Mahariku-san’s “Congratulations on your Second Character” party was quickly rebranded as a “Better Luck Next Time” party.
“Hang in there, President!”
“Mahariku-sama, we’re right here with you!”
“You’ll get them next time, Mahariku-sama!”
“Let’s focus on scouting the next girl!”
With those cries, her four employees were clinging to Mahariku-san as she sat slumped on the sofa, rubbing against her limbs with affectionate intensity.
While it looked like a comforting harem on the surface, it was clear these girls were just prioritizing their own desires. From my perspective, they were just topping up their Mahariku-san energy.
Should I have asked to swap places with one of them? Honestly, any of those spots would have been fine. Oh? Miti-chan was saying she wanted to swap with Mahariku-san so she could be the one surrounded by the younger sisters? I see, I see.
“Haaa... I really blew it...” Mahariku-san sighed.
“Good work out there. For someone like you to actually lose, though... what on earth happened?” Alto asked.
“Those bastards... while I was unconscious from the training, they did something erotic to me. That triggered an Erotic Fall, which led straight to a Brothel Bad End.”
“Ah. So the Erotic Skip kicked in.”
“The system is quite strict on that front, isn't it-ssu?” Penpen remarked.
“It’s not like I’m some innocent maiden... I grew up in a world where Santa Claus doesn't exist, you know. I did manage to take that bastard Champion down with me in the final scene, though.”
Apparently, when the Champion had come to her room to gloat, she had lunged from the bed, bitten a chunk out of him, and stabbed him repeatedly with a fruit knife before finally plunging an ice pick into his heart. Her bedroom seemed suspiciously well-stocked with lethal weapons.
However, in his final struggle, he had snapped her neck.
Her vision had tilted as blood geysered from the Champion’s chest. She watched him die just before her screen went black and a dialog box appeared: Character Lost.
She had succeeded in killing her nemesis, but since she died in the process, the quest had ended in failure.
“Weren’t you being a little too careless to let him land a final blow?” Alto teased.
“I’d used up every last bit of my strength just tearing through my restraints. I only had one eye left, I was under a magic seal, and I couldn't even use Body Enhancement... it was just too much. Honestly... I can still feel the sensation of my flesh being gouged out and my neck snapping.”
Mahariku-san gave her neck a few loud cracks. “If a normal person played through that, they’d have PTSD for sure. The empathetic damage is high enough that someone might actually die in the real world.”
That sounded genuinely dangerous. It was clear she had taken massive damage and was essentially on the brink of death during that final scene. If anything, she was the one who had delivered the last attack.
There was a theory that the Erotic Skip had been deactivated because the sheer amount of gore triggered a Gore Scene flag instead. A brothel filled with an unnatural number of murder weapons... how terrifying.
“So, are you going to try for your Second Character again right away?” Alto asked.
“That’s the plan. I chose the ‘Gladiator Slave of the Colosseum’ scenario thinking it would be combat-focused, but it turned out to be more about magic. Still, if I hadn't been caught in that erotic trap, I'm sure I could have cleared it. The option to try again is already available, so I’ll be more selective this time. At least I walked away with some SP.”
Wait, you still get SP even if you fail?
“I assume it’s because I technically took out the scenario’s final boss. I only got five points, though.”
“That’s about the same as a standard SP Request,” Alto noted.
“Exactly. Now that I know about SP Requests, I have no intention of wasting time failing Second Character quests just to scrape together five points. I’m clearing it next time.”
A Bad End caused by the classic weakness of the Spirit-possessed: vulnerability to erotic scenes.
Honestly, the developers should be more permissive. Eroticism is the key to human evolution! Without it, children wouldn't even be born.
“Anyway, I’ll keep the name ‘Go’ open for Toria’s sake. The next one will be named ‘Roku.’”
“If we have another joint operation where I need to pose as your subordinate, I’ll use that name,” I offered.
“Roku... Rock... maybe I should skip Roku for Alto’s sake too?”
“Please don’t worry about me,” Alto replied.
It seemed she was determined to stick with sequential numbers to make the names easier to remember.
She might even customize the next character’s appearance to match the Numbers. If she produced a combat-specialized unit that looked exactly like the others, the potential for tactical decoys and surprise attacks would be terrifying.
“By the way, this is delicious,” Mahariku-san said.
She was currently being fed bits of Boar Steak with an “a-an” from Ichi, while Nii-chan diligently wiped her mouth.
Hmph. Of course it was delicious. Penpen’s cooking was the best in our group!
Besides, being fed by a cute girl was the pinnacle of existence. Someone, please swap with me. Oh? Miti-chan was offering to feed me? This game really was the best.
“Penpen, why don’t you open a shop at my place? I’ll provide the capital.”
“I’m currently working on my Ranch Scenario, so I’ll have to pass-ssu. Besides, if I do open a shop, I’ll probably get the Merchant-san to invest and set it up in Tsudon. That’s my Home, after all.”
“Mmm, that’s a pity. Still, once we acquire our own Home and set up a connection, I’ll be able to visit whenever I want, right? I’ll pay, so you have to let me eat.”
“I’d prefer materials over money-ssu. I need to level up my Crafting skills.”
“I see. Rare wood, then? Trent-type monsters don’t pair well with handguns, though. Maybe I can find some high-quality animal hides instead.”
After taking a break to recharge, Mahariku-san’s desire for a Second Character won out. She selected her next scenario and went back in for another attempt.
She’d probably clear it this time. Probably.