Chapter 170

Ŕẽâd̂​ ̃öǹ ̈K̂ät́R̃ëâd̀ín̈ǵC̀​àf̂é​

Content Warning

More of these Content Warnings! Just sliiiiight gore heehee~

“Hmm~ Mmm~”

A cheerful hum echoed softly.

The clicking of heels sounded light, almost as if they were about to fly away.

Astaroth twirled her parasol and smiled.

“Another step forward.”

Though it’s only half done, she had made a contract with Eugene. He had agreed to her proposal, and at that moment, the contract was established. 

Although it was incomplete due to the lack of specific terms, in other words, there were plenty of gaps to exploit. It all depended on how she used it.

“Hmm, it’s going smoothly. Too smoothly, to the point where it’s almost frightening.”

She had loosely shackled the Chosen One.

Agares’ plan still needed time to be completed.

Since she had found a tail in the Celestial Corps, the delay would only grow.

The Needle of Causality was in her hands.

She would soon send it to Belial.

The chaotic pieces were slowly coming together.

The vague picture was beginning to take shape.

There were still many gaps, but they were steadily being filled.

“I brought this just in case, but it seems I didn’t need it.”

Astaroth pulled a small pouch from her pocket.

Inside the sealed bag was a slender finger.

Ten fingers. Astaroth grinned.

“Maybe I should have just given it to him as a gift.”

In case Eugene hesitated, she had cut off Lucia’s finger to give him a little push.

But surprisingly, he agreed without much resistance, so she didn’t need to use it.

If nothing else, she might have given it to him as a gift for the contract.

Astaroth narrowed her eyes slightly.

Behind the fox mask, her blue eyes half-opened.

“That guy earlier…”

She recalled the captain of the Celestial Corps who had interfered. The man with light blue hair. 

Despite her overwhelming pressure, his expression hadn’t changed. He withstood her pressure with his bare body and even blocked the pressure she directed at Eugene.

A strong one.

And quite high up in the ranks at that.

So far, she has encountered four captains.

Each one was a powerhouse that made it hard to believe they were human.

Though they couldn’t compare to her, the fact that they could stand against devils made them exceptional.

Devils are gods who have taken human vessels.

Mere humans who have reached the heavens.

2nd Division Captain, Kallad.

3rd Division Captain, Isabella.

7th Division Captain, Kaen.

And the man with the narrow eyes she had just confronted.

“…Is he the strongest among the captains?”

That was why Astaroth chose to retreat without a fight.

He was undoubtedly the strongest among the humans she had met so far.

She wasn’t confident she could subdue or kill him in a short time.

His martial prowess was impressive, but his ‘eyes’ were the biggest variable.

Who would have thought he’d implant something like that into his body? It wasn’t something a sane person would do.

“Well, he’s not my match anyway!”

Annoying, but not unbeatable.

Next time they meet, she’ll have to teach him not to meddle in other people’s conversations.

Astaroth hummed a tune as she opened the door to the villa. The penthouse she had used before was ruined during the process of creating Ere’s core, so this was her new hideout. 

As soon as she opened the door, a metallic smell brushed past her nose. A smile spread across Astaroth’s lips. It was the thick scent of blood.

“I’m back, Regina.”

She greeted lightly as she removed her mask. There was no response. Instead, a dry cough echoed. 

Cough, cough. 

The coughing, mixed with sobs, didn’t stop.

Astaroth headed toward the source of the sound. Long, dried purple hair was sprawled out. A girl was curled up, trembling. 

Bloodstains were scattered messily around her. The scent of blood was mixed with a foul stench. 

The smell of vomit and rot. Regina’s head was buried on the floor. Her shoulders shook violently.

“Your friend is here, and you’re not even going to greet me?”

“…Hk, kuh, ahh…”

Astaroth knelt and placed a hand on Regina’s shoulder. Then she pulled hard. There was no gentleness in her touch. Regina’s body was dragged limply. Her face, smeared with tears, snot, saliva, and blood, was revealed. Her trembling gaze turned toward Astaroth.

“Did you have fun playing with Lucia?”

“Ah, Asta… roth…”

“Looks like you had a good time.”

Astaroth wiped Regina’s face with the back of her hand. The white opera glove turned red. She rubbed Regina’s face without caring that it was getting dirty. But instead of getting cleaner, the blood only smeared more. Once blood stains, it’s not easy to wipe away.

“Ahaha, how cute.”

It was worth weakening the mask’s control for a while.

It’s no fun if she’s too obedient.

When she slightly loosened the brainwashing, Regina immediately tried to crawl back.

Astaroth chuckled and patted Regina’s head. Her cute ‘friend’ looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. Her already decadent appearance was even more pronounced. The dark circles under her eyes had deepened.

If she restored the mask’s control, she wouldn’t get to see this expression. Regina would have frowned slightly and messed with Lucia. That wouldn’t be fun. Her reactions would be dull. Astaroth lifted Regina with a satisfied expression.

She headed silently to the torture chamber. Regina flinched and shook her head vigorously, but Astaroth’s steps didn’t falter. Poking Regina’s cheek with her finger, Astaroth pushed open the tightly shut door to the torture chamber.

The smell of blood vibrated in the air.

The stench of burning flesh wafted strongly.

Astaroth took a step forward.

With each step, the foul odor stabbed at her nose.

In the center of the torture chamber, there she was.

A blonde girl, limbs bound to an operating table.

Around her, dozens of blood-soaked nails were scattered.

They had been embedded in Lucia’s body but fell out as she regenerated.

Countless chunks of flesh were mixed with the nails. Thin slices of meat, like sashimi.

There were also pieces of meat that had turned black and lost their original shape.

A pool of blood had formed. So much red blood that it flowed endlessly.

