The suited sheep sailed through the air, smashing a table in two as it landed. Shards of glass and porcelain rained down upon it.
Covered in spaghetti, it staggered to its feet—or tried to. Its unfamiliar body wobbled, and it collapsed back onto its rear. Still, its eyes remained locked on Simon.
"What was that!" The sheep’s expression was a mixture of fury and utter confusion. "You just touched me with your palm, how could—!"
It never finished the sentence. A streak of red light shot from the side, erasing the sheep from where it sat. With a thunderous ’bang!’, it was slammed into the far wall.
Startled, Simon turned to see Lorraine with her right arm raised.
"Was I interrupting?" she asked coolly.
"No, thanks for the help," Simon replied, his gaze fixed on the space behind her. It was astonishing every time. Red eyes peered out from cracks in reality that had opened around her. What in the world existed on the other side? As she lowered her hand, the rifts sealed themselves shut, vanishing without a trace.
"Lorraine, what about your opponent?"
She gestured with her chin. The cat was embedded in the opposite wall, in much the same state as the sheep.
[Assassin team, all down.]
[Atypical game clear confirmed.]
[Additional objective appearing.]
[Additional Objective: Protect the Pig Princess from the new enemy.]
"An additional objective!" Simon exclaimed. It seemed that smashing their way through the game with brute force, rather than following its intended path, had triggered a bonus round. He figured this was for the best. The same thing had happened in the raft game with Jamie; when he’d used Deimos to blow past all the monsters, an extra objective had appeared. That was how he’d gotten the glasses that could see the terrain’s colors.
There would surely be a reward this time, too. Having failed their mission, the sheep and the cat dissolved into thin air. Simon and Lorraine exchanged a look and began backing cautiously toward the Pig Princess.
"...S-Save me," the princess whimpered, trembling. "I'll say you're the same as us, even with your short ears! I'll acknowledge you as equals, even without fur! Please, just spare my life...!"
"Shut up and stay still," Lorraine snapped. The Pig Princess immediately clamped her mouth shut and cowered.
"Princess," Simon added, his tone a bit softer, "we came to protect you."
"L-Lies!" she shrieked, shaking. "You just killed the sheep and the cat, what are you—!"
’Shatter! Crash!’
The conversation was cut short as every window in the mansion exploded inward. Assassins in black hoods poured into the room.
’Thud! Thud!’
In an instant, more than a dozen men had them surrounded. Gray smoke billowed from beneath their hoods, obscuring their faces. Simon and Lorraine tensed, lowering their stances, while the Pig Princess let out a terrified "Hic!" and shrank back.
’Clank, clank.’
A man in full armor strode forward from their ranks. Gray smoke seeped from his helmet as well.
[The order is simple,] an eerie voice echoed from within the armor. [Kill them all.]
The mysterious assassins drew their swords and charged as one.
"Well then," Lorraine murmured, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "No need to hold back anymore, right?"
Once again, space cracked open behind her, and the red eyes emerged. From within, crimson pillars of destruction erupted in all directions, blasting the assassins away.
’Kwakwakwakwang!’
Nearly half the assassins were killed instantly, their bodies slamming into the walls. Simon watched in awe.
’She really is Lady Nephthys’s daughter.’
"Simon! In front!"
At Lorraine’s shout, Simon snapped back to reality. An assassin was raising his sword right before him. He’d been waiting for this.
’Whoosh!’ He dodged the first strike with a simple step back. Before the second could land, he snaked his hand out, grabbed the assassin’s wrist, and yanked. As his opponent stumbled forward, Simon released his grip, pivoted, and drove his elbow into the man’s head. With a sickening ’crack!’ and a spray of blood, Simon completed his spin with a roundhouse kick.
’Paaak!’
The assassin collapsed, and three more rushed to take his place. Simon had no intention of letting them surround him.
’Open Gate!’
’Chwa-rururuk!’ Overlord’s blades erupted from the ground, driving the assassins back.
’Don’t rush. One by one.’
Breaking free from the encirclement, Simon charged back in. He cloaked his fist in Jet-Black and lunged at an assassin who had just landed.
Sparks flew as his fist met the assassin’s sword. His opponent was still kneeling, giving Simon the advantage. He kicked the man’s knee, forcing him to the ground, then flowed smoothly behind him, grabbing his head and tilting it up.
’Thwack!’ An arrow from across the room struck the hooded face with perfect accuracy. The assassin’s body went limp.
"Nice one!" The Skeleton Archer clicked its jaw as it nocked another arrow. But two remained. They thrust their swords at Simon from behind.
Two shield-bearing skeletons instantly leaped forward to block the blows. In that brief moment, Simon dropped low, extended his arm between his skeletons’ legs, and aimed.
’Cloud!’
Turquoise smoke shot out, wrapping around each assassin’s legs and yanking hard. As they were dragged off-balance, the shield skeletons disintegrated into a cloud of floating bones.
’Click, clack!’
In the air, the bones oriented themselves, sharp ends pointing down. Simon lowered his index finger.
’Bone Nail’
The bones rained down with brutal force, and the assassins convulsed before falling still. Watching from a distance, Lorraine was quietly impressed.
’Incredible instincts. A combat logic that completely grasps the flow of battle.’
