NOVEL WEB Volume 2 – Chapter 20
Pandora’s Forest was a wide swathe of old-growth trees, small mountains and river valleys north-east of where the three Demon Lord castles stood. Its centre formed a diamond shape with Castle-kun at its top, and Pandora’s Forest an elongated bottom. There were also a few smaller buildings here and there on the periphery. The whole island was teeming with strange-looking deer, winged lion creatures, furry little horned squirrel things, but Pandora’s forest was strangely devoid of non-plant life. But this forest had the feeling of a wild-jungle embedded in every tree root and gigantic flower. It was alive, and it was beautiful. It felt like I could get lost in it forever if not for Locate.
We’d met Pandora in an unassuming clearing, where short, wheat-like bristling plants carpeted the landscape under the moon-light.
“Your quest is to die.”
Those were the first words to come out of her mouth as we approached the loli in the panda onesie. Now that I thought about it, did pandas even exist in this world?
Elisa was startled, tightening her grip on Rodd. I did not respond right away, thinking it to be a very dry joke. When we made eye contact with Pandora, she was already staring at us with an unfaltering gaze. Her eyes were a pure, simple brown, and she was holding a small bamboo stick. Her hair was shoulder length and black. I couldn’t sense any hostility from her at all. But she was a Demon Lord. If there was anything I had learned from the nightmare with Mellow, it was not to underestimate one.
“Pandora, what of the Demon Lord contract, forbidding us from violence. Do you expect us to attack without any cause?” I finally asked, choosing my words carefully. Pandora’s body language told me we were in no danger so far, and we would be getting to the bottom of her intentions soon enough. I knew she wasn’t going to just kill us. She had something else in mind. She was just like Justus, looking for a challenge. I had to give her one and respond in kind. Elissa was not to be involved with this one. The last one had been hard enough. I didn’t want her to be under pressure.
“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die,” Pandora responded without expression as a gust of wind pulled at her and Elissa’s hair.
Bond? Who is Bond? I have never introduced myself by name, being only known as the “Abyssal One” to the other Demon Lords. Surely she’d have overheard or collected my name somehow by now? Did she want to bond together? What was this?
“It seems you do not understand, Mr. Bond. You are indeed a very rare breed... soon to be made extinct!”
Hold on... my memory was itching. Could she possibly mean... James Bond?! How could she know about old world movies?
No...
“You’re a reincarnation?!” I gasped.
“A reincarnation?” Elissa asked. But I was too focused on Pandora to respond.
“Indeed, Mr. Bond. It took you long enough. You appear with the tedious inevitability of an unloved season. And as a result, you’ve brought too much attention to us. This, at the very least, I can tell you,” she responded in more word than I had heard her utter since our initial meeting at the Pentagram.
“What are you talking about?!” Elissa responded, agitated. She’d been waiting for me to explain. This was getting dangerous. If Pandora was a reincarnated person, that meant her mind and knowledge were from the old world, and that made her extremely dangerous.
“Elissa, I’ll make it simple for you. Did you really think everything you’ve done, the wanton murder, the destruction, the... unspeakable acts you so flagrantly engage in, wouldn’t catch up to you? I’m simply expediting the process,” Pandora said. I knew she was right. I knew we couldn’t avoid what was to come.
But she didn’t stop there. Pandora continued on. “It’s not like you, as a Demon Lord, don’t understand the risks. In fact, you understand very well. A part of you does. And that part is the one and only Mr. Bond. The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success, and unfortunately, Mr. Bond, you have been a failure of genius,” she said. Still emotionless. Her eyes were fixed on me. Even when she turned to Elissa and spoke. “You wanted a better life than the one you led before. And so you lashed out. In your attempt to have the world acknowledge you, you instead killed millions. Now you bring the wrath of the Goddesses. It’s all much too soon,“ she said.
“And worst of all, you made poor Tomiko cry...”, she frowned. It was the first time I saw Pandora visibly upset at something.
“Wait, that wasn’t our fault! It was a misunderstanding!”, I called out.
“Oh, I know. I just want you to know that this is nothing personal. It’s purely business,” Pandora responded, back to her stone-faced loli self, “Reveal Aura!”
“But if you’re a reincarnation...”, I was about to say, but then a wave of nausea hit Elissa as she keeled over and fell to her knees. Rodd dropped to the ground with a thud, embedding itself in the soil. Was it just me or did it get super-heavy out of nowhere?
Why is Pandora doing this? If she’s from the same world as me, shouldn’t we have that in common? Why couldn’t we talk this through?
“Greater strength!”
“Pulsing rage!”
“Sandstone will!”
“Giftend!”
“Time lock!”
...
Pandora was calling out seemingly random words, while Elissa was coughing out blood onto the grass. With each skill (?) I could sense the threat level rising.
