Read Novel Full Chapter 656 Luluane’s Unwavering Pride Against the Otherworld Demon Lord
Chapter 656 Luluane’s Unwavering Pride Against the Otherworld Demon Lord
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The roaring laughter faded, and the vast image projected in the sky vanished. Shinji and the others tried their best to calm the confused members, gathering them all under the Canopy.
The air inside the makeshift base was the heaviest it had ever been. Especially the executives of the Resistance, who all looked pale. Even their leader, Richt, couldn’t hide his tense demeanor, which was understandable.
No one could have possibly imagined magic on such a scale—projecting an image across the entire sky.
It went without saying that the overwhelming demand for surrender, coming from an opponent with clearly immense power, had severely damaged their will to fight. And the cruel reality Luluane was about to disclose would only compound the problem.
”An Otherworld Demon Lord…!? That sounds like something out of a fairy tale…” Richt muttered, utterly stunned.
”It is what I heard from Goddess Padra. There is no mistake,” Luluane affirmed, her expression regretful as she faced him.
She had a vague sense of the power disparity and had already concluded that their chances of winning a direct fight were slim.
Yet, the option of not challenging them was never on the table. The mere fact that she was already trying to figure out a path forward showed the incredible mental strength befitting an Apostle of the Goddess.
Even I find this hard to believe, after hearing the circumstances, Shinji thought. The Royal Capital occupied overnight.
The whole town under complete control… The Goddess’s Apostles, including Luluane, had been briefed by Goddess Padra before the meeting, but only Shinji and his stepmother, Lechary, knew the full extent of their relationship—a secret not even the Goddess knew. Similarly, Shinji kept his mouth shut, but for a different reason entirely.
To think I’d see her face in a place like this, he mused, a bitter smile crossing his lips. She must be completely enjoying this game of serving the Demon Lord…
Shinji recalled his stepfather, Yanarity’s, testimony of being trapped in a transparent box—the words about ‘serving a sentence.’ He then pictured his eternally youthful stepmother, still in her unchanging appearance, enthusiastically playing her part—though he averted his thoughts from the outfit she was wearing.
The pair of twisted horns, the single set of wings, and the spade-shaped tail were characteristic of the Succubus tribe.
With her signature deep-red long hair, a bewitching face that captivated anyone who saw her, and a full, stimulating physique—especially her chest, which had tempted countless men to fall into depravity—she was the perfected form of a Succubus. Any man would find their heart swayed by her, even for a moment.
And she had been displayed across the sky wearing only a small front-covering that barely concealed anything.
Her attire was so scandalous that it made even a seasoned exhibitionist blush, making Shinji wonder if it was some kind of punishment from the Demon Lord. Fortunately, he could easily imagine that she was actually enjoying it herself.
The fact that she’s ignoring the Goddess’s warning probably means she knows exactly what she’s doing, he inferred.
She travels between worlds for fun, after all. It makes sense that she’s well-informed.
The message Goddess Padra had sent to Lechary—’Return to your original world’—had apparently been ignored. Lechary must know that any further interference from Padra was unlikely, as it ‘might affect the world itself.’
Goddess Padra, unable to even sit at the negotiating table, had no choice but to issue a new command to Luluane and the others: the destruction of the Altar, which was the key to the path connecting the two worlds. Luluane was convinced that the cooperation of the Resistance was absolutely essential to accomplish this.
Sneaking past the Demon Lord’s army occupying the Royal Capital to reach the Altar would be incredibly difficult. Therefore, she devised a plan: the Resistance would act as a decoy, drawing the enemy’s attention while Luluane and her group destroyed the Altar.
That was why she had to persuade them before their will to fight was completely lost and they decided to surrender. For that purpose, she continued to speak with sincere earnestness.
”—Therefore, if we simply destroy the Altar, the Demon Lord’s forces will not increase. Once the connection is severed, the Goddess will ensure that the worlds are never linked again. Any negotiations with the remaining remnants of the Demon Lord’s forces will then be handled by us. We need you, the Liberators, to fight throughout the town, just as you planned in the original operation.”
