Chapter 276: A Date (Yuri’s Arc) ⑤
“Wha… Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuri!?”
Rest couldn’t help but shout as he witnessed his friend being swallowed whole by a snake right before his eyes. The creature that had consumed Yuri was the second Giant Snake. It seemed that there had been two of them from the very start. The newly appeared snake was smaller than the first, perhaps a juvenile or possibly a mate.
“Gishaaaaaaah!”
“Damn… I have to save her quickly…!”
This was Yuri, after all. Just because she had been swallowed doesn’t mean she would die immediately. If he could make the snake regurgitate her quickly, he could still save her.
“I need to take it down as fast as possible… and without harming Yuri inside!”
Yuri should be trapped in the snake’s body. Therefore… the target to crush was the creature’s head, the command center of its biology.
“Gishaaaaaaah!”
“Shut up! Just die already!”
Rest activated the spell High Accelerator and dashed down the hill with incredible speed. The Giant Snake noticed his approach and glared at him, opening its mouth to spit out some kind of liquid.
“Earth Shield!”
He instinctively conjured a barrier to block the mysterious liquid. The earthen wall emitted a sizzling sound, “Juuuh!” as it began to melt away, half of it dissolving under the corrosive substance.
“Poison Liquid…!”
He couldn’t afford to get hit. The Giant Snake opened its massive jaws again, preparing to unleash another wave of poison, but Rest quickly cast another spell.
“Wind Bind!”
Just like he had done to capture the Four-Legged Beast earlier, he used a binding spell. The wind wrapped around the snake’s mouth, forcing it shut.
“Gishuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!?”
“Now you can’t spit poison anymore… time to finish this!”
Rest kicked off the ground and leaped at the Giant Snake. A black sphere formed at the tip of his right hand—the Dark Star that devours everything—and he smashed it against the snake’s head.
“Star Eater!”
“Gish…”
The head of the Giant Snake was completely consumed by the Dark Star, vanishing from this world. The remaining body fell heavily to the ground, blood gushing from the severed neck. Just to be safe, Rest used Life Search to scan the surroundings… but it seemed there were no other monsters nearby.
“Yuri, are you okay!? I’m coming to save you!”
He sensed Yuri’s presence within the snake’s body. She was still alive, unharmed. Rest prepared to cut through the snake’s body to rescue her without causing her any injury.
“Huh…?”
However, before he could sever it with magic, the snake’s body began to twitch. It was undoubtedly dead, yet the remaining body was convulsing…
“Woooooaaaaah!”
Moments later, the Giant Snake exploded from the inside. Scales and chunks of flesh scattered everywhere, and Yuri emerged from the chaos.
“Phew… Ah, Rest! Are you okay?”
“……That’s my line.”
Yuri, covered in blood, smiled at Rest. Her usual cheerful expression only served to highlight the gruesome sight she presented.
“I can’t believe I let my guard down. I’m sorry for the trouble…”
“Water Sphere! Amplify!”
“Wah!”
A torrent of water cascaded down from above, washing away the chunks of flesh, blood, and the snake’s gastric juices from Yuri’s body. Then, while turning away, he tossed his jacket to her.
“What’s this?”
“……Please wear it. Can’t you see how you look?”
“Oh?”
Yuri looked down at herself, her eyes widening in shock. The snake’s gastric juices had dissolved her clothes, leaving only her underwear intact. Parts of her body that should remain hidden were exposed, making it impossible for her to walk under the sun in such a state.
“Ah, I went through all the trouble to dress up, and now it’s ruined…”
“……Could you at least feel a bit embarrassed? You’re a lady, after all.”
“Hm? It’s no problem for you to see me, Rest. After all, you’re going to be my husband!”
“…………”
Instead of hiding her nakedness, Yuri stood proudly, puffing out her chest. Her ample bosom jiggled, threatening to spill out of her underwear, but she seemed completely unconcerned. Seeing her like this, Rest felt as if he was being cornered into a decision.
“Well, I mean… it’s not like I mind, but how are we supposed to get back like this…?”
Yuri, now wearing Rest’s jacket, was left wondering how they would return to the mansion in such a state.
Afterward, Rest used magic for high-speed travel to return to the Rosemary Marquis House alone. He retrieved his clothes and returned to Yuri without incident, but later, both Viola and Primula would rigorously interrogate him about what had transpired.