S-Rank is My Side Character (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5

“Please! That’s not why I came here! Please listen to me. In Korean, you’re supposed to listen until the end!”

“…….”

At Kang I Hyeon’s words, Rude briefly shut his mouth.

‘Yeah, that kind of……? Come to think of it…… Did he ever finish his sentences……?’

[No, our dear Na Ri blocked all his words in the middle~ teases the Ruler of Chaos as he mocks you.]

‘……It seems like that might have happened…….’

Feeling a slight pang of guilt, Rude glanced sideways at the priest and then spoke.

“……Kang I Hyeon?”

“Yes…….”

He had an immensely wronged expression. Only then did Rude look at Kang I Hyeon with a slightly apologetic face.

“……So, what is it you want to say? You have to get to the point first!”

“So…… I can help you, Mr. Rude! I want to help you!”

Kang I Hyeon thumped his chest a few times with a frustrated expression. This was an unexpected statement. Rude blinked several times and spoke with a dumbfounded look.

“……Why?”

“Listen! Mr. Rude’s mental power negatively affects people’s minds, but my holy power releases it. If we act together, most of Mr. Rude’s restrictions will practically disappear. So…….”

“No, so why, why me specifically? Aren’t you affiliated with the Seongjeon? And this is our first meeting?”

“Um…….”

Before they knew it, the boss monster of stage 3, the Lady of the White Rose, had approached them.

With the monster right in front of them, the sudden argument between rank 1 and rank 2. The hunters who instantly entered their own world ignored the stage 3 monster’s brief attempt to interrupt.

“Huh! You’re right……. This was our first meeting…….”

“Yeah! I’m really confused right now, you know?”

“Sorry……. I like Mr. Rude too much……. Every time I saw Mr. Rude’s performances, I thought about wanting to assist him, so my internal intimacy built up and I just…….”

“……What, you’re really my fan?”

“Guys? There’s a monster here……. Hey?”

The Lady of the White Rose made a dumbfounded expression as she watched the shy Kang I Hyeon and Rude, who looked bewildered but somewhat pleased.

What are these guys, on a blind date?

“Hunters? This is a gate. You didn’t come here for a blind date, right?”

“It wasn’t preaching, it was to help?”

“Yes! Acting together would be beneficial in many ways. I’ve been such a huge fan that I’ve researched every day how to best support Mr. Rude!”

“But that? Here? Inside the gate?”

“So-sorry. If not here, I wouldn’t be able to meet Mr. Rude, and also…… As I said…… my internal intimacy…….”

“Excuse me? The stage 3 boss is right here? If you defeat me, the real boss appears right away?”

“Yeah, got it. I get it, but if you say it like that, how could I not feel bad? Huh? Next time, be more careful with your words. And your effort is commendable, but I don’t collaborate with other hunters.”

“So-sorry. I think I spoke that way because I was too hasty……. But I’m really sincere……. Ack!!”

Slap!

With the crisp sound of a slap, Kang I Hyeon’s head turned. Kang I Hyeon, who couldn’t finish his sentence again, looked to the side.

“If a monster speaks, you should at least look at it!”

The Lady of the White Rose was staring at him with her face flushed red and blue.

“Ah, sorry. Except for the hostage, you’re not much, so I forgot.”

“What! We were in the middle of something much more important than you right now!”

The rose woman, the stage 3 boss, huffed angrily as she watched Kang I Hyeon clutching his wronged cheek and Rude, who seemed to have genuinely forgotten.

“Are you looking down on this gate because it’s rank 4?!”

“Yeah.”

“Ru-Rude! If you say it like that, she’ll get hurt…….”

“Hey! Blondie, your words hurt more! You bastards! I won’t forgive you!”

The white roses of the enraged Lady of the White Rose gradually turned red, and blood-colored rose stems poured out from between her dress.

“She seems to be preparing her ultimate.”

“Y-Yeah…….”

“Father! Pontiff! Look! See their arrogant appearance! See how they believe in that foolish being to the end!”

[Lady of the White Rose exclusive skill :: I believe and follow only you.]

Rose stems that had been wriggling under the Lady of the White Rose’s skin began piercing through her flesh all at once. The white petals bloomed even wider, and blood droplets formed on the stems that forcibly broke through the skin.

“But don’t worry, Father. I will take on everything you left behind! I will carry on your unfulfilled wish. Everything Father left……!”

Blood droplets on the stems dripped down, soaking the floor. Matching that, red demonic energy leaked like smoke from between the fully bloomed petals. It was an aura completely opposite to holy power, akin to the symbol of evil.

The red demonic energy seeped into the blood droplets on the floor, gradually growing in size and taking shape.

The blood droplets containing demonic energy transformed into monsters with horns on their foreheads, bat-like wings, and pure red eyes without pupils.

They looked similar to demons seen in works of art.

“Ha…… Annoying.”

I want to finish quickly and go home. Thinking that, Rude touched his neck once and spoke to Kang I Hyeon.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“You handle these. I’m going to deal with the boss monster.”

“……Huh?!”

“Why, you said you want to assist me. Then you need to prove your skills.”

“No, that’s not what I meant……! Ack!! Wh-where did he go?!”

Clang-! Kang I Hyeon blocked a demon’s spear that had approached close and threw it far away, then looked around. At some point, Rude had disappeared.

“……No choice…….”

His cheeks flushed slightly. If I want to assist, prove my skills?

‘Then……. Conversely, does that mean if I prove my skills here, he’ll let me act together?’

[Constellation, Staff of Purification shakes its head, saying the happiness circuit is running again, again.]

“Then I have no choice but to clear it as quickly as possible and prove it!”