“Stop!” Elissa cried out in between the coughs. Was she trying to pause time? Why didn’t it work?! It seemed Pandora was no longer the Pandora we knew. She was already on a different level. She knew all our tricks without revealing her cards. Or something?! I had no idea what was going on. But I felt something bubbling up within my depths.
“Light of Life!” Pandora called out. A gentle glow emitted from the bamboo stick in her hand and then washed over Elissa, causing her to collapse completely.
I had to stop this. We couldn’t afford to die. Elissa would be thrown into an endless hell for all eternity!
I could feel anger, like an avalanche exploding in my heart. I took over Elissa’s body like we had done in our battle with the unicorn. This time, however, I would be assuming direct control.
All of Elissa’s body but her eyes instantly turned into rubbery transparent latex as I overwrote the properties of her sin and organs. Her flesh was like that of a jellyfish. You could see the outlines of her modified internal organs through her skin slightly. A pulsing, red glow emanated from her body with every heartbeat.
I stood Elissa’s body up to look at Pandora fiercely. Hatred was burning in her eyes. Elissa was still here with me. We’d do this together!
“And now, for my trump-card, Mr. Bond. Be lucky this will be the final thing you ever see. Transform Living Armour!”, Pandora called out as she raised the bamboo stick above her head. She actually looked more alive than ever before. Was she having fun?!
Pandora’s onesie rippled as if it was alive. Her limbs and torso snapped into a star shape as a glow surrounded her. The air around Pandora seemed to crackle with energy as her body remained frozen in the star shape. The bamboo stick in her hand started to glow brighter, casting eerie shadows over the grassy field.
Suddenly, the onesie she was wearing began to ripple and shift, as though it was made of liquid metal. The fabric morphed and expanded, wrapping around her limbs and torso, pulsating with an otherworldly energy. The once soft and cuddly onesie was now a hard, metallic exoskeleton, reflecting the moonlight in a dazzling display of power.
Mechanical bear arms had emerged from her back and began to grow, the fur transforming into hard, steel plates. The claws extended into long, sharp blades, glinting ominously under the moonlight. The four arms, two at the front and two sprouting from the back, were now fearsome weapons, ready to tear through anything in their path.
The transformation was not over yet. The onesie continued to morph and expand, covering Pandora completely. The cute and innocent onesie had transformed into a massive, imposing mech suit, towering over the field. The suit was a mixture of hard, metallic surfaces and soft, glowing lights, creating an intimidating sight.
Pandora’s face was now hidden behind a sleek, metallic helmet, her eyes glowing a bright, menacing green. The suit was complete with thrusters on the back, ready to propel her into the sky at a moment’s notice.
Pandora, once an ally we thought we had, was now an intimidating force to be reckoned with. The cute onesie had somehow turned into a giant mech suit, ready for battle. If it wasn’t real I’d say this was absolutely ridiculous. The scene was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a testament to Pandora’s power.
The air was electric as the two opponents faced each other, the grassy field bathed in an eerie glow from the moonlight and the pulsating lights of Pandora’s mech suit. Elissa’s body, now under my control, pulsed rhythmically with a red glow, the outlines of her internal organs visible through her transparent skin. The sight was both grotesque and mesmerising.
Pandora, in her giant mech suit, towered over us. Her once friendly eyes were now hidden behind a sleek helmet, replaced with an intimidating red glow. The cute onesie was no more, replaced by a metallic monster ready for battle. What once had been a playful outfit was now a deadly weapon, ready to tear us apart.
I flexed Elissa’s body, feeling the strange sensation of the tentacles I could now control. They sprouted from her back, long and sinewy, pulsating with the same red glow as her body. They were my weapons, my defence, and my only hope against Pandora’s mech suit.
With a deep breath, I prepared for battle. I could feel Elissa’s consciousness beside me, lending me her strength. We were in this together, for better or worse.
“Let’s do this,” I muttered, my voice echoing in my mind.
I launched the first attack, sending a wave of tentacles towards Pandora. They moved with a speed and precision that surprised me, lashing out at the mech suit. The sound of metal meeting flesh was deafening, but Pandora’s suit didn’t falter. Instead, the bear's arms swung out, batting away the tentacles with ease.
Pandora retaliated, her mecha-bear arms slashing through the air towards us. I moved Elissa’s body just in time, the sharp blades cutting through the air where we had just been. The ground beneath us shook from the impact, but we were unharmed.
The battle had begun. It was a dance of death, a test of strength and will. Pandora’s mech suit was powerful, but I had the advantage of speed and flexibility. The tentacles moved with a life of their own, attacking and defending with instinctive intelligence.
I could see the surprise in Pandora’s glowing eyes as we managed to hold our own against her. But the battle was far from over. This was just the beginning of an epic showdown, a fight for survival against a once trusted friend. The moon hung high in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the battlefield. The grass beneath our feet was slick with dew, the air heavy with.
