Reincarnated as a Princess's Pet: With Trash Stats, but SSS-Rank Skill-Chapter 97: Rescuing Azael (2)

The door gave way with a thunderous crash. Splinters of wood were still falling as Max, Lamia, and Abby burst into the room.

The air was heavy, far too hot and dense.

And at the center of it all was Azael. Bound to the stretcher, motionless, covered in cuts and blood.

A weak groan escaped his throat.

"...gh..."

Abby stepped forward, her eyes wide open.

"LET GO OF MY BROTHER!"

Her voice trembled, filled with fury.

Dante didn’t even fully turn. His hand remained buried in Azael’s forehead, as if feeling for something beneath the skin.

"...I told you not to disturb me."

His voice was low, but irritated.

"I’m working on my new body."

Abby clenched her teeth and moved toward her brother, ready to free him.

But the devil reacted. The crutch holding him up moved, fast.

THUD.

Max appeared between them, blocking the strike with his hammer.

The air vibrated.

"...don’t you dare touch her."

His eyes locked onto him.

Dante smiled faintly.

And then, with his other hand, he threw something.

A small green vial that shattered midair.

CRACK.

The liquid dispersed and reacted instantly.

The walls cracked, and from them burst something like roots. Thick. Alive. Twisting like snakes.

"WHAT?!"

There was no time.

The roots lunged at them.

Max tried to move, to dodge, but it was too late.

The roots caught him. Arms, legs, torso. They slammed him against the wall with brutal force.

"Gh—!"

Abby tried to evade as well, but she was caught, and not in a normal way. The roots wrapped around her... and lifted her. Spun her. Pressed her against Max’s body, upside down. Her back against his chest. Her legs spread on either side of his head.

"—AH—!"

Max froze completely. His face, right between Abby’s thighs.

The heat. The closeness. The moment.

He turned red instantly.

"...sorry, sorry, sorry."

Abby let out a small, strained laugh.

"...don’t worry, little pet..."

The roots tightened further.

"...if we weren’t in the middle of a fight..."

Her voice faltered for a second.

"...I’d be enjoying this..."

Abby was struggling to breathe. The roots were choking her.

"Don’t say that right now!"

Max tried to move, but the roots tightened even more. They crawled up his body, tightening.

Up his chest. His neck. His face.

"...Lamia... help us..."

He tried to speak. The roots covered his mouth.

Abby gasped. The roots tightened around her throat.

"ngh...!"

Her body trembled. Air wouldn’t come. Her eyes began to lose focus.

Azael saw it. He forced his body, trying to break free from the stretcher. The restraints creaked.

"...Ab...by..."

He tried to rise, but he had no strength. He collapsed again, trembling.

Dante sighed.

"...how pathetic."

He barely turned his head.

"you can’t even handle this..."

Meanwhile, Lamia moved through it all. Her body dissolved into violet mist. Appearing and disappearing, evading the roots that tried to grab her. Avoiding the crutch strikes as well. She couldn’t get close. She couldn’t help them.

"Damn it...!"

The roots kept tightening. Abby stopped moving. Her body went limp. Her eyes nearly blank.

And then, a spark.

A small flame ignited in her hand. Weak. Shaking. But it was her magic, and it was enough. It suddenly grew.

WHOOSH.

The fire spread, climbing the roots. Devouring them. All of them.

Even the ones binding Max. The restraints crumbled into ash.

The bodies fell.

THUD.

Max hit the ground, coughing.

Abby fell beside him, completely exhausted.

Lamia appeared next to them.

"...are you okay?"

Dante clicked his tongue.

"...how disappointing. That didn’t work the way I expected."

Max pushed himself up slightly.

"...I’m fine."

He tapped his chest.

"I’ve got fire resistance... thanks to the ring."

Abby, on the ground, could barely breathe. Her chest rose and fell with difficulty.

But she raised her hand—pointing straight at Dante. Like a gun.

"...bang..."

A fireball shot forward.

The devil didn’t move. He raised his hand—a gem on his finger glowed.

And the fire stopped. Compressed. Then shot back toward Abby—faster.

"—!"

Max reacted. He threw himself over Abby, shielding her with his body.

BOOM.

The impact filled the room with fire and heat. Smoke spread everywhere.

When it cleared, Max was still there. Not a single scratch.

Abby beneath him. Safe.

The smoke filled the entire room, hiding everything.

And in that instant, Lamia took advantage—she vanished.

Violet mist slid through the smoke. Silent. Deadly.

She appeared behind Dante. Her claws dug into his neck. She slammed him back—against the wall.

"...got you, bastard."

Her eyes gleamed. Cold—like a killer’s.

Dante didn’t resist. He didn’t even try to break free. His smile... grew. Slowly. His old, sunken eyes gleamed with something sick as he felt Lamia’s claws buried in his neck.

"...mm..."

He let out a faint, almost satisfied sigh.

"...your hands..."

His voice came out hoarse. Enjoying it.

"...almost as soft as your daughter’s..."

Lamia tightened her fingers.

"...Layla..."

The name came out laced with venom.

Dante closed his eyes for a moment, as if remembering.

"...yes..."

He smiled.

"...I remember her fondly..."

He opened his eyes again. Looked at her.

"...but I wouldn’t mind replacing her."

Something inside Lamia broke. Her pupils shrank. Her breathing became uneven.

"...no..."

A whisper.

"...don’t say her name again..."

Her claws trembled.

And then—

SCHLK.

Dante’s neck was sliced open from side to side. Flesh tore effortlessly.

A clean, deep cut.

And from the wound, green blood poured out—unceasing.

Dante didn’t scream. He only let out a faint, choked laugh. His body lost strength—and fell forward.

Straight onto Azael.

THUD.

The green blood spilled over the wounded, exposed chest of the bound devil. Mixing with his own. Red and green.

And then—the magic reacted. A crackle. A combustion.

FWOOSH.

Green fire ignited from the mixture of blood—and spread rapidly.

Dante’s body began to burn. His flesh was consumed.

But it wasn’t just him. Azael screamed.

"—AAAAAAAHHHH—!"

His body arched. The green flames seeped into his wounds—into his cuts—into his chest. His eyes snapped open, glowing green. As if something had ignited within him.

"NOOO!"

Abby tried to stand—but her body wouldn’t respond.

"AZAEL—!"

Max froze for a second, staring at the scene.

"...what the hell...?"

The fire grew. The bandages. The stretcher. Everything began to burn with that sickly glow.

Lamia stepped back. Her hands trembled.

"...no..."

She shook her head.

"...this can’t be..."

She stared at the scene—horrified.

"...I didn’t think this would happen..."

Dante’s body burned quickly. His skin dissolved. His bones blackened and cracked. Turning to dust.

But the flames didn’t stop. They transferred. Clung to Azael. Entered him.

"—AAAAAAAH—!"

The boy’s scream tore through the room. His muscles tensed. The restraints creaked—but didn’t break. Not yet.

Max stepped forward. Pure instinct.

"We have to get him out of there!"

But the fire was strange. It didn’t burn like normal. It moved as if it had will. As if it were... searching for something.

The last remains of Dante collapsed. His body fully disintegrated—turning to ash that slowly fell... onto Azael’s chest. And vanished.

The green flames intensified.

A pulse. Then another. Like a heart beating inside him.

Abby trembled.

"...no..."

Her voice broke.

"...please..."

Max tightened his grip on the hammer. His eyes fixed on Azael.

Something was wrong.