I Came Back from the Dead, Quit Being a Holy Hero, and Just Wanna Shake My Hips in a Harem - Chapter 19: The Succubus and the Wimpy Miasma

Chapter 19: The Succubus and the Wimpy Miasma

So—why did Lily call us over?

Turns out, there was a hidden passage tucked away in the small room we’d been resting in.

According to Merle, she had a feeling her dad was somewhere deeper inside.

“There’s a chance Daddy’s down that way…”

Behind the wall was a narrow passage—lined top to bottom with fleshy growths.

Thin, stretched sheets of meat coated the walls and floor,

Basically screaming Danger ahead! just from the look and feel of it.

We held our breath and pressed forward, Filio taking point as we moved through the dimly lit corridor.

After a while, the path ahead gradually brightened.

At the same time, a strange scent floated in the air—sweet, almost sugary.

I silently reached for my sword and crept forward without making a sound.

We stepped into a wide, deep chamber.

The air inside felt thick and heavy, and visibility was low,

But I could tell the space extended far into the distance.

Apparently, the hidden tunnel had brought us to one corner of the room.

And all around us—fleshy blobs.

Clumped together like mushroom colonies.

This had to be the deepest part of the dungeon.

The whole place oozed that final-boss-lair energy.

Just endless lumps of meat.

Honestly, it felt like we’d wandered into the bottom of some massive ant nest.

I swept my gaze across the area—then froze.

There was a man completely swallowed by one of the blobs.

Looked to be in his thirties.

His entire lower body was buried in flesh,

Like someone had stuffed a grown man into a giant flower bud.

Just the sight of it made the tension skyrocket.

And he wasn’t alone.

Dozens… maybe hundreds more.

Could it be… all the townspeople?

Why… Why like this?

Don’t tell me—

Were they all being kept here… as food?

I glanced over at Lily.

She must’ve already checked—because she gave a small nod that clearly said, “They’re okay.”

They weren’t dead.

At least that was one small relief.

Maybe they were being kept alive as some kind of food reserve?

Still… if this were happening out in the middle of nowhere, maybe.

But spawning a dungeon inside a town? That’s basically begging for a full-scale purge.

It didn’t add up.

There was no blood, no signs of anyone being eaten…

If this was how the dungeon boss “fed,” then maybe—

“…This is just…”

Filio finally muttered—voice low, seething.

Her fists were clenched tight, whole body shaking—like she was barely keeping herself from screaming.

That’s when I noticed Merle.

She stood frozen in place, eyes filled with pain.

One of the men trapped in a flesh pod had a full beard—

He looked like someone who might’ve had a daughter her age.

Merle clung to that hope as she called out to him.

“D-Daddy…”

And then—

Maybe it was her voice that reached him.

The man groaned faintly, slowly stirring awake.

His eyes locked onto hers.

And in a weak, trembling voice, he asked:

“…W-Who are you?”

Right then—I drew my sword and lunged at Merle.

But she leapt gracefully into the air, twirling like a dancer as she dodged with ease.

She landed mid-air—hovering in place—then flashed a smug, impish grin.

“Ahaha! Ehh? You caught on that fast!?”

The girl floating in the air—no longer fragile or helpless—covered her mouth with one hand and let out a mocking laugh.

The timid little damsel was gone.

Now she hovered above us… looking down like we were nothing but insects.

…Yeah, she’s strong.
Better not go tossing out half-baked attacks just yet.

“I never let my guard down. Not completely.”

“Could’ve fooled me~ That was a pretty quick reaction.”

“I was ready to cut you down the second I sensed anything off.”

“Oof, harsh~ You guys look all sweet and soft, but you’re actually kinda ruthless, huh?”

Lily was already gripping her holy staff—ready to strike.

Not a shred of emotion on her face.

Yeah, she was thinking the same thing I was.

The real issue was Filio—

She stood frozen in place, completely shaken.

Then the man trapped in the flesh pod suddenly let out a scream.

“W-What the hell’s going on!? Why are you flying!?”

“Shut it. Food doesn’t get to talk.”

“Hiiggh!?”

The man jerked once—then slumped over, unconscious.

What the hell just happened?

