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 225
Chapter 225: The Demon Princess Joins
After accepting the request, we left the castle and began pursuing Rasetsu, who was on the run. Our first destination was the nearest of the six major villages, Ichi Village.
Why that village? It was because we received information from Setsuna and her group, who had been subdued with blunt strikes during the capture attempt, that they saw Rasetsu walking off in that direction.
Setsuna’s level was 100, the general accompanying her was level 120, and their soldiers averaged around level 80. That Rasetsu faced all of them without killing a single one was a testament to her extraordinary strength.
However, this also raised a significant mystery.
Why had her father, Susanoo, been slain, while her sister Setsuna and their subordinates only suffered non-lethal strikes? Could it be that she held a personal grudge solely against her father?
Strolling through the vast, open wilderness with my companions, I shared a few possible patterns for how quests like this might unfold.
“The plausible scenarios so far are: a grudge against her father, or the possibility that she’s being controlled by something.”
“…That’s true. But according to Queen Kushinada, King Susanoo was on good terms with his daughters and never had any quarrels,” Inori said.
“I’ve also considered the possibility that Rasetsu was held captive and someone replaced Rasetsu after she was imprisoned, but I heard from the villagers that the sisters were always together when leaving the castle. If they were that inseparable, pulling off a switch seems incredibly difficult,” added Rou.
With their input, the chances of a grudge or an impersonation being the cause were nearly zero.
If we exclude these options, the remaining possibility is that Rasetsu herself is under some kind of manipulation.
But we’re dealing with a princess of the royal family. Her hidden parameter for mental resistance would likely be high, capable of nullifying ordinary skill-based attacks.
“Big brother, could it be that the defeated Calamity of Gluttony is involved?”
“If it’s a Calamity-class enemy, it might be able to possess even royalty. And the classic ‘we thought we defeated it, but didn’t fully finish the job’ scenario seems like a highly plausible development here,” I replied.
“Or maybe, like what happened to Dad, Helheim might be involved. For example, if she was forced to wear one of those mind-controlling armors…”
“That’s another strong possibility. To add to that, we can’t rule out the involvement of the Dark Believer that Master has encountered multiple times.”
While Kuro and I were progressing through the Four Sacred Rings Saga, our master, Shino, was tackling unique quests related to the Dark Believer, who worship the Great Calamities.
The story centers on thwarting various plans, ranging from assassinations of royalty to schemes that could lead to the downfall of an entire nation.
Having completed these challenging quests and repeatedly derailing their plots, Master even faced off directly against one of the Dark Believer’ three top leaders. After an intense battle, Master emerged victorious.
If these Dark Believer, who conspire to overthrow nations, were using some kind of item to control Rasetsu, it wouldn’t be surprising.
…That said, despite all our theories, nothing can be confirmed until we use the Insight skill to observe Rasetsu directly.
Deciding to halt my speculations for now, I glanced back over my shoulder.
What caught my attention wasn’t my party members, Shio and the others, walking behind me. It was something, or someone, much farther away.
The other members also cast glances behind them, subtly confirming the presence of someone trailing us.
But this wasn’t a suspicious figure or a monster, nothing so mundane.
Since we’d left the country, a lone figure in shrine maiden attire had been quietly following us: Setsuna.
What are you even doing here…?
After our earlier discussion with Queen Kushinada, she had left the royal chamber, citing her duty to purify the sacred spring with prayers.
Once the queen had departed, Setsuna had asked to accompany us. However, the female oni general had strongly objected, arguing that any harm coming to the princess would bring chaos to the country. This led to a heated exchange.
Given the circumstances, there was no way Setsuna would have been permitted to leave. She must have slipped away without telling anyone.
(Her equipment rivals that of top players. It’s no wonder the oni race, known for combat prowess on par with the dragonkin, produced a princess this strong.)
Setsuna’s outfit combined a short, elegant kimono with light armor. Something straight out of an anime or manga. At her waist hung an S-rank katana, Amaterasu, and a short sword, Tsukuyomi.
