Chapter: 178
There was a sensation of something like her perspective heightening.
Looking down at the lives scrambling below her, like ants on the ground, she felt as if she were viewing them from an elevated height.
And it felt as though numerous arms, legs, and an array of unknown organs were sprouting all over.
The Succubus Queen felt a bewildering and mysterious sensation wash over her. As she tried to dodge the slow-moving fist heading toward her face, she moved her hand.
“………?!”
Yuria Lanster’s eyes darted, and the trajectory of the punch veered off in an unexpected direction.
Oh dear, what just happened? What power did I just use?
It wasn’t a physical force at play. This was affecting Yuria Lanster’s mind. It pierced through those terrifyingly thick chains and… manipulated her movements at will.
Yuria’s tale “Binding of True Desire” was undoubtedly a counter against the queen. The pheromones she had been dispersing earlier hadn’t always worked on her either.
Let’s try again.
Let’s experiment on that wild and fearsome beast wrapped in chains.
She lightly moved her fingers. Bow down, Yuria.
“──Hoo!”
Swish, swish, swish—!!
Defying the queen’s command, the chains swept across the ground like whips. The queen gasped and used Seris, who was serving as her chair, as a shield to fend off the attack.
Thwack—!
The chains struck both Seris and the queen. A sickening crack echoed as the queen’s right arm twisted at an odd angle, floating off and ricocheting away.
So that’s not quite… no, it’s not an ‘absolute command’ type of ability. It seems to be a bit more nuanced than that.
Let’s try it out a bit more. I have no idea what effects might arise, but let’s swing them around. The queen, like a child who’s found a new toy, beamed and unleashed her powers in every direction.
Click, click, click.
The sound of interlocking gears filled the air.
Yuria Lanster’s gaze darted left, then right, before shifting rapidly. Regardless of intent, her vision became a chaotic mess, causing Yuria to simply close her eyes.
Dependent on her senses, she launched attacks guided by sharp instincts. She swung the chains toward the queen, but she was still slower than when her eyes were open.
The queen used Seris, who could still take some punishment, to reduce the damage while leisurely organizing her thoughts.
Alright, I control the gaze… I can ensnare the vision. Then how about this?
The queen moved as if dipping a brush into the air.
Swish—!! Yuria Lanster summoned an even larger number of chains than before, surging toward her. Five strands each coiling around both of her arms, resembling metal claws of a beast.
It seemed like the power of her tale was increasing over time…
Crack-crack! Boom—!!
The chains literally tore through the ground as they swung. In the midst of a chaotic situation where her vision was uncontrollable, the queen had apparently switched to a broad-area attack pattern.
The chains swung with the intention of splitting the world apart…
“…Mad Wizard…?!”
Yuria’s misperception caused the trajectory to veer dramatically.
Thud—!!
Even for the comparatively weaker queen, chains that lost their speed and strength still posed a threat. One strand ensnared her, sending her flying like a bug struck by a flyswatter.
Yet, the queen was still laughing. There was not a hint of tension. This… didn’t feel like a crisis. Because, well, it truly wasn’t.
Only now did she realize.
This… this ability… “Cogwheel: Heroine” is what this is!
Click, click, click—!!
The number of chains binding Yuria increased further, now resembling a lion’s mane or… a shimmering mirage. A sinister creak echoed from the chains that were wrapped around Yuria’s arms.
She was overexerting herself. By intentionally applying pressure on herself, she was amplifying the tale’s power. There was a concern that if this continued, she’d end up resembling a squished tomato.
In other words… it was a potential overload of the tale’s power.
This was an unreasonable use of it. Considering the backlash when the tale ended, it was akin to a gigantic self-destruct.
If she were caught up in the onslaught of those chains, her very shape would likely be obliterated. With the noises of crumbling and being torn into fragments, there would be nothing left.
But…
“However, do you think you can destroy even those precious to you?”
Swish, boom, boom, boom—!!
Facing the impending storm of chains, the queen gently pushed against the gears. They interlocked and spun in harmony.
Click.
And then she closed her eyes. If there was a mistake in using her powers, the queen would die. In that case, she would ascend, leaving behind just a hint of regret. Let’s see the outcome.
It’s coming. It’s coming. It’s drawing near…!
The chains, which had been rampaging and grinding everything in sight, stopped right in front of the queen.
She gently opened her eyes. The chains were so close they brushed against her eyelids.
“Heh, hoho… hehehe…”
She couldn’t help but smile. A laugh spilled from her lips, which she hadn’t even realized were stretched into a grin.
The queen trembled with the fearsome ecstasy that omnipotence provided. The thrill surged through her, almost making her hips sway with excitement, and her tongue felt dry, making it hard to control her emotions.
Yuria Lanster’s expression was filled with confusion. It seemed she couldn’t understand why she had stopped her attack.
“Shall I tell you? Why… you can’t attack me?”
“………”
“Because I am your ‘Heroine.’”
