"Ugh...!" The chains tighten around me, Luceria oppressively binding me as if determined not to let me escape. "I've been waiting... just for my partner to appear..."
She utters words filled with ecstasy, but their meaning is unclear. "Let me go!" I struggle with all my might, but it's futile resistance. I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried.
"Sigh..." "Ugh?!" Suddenly, Luceria blows air into my ear, causing me to lose strength and feel an unknown sense of shame.
"Relax, there's no use. Eventually, you'll enjoy the world with me, so don't bother resisting, my partner." What is she talking about...? Her calling me her partner, as if we're allies, is highly irritating.
"Who said I'm your partner?! Let me go, now...?!" Ignoring Luceria's persuasions and shouting does as much good as a caged mouse howling – nothing will change. Part of me might be halfway to accepting reality.
"Why am I your partner?" I protest, a natural question for something I don't want to acknowledge no matter what happens.
"Because I can feel it... a strong fate..." She blushes more in Marika's body, whispering in my ear in a suggestive tone. What is she saying...? I couldn't understand anything she's been saying.
"I felt there was something unusual about you when we first met... On that tragic day, when you tried to sacrifice yourself to seal me, I realized it!" Her words deepen the mystery, raising more questions than answers.
"I'm sorry for putting you in a tough spot last time... But my efforts to confirm it were continuously interrupted..." Her tone carries a tinge of regret, as if recalling a bittersweet memory, and she looks at me with a wistful gaze.
And secondly, her words suggest a past familiarity with me... I was sure this was my first encounter with an ancient god, yet Luceria spoke to me as if we had met before, which only added to my confusion. "The courage and spirit of sacrifice I felt from you... the kindness filling your inner self that I only saw right before I was sealed..."
Her continuous use of past tense was baffling, leaving me unable to understand the situation. "From the moment I was trapped in the crystal, I've been thinking only of you, realizing you were the partner of fate I had glimpsed in the past..."
She hugs me tighter, savoring my warmth as if settling into a peaceful rest, her expression relaxing as she closes her eyes. "Of course, you might view me unfavorably due to these conflicts, and I understand why you would look at me that way now. Luceria, the ancient being, trying to resolve the situation unilaterally and on her own terms.
"But I'll guide you slowly. Follow me... let's move forward together..." "Your appearance has brought the prophecy's fulfillment closer, as my partner... be my support and strength."
A prophecy...? Muttering the word, bits of information vaguely come to mind. Hearing 'prophecy' helped me gain some understanding of the situation. This was because I had a bit of knowledge about historical and ancient deities.
Luceria was a god who existed since ancient times and became corrupted. Traditionally, she was said to be a god of love and had a different name. According to records, the essence and nourishment of Luceria's power were love. A prophecy stated that upon finding her true partner, she would awaken as a being beyond anyone's reach.
However, due to some reason, she fell from grace before she could find her partner and became a target for purging. Eventually, she was eradicated by the gods of the new era before fulfilling her wish. This is all I know... So, is this situation unfolding because Luceria has chosen me as her partner? Even though I realized why she had been looking at me with such a warped desire, there were still unresolved doubts...
"Harold..." It was particularly about the way she talked, as if she knew me from the past. She knew my name without me having told her, as if we were old acquaintances. But no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall ever meeting her before. Why does she know me?
Smooch! "?!!" Suddenly, a provocative sensation distracts my thoughts, blurring the focus I was trying to maintain. The touch was so soft and gentle...
"Will you answer me?" The light kiss causes a flush of warmth on my face. "Wha... what?!" "You're going to be my partner; you are definitely my destiny. Just possessing you now fills me with enough power to handle the universe..."
Her plea is now slightly sorrowful yet earnest. But my answer was already decided. "No." A short and clear response, without anything else to add.
"What...?" Luceria's face contorts in disbelief. Unable to accept it, but somehow understanding my reaction, she remains silent with a twisted expression.
"I came here to stop you! And now you want me to help you? That's absurd...!" Looking back, it was a bold answer to give before a divine being capable of easily snatching away a mere human's life. But for some reason, I wasn’t afraid of the ancient god before me.
Her expression darkens further. "Huh..." Deep in thought, she lets out a heavy sigh as if preparing to say something... "Well... I can understand your feelings." ...? Unexpectedly, she concedes.
"Sure, I threatened you before, so it's understandable that you'd hate me. I was somewhat prepared for this." Her surprisingly cooperative tone catches me off guard, and I can't help but look stunned. Why does she keep implying that we have a past together, when I don't remember anything? Thump! "Cough?!" My train of thought is suddenly cut off by a constricted breath.