”…The task is the same, you say. When the enemy has changed from a confused mob to a unified, disciplined army, that’s a bold thing to ask,” Richt challenged.
”But the thing we must accomplish has not changed, has it? Defeating the threat and rescuing the captured people is the very purpose of you Liberators!”
Richt was about to counter Luluane’s spirited words, but he noticed that she was tightly clenching her fist—trying to suppress a tremor—and his words caught in his throat.
It belatedly dawned on Richt that challenging the Demon Lord’s army meant Luluane would be challenging that demon herself. He realized he had been so shaken that he hadn’t even considered such an obvious fact.
”Our objective hasn’t changed either. We must correct the former Goddess’s mistake… That is why we must destroy the Altar. We must overcome even the biggest obstacle, that demon.”
”Why go that far…? This must be an unforeseen situation for you, too. It would be acceptable to retreat once and focus on rebuilding your strength.”
From her appearance, it was clear that Luluane herself knew the odds were against her.
The inhabitants of this world couldn’t retreat, but she was different. He, who was unaware of the behind-the-scenes realities, believed that she should have the option to withdraw and return with reinforcements.
In truth, Goddess Padra’s faction had no more reserves.
While the situation might change if she interrupted her other plans and gathered forces from various places, it would be an unwanted method, as the results wouldn’t justify the invested resources. Furthermore, if the Demon Lord’s army completely occupied the world, it would pass from Goddess Padra’s jurisdiction to Goddess Arian’s, meaning there was no time to waste.
Luluane lifted her face, meeting his gaze. Her eyes held no fear, only resolute determination.
Faced with such a gaze, he felt a natural reverence awaken within him. This wasn’t just true for Richt; it was the same for the other Resistance executives whose spirits had been on the verge of breaking.
”Because that is my pride. I will do everything in my power as an Apostle of the Goddess… No matter how powerful the enemy, that alone is not a reason to give up. I fight to bring about peace. That is why I earnestly ask for all of your strength.”
Her declaration reminded them of the oath they made the day they formed the Liberators.
That’s right… we stood up against an enemy, even knowing we might not win…
We resolved to fight. We believed that if we fell halfway, our friends would take up the fight and carry on our will.
We must do the best we can. We had completely forgotten that feeling…!
This world also had its fairy tales. They realized that a person like her, who could inspire those around her to fight alongside her, was what they called a ‘Hero.’ At the same time, they felt ashamed for their petty thoughts about not wanting to rely on divine intervention.
”My apologies. I seem to have become weak-willed,” Richt admitted.
”Truly pathetic,” another executive concurred. “…We should have known all along that we had no choice but to fight.”
They voiced their feelings of inadequacy, but the vitality began to return to their nearly lifeless eyes. This was the turning point that shifted the atmosphere inside the Canopy for the better.
As expected of our Master…! Tiana thought, her chest warming.
He reached out a hand to us like that, too… I truly look up to her…! Tiona felt the same.
As the scene of unity centered around their beloved Master unfolded, the chests of Tiana and Tiona grew warm. Now, they were no longer intimidated by any new information Luluane might reveal; they eagerly put their heads together to figure out how to successfully storm the Royal Capital.
Smiling at each other, the two girls joined the discussion.
Shinji was no exception, though his state of mind was completely different from everyone else. While offering clear opinions to the group, he was simultaneously discussing with Freri the possibility of meeting his stepmother, Lechary, beforehand.
’I don’t think a surprise attack would work on her. She’ll probably sense the moment you teleport in,’ Freri mentally conveyed.
’I guess there’s no choice but to try and talk to her before the decisive battle,’ Shinji agreed. ‘I really don’t want to fight her properly. I think I’ve grown, but my Mother¹‘s power is immeasurable.’
’Mm. I agree. Ah,’ Freri replied.
’Hm? What’s wrong, Freri…’
Freri’s thought-link abruptly cut off. And before Shinji could even wonder why, a powerful thought, delivered over a long distance, resonated intensely in his head.
‘Jin-kun, long time no see~. To think we’d meet in a place like this. Your Mother² is so surprised!’
…Sorry, she found us instead, Shinji conveyed to Freri.
