A dark underground prison.
When I came to my senses, this was the sight before me.
Creak, creak.
Looking around, I found my body was shackled in chains.
I was clearly inside my lab.
Did I lose consciousness?
I rifled through my memories.
A student visited me in my lab and expressed interest in Magic Engineering.
Thinking I found a good apprentice—no, I mean a graduate student—to advance my Magic Engineering, I let them into my lab. That was my last memory.
Did they kidnap me to steal my Magic Engineering and golems?
Though this sort of thing wasn’t unprecedented…
I had never been successful at it even once.
I had been thoroughly protective.
Was I too complacent?
I must have been too cornered by then.
To think I let some nameless person freely enter my lab without realizing I should have produced something anyone would recognize as a real achievement…
That’s how I’d see the end of Magic Engineering…
Creak, creak.
I tried to activate my magic to summon a golem, but it didn’t work.
It felt as if I were in a dimension that was not the original continent, as there was no connection between me and my golems.
-Sssss… Ah, how aromatic. Such strong ‘desire.’
At that moment, someone murmured beside me while sniffing my neck.
-Who, who are you!?
When I turned my head, I found a pitch-black woman suddenly appearing.
With her deep black form taking only the shape of a human, I couldn’t tell who she was.
I could only guess she was a woman from her voice.
-Cronia Mesene. The war hero of Calandra. And… an authority on Magic Engineering.
-Who are you? And why did you kidnap me? Are you after my golems?
-Huh? Oh, ‘kidnapping.’ Do you see it that way? Sorry, but no. It’s more like… Yes, this is your inner world.
-…Inner world?
-Yes. It’s your dreamscape.
-…I don’t understand what you’re talking about.
Dreamscape? What nonsense are you spewing?
-Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand. This place will soon become your reality, and your body will belong to me.
-Wha, what are you talking about?
Shhhhhhh.
A black liquid began to ooze from beneath my feet, swirling and wrapping around my body.
-My name is Lilith. The arbiter of ‘Desire.’ I found the strong desire of yours quite delightful.
Lilith?
-Now you will be the spearhead of ‘Chaos’ to color the continent as my loyal servant.
‘Chaos’…
An unidentified enigmatic group forming beyond the northern mountains of the Empire.
After a long decade of no movements, the group that the Empire’s army merely monitored has kidnapped me?
What do you mean make me a servant?
-Huh… It seems you just can’t believe it. Fine, let me show you the reality.
The woman who introduced herself as Lilith cupped her fingers to create a rectangle with her hands.
Pah!
Then, another perspective, an image started appearing before my eyes.
-Professor Cronia! Good morning!
-Move aside, you lowly thing.
-Y, yes? Ah, I’m so sorry! I overstepped my bounds!
A view of a student greeting me in the academy’s hallway, being shoved aside.
It was my voice, but I didn’t say it. No matter how much I shy away from human interactions, I wouldn’t respond like that; I’d rather ignore them.
-What do you think?
-…What the hell have I done?
-As I told you, this is your inner world. And your body is currently under my control.
-That’s…
-Hoho. Well, though it is my puppet, your actions aren’t entirely what I want. I maximized your ‘desire’ to make you my puppet. To be precise, it’s an expression of the desires you have repressed in your subconscious.
-Subconsciously?
-Yeah. What? Is Magic Engineering everything? Are human relationships all unnecessary? No. Wrong. Having tasted all your ‘desires,’ I know. That’s merely your continual brainwashing to hide your true feelings. Your genuine inner self is… a yearning for affection.
-…That’s nonsense.
-Cronia, Cronia, Cronia. Always the summons. You hated those who flocked to you after recognizing your brilliant talent.
-Yes. So what of human relationships…
-Ahahaha. No. Recall what your mentor said. Your family did not truly cherish you. They did not love you. Therefore, you…
She leaned in close to whisper in my ear.
-…yearned for love. Not for those who wanted just your talent and abilities but for someone who would love you for who you are. Just as your mentor mentioned.
-Hah. No way I could have…
That I… yearned for someone’s affection…
-You might not want to admit it.
Crackle.
The chains surrounding my body, as well as the space around me, began to dissolve into darkness.
And they shaped into a large crucifix, spreading my arms wide and hanging me up.
-Watch closely. Watch as your ‘desire’ amplifies. And as you become the vanguard of ‘Chaos!’
Lilith vanished after finishing her words, leaving me alone in this dark space.
And through the screen before me, I watched as ‘I’ acted for several days.