"I never thought you would love me entirely." Luceria, with a wicked smile, tightens her grip around my neck. "Hehe..." Her expression, inscrutable, revives a fear I had forgotten.
"If you had accepted me, I really planned to give you everything... Despite the darkness, I intended to bring you a happiness incomparable to the past..."
Ting! Ting! Clank! Clank! As the chains break, new ones tightly bind my arms and legs, leaving me immobilized as if strapped to an experimental table.
"Well... since you've rejected me, I have no choice... The outcome might be the same, but the process will be different..." She licks her lips seductively, her blushing cheeks hinting at her intentions. The sense of impending dread is inescapable.
This is still Marika's body... If I don't respect her wishes, what will happen to Marika...
Thud! Thud! Thud! "Don't be so scared... I'll give you pleasures you've never experienced in life ♡" I struggle futilely, gritting my teeth against the sensations coursing through me as I run my fingers over my chest.
"You're cute~ Not a bad reaction, it's somewhat thrilling to see such a small prey resist... ♡" But...
"Uh...?" Overwhelmed by an indescribable euphoria and sinking into a deep, unknowable void, I look into her glowing amber eyes and feel my strength fading. As if under a spell...
"Leave it to me, it's my first time too, but I'll guide you well..." My ability to think rationally is slipping away... Why is this happening?
The desire to merge with those approaching lips grows... "I love you... ♡" My body... "Let's move forward together." Entrust and... want...
Kaboom!! But that strange sensation, creeping up like drowsiness, is suddenly shattered by a booming sound in my ears. "Ice Burst!!" A voice filled with hostility and courage reaches me...
"Uh?!" Luceria, struck by the direct hit of the cold magic, stumbles backward. "Huh?!" My rationality abruptly returns, and I feel embarrassed for the thoughts I had just entertained.
"Harold, are you okay?!!" A familiar voice comes from the entrance where I had come in. "Aris, Arsia!" The women who promised to follow me had arrived.
"Wait, I’ll free you in a moment!" Aris rushes towards me and breaks the darkened chains with her magic. "Luceria..." And Arsia stares intently at Luceria, exchanging a look full of various emotions.
"Arsia... so, you've woken in that body and learned emotions by now." Despite being hit by powerful magic, Luceria, inhabiting Marika's body, dusts herself off and rises effortlessly.
"Luceria, today I will erase you from this world and cut off all the chains of evil you’ve oppressed..." Arsia, bearing a resemblance to her, openly shows her hostility.
"You'll soon lose consciousness, and when you wake up again... you'll see me united with my partner and crumble." However, Luceria is the complete opposite, exuding an air of ease and vulnerability as she slowly steps forward.
"Ice Burst! Fire End! Great Nova!" She is bombarded with a series of large-scale spells, an assault fierce enough to collapse the underground facility.
But... Whoosh! "OFLI...?!" With a mere gesture, Luceria nullifies the magic, as if nothing had happened. She wasn't called a god for nothing. "Did you think the creator of ancient magic couldn’t dispel such rudimentary spells?"
As Arsia hesitates, biting her lip and maintaining her guard, it's clear she needs help. "Harold, can you stand up?" With Aris's help, I get to my feet. It's uncertain whether using all my magical power in this cramped space, compared to the surface, is a good idea, but I have to try.
"Yes, but I think the three of us might not be enough..." Aris offers some comfort in response to my concern, bringing somewhat hopeful news. "Actually, we’ve informed the various gods about our situation, and soon their direct knights, the strongest and most loyal servants of the gods, will come to assist us. Let's hold on until then!"
She speaks confidently, motivating us as she eyes the ancient god returned. I had forgotten, but indeed, besides Lord Morione, other gods were involved in investigating the heretics related to the academy. So, the possibility of reinforcements was high.
But then... Ting! Ting! Ting!! The sudden sound of metal resonating fills the room. "Hmm?" "....?" Everyone falls silent, confused by the source of the noise.
Ting! Ting! Ting!! The unexpected turn of events leaves the room echoing with the same sound for a while... "Is that... coming from the entrance?" Luceria’s comment makes us all listen intently, and indeed, the sound seems to be coming from the direction she entered.
Could it be the reinforcements have already arrived? I eagerly fix my gaze on the entrance, hoping... "Luceria..." A familiar girl appears.
"That girl is definitely..." Her passionate red hair contrasts with the hatred-filled eyes. "I’ve come to repay my debt from before..."