Swish, Kang I Hyeon’s sword cut his palm. As he wiped the sword blade with his bloody palm, his blood began turning into golden holy flames.

[Trait :: ‘Unquenchable Flame’ activates!]

Whoosh, eternal holy flames that would never extinguish burned on his sword. Just by existing, the evil demonic energy held its breath. The Lady of the White Rose scattered even more red demonic energy and spoke.

“Your flames can’t stop me either. We always exist by your side! I lurk in your footsteps! Always!”

[Trait :: ‘One Who Masters Good and Evil’ activates!] [Holy power gathers around you.]

Golden holy power sparkled and gathered around him. It was a beautiful sight, like fireflies in a dark night.

“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…….”

Kang I Hyeon, who had completely ignored the Lady of the White Rose’s words, took out his cross necklace and drew the sign of the cross over his chest. At some point, the wound on his palm had completely healed.

“Amen!”

[Priest basic skill :: Sign of the Cross (Formula Trinitaria)]

“Kyaaaaah!!”

Flash, the red demonic energy filling the stage gradually disappeared, starting from around Kang I Hyeon. The blood-colored stems and the monsters that had turned red returned to white, and the beasts extending claws from between the stems vanished.

What remained were the Lady of the White Rose and the weakened demon monsters. At some point, the surroundings were sparkling with golden holy power.

Covering this level of holy power with demonic energy again would be difficult for any monster. The tide had already turned in Kang I Hyeon’s favor. With just a basic skill, not even a high-level one—the Sign of the Cross alone!

“Now, then…….”

Kang I Hyeon took a stance with his sword burning in holy flames. His blue eyes sparkled. He looked like a child desperately wanting recognition from a beloved teacher.

“Shall we begin!”

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ugh, a really weird guy latched on and caused a mess…….”

[Still, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy, says the Ruler of Chaos as he shrugs.]

Rude, who had immediately opened a dimensional rift and moved into the sanctuary, swept his arm once and sighed.

‘What a troublesome golden retriever young master latched on…….’

Some weird guy suddenly says he wants to assist…… I can’t understand his feelings or the situation at all.

[But judging by how you evaluate him, his appearance must be to your taste, says the Ruler of Chaos as he shrugs.]

“No, that guy is too healthy. I prefer the more melancholic type. The kind where if you just poke them, tears would well up and fall…….”

Rude brushed away the indirect messages saying his taste is something, as he passed through the dreary corridor.

“Hmm, anyway.”

Swish, Rude wiped the monster blood on his cheek with his sleeve. Then he swung the Black Half Scissors once to flick off the blood on them.

Armored monsters were all collapsed bleeding, and in the nearly half-destroyed corridor, Rude, the only one emitting ominous black mental power, looked around the pile of corpses with cold eyes.

“Is this area all done?”

[There seem to be no surviving monsters around here, says the Ruler of Chaos as he nods.]

“Anyway, everything’s annoyingly troublesome……. I have to wipe the scissors every time. They rust.”

Tch, Rude sighed as he wiped the scissors. What pulled aggro right upon entry. As expected of monsters near the boss room, their ranks were high.

With a flick of his finger, items emitted from the monsters automatically went into Rude’s inventory.

“Guys who collapse so easily even with basic skills…… Acting all tough.”

[That’s because you’re rank 1, says the Ruler of Chaos as he shakes his head.]

Originally, it was impossible for the illusionist class to stand at the vanguard. Most illusionists assisted the team in a supporter form.

Only Rude, who could manipulate explosive mental power mediated by dreams and fear with extreme delicacy, was the only illusionist in the world active solo.

“Ah, but that priest……. Why didn’t Kang I Hyeon fall for the honey trap? That works on everyone regardless of gender. He had no reaction at all—am I really not his type?”

Though tastes differ, everyone sways a little before absolute beauty. The effect varies by degree, hence calling honey trap a gamble skill.

Kang I Hyeon had absolutely no reaction to that skill. Rude asked the constellation with a slightly puzzled expression. A black indirect message appeared.

[There are targets who aren’t affected at all, says the Ruler of Chaos as he wiggles his finger.]

“Ah, really? What kind?”

[Wait a moment, says the Ruler of Chaos as he creates a presentation PowerPoint.]

Soon, an image that seemed personally made by the Ruler of Chaos appeared in front of Rude. On a background with a blue otter character floating, basic Gungsuh font was densely written.

“……You really have zero design sense.”

At the horrific image reminiscent of group project horrors, Rude clicked his tongue, and the Ruler of Chaos spammed crying emojis in indirect messages. Saying it’s noisy, Rude expressionlessly cleared the messages and slowly read the content.

「Criteria for people immune to Honey Trap!

1. People who aren’t even in the ‘t’ of your taste (Includes priests with firm faith!)

2. People already completely smitten and head over heels for you, so honey trap or not doesn’t matter

3. People who don’t care at all about external factors when liking someone」

“That guy looks exactly like the first type. So it was completely useless……. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

[He doesn’t particularly seem like that type, says the Ruler of Chaos as he shrugs.]

“Anyway, we’re almost there.”

Rude let out a deep sigh after crossing the mountain of countless monster corpses. The place with the boss monster.

The innermost part of this mansion, the pontiff’s bedroom.

“Why the boss monster is the pontiff but the map is a mansion instead of a temple is a mystery…….”

Gates are inherently unpredictable anyway. Rude pushed open the huge door with force. Creeak, with the sound of rusty hinges, the white door slowly opened.

[You face the rank 4 gate boss monster :: Leader of the White Fate Cult!]

The boss monster’s room slowly opened. And as Rude took one step in, his eyes widened in confusion.

“……What is this.”