Myself, installing something in the academy gym.
What am I doing?
An extraordinarily advanced spell that was hard to fathom even with my knowledge.
As if creating an entire dimension…
Though it would only be temporary and unstable, it was a kind of magic beyond imagination.
Then, the ‘me’ that completed the spell confirmed someone entering the gym early that morning and activated ‘it.’
-Pulsreino. It’s been a while.
The ‘me’ that wasn’t ‘me’ targeted Luke Pulsreino.
Pulsreino, who defeated my golem.
-Why haven’t you attended my class since that orientation?
-Aha, Luke Pulsreino. You’re sharp. I didn’t think you’d catch on to this ‘barrier’ so quickly. That’s classic Pulsreino for you.
-All for the sake of ‘Lady Lilith.’
Whoooom!
Boom!
Then I summoned all my golems and started attacking him.
No…
That’s all my power… No matter how much it’s Pulsreino, he won’t come out unscathed.
After two losses, the forces that I reinforced upon reinforcements.
No matter who that guy is, it’s too dangerous.
…Is that what ‘desire’ maximized version of ‘me’ looks like?
Did I really subconsciously want to harm my students?
Lilith claimed I yearned for affection.
Wanting affection, yet killing students doesn’t make sense.
-Are you watching well?
-Lilith.
Lilith appeared beside me again.
-Luke Pulsreino. The most wanted person in our ‘Chaos.’ And the human you’re most interested in, right?
-Am I truly interested in that guy?
-Hoho, yes. The one who defeated you. The one who said harsh things but didn’t cling to you forcibly. And the one who showed no interest in your abilities. You unconsciously sought the interest of the two Pulsreinos. I see another version of ‘you’ is sulking because Pulsreino hasn’t come back to your class.
I… wanting that guy?
Unknowingly…?
-Ignis!
Pulsreino conjured fire in the air, just like he did when he faced my golems before.
And that fire took a human form, melting all my golems.
With completely overwhelming firepower, different from when he faced me last time.
Phew, thank goodness.
-Hm, I see. Found it.
Lilith murmured with a sense of certainty beside me.
Kuguguguuggghh!
The world shook as if an earthquake had struck.
-Sorry, Cronia. I’m afraid I’ll have to pull out your life.
What the…!
I felt something being extracted from my body, and I lost consciousness.
After that, everything felt like a hazy dream.
-What nonsense! Cronia fainted! What trick did you use?
-Hah. You rushed in here? Good. This is better. In the dreamscape, I can use my true powers without penalty. So let’s suppress you here.
-Luke Pulsreino. The adversary who stole Saula from ‘us.’
-Since you are aware of ‘us,’ is that why you manipulated Saula like that? I’ve been hearing a lot about the name ‘Deus’ lately.
-Back when I aimed to take this continent, I was so close to success. If it hadn’t been for that detestable ‘Deus’!
-But. There exists the entity known as ‘Son of Deus.’ Moreover, there is a human here who looks exactly like him.
-Thanks to that, I gained confirmation of who the one obstructing ‘us’ is, hoho.
“No.”
-What!? The world… has frozen? Stopping time… Even in this dreamscape, it’s impossible. I have never heard of any deity accomplishing such a feat. Luke Pulsreino. What have you done? Could it be you cast an illusion on me!
-No… No way. It’s not an illusion… time has stopped… Such an impossible thing… What on earth are you!
“Me? You just said it earlier.”
“I am the Son of Deus. The savior of this world. The messiah who will drive out ‘Chaos.’”
-The source of ‘mind’ is shattered… If this continues, Cronia will… that devil Lilith…!
-Hah… Is that the only option left?
Then, I began to feel a warm energy entering me.
-Please. I can’t lose here, not for a ridiculous reason.
With the warmth came someone’s feelings and memories.
Hey, isn’t Cronia Mesene too cool?
-They say the protagonist is dating Cronia. Did you deceive me?
-Sensei! Huff, huff. I will never forget your sacrifice, Cronia-sensei!
-We have to resurrect Cronia-sensei. If you agree, it’s fine.
-Cronia-sensei pick-up additional wish, day 12.
-For a true teacher, no arguments GOAT.
Not my powers.
Affection towards myself.
The profound emotions of someone who cried for me.
Someone who wanted me…
Someone who loved me…
Someone who would give their life for me…
My…
Pah!
“Can you hear me, Professor Cronia?”
As my vision cleared upon waking, there he was.
Luke Pulsreino.
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