Ch.5353. Removing Curse (3)

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Actually, thinking about it, the ability to subdue someone by searching through their mind is quite a funny power.

It’s almost like combat without using physical force.

You infiltrate the opponent’s mental space, defeat them in a confrontation, and then repeatedly do this until you get them to “surrender.”

Then you make them promise never to do certain actions, enforce it with holy power, and the situation ends.

‘So that’s how it’s implemented.’

I nod while looking around at the pure white space stretching around me with nothing in it.

This must be my mental space.

It seems this is how we move to a new space, just the two of us separated from everything else.

“…Huh.”

The Fallen Angel also looked around at the space stretching out around us.

She looked quite dumbfounded.

“W-what is this? Why is there nothing here?”

I snicker as I hear that voice.

Certainly, my current situation is a bit unusual.

‘…Mental spaces are directly affected by Karma, weren’t they?’

I scratch my head as I recall this.

You know, that evil deed counter. The standard that defines a person’s tendencies as good or evil.

Karma values naturally accumulate not just from murder but from other evil deeds as well, and conversely, they can be gradually reduced by doing good deeds by general moral standards or through mental discipline.

Those with high Karma values tend to have hellish landscapes in their mental space, while those with low Karma values have idyllic, harmonious scenes.

So my case, where there’s “absolutely nothing,” is quite strange.

Does it mean I’m neither good nor bad?

“W-well, what! It might look a bit unusual, but angels aren’t angels for nothing! You made a mistake!”

The Fallen Angel said that while standing tall with dignity.

“No matter who the opponent is, through asceticism and restraint, angels have the best mental discipline! No matter who we face, we never panic—”

“You were panicking quite hard just now.”

“…I did not!”

Hmm.

I think it’s not asceticism and restraint but shamelessness that’s their specialty.

‘…This person was always like this.’

Female angels are extremely rare beings, so if we’re talking about a female angel at “Elphante,” and a Fallen Angel at that, it’s not difficult to narrow down her identity.

Users called her Klutz.

She’s a particularly out-of-place, sloppy angel in the heavenly realm, which is full of strict, suffocating rules.

“I don’t know what you were thinking, dragging an angel into your mental space, but you’ll definitely regret it!”

After saying that, Klutz spread her wings wide.

Then, around her, white energy began to ripple with a formidable aura.

Indeed, it’s overwhelming holy power.

Equal to or even greater than the holy power I felt when directly facing the Pope before.

Even though angels are limited in exerting their power in the material world, they can fully utilize their strength in mental spaces like this.

“…But, what’s that?”

I scratch my head while facing her.

“You should prepare yourself now while you still can.”

“…What?”

“Mental spaces are connected to the spirit, right?”

If I remember correctly, that’s definitely how it was set up.

It’s a space that unfolds based on information stored in the soul, wasn’t it?

Klutz slightly furrowed her brows.

“So what? That makes you even more disadvantaged. Most abilities of material beings are attributed to the flesh, so in mental spaces, angels as spiritual beings definitely have the upper hand—”

There’s no time for such explanations.

I sigh and cut her off.

“I’m saying there’s someone who will come charging in like crazy if I create a space ‘connected’ to my soul.”

If I recall what Atalante explained before.

The “nature of my soul” attracts things very well.

And extremely radical ones at that.

I think there was one near my physical body in the material world too, if I remember correctly.

“Ah, here it comes.”

As I say that, Klutz’s expression quickly hardens.

She must have immediately sensed that something was forcing its way into this space.

Of course, it would be somewhat… inaccurate to simply describe this as “coming.”

-…

Rather than just “appearing.”

-…!

It’s closer to “descending.”

The landscape of my mental world, which had been empty, is now “whitewashed.” It’s being consumed so rapidly that it might as well be exploding.

However, the feeling emanating from that color is by no means pure or clean.

Rather, it’s so clear that it feels like my head might split.

There’s a “stickiness” that feels like it could drive you insane just by looking at it.

It’s not easy to cause discomfort with such a color, but there is one entity capable of it.

“…”

Klutz’s wings dropped to the floor with a thud.

Her mouth falls open. Her pupils shake.

“A demon…?”

Simultaneously with that murmur spreading out.

A girl revealed herself by “tearing” into the space.

