Chapter: 186
Inside the academy’s dessert cafe.
Agent C of the Imperial Defense Bureau listened to the circumstances surrounding Yuna, the Amethyst Tower Master, Violet Iris. She placed a cup of coffee on the table and began to speak.
“What happened in the year 440?”
“Hmm. Even if it’s a story outside of 440, if it’s related to Yuli, that’s fine by me.”
“I heard she’s in a comatose state… What exactly is her condition?”
“Session… Ugh, hmm. She’s swallowed by nightmares that reconstruct her memories. That’s why I need your help to break those nightmares.”
Yuna seemed convinced. C’s eyes momentarily clouded as if tracing back long-held memories. Observing her tone and expression, Yuna suddenly felt that C was quite similar to Yuli.
Even down to the formal suit.
Though their hair color, eye color, and body types were different, so a blood relation seemed impossible…
When Yuna’s round violet eyes scanned C’s appearance for the third time, she opened her mouth to start the story.
“Back then… it was the time I lived with Yuli.”
“Lived together?!”
“Should I say as her supervising investigator? I was also an important witness to uncover the true nature of the Succubus Queen, so out of pity and concern for her circumstances, I stayed with her for protection, at my mansion.”
“Aha…”
So that’s what it was!
It seemed strange. How could Yuli, a fledgling who couldn’t even adapt to the Elimination Team, afford to live in a mansion?
Her village had been destroyed, and she wouldn’t have had any assets left, nor would she be seducing men to siphon money off them.
To begin with, the Elimination Team seemed unlikely to offer high salaries. Individuals seeking vengeance typically work for relatively low wages. They had a crystal-clear purpose.
Just like how even though the budget for research at the Magic Tower was tighter than at other towers, everyone stayed on.
So, there wouldn’t be enough resources to buy a mansion!
Before Yuna and the Crazy Wizard entered, they detected a ‘vacuum of one person’—the data of one individual that the Queen had intentionally erased. That must have been C.
If C was Yuli’s protector, removing her would mean eliminating the anchor she held in her heart.
Thankfully, it seemed like the Crazy Wizard had stepped in cleanly to fill that role…
Had her stiff tone and formal wear also been shaped by living alongside C? It was interesting to trace back the childhood of someone you know. Yuna propped her chin on her hands and asked.
“Yuli didn’t adapt well to the Elimination Team, I suppose…?”
“Yes. Those street dogs can be relentless; if they think someone looks weak, it’s common to see them snap.”
“Oh dear…”
“I focused on her mental care and repeatedly suggested she try elsewhere, but she couldn’t deny that ‘the department with the highest likelihood of achieving revenge is the Elimination Team.’”
The side with the higher chance of revenge likely becomes one with promotions and ascends to high positions. Like C, gaining roles where they could command others.
However, achieving it personally seemed out of reach. If C were to request permission to go out personally and tear apart the Succubus Queen, Iride would surely stop him. We couldn’t afford to lose such a valuable asset.
But, because the Elimination Team respects each individual’s desire for revenge as much as they command them, it could be possible to directly stab a spear into the heart.
That catchphrase seemed to captivate Yuli, C noted.
“She returned with a lot of injuries. Somehow, she attempted to make those dogs acknowledge her and would get beaten while swinging her fists at adults.”
“…Oh, she was tougher than I expected?”
Well, even now, her thirst for revenge ignited ferociously, so it wasn’t hard to imagine how intense it was during her childhood.
Just look at what happened at the Benstone Mansion with Magical Girl Pure Knight.
Yuli Lanster was so consumed by anger at just the trace of the Succubus Queen that she required quite a bit of deep breaths to calm her mind.
She would get injured. She hated those dogs from the Elimination Team. But she could endure because she needed to tear the Queen apart with her own hands. That I could understand.
“Hmm.”
From what the Crazy Wizard had conveyed, the young Yuli apparently had quite a fragile impression. Had the Queen perhaps suppressed her aggression a little…?
Feeling a nagging unease, Yuna tilted her head, and C continued.
“But looking back, thanks to that bullying, she flowered into a fairy tale. Is that the phrase one could use here?”
“Oh, the chain-whip, was it…? When did she blossom into that? The Yuli in the dream still can’t use it.”
“The chain-whip… Yes. As I recall, she must’ve made a mistake while chasing down the black mage group known as the ‘Red Regeneration.’ Should I call it a mistake? She apparently did something unsuitable for the Elimination Team.”
Compassion.
She supposedly showed kindness to a child suspected of being connected to the ‘Red Regeneration.’ That child turned out to be involved, and as a price for her kindness, Yuli was met with a blade, and in that moment, she blossomed.
A horrific fairy tale where she shackled herself and sank down—a sight pitiful even to onlookers.
“But that timing was fortunate.”
“Fortunate…?”
