Chapter: 177
The mansion was a scene of chaos, with knights and soldiers scattered about, broken and lifeless. Those in the Black Uniform stood ominously, like grim reapers, observing the aftermath.
At the center of it all was a terrified Lord.
In the continuation of the “Operation to Close the Nest Entrance,” the Elimination Team had questioned the Lord governing the Elmest Territory about any unusual occurrences and the presence of Succubi. He had been attacked and, surprisingly, had emerged victorious.
Now in a precarious position, the Lord vehemently denied any related allegations and staunchly refused the Elimination Team’s total investigation of his territory.
Even when shown the Second Prince’s order, he shook his head, declaring it could easily be forged. He insisted he wouldn’t believe it unless the prince came to speak to him personally.
It was a pathetic display.
The Lord was dripping with cold sweat, feeling severe pressure from the Elimination Team members flanking him on either side.
His obstinacy strongly suggested a possible alliance with the Succubi. After all, given the attack on the Elimination Team, it was safe to believe he was involved to around a 90% certainty.
Yet, without any evidence, it remained merely a possibility. He was nobility, and the Elimination Team’s authority was limited. Pressuring him beyond this point risked causing complications.
Seris quietly asked, “What should we do, senpai?”
“It seems we’ll need to take some decisive solo action. Any volunteers?”
Upon Yuna Lanster’s words, several Elimination Team members raised their hands. Among them was the One-Eyed Old Man who had previously given advice to the boy.
Yuna pointed him out. “Ratt, are you ready to retire?”
“Yeah, I’ve had enough of this. It’s getting dull. Playing babysitter for the juniors is getting sickening. It’s time to go.”
The One-Eyed Old Man stepped forward, drawing a dagger.
Having lost his family to a notorious serial killer nearly a decade ago, he succeeded in avenging them by killing the perpetrator. With his thirst for revenge quenched, all that remained was a long and heavy passage of time—one that he had to spend alone.
He didn’t have the energy to form new relationships or grasp happiness. The ashes of his past glowed but would never ignite again. The One-Eyed Old Man was tired.
Yet, no matter how painful time was, it eventually comes to an end. It seemed his time was about up. He approached the Lord of Elmest and left a final piece of advice for his juniors.
“Pink-haired Lanster.”
“Yes, Ratt.”
“You… you left the Elimination Team once. That was remarkable. Among us, the one who used to be the most stubborn, somehow escaped here… I felt a sense of joy in that.”
For them, it was a hint of hope.
If even the fiercest Yuna Lanster could return to a path filled with peace and happiness, then others in the Elimination Team might have their chance as well.
Even those who had set aside their humanity for vengeance, if given just one more opportunity… they could reclaim what they’d discarded. They could find happiness once more. It felt like he was saying that.
“But… you came back. Why return?”
“Because the opportunity arose.”
“Couldn’t you have stayed away? Seeing your face again makes me sick.”
“I won’t apologize. Everyone, stand back.”
Snap.
The black-clad members turned in unison, their movements as smooth as a curtain billowing in the wind.
The One-Eyed Old Man began his “decisive solo action” behind this curtain.
“What, what are you doing…?!”
“You won’t leave this world until you spill everything you know and relinquish all authority. We’ll start with your fingers.”
“A-Are you trying to touch a noble? S-Stop him! Someone, stop this idiot! It’s ridiculous, irrational…!!”
Shriek!
Amidst the alarming cries, the One-Eyed Old Man brutally murdered the Lord of Elmest, catching the Elimination Team completely off guard as they relaxed.
When they discovered the crime scene, it was drenched in blood.
“Why did you do that?”
“I just hated those noble bastards.”
He chuckled sinisterly.
The One-Eyed Old Man confessed to the crime out of blind hatred for nobility and turned himself in. The Elimination Team arrested him for temporary detention.
Evidence soon emerged linking the Lord of Elmest with the Black Mage faction. This could provide sufficient justification, or maybe not.
The nobility might band together and denounce the Elimination Team, claiming it was an insult to attack a noble without proper investigation.
If the responsibility debate ignited, the One-Eyed Old Man would hang himself. He would close his eyes in peace.
It was a classic case of cutting off tails in the style of the Elimination Team.
===============================================================
Things progressed swiftly as no measures or methods were spared.
By torturing the Lord for information, they learned that the entrance to the “Nest” was located beneath the Goddess Church building in Elmest. The Elimination Team stormed in without delay.
They barged in, shoving aside priests and villagers engaged in worship, and swiftly subdued a flustered priest waving his arms.
“Do you even know where you are…?! The goddess is watching—ugh!”
