Ch.139139. Accident (3)
by fnovelpia
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< System Message >
[ Insufficient magical energy accumulated for ‘mutation’. ]
[ ·̶̛͈̪͚̹̺͖͉̪̇̎̃̏̃̎̚͡ͅ ̷̥͉̞͎̯̥̫̳̻͆͊̉̀̾͘͞·̴̵̢̢̥̱̝̘̟͎̯̥̟͖̞͊͐͌̿̎̋̔̈́̃̕̚͘͜͟͝͞͞·̶̛͈̪͚̹̺͖͉̪̇̎̃̏̃̎̚͡ͅ ̷̥͉̞͎̯̥̫̳̻͆͊̉̀̾͘͞·̴̵̢̢̥̱̝̘̟͎̯̥̟͖̞͊͐͌̿̎̋̔̈́̃̕̚͘͜͟͝͞͞’s ability cannot be fully utilized! ]
[ Target’s power will be imperfectly replicated! ]
Actually, my first thought is that I’m glad I extracted magical energy from Yuria earlier when I was trying to improve her mood.
Though using it here wasn’t part of my original plan.
‘…I shouldn’t be using this already.’
I was saving this to use on Faynol Leiphec, but in an emergency situation like this, I have no choice.
At least revealing my hand now is better than letting the Violet Demon go berserk right here.
I can always replenish my magical energy by taking Yuria on another “walk” with her leash to visit those angel gentlemen.
[…Don’t you feel any guilt anymore?]
“…”
Well, no matter how I try to dress it up, the essence remains the same. It’s something I have to do anyway.
As long as I don’t enjoy it, it shouldn’t matter, right?
[…You’re beyond help. Your mental state has already crossed a river of no return.]
“…”
[This doesn’t even seem to be influenced by your species changing or anything like that. Isn’t your personality just getting progressively destroyed?]
Shut up.
I ignore Calivan Chrysanyx’s words, letting them go in one ear and out the other as I stride into the classroom.
[Still, a demon is a demon after all. You call this incomplete energy?]
That sentence flowed from inside the amulet.
He must have said that after seeing the scene spread around us.
White energy flowing from my chest fills the entire space. And the students affected by it all have glazed eyes.
At least several dozen humans are standing motionless, as if they’ve all fainted while remaining upright.
The students here all aspire to become priests due to the nature of their department. In fact, compared to other departments, there are definitely some among them with quite high resistance to this kind of mental interference.
Yet even those types have completely lost their minds.
The White Demon’s power of “Enchantment” is an ability that exercises control over the target’s mind.
Unless they’re high-level monks or priests who specialize in mental discipline, students at this level can’t help but be captivated even by an imperfect display of magical energy.
They would follow any request I make right now.
“Now, attention.”
I clap my hands to draw their attention to me.
Their dazed gazes all turn toward me at once.
“Let’s all forget what we just saw here. Understood?”
With those words.
White energy briefly surges and then subsides in everyone’s eyes.
They’ve recognized my “command.”
“Good. Everyone quietly disperse.”
As I say this, they all file out of the lecture hall in an orderly fashion.
As if nothing had happened.
[Is that all? Will this be enough?]
“Excuse me?”
What else wouldn’t be enough?
[Memory erasure can be restored later if someone tries hard enough to recover it. Since they’re priests, they’ll be familiar with purification rituals too, so something this simple carries quite a risk—]
“…Excuse me?”
[…Huh?]
We exchange these questions with each other.
It feels like we’re not on the same page.
“Why are you bringing that up now? Because it’s a demon’s power?”
[No, I’ve seen quite a few who use abilities like this. They all get easily broken through?]
No.
Ah.
I understand now.
This person seems to be thinking of ordinary brainwashing or hypnosis. Certainly, looking at how the ability works, it doesn’t appear that different.
Those methods definitely carry risk because they break easily.
But this, though imperfect, is a demon’s power.
“It’s not brainwashing or hypnosis—they’re obeying me because they ‘want to.'”
The ability is called “Enchantment” after all.
They retain their memories, but they follow my words exactly because they come from me, whom they “adore so much.”
It’s not just that they forget this themselves—they forget because I “want them to,” so they comply with my request.
Without even being conscious of it themselves.
[…What are you talking about?]
“It means we don’t need to worry about the aftermath.”
It’s not just limited to their own memories—they’ll voluntarily prevent rumors from spreading, conceal evidence themselves, and if someone knows about it, they’ll keep quiet on their own. Even if someone were to torture them, they wouldn’t answer until death.
They won’t simply follow my words—they’ll do their utmost to ensure “the result I desire” comes to pass.
“They’ll do anything I say here. Except for one thing.”
They won’t follow orders to harm me.
[Why won’t they do that?]
“How could they hurt someone they love?”
I answer with a bitter smile.
“If asked to do that, they’d rather take their own lives. Saying they’d rather die.”
[…]
After a long silence, Calivan finally responded.
[And you call this an incomplete ability?]
“Yes.”
A fully manifested White Demon exercises this ability on a “continental” scale.
It enchants literally every sentient being in the entire world.
[…What kind of absurd power is that?]
Calivan said in a dejected voice.
I give a bitter smile in agreement.
Demons are just like that. Trying to understand them means you’ve already lost.