“In the subsequent raid against ‘Red Regeneration,’ she smashed the enemy’s illusion magic and played a significant role. After reviewing the battle records, it was concluded that without Yuli’s fairy tale, we wouldn’t have won.”
Isn’t it better to suffer a heart wound than to die? C smiled as he said that. Yuna neither affirmed nor denied it but gave a vague smile.
The Crazy Wizard’s installation rate for information bombs was through the roof.
The moment he triggers them in unison, the session gets forcibly cleared. He could enter the second floor without needing keys or anything.
Therefore… no matter how much the Queen drags her feet, it means the story wraps up around the time of the ‘Red Regeneration’ raid. Nothing would lie beyond that.
The Queen must understand that fact. If that’s the case, she’s clinging on so desperately. Perhaps she aims to use the raid as the main event? Is she planning to roll the dice at that point?
If so, the Yuli in the dream… may need to suffer a little more.
The battle they would not have won without Yuli’s fairy tale. With the Crazy Wizard inside, he might lead that battle to victory with his innate physicality and wit, but… he would still face wear and tear.
But if it was originally a battle meant to be won, that wear and tear could be minimized.
The dream Yuli still hadn’t turned into a fairy tale. It might be necessary to wait for her to make a ‘mistake’ or provoke her emotions a little earlier to draw out that fairy tale.
There was guilt there.
For our sake, pushing Yuli into suffering. No matter how you spin it, even if it’s for a rescue operation—pain is pain, and wounds are wounds.
But.
That was the nature of the operation. As long as the Crazy Wizard’s resources were preserved up to a certain point, it was a fight we could absolutely win.
Yuna conveyed this to the Wizard.
===============================================================
She pondered a lot.
Even after receiving the information from Yuna, she wondered several times.
Logically, she had made her decision. The Queen’s intentions were clear.
Let’s think.
The Queen and I are playing chess at the same table. Reading her expression hiding beyond the shadow there. It’s faintly visible.
That Queen consistently hoped for ‘Yuli’s wounds.’
Yes.
From trying to put me into the body of the pig black mage, weaving misunderstandings, picking 440 as the stage, and swinging bait to block my participation in the festival with Yuli.
Moreover, even excluding Kirby, who was supposed to play the ally role in the story.
It’s as if she’s acting like she wants young Yuli to be hurt. Is she aiming to draw some magic power by giving her pain? Or is she trying to make her hate me and provoke an attack?
The exact intentions remain a mystery.
But in the end, it turns out that what I wanted to do was indeed the right thing.
I was moving completely against the Queen’s intentions. Talking with her, participating in the festival, laughing, and chatting.
But the reason why I can’t purely rejoice in this luck is that it was a decision made more from emotion than reasonable judgment.
This is… greed.
Yuli’s unfortunate past has a grip on my heart. Seeing a precious person suffering before my eyes makes my emotions spasm out of control, no matter what.
So.
I hoped Yuli could enjoy a moment of happiness in the dream. It may not change the past like a time travel, but…
After everything ends, memories will remain. I hoped she would think of me when she looked back at those memories. Even if it’s not true, I wished for an imaginary friend named ‘Mima’ to be by her side.
Thus, I thought I could quell the bubbling rage she had to the point of leaving my side, and drop that urge to take matters into my own hands.
Would she walk with me instead of that?
Then why was I still contemplating these thoughts?
It’s fine. I’m following what the Queen is desperately trying to prevent. After sneering at the bait once, I’ll simply enjoy the festival with Yuli.
I’ll make her happy until the end of the story, obtain the key from Yuli, go down below, and initiate the second round.
But… something keeps nagging at my heart.
I need to confirm. I must validate this part. A sense of urgency hit me.
I chose the path to strike at the neck of the exposed Queen.
….
The sky crumbles, attacking me. It looks chaotic on the surface, but if I adjust my vision to only check the distribution of information…
The wave of information crashes over me. Much easier to perceive.
I make contact with passing NPCs. They seem only roughly implemented but provide enough material. I absorb the information and sharpen it to pollute.
Filling it with math problems, when I make contact with the opponent’s computation facility it forces them to execute calculations… a problem bomb. I create three and throw them all at once.
Crackle, crackle!
The waves lag, stuttering.
Time to counterattack, now that I’ve bought some time. I transform the torn magic into rats, scattering them everywhere. They gnaw into nearby buildings, the ground, the sky.
Once embedded, the magic pollutes the internal information, generating duplicates. It’s akin to a virus. Temporarily exerting dominance over tainted information.
I clench my fist.
Boom—!!
It erupts from inside, scattering everywhere. The building’s texture goes empty, revealing a pitch-black void, and cracks spread wide.
I felt like I had become the Demon Lord that destroyed the world. In a way, it was very similar in intent to breaking nightmares.
I was overwhelming.
Despite the unfavorable situation, the Queen showed no signs of retreat. The curtain of information cloaking her slowly shattered, allowing me to see her silhouette. Strangely familiar.
