Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 202

Chapter 202: Gathered Allies and a Girl’s Resolve

 

Afterward, I discussed the raid event ?The Calamity of Lust? with my master Shino, my younger sister Shio, and the two leaders of the major clans via messaging app. Together, we finalized the strategy for this operation.

 

First, the Calamity Beast’s ability to “attract monsters and enslave them as subordinates” will trigger a massive invasion event, sending hordes of monsters to attack the kingdom.

 

To counter this, we called on other clans to join forces. Every adventurer in the Sea Nation will participate in defending the kingdom.

 

The available manpower is more than sufficient, and with professional gamers taking command, I initially thought we had nothing to worry about. But then…

 

“Large monsters have been spotted near the sea?”

 

While chatting, Shino informed me of a report from a professional gamer stationed at the port.

 

Naturally, most adventurers lack Arisa’s special skill for underwater movement. If we can only engage the monsters after they reach the port, it would put us at a significant disadvantage, potentially leading to a war of attrition.

 

There was a proposal to allocate more than half of our forces to handle the situation at sea, but that would leave other areas under-defended.

 

As I struggled to find a solution, Laura, standing beside me, suggested we seek help from the ?Calm Whales? she had befriended.

 

We quickly arranged for a carriage, and Laura performed a song at the port. This successfully summoned a group of ?Calm Whales?, and we secured their assistance.

 

With the defense of the kingdom now looking manageable, we could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

 

The next topic of discussion was the main objective: the battle against ?Asmodeus?, the Calamity of Lust.

 

The raid event rules limited the number of adventurers to 30 participants.

 

For the main assault team, my party included Kuro, Inori, Laura, and two others who answered our call, Shin and Rou, forming a full six-member group.

 

Shino’s ?Hell and Heaven? guild assembled three professional full teams, each led by their respective leaders.

 

Shio’s ?Hunters of the Twilight? guild brought a team of elite players known as *Gamer Frau*, a group of her real-life friends with top-tier skills.

 

This brought the total to 30 participants. Once the team was finalized, we temporarily parted ways with Laura, who stayed to prepare the seal, and regrouped in the garden of Enoshigaos Castle.

 

“Kuro is still running late, so let’s go over the strategy against Asmodeus, based on what we learned from the Knight Captain,” I said.

 

The Calamity of Lust, formally known as *The Last Queen Asmodeus*, has a striking appearance:

 

– A demon with a fish-like lower body stretching 10 meters long, and a female-shaped upper body.

– Six bat-like wings extend from her back, and she wields a trident in one hand.

 

Her most dangerous feature is her breath attack, which releases a charm-inducing sound over a wide area after she takes a deep inhale. Anyone affected becomes her puppet, requiring a ?Priest?’s skill or an item to recover from the status ailment.

 

Fortunately, Laura’s song can neutralize this ability.

 

The next major threat would be her spear skills. However, thanks to advice from a professional spear-wielding gamer, her attack patterns should be manageable if we pay close attention to her movements.

 

Based on the compiled information, there don’t seem to be any particularly troublesome elements.

 

With Laura countering her special abilities, defeating her seems entirely feasible At least, that’s the initial impression.

 

However, based on my past experiences, I can’t shake the feeling that the enemy has some hidden trick up its sleeve. A trump card we haven’t seen yet.

 

For example, it could be something like Leviathan’s devastating beam attack or Belial’s flying slash that bypasses defenses. It’s entirely possible there’s an unknown ultimate move not mentioned in the intel.

 

I urged everyone to remain calm and composed, no matter what surprises may arise, before handing over the details of the role assignments to Shino, our operations commander.

 

With nothing left to do for the moment, I thought of catching up with my two old friends, whom I hadn’t seen in ?Astral Online? for a while.

 

“Hm?”

 

Just then, I noticed a carriage that had stayed behind at the port for Kuro making its way through the castle gates.

 

The carriage stopped right in front of me, and before I could react, a girl leaped out energetically.

 

“Sora, sorry I’m late!”

 

As expected, it was Kuro, my partner, who had finally wrapped up her business.

 

But as I looked at her, my attention was drawn to something hanging at her side, and I couldn’t hide my shock.

 

“K-Kuro… What’s that?”

 

Having traveled together for the past two months, I recognized it instantly.

 

The one-handed straight sword she had always used had been replaced with something new—a vibrant *Japanese katana* forged in brilliant dawn-like colors.

 

Kuro nodded slightly at my question and explained the weapon she now carried at her waist.

 

“This is ?Dawnlight Cherry Blossom?, my new weapon. It was forged by Kirie by combining ?Night Cherry?, Kirie’s blade, and my mom’s ?Sword of Dawn?.”