He was seamlessly combining several difficult techniques at once. On top of his specialty in Summoning, he was expertly weaving in skills from Martial Arts and Hemomancy. He was still just a first-year, but she could already see the makings of a complete necromancer.
’As I thought.’
No matter what happened, she could not let Serne have him. She renewed her vow.
[What are you all doing!] the armored captain roared in frustration. [Pathetic. I'll handle this myself!]
The boss-level enemy entered the fray, wielding a heavy spear.
While they were distracted, the panicked Pig Princess was making a break for it, squealing, tears and snot streaming down her face as she tried to escape the mansion.
"Simon!" Lorraine shouted, opening her Subspace. "I'll take the boss! You get the princess!"
"Got it!"
A winged skeleton shot out of her Subspace. As she spread her arms, the skeleton disassembled, its parts flying to her and clicking into place. Lorraine’s Bone Armor. It was a sleek, perfectly fitted suit of bone. The skeleton’s beak reformed into a spear in her hand. A moment later, she and the boss monster charged, their spears clashing in a shower of sparks.
’Impressive. I can leave that to Lorraine.’
"Squeeeal!"
Two assassins cut off the fleeing princess’s path. She let out a terrified "Hic!" and stumbled backward.
"Honestly!" Simon sighed, thrusting his arms out to his sides. Two skeletons shot forward like arrows, cladding the Pig Princess in a makeshift suit of Bone Armor.
As her body was instantly covered in bone, the princess shrieked in disgust.
’Two won’t be enough!’ She was too big. He sent two more, for a total of four skeletons, to fully encase her. Just then, an assassin lunged, swinging his sword.
"Kieeeeek!"
The attack was easily deflected by the Bone Armor. The assassin recoiled in surprise, and Simon twitched a finger. Like a puppet on a string, the Pig Princess clenched her fists and charged.
"Wh-What? My body is moving on its own!"
’Baaaaam!’ A clean hit. The assassin was sent flying, spitting blood. Simon swiped his finger to the side.
’Thump!’ The princess lifted a nearby sofa and began swinging it like a club. The assassins scrambled back in terror.
"Heave-ho!"
’Crack!’ Taking the opportunity, Simon circled around and shattered another assassin’s skull from behind.
The last assassin raised his sword defensively. But Simon’s attack didn’t come from the front.
It came from above. Webs dropped from the ceiling, shot from a Corpse Spider he had just summoned, immobilizing the man.
Simon grinned and swept his arm through the air. "Now, Princess!"
Controlled by Simon, the Pig Princess charged with the sofa, ramming the final assassin and pinning him against the wall.
The assassin trembled for a moment before his head slumped forward.
"Oh, oh! Ohohoho! Serves you right!" the princess cackled.
’Ugh.’ Simon grimaced, pressing a hand to his forehead. ’I got too excited and overused my Jet-Black...’
A deafening explosion snapped his attention back to the other fight. An incredible sight awaited him. The boss monster was pinned to the wall, its body riddled with at least five gaping holes. Blood, not smoke, gushed from its helmet.
[M-Monster...!]
’Thwack!’ Lorraine’s spear pierced straight through the boss’s helmet. "Hmph," she snorted, retrieving her weapon as a drop of blood splattered her cheek.
’No need to worry about Lorraine.’
With the leader dead, mopping up the remaining stragglers was easy. Once the last assassin fell, a new message appeared.
[Additional Objective Complete.]
[Please claim your reward.]
The boss’s body crumbled to dust, leaving two treasure chests in its place. Simon finally let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Good work, Lorraine."
"You too, Simon."
They exchanged nods and walked toward the chests. As the Bone Armor fell away, the Pig Princess let out a final "Hic!" and bolted out of the mansion. Lorraine shifted as if to go after her, but Simon placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It’s okay. It’s all over."
"Right."
They each chose a chest. Simon’s heart pounded with anticipation as he lifted the lid.
"Whoa!" A gasp escaped his lips. "A Crystal Skeleton?"
Inside was a product containing a brand-new type of undead.
’Crystal Skeleton’
’An undead naturally formed in a crystal cave, modified into a summon-type skeleton.’
’Reacts strongly to Jet-Black and magic power!’
’Suitable for any skeleton combination!’
Beaming like a child on his birthday, Simon lifted the item out of the chest.
’Th-Thank you, Sir Endolas Bordeville...!’
While Simon was lost in his excitement, Lorraine just snorted, "Hmph," and turned away with an indifferent expression. "I don’t really need this. Do you want mine, too?"
Simon’s head snapped around, his eyes wide. A second later, realizing his unseemly eagerness, he cleared his throat. "Th-Thanks for the offer, but that’s too much...!"
"Here." Lorraine simply took her box and placed it on top of his. Simon staggered under the weight but quickly steadied himself.
"Don’t worry about it. Just take it."
Simon’s shoulders trembled. "I-I’ll calculate the cost and send you the money!"
"I said it’s fine. Ah," Lorraine said, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Then, shall we just say you owe me a favor?"
Simon flinched. He’d heard that line somewhere before. "Did you get that from Serne—!"
"Look, the return portal’s appeared. Let’s go," she said, cutting him off and leading the way with light steps. Simon quickly stored the two Crystal Skeletons in his Subspace and hurried after her.

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