Amidst it all, my greed constantly provoked me.
You’re dancing according to the Queen’s intent—more than that, Yuli’s expression kept popping into my head. Quite a bit of time had passed. She must be waiting for me.
Yuli would surely be searching for the missing Mima.
“Sky Engine.”
Kiiing—!!
From the ground arose a massive drilling machine. On its end was a vicious stake. A few thrusts and it would break a hole into this world.
Crackle! The excavation began. As the curtain of information shattered, explosions rang out, revealing the Queen’s form with every boom. Almost got her.
Once I grasp her, it’ll be done.
Crack! Debris scatters as the Queen’s left eye comes into view. It’s a murky, empty gaze. She writhed in resistance, but I could control it all.
She must have gone back.
Yuli has probably returned. Foolishly waiting, or maybe she was purposefully delayed and assumed something must have happened.
I could see her going home, wallowing in complaints. She’d surely be preparing to scold me for not showing up. That’s how it would be.
She wouldn’t be waiting.
Crackle, crackle!
With concern and anxiety bubbling, I grip the gathered information and lash it like a whip. The once-existing people and an inn distorted simultaneously as they got hit. The heavens resounded.
The Queen had her hair in a ponytail. It didn’t suit her at all.
The area had become a chaotic mix of information warfare, and due to that, the sun and moon were swirling together, making it difficult to even tell the time. But out there, the moon must’ve risen.
“Shadows at your feet, peeking through the wardrobe…”
As I readied another strike to break the Queen’s curtain,
A segment of the shattered space reflected Yuli’s figure like a mirror. The clouds veiled the moon, creating a dark night.
Yuli stood alone in the extinguished campfire clearing. Still.
Would she turn back a few times, about to walk away but unable to take the final step? Her face was a mess. That expression… a tangle of expectation and disappointment, leaving traces of dried tears behind.
“…”
My heart felt like it was plunging deep into the abyss. Thud!
I never thought I’d be hurt like this. Even if I spouted excuses, nothing would change. It had already happened. But.
It’s not too late. She was waiting. Still.
I know it’ll take time to wrap everything up completely. I also know that during that time, Yuli will slowly wilt away. She’s still hurting.
Keeping an eye on the Queen’s movements.
She was straining. Clinging only to the curtain protecting herself, panting heavily. No more threatening counterattacks were flying my way. She was merely holding on.
I’ve lost to my heart.
“…Damn it, Counterveil!”
I bound her up. Wrapped her tightly in her curtain. Delicately yet firmly. Unless the Queen herself came looking, no one could undo it.
I’d come back later and finish the job properly.
And hurriedly folded space, running toward Yuli. To pick up her shattered heart.
===============================================================
So… he tightly bound the Fake Queen and dashed off in search of love.
The seal was undoubtedly sturdy. Truly. It would be difficult for anyone to break it. I’d even employed tricks to ensure I’d be notified if anyone tried to touch it, so that little window of time shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.
However… because of that little window, he couldn’t confirm the identity of his rival, the Fake Queen, who had been causing petty annoyance throughout this story.
Perhaps, with just the clues gathered so far, he could have figured it out. He’s actually quite clever and competent.
But he didn’t realize it. Because… he had no interest. The Queen’s figure was a wolf lurking, ready to pounce on the Yuli he cherished so dearly.
It’s not surprising. Jealousy makes even the smartest turn into fools.
A member of the Elimination Team, a poor child brainwashed by the Demonic God, my live chair, and now the Queen in the dream proxy. He playfully referred to her as the “Black Bitch.” Doesn’t that sound quite vulgar…?
As a ‘Queen’ among characters.
Her name is Seris.
===============================================================
While moving, Yuna whispered.
“Hey, was it really okay… to do this?”
“…”
Honestly, no, it’s not okay. But, looking at her expression… I felt that it was necessary to erase it all, even if it meant paying some kind of price.
It’s already too late. No, not too late.
“Is—Is it…”
As soon as I arrived at the clearing, Yuna’s voice tapered off. Did she move to a different spot to avoid interrupting my conversation with Yuli?
She was still standing there, motionless.
I deliberately made a rustle sound with my footsteps. Yuli’s small frame trembled in anticipation. However, she didn’t look back.
She must be too afraid of being fooled again.
How many times has she swayed at the sound of rustling leaves, the chirp of birds, or other such sounds, only to feel disappointment when there was no one there, just the leaves swaying?
I couldn’t bear to witness that sight while holding onto a facade of victory and efficiency.
So, I decided.
“…Am I too late?”
Starting with that one line to signal my arrival, I aimed to redeem all the disappointment.
Yes. Damn it, I won’t leave anything out. This is a story where the protagonist suffers but eventually gets to a happy ending, not one where every moment is a mundane drudgery.
So, I will finish this story with laughter until the very end.
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