(A dual wielder, huh? Impressive.)
As I admired her setup, I exchanged glances with my companions, silently seeking their thoughts on how to handle the situation.
(“Leave it to Sora!!!”)
You guys…
With everyone deferring to me as the leader, the course of action was clear.
To clarify her intentions, I halted, cast the speed-boosting ?Grand Accelerator? on myself, and gripped my weapon without drawing it. Then I activated a dash skill for just a moment.
With a burst of jet-like propulsion, I shot away from Kuro and the others, closing the distance to where Setsuna had been trailing us.
Reacting instinctively, she reached for the hilt of her sword. Before she could draw, I grabbed her wrist, stopping her cold. Undeterred, she moved her other hand toward her short sword, but I caught that wrist too.
Our arms locked in a crossed position, leaving me face-to-face with the princess at a very close distance.
“Whew, close call. I’d rather not get sliced, thanks.”
“…!”
Setsuna furrowed her brow, her hostility plain to see.
Her reaction was strikingly different from the princesses I’d encountered before, though I could somewhat guess at her feelings.
She likely hadn’t come to terms with her mother entrusting her and her sister Rasetsu’s situation to outsiders like us.
Rather than seeking cooperation, she maintained a stance of defiance.
However, it seemed Setsuna had grasped the difference in our abilities after I instantly closed the gap between us and effortlessly stopped her attempt to draw her sword.
With a small sigh, she released her grip on the sword’s hilt. Recognizing the disappearance of her hostility, I let go of her arms in response.
“Damn… So this is the hero who repelled the Three Great Calamities. I couldn’t even draw my katana. Guess the rumors of you being a monster weren’t exaggerations…”
“Calling me a monster after trying to cut me down, how rude. My name’s Sora, you know.”
“Hmph. But if someone charges at you that fast, anyone would instinctively try to draw their weapon, wouldn’t they?”
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But if I’d approached normally, the princess probably would’ve run off. So, I think this was the only way to handle it.”
“Who would run? I am the proud First Princess of the Oni Clan. Retreating before an enemy… that’s unthinkable!”
Setsuna flared up like a wildfire, drawing her katana and pointing it at me with a growl.
Though her level seemed high, it was clear her mental maturity still had some catching up to do. The blade trembled slightly, reflecting her unsettled emotions. Smiling wryly, I stepped forward, unfazed by the tip of her sword.
“You don’t seem to have any bodyguards with you. Don’t tell me you snuck out without permission.”
“I-I definitely got permission! Mother said that as both an Oni and, more importantly, as her elder sister, I needed to take responsibility.”
“I see. If you got permission, then fine. But in that case, why were you tailing us from a distance instead of just joining up?”
“Well… uh… I mean, after acting all high and mighty, it’s kind of awkward to suddenly ask to be included… or something…”
Mumbling excuses, Setsuna eventually froze in place, as if steam were about to erupt from her head.
I couldn’t be sure she really had permission, but the fact that she followed us alone showed how deeply she cared about Rasetsu.
Of course, they were sisters. If my own sister, Shio, ever went missing, I’d search for her day and night without rest.
I understood Setsuna’s feelings. But at the same time, I found her determination dangerous.
Stories about sisters pursuing one another often led to bad outcomes. Years of gaming had taught me that much.
That’s why I decided to give her a single condition.
“No acting alone—ever. When we arrive, we’ll split into groups of three and four to search. You must stay by my side at all times. That’s the condition for letting you join us.”
“Understood. I’ll rely on you… Sora-dono.”
“Same here. Let’s work together, um…”
“Setsuna is fine. I’ll need your full cooperation, after all.”
“Got it, Setsuna.”
We shook hands, and a system window appeared before me, displaying the following message:
?Unique Quest – The Tale of the Four Rings, Final Chapter: The Twin Oni Princesses of the Wasteland has begun.?