Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game-Chapter 113: Niki

“Grr, why?! I’ve waited for so long for this moment, why are you interfering with us now?!”

“Indeed... I’m saddened by how things have turned out too.”

I said that while wiping away a pretend tear.

The sadness was genuine, though. How often would I get to witness such a rare scene in my life? It might be a chance that never comes around again.

Thinking that I might have to end it with my own hands... the tears blurred my vision.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I could just leave them be. If left unchecked, they’d definitely go on a rampage.

I raised my spear and aimed it at them. My body stung a little from the mild burns, but it was still bearable enough to move.

“Hoo... huh, I’m here.”

After a brief standoff, Sephir arrived behind us. She had likely created the massive ice barrier, as she looked slightly fatigued.

“I’ll support you. But... direct combat might be a little difficult for me.”

“That’s enough.”

I nodded. Now, there were three of us: Nikki, Sephir, and me. A rather small group to face demons.

But I wasn’t worried. The people gathered here were anything but weak.

Two of Lemeton’s key officers, and I, who had plenty of experience facing demons on my own.

And all of that experience had been gained alone. Compared to those times, now I was more than well-equipped.

Though there was still one nagging issue.

‘That heat they’re emitting... it’s a bit much.’

Even though I had separated from Andras, the heat he exuded still lingered strongly. If I got closer, my skin would start to burn.

Nikki was fine because of her fire resistance, but someone like me, with no such resistance and relying on regeneration, couldn’t help but hesitate.

I had briefly been near it before, and it wasn’t easy.

While I was hesitating, my gaze shifted toward Sephir. She mainly used ice magic, after all.

I asked her.

“Do you know any magic that can block or protect against heat?”

“I’m sorry. That kind of auxiliary magic isn’t really my specialty...”

I was a bit disappointed to hear that from someone who had once been a high-ranking Mage Tower master.

But fortunately, her words didn’t end there.

“But I do have another method.”

“What is it?”

“I can freeze this entire area.”

“By doing that, the heat will naturally dissipate,” she added.

I paused for a moment, impressed.

“I like that idea better.”

As expected from a former Mage Tower master, her approach was bold. The plan was more or less set now. Sephir would chant again, and I would keep the demon in check from a safe distance, far enough to avoid burning myself. Dealing with it head-on would come later.

‘The problem is, though... this puts more pressure on Nikki.’

Sephir was busy with the chant, and I couldn’t move in easily, so Nikki would have to hold the front. I was a little concerned, but after all, she was a manifester like me.

If things got dangerous, I could always risk the heat to help her. Honestly, I was curious about her capabilities as well.

“...”

And so, I quietly observed Nikki as she fought.

Crack-!

“Ugh...!”

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As Polauros’ claws came down, Nikki quickly blocked the attack with the longsword in her hand.

At first glance, Polauros’ claws seemed cute, like those of a cat, but the strength behind them was far from insignificant.

It was like the claws were pressing down on her. Nikki grimaced as she thought to herself.

‘Yor made it look easier to block than this...’

After experiencing the hit firsthand, it was clear that it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. The difference made her feel a brief pang of jealousy, but she quickly pushed it aside.

Now wasn’t the time for distractions.

When she thought about it, she was the one holding the line against a demon right now.

Although the flames around her were forcing her to fight, she hadn’t expected to be in this role. She never imagined she’d be alone in facing off against a demon.

‘I can do this.’

At least with a full squad of knights, demons could be handled. Facing one alone made her feel a little uncertain, but she gathered herself. After all, this was the same Yor who had once repelled an entire knight squad.

With that thought in mind, Nikki gripped her longsword and continued fighting.

The swordsmanship she had learned as a mercenary in her teens was now being put to the test. She carefully dodged the fatal blows and focused on defense.

At least, the claws themselves were the only truly threatening part. The flames Polauros wielded were not as dangerous.

The flames might have been more intense, but they didn’t do much damage to Nikki.

She could withstand the heat, and even if the fiery claws touched her, they didn’t burn her skin, just leaving a warm sting.