The battlefield was a symphony of chaos; the air filled with the sounds of battle. The clash of metal against flesh, the roar of the mech suit’s engines, the hiss of the tentacles as they lashed out. The ground beneath us trembled with the force of our battle, the grass stained with the evidence of our struggle.
The moon watched over us, a silent witness to our battle. Its light bathed the battlefield in a surreal glow, casting long shadows and illuminating the scene with an otherworldly light. It was a scene of chaos and destruction, a testament to the ferocity of our battle.
Despite the odds, we held our own against Pandora. Her mech suit was powerful, but we were quick and agile. Our tentacles gave us an edge, their movements unpredictable and erratic. They were our weapons, our shields, our lifeline.
The battle raged on, neither side willing to back down. It was a test of wills, a clash of titans. Pandora in her mech suit, a force of destruction. Us, with our tentacles, a beacon of hope. It was a battle for survival, a fight to the death.
And we would not go down without a fight. With every clash of metal against flesh, every roar of the engines, every whip of the tentacles, we fought.
Pandora retaliated, her bear arms swinging out in wide arcs, the sharp blades glinting ominously in the moonlight. But we were faster, ducking and weaving, avoiding her attacks with a grace that belied our monstrous form.
With every attack we dodged, every strike we landed, our confidence grew. We were not just surviving; we were fighting back. And with every passing moment, we could see the frustration in Pandora’s green, glowing eyes.
The battle was far from over, but we were holding our own. We were not just surviving; we were fighting. And we would not go down without a fight.
Just when we thought we were gaining the upper hand, Pandora’s bamboo stick, now a huge sword, suddenly swung down on us. I had gotten too complacent, thinking that Pandora wasn’t holding back. But she was.
As I attempted to dodge, a series of green laser beams shout out from the mech’s chest, blocking our path. Not knowing what to do, I shaped the tentacles into a shield and took the hit.
The pain was intense, a burning sensation that spread through Elissa’s body. I could feel her consciousness waver, but I held on, refusing to let go. My HP went down by 50%, all the way down to 8%. With each drop in HP, Elissa’s latex suit had become more and more torn. She was now practically naked. Only her chest and Holy Land covered in a tight bikini. Her skin, covered in cuts, gashes and bruises.
For some reason, I wasn’t regenerating nowhere near as fast as before. And my MP was barely recovering! But I didn’t have time to think. Pandora pressed her advantage, her movements becoming a blur.
The sword swung again and again, cutting through our tentacles with an ease that was terrifying. The mech suit’s thrusters roared to life, propelling her towards us with a speed that was impossible to match. I was learning the pattern of her laser attacks, so they didn’t lock us in as before, but Pandora’s suit kept getting faster and faster in turn!
We tried to dodge, to evade, her attacks, but we were too slow. The sword cut through Elissa’s body, leaving deep gashes that glowed with a red light. The pain was intense. I knew Elissa was suffering. It was because of me!!
"I'll have you know that Elissa and I are the same level, both at the level cap: 200. My armour however is level 344. It is a legendary monster I had conquered, then engineered protection and battle a long time ago," Pandora was bragging through a speaker in her mech.
With a roar, Pandora then launched herself into the air, the sword raised high above her head. She descended upon us like a comet; the sword crashing down with a force that shook the earth, barely missing us.
We were thrown back, our bodies slamming into the ground. The pain was blinding, but I forced myself to move, to get back on our feet. Elissa’s body, our body, was badly damaged, but we were still in the fight.
Pandora stood over us, her sword gleaming with a deadly light. Her eyes glowed with a triumphant light, but there was no joy in her expression. This was not a game, not a friendly competition. This was a fight to the death, and she was determined to win.
But so were we. Despite the pain, despite the odds, we refused to give up. We would fight until the end, until our last breath. We would not go down without a fight. I would do it for Elissa!
With a sonic boom, I launched ourselves at Pandora, our remaining tentacles lashing out with desperate rage.
Our tentacles flailed against her armour, trying to find a weak spot, a way in. But the mech suit was impenetrable, our blows barely even registering. Pandora was unstoppable, a force of nature.
"You may be wondering why I'm able to attack you even though you've seen the contract between Demon Lords at the Pentagram. I am not bound by the contract because I'm the originator of it. That's right, I brought peace and created the Pentagram. And it is my responsibility to end you," Pandora said as she blasted us with blow after blow.
We were losing. Our attacks were ineffective. Elissa’s stamina was running low. The damage from the laser beam attacks was taking its toll. The sword was burst DPS, the three free claws close-range damage-makers, while the lasers were like a thousand paper-cuts that added up if we got in their path. We had no way to counter them, no way to block the attacks. All we could do was dodge and try to wear her down. But she was too fast, too strong. We were no match for her.