Just that alone makes the entire mental space quake.

“Eek, hiiieek-!”

Seeing all the holy power she had deployed being completely devoured by the white demonic energy, Klutz collapsed to the ground.

Her legs must have given out.

Normally, she could return to her physical body in the material world by closing this mental space that she opened, but that’s difficult now that control has been taken away.

Opening and closing this place is completely up to the other party now.

“…Im-impossible, impossible…! Why is a demon here…!”

“…”

I thought you said you wouldn’t panic no matter who you faced.

Seeing her mumbling such words in a half-deranged state makes me sigh with pity.

See? I told you.

I said you should have been prepared from the beginning.

‘…I understand though.’

I look at her with a wry smile.

For a Demon Fragment, to handle it one-on-one without bringing multiple opponents, you’d need at least the rank just below Lightbearer, if not a Lightbearer itself.

While a Fallen Angel isn’t a low rank, the gap is too great if they were to face off—they’d be torn apart like cardboard.

The hierarchy doesn’t match from the start. Demons are rulers of Pandemonium, while Fallen Angels are merely slightly powerful angels.

<System Message>

[ ‘Skill: Fatal Charm’ activates! ]

[ Target ‘White Demon Fragment’ takes interest in you! ]

I narrow my eyes and glare at the window that appears.

‘The system isn’t being torn apart.’

This is clearly different from when the Grey Demon Fragment appeared.

Back then, the window and everything else were destroyed, and I couldn’t read anything.

It must mean there’s a clear “power difference” even among demons.

The fact that “Mortal Peril” isn’t activating right now proves this.

[Found you.]

But.

[My companion.]

As that voice resonates thickly, a chill runs down my spine.

The girl who revealed herself in the space walked toward me with heavy steps.

It’s Yuria’s appearance, without a single thread of clothing. Since fragments operate through vessels, it’s natural that they’re influenced by that appearance.

However, unlike her usual small animal-like atmosphere, this one gives off a distinctly “dangerous” feeling.

[I wanted, wanted to meet you constantly. I missed you.]

Despite having the face of that small girl, what’s melted into it is an intoxicating atmosphere that makes your mind dizzy.

[You too, right?]

The air is sweet. Just breathing it makes me want to kneel down.

I even feel the desire to declare that I am yours, kissing those feet.

A flame-like lust rises throughout my body. No matter what happens, this girl, I want to make her mine—

[ ‘Authority: Temptation’ and ‘Skill: Fatal Charm’ conflict! ]

[ You resist the effect! ]

“…”

As soon as my mind returns, I punch myself in the jaw.

With that unrestrained blow, question marks appear simultaneously on the faces of the girl walking toward me and Klutz collapsed on the floor.

But I feel like I’ve just come back from the dead.

‘…This is really dangerous.’

I touch my throbbing jaw and shake my head with a slightly clearer mind.

If the Grey Demon’s basic authority is “Erosion,” which spreads its influence on the surrounding time and space, the White Demon’s is “Temptation,” which directly injects its influence into the mind.

Any intelligent being that recognizes the White Demon unconditionally develops an overwhelming level of affection for it.

This is how it is despite my prior preparation. If it were another human, they would have become the demon’s slave the moment their eyes met.

‘Fortunately, I have a skill that counteracts the effect.’

Just as the other side can tempt me, I also have a skill that can tempt them.

In game system terms, when such effects are exchanged, they tend to be reduced.

But, in other words.

[…Why are you rejecting me?]

This being is in this state despite receiving the reduced effect of Fatal Charm.

The light disappeared from the White Demon’s eyes. Its focus wavers here and there.

Just because I refused to become its “slave,” it seems to have completely lost its mental stability.

[I, I want to possess you. Why do you.]

“…”

Twisted possessiveness. Obsession. Blind affection toward the other.

These are the keywords that symbolize the White Demon.

[Why? Hm? Huh? Do you, hate me? Huh?]

Like a broken radio. In monotone. Briefly.

With a madman-like demeanor, it speaks while approaching me with large strides. White demonic energy writhing ominously around it pours down like a tsunami.

[I’ll give you anything. I’ll do anything you want. What, what do you want? Should I put the world in your hands? Do you want to be an emperor? Do you want the power to kill other humans like insects? I can do anything—]

The White Demon, muttering such words while approaching, suddenly realized something caught its foot and stopped walking.

