Bliss opened her golden eyes. Her knees were wobbly, and her head spun. She was back in the red room. She looked down and found remnants of shattered golden chains lying at her feet. She glanced up and took a wobbly step. Her golden eyes came to a blonde, a blonde in red light armor.

The tall, blonde woman, who wore her short hair in twintails, stood with her back to Bliss. She held her sword in her right hand, and a golden aura glowed around her. She glanced back to Bliss, her gaze that of a hundred-yard-stare. “Take care of your friend, succubus.” She returned her peculiar, gray eyes to Snek. “I will deal with this lunatic and … avenge my little sister.”

My friend? Bliss glanced to the side, her golden eyes widening. Lati! She bounded to Lati’s side.

Lati lay on the soft, red stone of the wet, pulsating room. Her complexion was still deathly white. The snake woman’s eyes were closed, and she did not move.

Please don’t be dead. Bliss grabbed her friend’s left hand, finding it cold. Please don’t be dead. She felt at the snake woman’s wrist but found no pulse. No. Tears started to bead up in Bliss’s golden eyes. Please … Please don’t be dead. She pressed her right hand between the two large mounds of her friend’s dress-clad breasts. Thank hell. She found a heartbeat, a faint heartbeat that felt like it could give out at any moment.

“Don’t worry, Lati.” Bliss squeezed the snake woman’s left hand. “I am here now. I will fix you up. Just don’t die, OK?” Bliss retrieved a potion from her inventory, popped the cork, and brought the vial to Lati’s lips. Having administered the potion, she pressed her right hand between Lati’s large breasts again. Please be OK. She felt a stronger heartbeat than before. She looked to Lati’s face and smiled, the snake woman’s complexion having returned to its regular ivory. “You just rest here for now, OK?” She brushed a stray lock of Lati’s long, pink hair out of Lati’s face.

[Inventory:

1. Potion

2. Pocket-watch

3. Empty

4. Empty

5. Empty]

Bliss turned away from her still-unconscious, recovering friend. Her golden eyes went to the unfolding battle between Alila and Snek. Alila swung her sword, but Snek blocked it with one of the two knives she was dual wielding. Snek countered by swinging her other knife up, but Alila pulled back, moving out of the attack’s range. Then Snek outright vanished.

Snek can stealth. Bliss glanced around the area, her bunny ears twitching. She is not the only one who can though. The drifting life-force lights reflected in the bunny succubus’s eyes. In this place, I can too. Tendrils of black wrapped around the digits of both her hands as her shadow claws formed. She stepped up beside Alila. Alila’s not the only one who has been hurt by this murder-hobo. She almost took Lati from me.

Alila turned her hundred-yard-stare to Bliss. “I said I will deal with this, succubus.” She returned to scanning the battlefield. “There!” She blocked a pair of Snek’s knife strikes, but the black- and gray-clad jester vanished before she could counter. Her gray eyes went back to Bliss. “Please get to safety. As both Vivian’s big sister and the Blessed Hero, I will deal with this lunatic.” Her golden aura continued to glow as she returned her attention to her unseen opponent.

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The Blessed Hero? She is a hero? Bliss momentarily froze at the realization. She … seems pretty cool. Bliss’s eyes were on the aura-clad hero, a soft blush on her cheeks. What the hell am I thinking? She sweatdropped before jumping back and narrowly avoiding one of Snek’s knives. There are definitely more important things to be thinking about right now.

“Don’t worry about me, miss hero. I can hold my own.” Bliss’s golden eyes met the gray eyes of Alila, and the bunny succubus proceeded to vanish into the shadows.

Alila blinked. “I see … or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I do not.” The sound of claws on metal sounded as Bliss and Snek popped into existence in front of her. She swung her sword, yet Snek vanished before she could land the blow. “Another miss.” She looked to Bliss. “I thank you for your assistance, miss succubus. Please try to pin her down. If you do, I should be able to finish this.”

“Got it, miss hero. Just leave it to me.” A large smile settled in on Bliss’s face as she vanished once more.

Alila smiled too. She tightened her grip on her sword, brandishing said sword in her right hand. Her golden aura began concentrating around her weapon as she prepared to deal the finishing strike.

Bliss met with Snek again. The black- and gray-clad jester blocked a clawed slash with one knife. The bunny succubus blocked the other knife with her other claws. The pair vanished yet again.

How am I supposed to keep her still? Bliss glanced to Alila. Miss hero is counting on me to pin this murder-hobo down, but how can I? Snek just keeps disappearing. Maybe if I could land a blow … She glanced at her right claws. She keeps blocking my claws though. She popped back into existence and blocked a pair of knife slashes with her claws before vanishing back into the shadows. What if … What if the blow does not come from my claws?

One of Snek’s knives came for her again. Bliss blocked with her right claws as the two popped back into existence. Bliss smirked and brought up her left knee, the blow connecting with Snek’s gut. Snek gasped, her mask falling away to reveal the cream-hued skin of Snek’s face. Bliss leapt back.

“Now!” Alila swung her sword upward in a mighty slash.

Snek screamed as the Blessed Hero’s attack bit into her. Red exploded from her, not just blood but also red light. “This cannot be happening!” More red bled from her, and then the light coming from her died away. Her body crumpled to the floor, residual life-force lights bleeding from it. Snek was dead.

Alila sighed, her golden aura dissipating. She returned her sword to its sheathe and then looked to Bliss with her usual hundred-yard-stare. “Thank you, miss succubus.” She smiled. “Thank you for helping me avenge my little sister.”

“D-Don’t mention it.” Bliss dispelled her claws and then bashfully put her right hand behind her head. A soft blush settled in on her cheeks. Her golden eyes were on Alila.

The room suddenly began to shake, and Bliss promptly fell on her ass. What the hell?! What now?! She climbed back to her feet, and her golden eyes went to the grotesque, red statue. The statue was breaking apart.

Prove myself? Bliss gulped, her bunny ears and tail twitching. What if the god of red did not mean against Snek? Her shaky, golden eyes went to Lati, who still lay unconscious. Whatever this is, I have to protect Lati. She stepped in front of the unconscious snake woman defensively and re-summoned her shadow claws. Her golden eyes returned to what was left of the crumbling, red statue. Beside Bliss, Alila had already re-drawn her sword and re-activated her golden aura. The room continued to shake.