Lucia’s hazy cherry blossom-colored eyes stared into the void.

Her focus was gone. Saliva dripped from her gag.

The scent of blood was mixed with a sweet aroma.

The sweetness lingered not just in her nose but on her tongue as well.

“I… did it… what you told me to do…”

“Huhu, you did well. As expected of my ‘friend’.”

Drugging Lucia to sleep was a mistake, but Astaroth had expected it from the start. She smiled as she spoke.

“Then you’ll be able to do it again, right?”

“I, I…”

Regina looked at Astaroth with a pale face.

She bit her lip and her pupils trembled. She coughed as if her throat was blocked.

It was an expression that would evoke sympathy from anyone, but Astaroth had wanted to see this expression from the start.

The girl she had taken a liking to the moment they met on that rooftop at sunset.

She had made her a ‘friend’ instead of a slave because she thought Regina would break if handled carelessly.

It would be such a waste if she broke before she could be fully enjoyed.

‘Breaking her slowly, bit by bit, is much more fun.’

Astaroth wiped the tears streaming down Regina’s cheek with her fingertip.

She spoke in a tone that feigned kindness.

“You can stop if it’s too hard.”

“R-really…?”

“Of course.”

Color returned to Regina’s face.

But it quickly faded with Astaroth’s next words.

“If Regina doesn’t want to do it, I’ll just do it myself.”

“Ah…”

“I don’t have anyone to look after me like Regina does… but I guess that doesn’t matter to you, right?”

The one suffering isn’t you, it’s Lucia.

She didn’t say it out loud, but it was implied.

Regina looked at Lucia with trembling eyes.

Her lips parted and then closed again.

After moving her lips several times, she barely managed to let out a faint voice.

“I’ll…”

“Hmm? I can’t hear you~”

“I’ll, I’ll do it… instead…”

Her voice, filled with sobs, was so hoarse it was hard to understand.

Astaroth looked at Regina, whose shoulders were trembling, with an approving gaze.

“Yes, that’s my ‘friend’.”

She’s such a cute ‘friend’.

So much so that I want to cut off her legs so she can’t go anywhere.

◈

It’s hazy, like I’m dreaming.

I feel lethargic, as if I’m floating on a cloud.

My body has no strength.

Only a vague sense of happiness fills me.

With every breath, a sweet scent seeps deep into my lungs. 

Flicker, flicker. 

My consciousness flickers. It’s hard to tell if I’m dreaming or awake. My memories are jumbled and scattered. I can’t remember why I’m here or what I was doing.

Twitch.

My waist trembles.

I hear voices talking nearby.

My foggy mind can’t comprehend them.

For some reason, the voices sound familiar.

That’s as far as my thoughts go.

‘Ah…’

Somehow, I feel happy.

No worries.

It feels like I don’t have to think about anything.

I even feel a baseless sense of omnipotence.

I want to stay drunk on this eternal happiness.

I think I’ve felt something like this before.

I can’t remember clearly, but there’s a strange sense of déjà vu.

When was it… when was it? So…

‘Dr… ugs…’

That’s right. I remember now. It was like this when I was high on Regina’s drugs.

Once one memory surfaced, others followed in quick succession. I blinked my hazy eyes. My unfocused vision remained blurry.

I remembered. I was captured by Astaroth and tortured. My upper body was sawed apart with a chainsaw, my eyeballs burned with fire. 

I was butchered like a fish with a kitchen knife. Nails were driven into me. Did she have a grudge against my eyes? She even drove nails into them. What a terrible taste. Hehe~♡

For a moment, a flood of thoughts surged, but as I breathed in the air, my mind fogged over again. The sweet scent tickled my nose. 

Twitch. 

My body trembled. My mind became cloudy, as if covered in fog.

‘Ah, ha…’

Is this drug torture after physical torture?

My heart pounds. My heartbeat feels hot. As my blood circulates faster, the drugs spread more quickly through my body.

I feel like letting out a soft moan. A lewd voice doesn’t suit an innocent girl like Lucia. Huh? Lucia isn’t innocent? At least her appearance is. Who would think that behind this pure face lies a filthy, grunting sow?

My vision spins. The air is filled with scattered drugs. The purity of the drugs is so high that even my super regeneration can’t dilute them. With every breath, my consciousness bursts like fireworks. 

It’s like riding a rollercoaster, going up and down. Hehe, I giggle lightly and wiggle my fingers.

My vision blurs.

The more I’m intoxicated, the more I lose touch with reality and sink into a dream.

I feel like I’m floating as I slowly blink my eyes.

Every time I close my eyes, the scenery changes.

Beyond the bleak ceiling and the light, various hallucinations appear.

Familiar faces appear. People I’ve met since becoming Lucia.

A boy with hair like obsidian.
A girl with soft, chubby cheeks.
A beautiful woman with jade-like skin chewing tobacco like gum.
Braided hair and round glasses.
Blonde with a tan… stepbrother?
A silver-haired ponytailed flying squirrel. 

And, and more… Various scenes flash before my eyes, appearing and disappearing repeatedly.

[…]

The last one to appear was someone I’ve never seen before.

Since becoming Lucia, I’ve met many people but this person isn’t in my memories.

His hair is black like ink, mixed with gold.

It’s like a night sky filled with stars.

His lips move as if he’s saying something, but no sound comes out.

[Luc■]

The boy looks at me and speaks.

He crosses his arms and chuckles.

Seeing his friendly smile.

For some reason, my heart flutters a little.

I don’t know him, I’m sure I don’t.

But for some reason, he feels familiar. Extremely familiar.

Who are you?

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Surprisingly, Astaroth’s feelings for Regina are genuine.

The problem is that they are very twisted.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
The four seasons are not very innocent or good it seems, heh.