Our only chance was to somehow find a way to escape. To live. But even that seemed like an impossible task. She was just that fast.
And the realisation of that fact struck a deep fear in me. We had fought so hard, had come so far, and yet it was all for naught. We were going to die. We were going to lose. We were not going to be able to defeat Pandora.
And this desperation caused a fatal lapse in my attention. Suddenly, as if flaunting her power, Pandora’s mech charged at us with an explosive speed, her after-burners roaring behind her in a fiery blaze that ignited the field behind her in the shape of two wings.
Before I could react, she was upon us. Her claws sank into Elissa’s body, her weight pinning us down. She raised the sword high above her head, pointed at Elissa’s hear, her green eyes glowing with a cold fury.
"It ends now, Mr. Bond. Die." Pandora said in a chilly voice.
I had failed. We had failed. Elissa was going to die, and it was all my fault.
I was sorry; I was sorry; I was sorry.
I had never wanted this.
I had never meant for things to go this way.
All I had wanted was a better life.
And now, because of my selfishness, because of my hubris, we were both going to pay the price. I had failed, and she was going to suffer the consequences.
{ NO. }
I let go of Elissa. Half my flesh would go to her body. The other half...
—
Only one hour ago, I was engaging in the very sorry business of getting hit by a delivery truck.
> Oh, I remember this.
As you can imagine, I wasn’t in any state to really contemplate my situation properly as I lay there staring at my mangled broken legs.
> That really hurt. My legs weren’t the only thing that was broken.
In fact, I was more concerned about whether or not I’d be able to get out of this predicament without having to pay for my medical bills.
> I was running low on money way that point. I had wasted it all away.
Maybe I could sue the driver. After all, he should have stopped in time… even though I wasn’t looking when I crossed the street!
> I was looking, but looking the wrong way...
Right? I was distracted by a woman on the other side who was wearing a pair of sheer black stockings, their tops peeking out from below her pencil skirt.
> I pushed her out of the way of the truck. I don't understand why...
Surely some lawyer somewhere would be jumping at the opportunity to make an easy dollar soon.
> My father was a lawyer. I would hardly ever see him after he caught me and my mum.
… jMMORPG game “Demon x Nova Online”…
> It really was a good game. My number one. I always loved Japanese games.
0.00001% chance drop from the “Demon Lord’s Armour” set – “The Demon Lord’s Tights”
> That sounds familiar...
The demon lord in the game lore was always a woman with some sort of tragic background story, who would be possessed at the last desperate moment by the reincarnation of the Demon Lord.
> Elissa... I hope you’re safe.
And so I did everything to achieve my dream, including blowing the remainder of my inheritance on the gacha.
> I was so anxious all the time. It was the only thing which brought me joy.
Tights were the only thing which brought a sliver of joy to my life, but… maybe it was a bad decision.
> I could have done so much more with that money...
Thank you God for for revealing this truth to me! I get it! I’m an idiot for having wasted my life and my parents’ inheritance! Can you this stop now!
> I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.
—
A glowing humanoid figure shot out from Elissa’s belly and caught the blade between its palms. An ear-ringing pulse shot out at the impact, levelling the surrounding forest.
A ghostly apparition. It was translucent and white, with long hair that flowed like water. Its eyes were like diamonds, and the lips were curled in a feral snarl.
{ NO. }
The figure twisted the sword, and the blade snapped off, flying away into the darkness. Pandora’s mech stumbled, its balance thrown off.
...
The figure shot out of the host body like a squid, separating itself completely, ripping away from the unconscious girl from which it came.
....
It latched onto the helmet of the mech, trying to find a way in between the seams with its slender, piercing fingers. The sound of fingernails on metal filled the wounded air.
...
“Eject!!!”, a voice called out, amplified by a speaker from within the robot.
...
The form of the mech shifted, enclosing its pilot in a suit of mechanoid armour, in every place but the head.
...
The helmet collapsed in a crunch as a little girl shot out from the back of the defeated colossus in her body-armour, tumbling onto the cratered, scorched earth below.
...
“Self destruct!!!”
...
The mech dropped the broken sword. All four claws dug into the back of the white, featureless figure with their powerful grip. The figure screeched out as if in pain.
...
The thrusters of the headless colossus engaged, propelling it toward the clear night sky.
...
The figure screamed out, desperately trying to free itself. It ripped off one of the arms in its back. A mix of white blood and mechanical fluids sprayed into the sky.
...
“Three... two... one...”
...
An explosion lit up the island as bright as 100 suns in the sky for a split second. The shockwave resembling that of a thermonuclear explosion pushed down at the trajectory of the Island of Rozpacz briefly.
...
HP: 0/499,999,985
…
—
~#0xvr0ken#+{4, w6) a++ th1S, n’ thf irs7 pu114ce
[NOTICE: Death=Evolution passive skill activated. Uses remaining: 1/3]