“Team One, conduct the interrogation. Team Two, come with me as we breach.”
“Yes!”
Boom! Yuna Lanster stomped her foot down. Heightening her bodily senses, she perceived the vibrations echoing in the air. It was under the goddess statue.
Surely, there must be a secret mechanism nearby. A candlestick or something could uncover a hidden passage if turned in the right direction. But there was an easier way.
“Prepare for detonation.”
“Preparation for detonation!”
Several Elimination Team members withdrew self-destruct scrolls they had tucked away, sticking them to the statue. There was no hesitation in shattering the idol.
The local villagers, previously stunned by the sudden appearance of the black-clad figures, were now startled into fleeing, sensing the impending danger.
Counting down, they activated the scroll.
KABOOM—!!
The benevolent face of the goddess shattered into dozens of pieces. A few frail nuns fainted in shock at the sheer desecration.
Yuna Lanster kicked aside the remnants of the goddess, causing the underground passage to reveal itself. She grimaced at the musty smell that brushed against her nose.
Down they went.
She descended the dark stairway, void of any torches, relying entirely on her refined senses. This area housed the Black Mage and essential facilities of the Succubi. She knew too well how strong a wizard could become in a prepared space.
Even the Crazy Wizard hadn’t exuded god-like omnipotence in his tailored research lab. Yuna Lanster still vividly remembered that lifelike simulation.
In her less mature days, she had managed to deceive the accomplished Elaine Crown. Had he harbored malice, she wouldn’t have dared resist him.
Hence, there were sure to be dozens of traps lurking here, laden with deadly peril.
They emerged into a long corridor made of bricks.
“Senpai, there’s a reaction from the artifact. It’s a highly advanced trap that our equipment cannot disarm.”
“Is that so?”
Yuna Lanster turned her gaze to the boy, who was half-crushed and now wrapped in bandages, trembling with engraved fear.
She silently communicated with her eyes.
If you despise the coward who runs from life, prove that you are no coward yourself now.
“… ….”
The boy was panting. They were urging him to move forward through the detected trap. It was akin to asking him to march to his death.
His body shook like a shaking leaf. A chill of terror crept up his spine. To the hesitating boy, Yuna Lanster quietly asked, “Aren’t you feeling courageous?”
“I… I am…”
Seris was furious at the sight. Was this the same person who had shouted at them before? Now he suddenly treasured his life? She lashed out bitterly.
“It’s utterly pathetic to hesitate now! You were bold enough to yell at senpai earlier, so should I throw you in?”
Yuna Lanster raised a hand to stop Seris. Then she casually stated, “You may remove your uniform and leave. My friend once said that everyone should be given a second chance.”
The implication was clear. If you can’t keep up, leave the Elimination Team.
“Ugh, uuuh… Aaaahhh—!!”
In a whirlwind of scratched pride, fear, and fury, the boy abandoned all thought and charged toward the passage.
Barely a few steps in, the magic circle engraved within the passage glowed red, activating with a fierce intensity. The magic seeped into the boy’s mind, causing him to thrash about like a wild dancer.
The mind barrier artifact strapped to his wrist shone continuously. Even with precautions taken, this trap was powerful.
The Elimination Team members observed him calmly while analyzing the situation.
“It’s frenzy, lust amplification… Most of it seems to be a psychic trap, senpai.”
“We don’t see any physical traps. Perhaps they didn’t want to leave room for demolishing this facility?”
“Typical of a Succubus lair to be full of mental traps.”
And so, the analysis concluded that they were about to face a labyrinth of mental traps. This made things straightforward—they could easily pass through as long as she took the front.
Yuna Lanster’s soul was sharpened with emotion. She recalled a memory.
On that day, the townspeople, who had once been so friendly, turning against each other with malicious glee. A small curiosity cascading into absolute ruin.
In the midst of pleasure and pain, they were dying. She had sworn that she would keep them subdued.
Subdue them. Feel neither sadness nor happiness. Chain dreams with iron shackles, using corpses as weights to sink deep into her heart.
Until the day she finally kills the queen…
“Transformation – [Fundamental Binding: Foreplay].”
Crinkle, crinkle…
Chains gently wrapped around Yuna Lanster’s heart. The whirlpool of emotions pounding in her head sank below the surface, turning her mind into a serene lake.
She walked forward.
Multiple magic circles activated, probing her heart and piercing inwards. They disoriented her, egging her on.
It played with her guilt. She had used the boy to gauge the traps. What made her actions different from the queen’s? She had no right to blame anyone. Yuna Lanster.
She subdued it.