No, it’s fine. This was probably inevitable, Freri returned. …Long time no see, Mother, Shinji responded to his stepmother’s thought, glad that they were able to recognize each other even without seeing her face.
Later, Shinji would smile wryly upon learning that an extremely small node Freri had secretly prepared for teleporting to the Royal Capital had been discovered—it was an utterly ridiculous display of power.”
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T/L Note:
¹ The raw Japanese here uses Kaa-san (母さん), a familiar, affectionate term for ‘Mother’ or ‘Mom,’ used by Shinji towards his stepmother Lechary. It reinforces their personal and complicated relationship outside the context of the war. ↩
² The raw Japanese here also uses O-Kaa-san (お義母さん) via thought-link, but with the honorific O- and the character for ‘mother,’ which is how Lechary refers to herself in the context of their family relationship. She is playfully asserting her status as his stepmother. ↩
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Summary:
The Resistance is totally shattered by the sheer scale of the Demon Lord’s power projection, but Luluane steps up. She reveals the enemy is an Otherworld Demon Lord and, despite her own fear, her commitment to her pride and duty as a Goddess’s Apostle re-ignites their will to fight. She is a true hero figure, focusing them on the mission to destroy the Altar, which is the key to cutting off the dimensional link. Meanwhile, Shinji’s internal world is a mess because the Demon Lord’s subordinate is actually his voluptuous stepmother, Lechary, who is clearly having a blast with her new role. The tension explodes when Lechary’s terrifying power is revealed—she detects a microscopic teleportation base point Freri set up in the capital and immediately reaches out to Shinji, proving the full, ridiculous extent of her immeasurable power and ensuring a personal confrontation is now unavoidable.
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Character Insight:
Luluane is a classic hero who leads by personal example, not mere authority, suppressing her own fear to inspire others. Shinji’s internal conflict is between his awareness of Lechary’s overwhelming power and his reluctant personal connection to her. Lechary is using the conflict as a ‘game’ and asserting her power by finding Shinji’s hidden marker.
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Behind the Scene:
The political stakes are high: Goddess Padra must act now or the world falls under Goddess Arian’s jurisdiction, adding time pressure. Lechary’s refusal to return home, despite Padra’s request, indicates she knows the limits of the Goddess’s direct intervention in this world. The plot is advancing toward the personal confrontation between Shinji and his stepmother.
Notes:
• Canopy – The resistance’s main command tent, first seen in Ch.640. A large pavilion used for war councils and maps, symbolizing the heart of strategy and leadership. Think: ‘war pavilion.’
• Resistance – A group of fighters opposing the Sect Theocracy, marked by black bands and composed of various races.
• Richt – Leader of the Resistance group ‘Liberators,’ who welcomed Shinji and led strategy discussions.
• Luluane – Female. An apostle of a different goddess. She has long, flowing hair and a pale complexion. She is sincere and remorseful for the accidental summoning, repeatedly apologizing and showing genuine concern. Her relationship with Shinji is initially tense but becomes more relaxed as they work together. She is also a summoner and has a close bond with her disciples, who see her as an older sister figure.
• Padra – Female. A goddess. She has orange hair styled in twin tails and a petite, delicate appearance with modest chest proportions. Her personality is carefree, cheeky, and playful, often acting bratty. She manages the world where Shinji was summoned. Her power revolves around summoning magic and phantom beasts. She has a friendly but sometimes audacious relationship with Arian, often pushing boundaries.
• Lechary – Shinji’s adoptive mother from a different dimension (the Demon King’s world), now acting as the herald of a Demon King who has accidentally invaded Shinji’s world.
• Liberators – A faction within the Resistance formed to combat the Sect Theocracy’s servants.
• Tiana – Female. Luluane’s first disciple. She has blue hair tied in a round bun, a petite build, and a well-defined, feminine figure. Energetic, confident, and competitive, she is quick to speak and express gratitude. Her relationship with Shinji is respectful and positive.
• Tiona – Female. Luluane’s second disciple. She has red braided hair and fluffy cat ears. Slender yet curvaceous, she is modest, quiet, and reserved, contrasting sharply with Tiana. Her relationship with Shinji is polite and apologetic for the rude summoning.
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