 

According to Kuro, the name ?Dawnlight Cherry Blossom? symbolizes “cherry blossoms glowing in the light of dawn.”

 

It was a name she chose herself, not Kirie, as a way to honor the two previous weapons while stepping forward into a new chapter.

 

When I used my Insight skill to check its rarity, I discovered it was an astonishing S-rank.

 

Her new black armored dress also seemed to be an upgrade, infused with magic stones. It not only boosted defense but also enhanced speed, a remarkable piece of high-tier equipment.

 

In terms of her overall level and gear strength, Kuro was easily two steps ahead of everyone else in the raid party, aside from me.

 

But switching to a new main weapon meant she’d have to develop its weapon proficiency from scratch. When I asked how she handled this, Arisa, who stood beside Kuro, answered in her place.

 

“I gave Kuro a special potion that transfers proficiency. All the progress she made with her one-handed straight sword is now applied to the katana.”

 

“Such an item exists!?”

 

“It’s sold by a wandering merchant who’s very hard to find. It costs several million El, but I couldn’t say no to an adorable girl like Kuro, so I gave her mine.”

 

That explained everything. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder whether Kuro could truly master the katana’s entirely different skill set compared to the straight sword.

 

When I raised this concern, Kuro responded with a calm smile. She placed her hand on the hilt, and with a smooth motion, she drew her katana.

 

Then, she activated its initial skill—?Instant Sever?.

 

Despite sensing the potential danger, I neither dodged nor defended myself. I stood my ground, trusting Kuro completely.

 

The girl drew her katana with blinding speed, stopping the blade mere millimeters from my neck.

 

Watching without so much as blinking, I found myself briefly seeing an image of Shino, her mentor, superimposed over her. For a moment, I was stunned.

 

This was undoubtedly a technique on par with a world champion’s—a godlike speed in the art of sword-drawing.

 

As the onlookers remained silent, Kuro sheathed her katana with practiced ease. Breaking the quiet, she spoke softly:

 

“Before coming here, I sparred with my mom in a single ?duel?. The katana’s skills felt similar to the ones we practiced in the battle game ?Duel Arms? with sister Shino, so I think I’ll be fine.”

 

“I see. That’s right, you spent half a year training in VR battle games with Master.”

 

“Yeah. I’ll do my best not to drag anyone down. So… as your partner, can I stay by your side, just like always?”

 

“Kuro…”

 

Her last words carried a hint of uncertainty, which made me sigh in exasperation.

 

I approached her, placed my hand lightly on her head, and conveyed the feelings I always kept in my heart.

 

“You don’t need to ask something like that. I can’t imagine anyone else being my partner but you.”

 

Hearing my straightforward reply, Kuro’s worried expression brightened, her face radiating with a cheerful glow.

 

As I watched her familiar, heartwarming smile, the one that always lifted my spirits. I couldn’t help but smile back.

 

Feeling a warmth toward her that words could never capture, I extended my right hand.

 

“I’m counting on your new strength.”

 

“Leave it to me.”

 

We shook hands, and the companions who had been watching erupted into applause.

 

Stepping forward, Shino approached us with a wry smile. Raising her voice to rally everyone, she declared:

 

“With the strongest duo in ?Astral Online? leading us, we have nothing to fear! For the real world! For the salvation of the Sea Nation! Let’s begin the final assault on the Sea Nation!”

 

“OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

 

The castle resounded with a thunderous roar from everyone present, shaking the very ground.

 

As expected of a world champion. Shino’s overwhelming presence stirred the hearts of not just the adventurers, but also the soldiers of the castle, igniting their fighting spirit.

 

Amid this charged atmosphere, the Knight Commander, Theseus, appeared at just the right moment to announce that preparations were complete. With his guidance, Shino led the raid team into the castle, one by one.

 

As my friends Shin and Rou teased me about the earlier exchange with Kuro, I told them to knock it off and followed the group, bringing up the rear of the party.

 

We descended a long staircase, careful not to bump into the units ahead. Suddenly, I felt Kuro intertwine her fingers with mine on my right.

 

Surprised, I glanced at her. She had a slightly tense expression on her face.

 

In a soft voice, she whispered to me so no one else could hear:

 

“…Hey. After this battle is over, there’s something I really want to tell you.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Saying something like that before the decisive fight is a total death flag!”

 

I teased her lightly, pointing out the cliché setup, but Kuro only chuckled softly, unshaken.

 

“It’s fine. You’ll protect me, after all.”

 

Well, now the stakes felt even higher.

 

As we continued descending the staircase, I silently vowed to keep that promise, gripping her hand tightly in mine.