It provoked her lust. It understood her hidden desires, curiosity, and interest. She must have longed for a reprieve. There was no need to endure. Simply give in to your instincts, Yuna Lanster.
She subdued it.
Taking the brunt of every trap that stood in her way. The chains tightened, wrapping around her arms and legs like serpents, binding her firmly, restricting her circulation.
At last, the Elimination Team reached the altar.
On the large pedestal lay hundreds of dreamers, uniformly sprawled. They wore blissful smiles, gently closing their eyes.
In the center of the altar, the entrance to the “Nest” flickered like shimmering heat waves. It appeared as a gap in the air, leading to a paradise filled with pink hues.
Succubi fluttered through the air with joyous expressions, each one grasping a human, reveling in their bliss. The area was packed with structures that appeared to defy the laws of physics.
Beyond that gap lay the land of dreams. It seemed they had opened the entrance by piecing together people’s dreams. They were not lying there for no reason. Their existence must have been essential for the Succubi’s magic.
Thus, the most straightforward and effective solution became apparent. Yuna Lanster made her choice, declaring heartlessly.
“I will seal the entrance; everyone, kill all the sleeping accessories.”
“What?! They are all innocent people! You still intend to kill them, Yuna?”
“….”
Strength filled Yuna Lanster’s entire body. A voice that dripped like honey in her eardrums surged from behind her.
Slowly, she turned her body, her toes pivoting.
A white woman was seated, her legs crossed, atop Seris, who had suddenly crawled down on all fours. Just the sight of her made the lower belly ache, warmth flooding her body.
Had she not anticipated her appearance…? No, that was incorrect.
It was an operation targeting the Succubi’s critical facilities. If she was not a fool, the queen would clearly show herself.
So she was prepared. Just like the mind barrier artifact she’d placed on the boy, Yuna Lanster had equipped all the Elimination Team members with similar items. Nevertheless…
Gulp, gasp, gulp…
Sounds of panting filled the air, one by one.
The mere arrival of the white woman had incapacitated most of the Elimination Team. Only a few, including Yuna Lanster, maintained their rationality.
Crack.
She tightened the chains around herself a bit more. To avoid being swept away by the tide.
The Succubus queen chuckled, relentlessly cute in her pitiful resistance, blooming like a budding flower. Then she spoke in a warm, friendly tone as if addressing her closest friend.
“I thought Yuna had forgotten about me.”
“I… have never forgotten.”
“Oh? But you haven’t come to see me in quite a while?”
“Because you’ve been hiding away in a place like this.”
“Hiding away? That’s partially true,” the queen nodded in agreement. She gently stroked the top of Seris’s head, who was drooling profusely, speaking softly.
Yuna Lanster clenched her fist tightly. She was waiting for an opportunity to attack. However, no openings appeared. A strange, intense aura enveloped the queen.
This was odd.
Her transformation… [Fundamental Binding] was surely a counter to the queen.
An empowered resistance against all mental magic. For a Succubus with little physical strength, it should have been a perfect matchup.
In a direct confrontation, she could snap the queen’s neck in less than a minute.
So why was she hesitating…?
A cold sweat trickled down her jaw, landing with a plop. Then she noticed. What the queen delicately cradled in her arms…
A pitch-black statuette.
Why had she only just now pinned her attention on such an obvious object? The queen’s body was drenched in white; she should have spotted the black statuette right away.
“… W-What is that?”
She realized.
The queen hadn’t hidden it away with illusion magic. Yuna Lanster’s instincts had reflexively nudged that ominous statuette away from her perception. Just like an ostrich burying its head in the ground upon meeting a predator.
She had been unconsciously running from it, repulsed by that chilling unease.
The queen continued speaking.
“I was making something fun. It’s truly magnificent and beautiful… You’ll definitely love it, Yuna.”
“…”
“The Idol of the Pleasure Demon, one of the four faces of the Evil God. Hehehe… with this, I can finally become a person and not just a puppet. I can escape from destiny.”
With joy touching her features, the queen fondly caressed the statuette. It wasn’t just a powerful artifact; there was surely something more… a significant meaning.
Move. Move, Yuna Lanster.
You have to move.
Before she commits some act with that artifact, she must act. She must obstruct it. This is not the time to freeze in place.
She had lived for this moment. For this moment, she postponed her own happiness too. She distanced herself from friends. What was she hesitating for?
With the weight of all those discarded things, it couldn’t be anything but regretful. She couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.
— Hurry!
“Ugh… Aaaahh—!!”
Yuna Lanster shouted, swinging her fist. In response, the queen murmured lightly.
“Transference Ascension—[Cogwheel: Heroine].”
Click.
Something enormous began to turn and mesh together.
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