Anyway, this should remove any reason for Serath to go berserk again.
Now, more importantly, I need to treat him quickly or he’ll die.
Thinking this, I look at the male student writhing on the floor.
“Sigh.”
With a sigh, I take out a case from my pocket.
It’s an emergency potion set. Something I always carry in case I get hurt.
[…]
“What?”
[Nothing, just feeling sorry for you.]
“…”
[How many threats of being torn apart must you face regularly to carry something like this as a set?]
So you can sympathize with me sometimes.
I guess that means my current situation is pretty miserable.
My fate, my fate.
[Ah, but let me ask one thing.]
“What?”
[I understand this control power is impressive, but you said you were planning to use it on the Red Demon? Does this control work on demons too?]
“…Oh, that.”
The application is actually quite simple.
Of course it doesn’t work on demons.
However.
It can make even those who would normally find it impossible to “make contact” come rushing out eagerly.
Even the Red Demon, who is immune to my fatal charm skill, can be summoned once with certainty if I use this.
[…I see. So you’d look even more delicious to someone who already finds you tasty?]
“…”
The expression is a bit much, but it’s not wrong.
With that thought in mind, I look at Serath, who is standing blankly like everyone else.
Purple energy has been repeatedly rising and disappearing in his eyes for a while now.
Ah.
I should prepare.
The effect should be kicking in about now.
[Prepare for what?]
Well, you see.
This is an ability that can summon even the Red Demon, who has the least interest in me, for a one-time appearance.
Then.
What effect would it have on someone who already meddles excessively with me even when I try not to give them attention?
< System Message >
[ The energy of the ‘Violet Demon’ is sensed! ]
[ The ‘Seal of Fallen Heaven’ is responding! ]
With that message, Serath’s eyes filled completely with “purple.”
Then.
“Maaasterrr!!!”
Serath, letting out a high-pitched voice that didn’t suit him at all, threw himself at me.
●
It feels like my body is being folded in half.
This guy is a Grand Assassin. Of course his physical abilities are top-tier. Just being hugged by him feels like being hit by a truck.
As air is forced into my lungs and I exhale an empty breath, Serath continues to rub his face against my chest.
“Master, Master! I missed you!”
His eyes sparkle as if stardust is falling from them. It’s an expression unimaginable considering this guy’s usual demeanor.
Like a loyal large dog meeting its owner after years apart.
“Hey, hey, stop…!”
Of course, no matter what, I think it’s a bit much when he sticks out his tongue and rushes at me trying to lick my face like an actual dog.
As I recoil in shock and pull my body back, Serath ignores my reaction and spreads his legs wide, embracing me like an industrial vise.
Like a child clinging to a grown adult.
As if he never wants to let go. As if he wants to be even closer to me.
Of course, my physical abilities aren’t good enough to properly support a grown woman throwing her full weight at me like this.
As I stagger and fall over, Serath covers me from above as if he’d been waiting for this. With nowhere left to retreat, he licks my face all over without hesitation.
“…”
Certainly, seeing one of the continent’s only two top-level assassins doing something like this would be an almost terrifying sight, but it’s probably not his own intention.
This is, well.
Behavior that very much reflects the Violet Demon’s “own” preferences.
[…What’s this? If this is what going berserk looks like, it doesn’t seem that dangerous.]
As my face gets covered in saliva, that comment flies in from Calivan.
‘This isn’t going berserk.’
Answering that way, I activate a skill.
[ Using ‘Analytical Eye.’ ]
[ Retrieving target information. ]
[ 24-hour cooldown applies for the same target. ]
< Character Info >
[ Serath Evatrice ]
[ Trait: Vessel – Violet Demon ]
[ Status: Loves master, loves master, loves master, loves master, loves master, master-]
“…”
Let’s skip this creepy window for now.
< Status Info >
[Normal]
Strength: A+
Agility: SSS
Endurance: B
Luck: B
Authority: A-
[Supernatural]
Magic Power: A
Law Power: F
Divine Power: A
< Misc. >
-Current number of ‘Demon Fragments’ fused: 1
-Stage 1 fusion progress: 3%
-Corruption progress: 1%
See that.
The fragment fusion progress is minimal, and the corruption rate remains in the 1% range.
This is a phenomenon only seen with the Violet Demon.
Even without going berserk, it’s just expressing its “will” through the “vessel.”
“…”
That’s actually terrifying when you think about it.
Even the White Demon, known as the Demon of Obsession, doesn’t completely crush Yuria’s personality to put itself front and center.
No matter what vessel you are, once you start properly entangling with a demon entity, mental collapse is just a matter of time. Forcibly suppressing the vessel and letting only your own will emerge like this could turn someone into a vegetative state, unable to think or act.
And if the vessel ends up in that state, it’s naturally a huge loss for the demon who can only exert influence on the material world through that vessel.
But.
This one doesn’t care about any of that and charges forward without thinking of the consequences.
The thought that such a reckless nature will consistently meddle with things “for my sake” is truly terrifying beyond measure.
“Serath.”
So.
What I need to do here is quite clear.
I need to lay some groundwork to “control” that nature.
“Yes, Master! Anything, anything you say! Command me! Use me! I’ll do whatever I can—!”
“My order is: don’t approach within 5 meters of me.”
Serath’s words cut off abruptly.
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