Her gaze was ensnared. She couldn’t take her eyes off her.
She was entranced. In those fleeting moments of accidental contact, love sprouted.
Somehow, her heart raced, and she struggled to find words, finding her eyes constantly drawn to the queen, thus intertwining their fates.
A sweet harmony of birds chirping joyfully, sunlight showering blessings, and the refreshing breeze carried through the air. It was as if a filter had been placed over her corneas, making the world appear beautifully colored.
All of these theatrics existed within the gears. This was… a sublimation ability meant to create someone’s heroine.
The stage was set. Characters emerged, roles assigned. The playwright orchestrating this drama established herself as a heroine, layering her legitimacy with all sorts of staging.
Hence, one could not attack.
Using the world to enchant, it was the ultimate expression of ‘fascination’…!
Yeah, you can’t understand it. I would feel the same. The tales and sublimations are, in their essence, random. The shapes of souls are incredibly diverse, making it impossible to precisely hone in on any one ability.
The ‘Despair Weaving Snare,’ which had put in seemingly endless efforts to create a great magic-using assassin, didn’t precisely target the skill of ‘Materialization of Magic.’
So then, it’s impossible…
Creating such a sophisticated and precise array of abilities all aligned toward a single purpose is simply unfeasible. One could only think so.
The queen recalled a saying she’d once heard from a ‘Lamb’ who had passed by.
– It is said that this era’s Evil God, who vanished without a trace, possessed the power to control fate undetected. He toyed with creating heroes, disasters, tragedies, and comedies.
A tale that defies normal understanding… truly a distant story. To move the world and craft a puppet show with so many people, how could one possibly manage that?
Clouding perception, engaging the protagonist, preparing plausible challenges, timing their introduction, determining their successes or failures, making them laugh and cry, and finally wrapping up the tale.
How many tales would need to intertwine to wield such power?
So, surely, the ability of the Evil God we black mages pursue is, in fact, not a singular magnificence but an intricate plurality. If one were to name it…
– We should call it the ‘God’s Toolbox’…
Ah, I see.
Truly—this is a genuine ‘God’s Toolbox.’
“Don’t make me laugh—!!”
A sudden resolve surged through Yuria Lanster. The tightly bound chains crushed her skin, causing blood to trickle down in rivers. She began to move, little by little. Creak, creak, creak.
Thud. Yuria Lanster’s fist made contact with the queen’s left eyelid.
“…Ah, oh dear. Still resisting, are we…? How daring to challenge this magnificent power; it seems I may be a little… clumsier than I thought.”
“Ugh, ahhh…!!”
“I’m sorry, Yuria. I’ll make it comfortable for you soon.”
The queen acknowledged her own inadequacies. To fully utilize all capabilities of the ‘Heroine’ was beyond her power.
So, she humbly conceded. Instead, she would draw on just a singular tool. If she narrowed down its scope, then perhaps, just one would be manageable for her.
And that name is…
“Heroine: The Poison that Melts the Heart.”
===============================================================
Ah, has it started? Yes… it has begun. It’s been activated.
Please listen closely. Yes.
You had been unleashing waves of hatred and scorching flames against the enemy before you, attacking ceaselessly. But it didn’t reach them. It wasn’t because your opponent was too powerful.
It was because you were too weak for it to work.
Once, we shared warmth and happiness together. You called me sister and followed me. Perhaps that fondness from those days still lingers in a corner of your heart?
Memories of old bloom vividly as you feel hatred toward the queen before you, but undeniable affection clouds your eyes.
Thud. Thud.
Your overwhelmingly powerful fist, akin to that of a striking warrior, is now weak, devoid of strength like a delicate newborn baby. With every punch, there is only a soft thud.
You are simply painting the pure white queen with your own blood.
Those weren’t real strikes.
Even when you tried to calm your heart, underneath, the love surged up and pulled you in the opposite direction. Yes… you too wish things could go back to that day.
Wasn’t there a misunderstanding?
Did I make some mistake…? For that sweet sister, who used to treat me so kindly… why would she ruin the village?
Isn’t that a rational question?
“Quit your nonsense—!!”
So then, why does it feel like there’s no strength behind that punch?
Even when you close your eyes, your ‘gaze’ is still drawn to me. You can sense me with your five senses, everything else fading away into dullness. Like being in love for the first time.
Uncontrollable emotions whirl and crash within. With every fist thrown, my eyelashes rise, and each movement of my joints deeply inhales my scent.
“No. This isn’t my feeling. I hate you…”
Blood tears flow down.
You’ve never denied your hatred, Yuria. You just layered love over it.
There exists a word in this world that signifies both love and hate.
Yuria, the truth is… you could have killed me. Isn’t that interesting?
I had presumed the power of the Evil God’s sublimation would be something more direct. A broad beam of light, or the casting of an absolute death curse upon another.