Thanks to that, Nikki was able to endure.

“Tch-!”

She gritted her teeth and swung her sword.

Whoosh-!

A red afterimage followed the sword strike. It was one of her abilities as a manifester. With each strike, a path of flame was left in its wake.

It wouldn’t work on the demon, but at the very least, it could obstruct its sight.

“...You.”

Polauros narrowed her eyes after seeing that attack.

The same could be said for Yor, who had been watching from afar.

Nikki, focused on dodging and in the heat of the moment, hadn’t noticed, but her attack was strikingly similar to something else.

The use of fire, the afterimage left in its wake... it was remarkably similar to Polauros.

‘No way...’

That thought slowly crept into Yor’s mind.

“You’re quite a nuisance. It’s clear you’ll only become a problem if left alive, so I’ll make sure to kill you right here.”

Polauros’ attacks grew fiercer. Just as Yor was considering stepping in...

“All done.”

Finally, Sephir’s magic was complete. The mana condensed into one place, freezing the surrounding air. As soon as she finished the chant, she cast the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ magic without hesitation.

Crackle-!

Immediately after, everything around us froze.

Crack-!

A spear flew from somewhere.

Nikki, who had been somewhat dazed, finally noticed it. She had been nearing her limit, and finally, support had arrived.

A cold chill filled the air. The icy chill was enough to even consume the heat Polauros had been releasing.

Whoosh-... She sighed deeply and smiled, saying,

“Good. Perfect weather for catching a cold. Now we can finally fight.”

Polauros, who had pulled back in haste, sneered.

“Ha, so this was your plan? Making it snow? Do you really think this will be enough to win?”

Her words weren’t just empty boasting. Even though the heat around us had subsided, her combat ability remained intact. Her claws were still sharp and heavy.

The flames were weaker, but still more than enough to burn a person alive.

From Polauros’ perspective, the addition of a single human didn’t pose much threat.

“I think it’s more than enough.”

Of course, Yor remained silent, preparing his attack.

Before the snowstorm even cleared, he planned to finish Polauros. As usual, he gathered his sword energy and activated blood magic.

He charged at her.

The battle didn’t take much longer to finish.

Woosh-!

A hole was torn through her chest, and the demon’s body slowly began to dissolve. She had received a mortal wound, and now she was being sent back to the demon realm.

“No! Andras-sama! Andras-sama...!”

Having barely descended, Polauros’ final scream was pitiful, filled with despair.

Watching this, Nikki felt a pang of sympathy for Polauros. After all, the battle was over almost as soon as Yor entered.

It was hard to even call it a fight. Yor had completely dominated and ended it by stabbing her heart.

Watching that, Nikki couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘What...?’

It was clear that Yor had no hesitation in facing a demon. He’d used his abilities powerfully to quickly end the fight. The sight was overwhelming.

‘Was he always this strong...?’

For a moment, Nikki couldn’t help but wonder. It hadn’t seemed like he was this powerful the last time they fought.

Though it was her first time seeing it firsthand, she had heard stories.

When he fought Dantalion, people had said he was strong, but this... this was on another level.

It seemed that fighting against the knight squad had only made him stronger.

With those thoughts swirling in her mind, Nikki couldn’t help but think about it.

As she admired his strength, something dropped to the ground as Polauros dissolved.

It was an item, something that always appeared after a demon was defeated.

And this time, it was Polauros’ claws.

“...Hmmm.”

Yor picked up the item. After all, this was the very reason he had left his comfortable cave: to capture demons and obtain their items.

Yor, just to check, held the claws against his body. He wondered if something might change.

“...”

But there was no noticeable change, only a faint heat from the claws.

‘Well... it wouldn’t happen that quickly.’

Yor wasn’t too disappointed. He hadn’t expected much anyway. This time, there was someone else who might benefit from the item.

Yor gathered all the claws that had fallen to the ground and handed them to Nikki.

“Here, take this.”

It wasn’t certain. He wasn’t sure if this method was even right. But if there was a change, Nikki seemed like the most likely person to benefit.