It’s Klutz, trembling violently and shedding tears.

[Angel.]

The White Demon muttered that insensitively.

Then the light returned to its eyes with a flash.

[…Should I give this as a gift? Want to eat it?]

“…”

It’s talking about a Fallen Angel like some convenience store snack.

[If you tear apart and devour an angel. You become quite strong. You too, you too will surely like…]

“Waaaaaah-!”

As soon as she heard those words, Klutz spread her wings to try to escape, but her ankle was immediately caught by the lightning-fast white demonic energy.

[How would you like to eat it?]

I sigh at the sight of the White Demon saying that, and look at Klutz hanging upside down in the air.

“That’s what it’s saying.”

“W-what do you mean ‘that’s what it’s saying’! H-help me! You seem to know this thing—!”

“Who would do that without getting something in return?”

“…”

Klutz’s lips quivered. She seems to want to spew curses but can’t bring herself to voice them given the situation.

“W-what do you want! I’ll give you anything—!”

“A sacred object that can conditionally alleviate the Curse of Severance.”

“…”

Klutz began to fidget with her lips even more intensely.

Normally, this isn’t something she could decide on her own. The Curse of Severance is one of the most vicious curses even among all of Sera. To weaken it would require bringing something quite precious from the heavenly realm.

But.

“I-I’ll give it to you! I will!”

That’s right.

She doesn’t have a choice here.

But that alone isn’t enough.

“Swear on it. Stake one of your wings.”

“How do you even know about angel regulations…! Eek, eeek-!”

In the end, Klutz, crying hysterically, made the oath as I told her to.

Otherwise, well.

She’d die right here.

“Death” in the mental space affects the physical body too. Quite fatally.

[…You won’t eat it?]

The White Demon spat out such a sentence with dissatisfaction.

“Let me tell you in advance.”

I take a deep breath and say.

“If you touch her, I won’t let it slide.”

“Y-you, what are you saying…! There’s no way you can fight a demon…!”

I smirk at Klutz’s response.

Who said anything about fighting?

Of course I can’t fight.

I draw the sword at my waist and point it at my neck.

“If you don’t listen, I’ll kill myself.”

“…”

[…]

Well, I don’t really intend to do it, but what are you going to do?

Considering the White Demon’s nature, it would go crazy just at the thought that I “might do such a thing.”

It might seem too harsh for someone who claims to like me, but if you push unconditional affection on me without even asking my opinion, I need to do at least this much gaslighting.

Indeed, as soon as I said that, its pupils began to shake wildly. It bites its lip. With an expression that anyone would recognize as anxious.

As both the White Demon and the Fallen Angel fall silent, I continue with a smirk.

“So, release her and end this mental space. I’ll deal with you later.”

[…Deal with me?]

“You know what I mean. We’ll meet again, won’t we?”

I calmly say that while making eye contact with it.

Well, this one and I. Like with other demons, we are destined to eventually “face” each other, main body to main body.

If it’s a demon, it must instinctively feel that too.

[…]

After staying quiet for a while, it finally spoke again.

[…Is that a promise?]

“It’s a promise.”

I nod.

Promise or not, it’s something that will definitely happen.

[…Alright.]

After saying that, the White Demon pouted and put Klutz down with a thud.

With a “gack” sound, Klutz fell face-first onto the floor.

Then the White Demon Fragment, taking Yuria’s form, strode toward me.

It immediately caresses the outside of the mask covering my face.

It’s something I always wear when I’m with Yuria. I’m wearing it today too.

“…”

The part where the White Demon’s hand touches feels like it’s melting completely.

Not as powerful as the Grey Demon, but still, a demon is a demon.

“…”

Ah, right.

I finally remember the reason why I always wore a mask when meeting Yuria.

More precisely, it was to prepare for cases like this when she might be a “vessel” for the White Demon.

[Face.]

This.

This is the White Demon’s “rampage” trigger.

There’s an event that occurs the moment this being recognizes my face.

It was one of the worst events among demon-related events, if I remember correctly.

[Later, make sure to show me.]

“…”

Absolutely not.

I must absolutely never show it.

As I make that resolution.

My mental space completely collapsed.

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