Though her head was bleeding from the impact, Lonis still jumped up happily and said to Elucia:
“Ahaha! I finally broke through! See, Elucia? I told you I could do it! Let’s hurry inside and get you treated, okay?”
“H-How is that possible…?”
Elucia frowned as she looked at Lonis’s foolishly excited expression.
(The Flame Abyss Temple can’t be broken open by physical force. Unless…)
“Lonis, you really are an idiot!”
“I-I really am an idiot…?”
Lonis blinked, baffled that Elucia was scolding her even though she’d succeeded. “Elucia, I’m not an idiot! I told you this place was old and in disrepair. Of course I could break through!”
“So you really don’t know anything. Hmph. Never mind. Help me inside, and then…”
…
…
The interior of the Flame Abyss Temple looked incredibly spacious.
The ornate stone pillars looked like something from ancient Rome, and the solid floor was spotless, without a trace of dust. The ceiling, about thirty meters overhead, was covered in murals Lonis couldn’t begin to understand.
But Lonis wasn’t in the mood to admire her surroundings.
To save Elucia, the silver-haired girl jogged straight to the fireball floating in the middle of the hall.
It wasn’t literally a ball made of flames. The sphere was entirely red, more than ten meters across, and floated in the air like the magical furnace in the village, seemingly weightless.
But unlike the village’s magical furnace, this “fiery planet” looked much more intricate. Up close, Lonis could even make out tiny raised details, like a miniature world.
“Is that… a city?”
“Lonis, if you want me dead, just kill me. You don’t need to ask me questions at a time like this.”
“Ah, sorry, Elucia… Um, what should I do now?”
Lonis apologized in a panic. The fireball seemed to have some kind of strange magic that kept drawing her attention.
“Whew. Take out a blanket, then lay me down on it gently.”
“Okay, and then?”
…
Elucia suddenly fell silent.
“Huh… I-is that all?”
“No, Lonis. Take off my clothes.”
“Huh? Take off your clothes?”
At first, Lonis thought she’d misheard, but then…
“You perverted, masochistic silver-haired maid! Did you hear me? Take off my clothes! Not because you want to, but because I’m ordering you to! It’s an order!”
Elucia suddenly raised her head and snapped irritably.
With that fierce expression, she didn’t look like someone on the verge of death at all.
“Ah—ah! Got it! D-do I take off the stockings too?”
“Obviously! Everything except my underwear!”
“Uwaaa!”
…
Even covered in wounds, Elucia still carried that undeniable, commanding aura.
It scared Lonis so much that she didn’t dare entertain any thoughts of admiring the “aesthetic beauty of a loli’s body.” She quickly reached out and began undoing Elucia’s clothes.
She had to admit, the jet-black Gothic dress was truly beautiful.
The moment her fingers brushed Elucia’s waist and wrists, Lonis felt as if she were touching not a little girl, but an exquisitely crafted doll.
Small and soft.
Even the collar and ribbons were slightly smaller than usual.
Despite these odd thoughts, Lonis didn’t hesitate: she untied the ribbons, unzipped the zipper, and soon Elucia was left wearing only her underwear and shoes.
But just then…
“Lonis, don’t look at me!”
“Huh?”
“You lowly masochistic maid! Who gave you permission to look? Close your eyes!”
“Ugh!”
Elucia’s skin was undeniably fair.
Perhaps because of her youthful form, every inch seemed to glow… If not for the bloodstains, she would have looked like a flawless work of art.
“Slave maid, you’re still looking!”
Elucia glared at Lonis, eyes wide with fury.
“Ah… I’ve closed them! But if I can’t look, how am I supposed to take off your stockings?”
“I don’t care. Figure it out yourself.”
“Figure it out… myself?”
…
With her eyes shut, everything turned hazy.
Lonis could only feel the fireball’s light warming her body.
And her fingertips touching Elucia grew even more sensitive.
(So this is how smooth a girl’s skin really is…?)
This was actually the first time Lonis had ever touched a girl’s bare skin. The silky softness was unlike anything else in the world.
After just a few seconds, she found herself unwilling to pull her fingers away.
And before long, her fingertips brushed against Elucia’s stockings. They were thin and sheer; the faint texture of silk against her skin sent a jolt through her like a spark of electricity.
So…
“Elucia, I’ve taken them off?”
“You idiot, that’s the lace on my bra!”
“Oh… oh? The bra… Wait, why is it so flat…?”
“If you want to die, just say so. I may be weak right now, but I can still transform and cut you down.”
“Aaah! Sorry, sorry! I’ll take it off right now!”
…
…
Since keeping her eyes shut made it too difficult, Lonis secretly opened them just a sliver and finished removing everything except Elucia’s underwear.
Though her vision was blurred, the sight of black stockings peeling away from those pale legs was simply exquisite~~
It was like licking the chocolate shell off a chocolate-coated ice cream bar, revealing the creamy center beneath.
If Elucia was this adorable in her loli form, Lonis couldn’t imagine what she’d look like as a full-grown girl.
Moreover, under the fireball’s heat, the blood on Elucia’s body seemed to have dried. The warm light appeared to have healing properties—even the cut on Lonis’s forehead from breaking through the door had almost completely healed.
“Elucia, I… I’m done. Can I open my eyes now?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“Keep your eyes closed. Turn around. Put your hands behind your back.”
“Ugh!”
Elucia’s tone was icy, her words so absolute that Lonis couldn’t bring herself to resist.
But only after the silver-haired girl had clasped her hands behind her back did she realize… she didn’t actually have to obey Elucia’s orders!
The scheming beauty was severely injured now, unable to fight back.
So it was time to fulfill her promise—to take a little revenge by doing something strange to her body!
…
Yet, despite her bold intentions, Lonis found herself unable to go through with it no matter how hard she thought.
Of course, it wasn’t that she lacked the courage. As the Hero, she absolutely couldn’t take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable state!
She was practically dying—how could anyone do something like that to her? That would be beyond cruel.
Besides, Elucia really was pitiful.
All her injuries were Lonis’s fault in the first place.
So…
(Mm, maybe I’ll just sit here for a while. I’ve been going nonstop for a day and a night. I’m exhausted.)
…
The fireball’s light shone quietly,
bringing a glimmer of hope to this lightless underground world.