Yet, the ability granted to me by the Succubus of Pleasure was a much more niche power. In the end, it is the power that ‘encourages’ the emotions of others—there’s no physicality or absoluteness to it.
Had your heart truly been resolute, it might not have worked.
Yes, everything was your fault. Your resolve, your effort, your heart were inadequate, and thus, you failed.
You claimed to have discarded those feelings, yet…
No, you didn’t want to toss them away; you simply buried them deep within your heart. The shallowness of that deed ensnared you.
Were your tales about ‘erasing emotions’?
Had you known no hatred, no anger, had your heart truly been empty, then I would have met my demise by your hands.
But you… No matter how much you tried to suppress your emotions, they never disappeared, swirling with a vibrant hue beneath the surface, which you disregarded.
I extracted that and amplified it, ensnaring you.
“………”
Strength is draining away. The duration of the tale seems to be reaching its limit.
Now, you shall sink.
Finally, you will sink. Into the lake of your heart, weighed down by all your emotions. At last, the time has come for you to dip your feet in.
Slowly, you enter. As your toes dip in, you might be surprised by a chill that runs down your spine.
But it’s okay.
You will sink.
You will sink.
………
You’ve sunk. It feels so comfortable.
You become a drowned corpse, slowly… fluttering with all the emotions you’ve drowned, encased in regret. Sway. Sway.
For eternity.
===============================================================
Yuria Lanster’s knees buckled, thud. She collapsed forward like a marionette with severed strings.
The Succubus Queen, cradling the Evil Idol, quietly stood and gazed at the beast’s lifeless body with the same detached curiosity one would hold when examining a slain beast. Upon realizing she was no longer capable of combat, she laughed.
“Phew, hehehe…”
She laughed.
“Ha, haha… AHAHAHA! Hah, ahahaha…!!”
It was joyous. So profoundly enjoyable.
If one were to ask where, how she found this joy… the process of manipulating Yuria Lanster like a puppet was simply breathtakingly exquisite. Seeing the once furious Yuria, now bewildered by overwhelming affection!
Due to lacking proficiency and being unable to unleash the full potential of the Evil Idol, she had initially used it merely as a delay tactic until the backlash of the story ensnared her…
Yet next time, she could certainly elevate the fun. Several ideas crossed her mind.
This time, she had stolen the affection Yuria Lanster already held for someone else… projecting it onto herself. But given time, surely Yuria Lanster would end up truly loving her. Then, she could mold her into a loyal knight.
Every night, she’d be consumed with hatred, longing to kill the queen, yet trapped in torment by the love she bore.
Or perhaps, she might force a pig wallowing in mud to fall in love!
That would undoubtedly be entertaining. Imagine the absurdity, feeling affection for such a beast while simultaneously being filled with revulsion, yet ultimately being unable to deny it… she’d probably love it humorously!
Oh my! Just how far can I take this? The possibilities are endless.
I can torment her further.
I can break more people, escalate the methods even more!
The Succubus Queen summoned her minions from the Nest. Gathering the surviving members of the extermination team, she implanted hypnosis in their heads, turning them into magic batteries.
Meanwhile, the queen gently cradled the unconscious Yuria Lanster’s head on her knees. While petting her hair, she extracted information.
What led to the entrance of the Nest being discovered? How had they penetrated this far? This required meticulous checking.
“…Oh dear?”
There was intriguing information hidden in her memories. There was a purple Tower Master at the Academy, and more than three academy students had already accomplished their tales.
And…
Things regarding the illusion mage of the purple tower currently occupying the Academy sparked her curiosity. She delved deeper into the memories. She discovered something about a game called TRPG. Though these were indirect memories, she couldn’t grasp it all.
…The completion was there.
She felt a thrill. So this was how it was done.
The tales spun by the Mad Wizard seemed like a flawless manual for wielding the Evil God’s sublimation. Unbeknownst to the subjects, weaving their lives through skillful hands!
Desire took hold.
What if I could crack open that wizard’s head and inhale that knowledge? If so, I could wield the Evil God’s sublimation more naturally than anyone else.
The queen gently patted Yuria Lanster’s head and whispered.
“Yuria, I intended to make you… my test subject. Could I make inanimate objects feel love? Could I change the walls of fate? I wanted to try various things and torment you diversely.”
They had been intimate. The wizard and Yuria Lanster.
Let’s set a trap. Let’s dig a careful pitfall in Yuria’s mind, and then gift it to the wizard. Kindly.
And for the wizard who approaches deeply to rescue a friend… she’ll catch him. Ensnare him, enrapture him, and devour him whole. Make all knowledge her own.
Let’s set a trap.
He seems to enjoy conjuring tales; hence, it would be fitting to prepare the trap in a similar format.
Yes. Though a strange term, that would be how to label this.
“It’s the… session I have prepared. Ohoho.”
The Succubus Queen prepared for the mastering of it all.
===============================================================
“…Pingvallez?”
Several days had passed, and there she lay soundly asleep. It seemed she would never wake again.
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