There was no blood…

But it looked like his soul had been sucked right out of him.

Drain magic!? She just drained his life force!?

So this is her personal buffet dungeon!

Filio shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.

“B-But your presence! It felt completely human!”

“Fufuu~ Yep, I used to be human, y’know? My body’s still built mostly the same. But maybe… if you had shown your real form—You might’ve noticed something~?”

“W-What are you talking about…?”

The girl flashed Filio a devilish smile—

Like she knew exactly what kind of secret was hiding behind her eyes.

Still floating midair, she casually crossed her legs—

Like some smug final boss, radiating pure ‘I win’ energy.

“I was just gonna whip up a little Devourer’s Labyrinth, have a nice tasty meal, then bounce~ I mean, I took a big risk coming here to power up—if I waste energy fighting adventurers, what’s the point?”

Filio stayed quiet, so I jumped in to keep things moving.

“Sounds like you’re pretty confident you wouldn’t lose.”

“Fufufu~ Wanna test that theory? But the world’s already a mess, y’know? I really don’t wanna stir things up any further.”

“You say that, but it kinda feels like you’ve already stirred up plenty.”

“Well~ That couldn’t be helped! I found someone suuuper interesting!”

Merle looked down at Filio with sparkling eyes—like she’d just stumbled across her new favorite toy.

Suddenly, Filio dropped to her knees.

Her face twisted in pain—biting her lip, cheeks flushed deep red.

Poison? No…

Wait—is that lust miasma!?

Merle let out a soft giggle.

“My miasma’s not even that strong~ Just makes people feel a little bit naughty. Teensy bit. Barely noticeable. But for a cute little rookie still hiding her true nature? Yeahhh… super effective~”

“D-Don’t… mess with me… ahn ♥”

Filio forced the words out—barely holding back the waves of pleasure surging through her.

“I like my meals to be fun! Cozy and friendly—everyone digging in together, y’know?”

“F-Friendly… you say…♥”

“If I find a fellow kindred spirit… Of course I wanna invite them to the party~”

That word—kindred—made Lily narrow her eyes.

Crap.

She still doesn’t know about Filio’s true identity.

In our past life, Filio must’ve told her eventually…

But right now?

Yeah, this is definitely not the time.

Filio clenched her jaw and cried out—fighting back the rising pleasure.

“T-Then… your true identity is…⁉ Aah… ahn ♥”

“I’m the succubus Merlulia! Used to be human~ Fufu, never thought I’d meet another one of us… Especially a girl so much like me! Ahaha ♥”

As Merlulia grinned wickedly, Filio curled up tighter—her breathing ragged and uneven.

“Haa… haa…♥”

Lily was just about to fire off a Heal Blast, but I caught her eye and shook my head.

She paused for a second… then gave a reluctant nod.

Yeah, things weren’t looking good.

If possible, we needed to find the perfect moment—hit Merlulia hard and fast.

Straight to the weak point.

The last thing we wanted was for her to go wild, tear the place apart, and still slip away.

And to do that…

We needed Filio.

But judging by her state?

Yeah, pretty obvious who Merlulia had been targeting from the start.

Still floating effortlessly in the air, Merlulia wore a delighted grin—

Like this was all one big show just for her.

“A poor little kindred spirit… siding with the humans. But you know~ I can smell it. That anger. That sadness… pouring off you like waves.”

Then, with a snap of her fingers—

“So why keep hiding behind that human mask? Come… You’ve hit your limit, haven’t you?”

A dark wind surged out from Merlulia.

Filio took the full blast—

And finally transformed.

Horns. Wings. Tail.

Full succubus mode.

Maybe tapping into her true form helped her shake off the pleasure haze—

Because in the next instant, her eyes snapped into focus.

Clear. Sharp.

I expected her usual bright, refreshing smile…

But it never came.

Instead, her face darkened—somber, unreadable.

All around us, the townspeople trapped in the flesh blobs began to stir.

“Ughh…” “W-Where am I…?” “Someone’s… there…?”

And then they saw her.

The horns. The wings. The tail.

Their eyes filled with fear.

They were looking at Filio now—

Like she was the monster.

And just like that…

Her smile vanished.