Chapter 153: Blood Path

"What is that power...!?"

"This is Baskerville-sama's power...!"

Shakuna and Ryuna shout in surprise as I activate the Overlimit.

"Don't just stand there, let's run! Don't stop until you reach the stair!"

I shout and swing the sword in my right hand.

A jet-black slash is released from the blade, and all the demon-shaped monsters in the direction of my movement are obliterated.

The attribute of my attack is 'darkness'. It should not be effective against demons (Akuma).

Nonetheless, the darkness in my slashes slashed through my enemies mercilessly, laying waste to them.

The power that easily overturns the disadvantage of its attribute is boosted by the overlimits.

"Run!"

With a single sword, I slay the monsters that have rushed in since the barrier disappeared.

I take the lead in cutting through the crowd of demons and runs toward the stair.

"Run, Lyuna!"

"Yes, Onee-sama!"

Shakuna leads Ryuna by the hand, and Hadiss follows behind them.

'Ooooooooooooooooo'

'Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!'

'Wait, waittttttttttttttttt'

Creepy-looking demons attack one after another.

But I slash the werewolf demon, trample the life-size flies, smash the pumpkin head, and keep on going.

If I stop for even a second, we will be surrounded and crushed by the demons. So, without a pause, I slay the enemies and literally open up a path of blood.

As we continued on our way, stepping on the corpse of demons reduced to dust, we eventually came to a stair that led to the lower floor.

"There it is! Jump in!"

I was the first one to reach the stair. But instead of entering the stair immediately, I decided to let my friends in first.

"Your Highness, quickly!"

"Yes!"

Shakuna is rushed by Haddiss and tries to lead Ryuna down the stair.

But... just as Ryuna is about to go down the stair, one of the demons grabs her hair while she is running along behind him.

"Hyaaa!?"

"Ryuna!?"

Ryuna's legs are forcibly stopped, and her hands are separated by the demon.

Shakuna rushes back to help her sister... but another monster comes between them.

'Ggwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!'

"Your Highness, look out!"

Hadiss catches the headless knight's slash aimed at Shakuna, protecting her with his back. Thanks to his armor, he does not seem to be badly damaged, but a cry of anguish escapes from the old priest-knight's mouth.

"Gghh...!"

"Hadiss!"

"You guys go to the stair! I'll save Ryuna!"

I pushed Shakuna and Hadiss toward the stair and stepped out behind them.

Ryuna has been caught by the demon, and the demon has her hair, limbs, waist, and chest in its grip, preventing her from moving.

The demon with a pig's head holds Ryuna captive. He has six arms sprouting from his fat body and an ugly, torturing smile on his face.

"Baskerville-sama...!"

"Don't touch her... she's mine!"

'Buhahahahahahahaha!'

"Black wolf slash [黒狼斬]!"

A jet-black slash from my sword cuts off the head of the demon that holds Ryuna captive, instantly reducing it to dust.

I grab Ryuna's freed arm and hold her to my chest, glaring at the demons gathered around us.

"Don't get carried away, you little fish who just outnumber us! Anyway...you can die!"

Advanced Dark Magic—Black Hole

I unleash a gravity-defying darkness that engulfs everything, swallowing the hordes of demons in its place without mercy.

As I have changed my class to "Dark Lord," I am quite familiar with dark magic. Even advanced magic can be used without chanting if it is in Overlimits.

'Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?'

'Pigyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!?'

I obliterate a dozen or so demons at once, and slip into the stair with Ryuna in my arms.

Shakuna and Hadiss, who had entered the stair earlier, catch us as we roll in.

"Ryuna... thank God!"

"Onee-sama...!"

Shakuna and Ryuna hug each other to make sure each other is safe.

At the same time, the stair leading to the upper floor disappears without a sound. The monster house and its contents are gone, having fulfilled their purpose.

The next time we go to the 39th floor, the monster house will not be there. It will be back on the floor where it belongs.

"Really... this chill me to the bone. I'm cursed to have a monster house here..."

Monsters peeked in from the upper floors with grim eyes... but they disappeared without coming downstair.

Floor 40 was the boss's room, but the battle would not start until we passed through the door a little further up.

As it's all right now and everything is safe now.

I deactivate the overlimit and sit there, relieved.