen muttered, her voice low and focused.
"There are various demon archetypes," she explained, her tone clipped as she analyzed our foe. "This one's a 'Magician' type, as the name implies. It excels in magical assaults, favoring long-range attacks."
"Long-range, huh?" I murmured, my mind racing. This was the perfect opportunity to unleash my A-rank skill, [Freeze], the same power that had obliterated a dragon in one strike.
With the demon now before us, the battle to subdue it began.
"Follow my lead!" Karen commanded, her voice sharp as she stepped forward, her fiery red hair swaying like a banner of war. She raised her sword, its polished blade glinting in the fractured light of the forest clearing, and aimed its tip directly at the hooded demon standing ominously before us.
" Crimson Blade!" she shouted, her voice resonating with power.
Grrr!
A blazing blade of fire erupted from her sword, a searing arc of crimson that tore through the air with a roar. I couldn't help but marvel at its brilliance, the attack a perfect embodiment of her title, the Crimson Lotus Princess, its vivid glow painting the scene in hues of flame.
The fiery blade streaked toward the demon, striking true—only to falter. "It didn't work?!" Karen exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief.
A shimmering, dome-like barrier flared around the demon, who raised its staff with an eerie calm, deflecting her attack as if it were nothing, the flames dissipating harmlessly against the glowing shield.
"Then I'll try—[Freeze]!" I called, unleashing my A-rank skill, the same one that had frozen a dragon in a single devastating strike, its icy power surging forth with a bone-chilling crackle.
But the result was the same. The demon's defensive field shimmered, absorbing my attack, the frost dispersing like mist under a summer sun. We tried again, Karen hurling volleys of fire and I alternating between [Freeze] and [Shooting (Intermediate)], but the demon's barrier held firm, an impenetrable fortress of magic that rebuffed every assault.
The demon, however, seemed content to defend, its staff glowing faintly as it stood motionless, offering no counterattacks, its silence as unnerving as its resilience.
"For now, I'll hold it at bay," Karen said, her voice steady despite the setback. "Use this time to rethink our strategy."
She raised her sword again. "Crimson Commandment!" she intoned, and a whip of flame lashed out, coiling around the demon like a living serpent, its fiery tendrils tightening with relentless force.
"Ruuuuuuuuuuuuhhh…!" the demon howled, its voice a guttural screech that echoed through the trees, its body writhing within the fiery restraints.
"It can't block this," Karen observed, her eyes narrowing. "Its defensive field only counters direct attacks. My restraint spell bypasses it entirely."
I nodded, processing her words. "So, if I attack now, can I finish it?"
"No," she cautioned, her tone firm. "A poorly timed attack could disrupt the binding spell, freeing it."
"Then we maintain this stalemate and come up with a new plan," I said, my mind racing. "But… what can I do? My only offensive skills are [Freeze] and [Shooting (Intermediate)]."
I'd already tested [Shooting (Intermediate)], its radiant arrows exploding with force, but they too had failed to pierce the demon's barrier, their light scattering uselessly against its shield.
"If only I could gain more skills, maybe something to counter this thing…" I muttered, half to myself.
"Increase your skills?" Karen's sharp ears caught my words, and she turned, her brow furrowing with curiosity.
"What do you mean?" she pressed, her emerald eyes locking onto mine, searching.
"Uh, well…" I hesitated, then sighed, deciding to come clean about my [Reincarnation Perk]. "Every time I… you know, am intimate with someone, I gain a new skill."
Karen's expression shifted, a thoughtful gleam flickering in her eyes as she processed my words. "So, your skills grow each time you have sex," she said, her voice neutral but tinged with intrigue.
Then, her gaze slid toward me, a slow, deliberate sidelong glance that carried a provocative weight, her lips curving ever so slightly. The air between us thickened, her fierce beauty now laced with a sultry edge that sent a shiver racing down my spine.
"So…" she murmured, her voice dropping to a low, teasing cadence, "would you like to have sex with me?"
Her words hung in the air, bold and electrifying, her intense aura mingling with a sudden, undeniable allure that left my heart pounding and my thoughts scrambling, caught between the battle before us and the unexpected proposition from the Crimson Lotus Princess.