Fraud

After laying the sleeping Orca on the bed, I smiled.

I had been agonizing over how to get students talking about this through word of mouth.

Thanks to her sudden appearance, all my worries were solved.

Who would have thought I’d make contact with a playable character like this?

It was an unexpected windfall.

“Looks like there’s not much time left until the prologue.”

I became certain after seeing how the Class President treated Orca.

Though he knew she was a demon possessor and that her personality was terrible, he still dutifully followed her around as a classmate.

This was exactly how things looked right before the prologue began.

The Class President’s attitude toward Orca could be divided into three phases.

First, the passionate period depicted in flashbacks where he ran around trying to rehabilitate Orca.

That was already past. What I just saw was far from passionate.

Then the present – aware that Orca is dangerous but having never actually witnessed her danger.

He’d discarded his prejudice about demon possessors being dangerous but was beginning to sense danger from Orca herself.

This was the period where he followed her out of duty, thinking who knows what might happen if left alone.

…And finally, how he appears after the prologue ends – the version users most commonly see.

Having realized why people fear demon possessors, he approaches her with fear yet still out of obligation.

Orca ultimately mocked him, saying “So you’re just like the rest,” but…

The fact he remained one of the few NPCs who could interact with her showed just how stubborn his personality was.

“Now then…”

The very act of hypnotizing someone felt uncomfortably like controlling people at will.

That’s why I hadn’t hypnotized Orca immediately upon meeting her.

The Orca I loved was the one who overcame past pain through her own strength, not one forcibly made happy through hypnosis.

Even if hypnosis solved problems temporarily, what if some incident broke the hypnosis someday?

All that would remain is someone stuck in the past, incapable of growth.

So I wanted hypnosis to remain just a tool for getting closer to students – nothing more.

But exceptions always exist.

There are those who must be hypnotized and restrained no matter what.

“It’s about time for you to come out…”

So I placed four hypnotic suggestions on Orca.

A hypnosis making all drinks except what’s in my car invisible.

A hypnosis making thirst intensify the more she looks at the car.

And upon drinking, a hypnosis making her fall asleep completely relaxed.

The fourth hypnosis… I’ll explain that later.

Fortunately, Orca didn’t seem to notice anything strange about my hypnosis…

Which actually made me pity her more.

Not sensing anything wrong despite brief memory lapses meant she experienced such lapses frequently in daily life.

She should be getting proper sleep. Knowing why she couldn’t relax, I gently stroked the head of the soundly sleeping girl.

Perhaps sensing that touch, her eyes opened and met mine.

Not red irises – black ones.

“Die…”

“Stop.”

“?!”

“From now on, you cannot move. Movement will only be possible… let’s say after I permit it.”

“What is this…! What trick did you use?! Release this now! If you don’t, I’ll kill you!”

“Haha, sorry. That’s impossible.”

Confirming her body wouldn’t move despite no physical restraints, she screamed at me to release her immediately.

But I didn’t yield to her threats.

No – I ignored them.

“You’d kill me even if I released you, wouldn’t you?”

“Grrrrrr…! Release me now!”

“Since you didn’t deny it, I guessed right.”

The reason Orca suffered insomnia was because a demon possessed her body.

If she sensed the demon emerging even while sleeping, she had to stay constantly vigilant to suppress it.

Losing bodily control would spell disaster.

…Naturally, the demon inside wanted to destroy and ruin the world.

So it tried to seize her body when she relaxed or slept.

The result was Orca’s insomnia.

The demon tried day and night to take her body for itself.

To stop this, Orca couldn’t sleep properly.

Repeating this for years left her with insomnia even years after the game’s ending according to lore.

“Really now, demon or not, shouldn’t you let her sleep?”

“Die, die, die, die, die, die…!”

“…Sigh.”

Instead of answering, she busily complained about releasing some strange spell.

She’d try to kill me the moment hypnosis lifted.

As someone fragile, I obviously couldn’t react if attacked after releasing it.

Without hypnotizing her to immobilize her upon appearance, I had no confidence of winning.

“Fine, I’ll release you.”

“Really?! Ha, good! Must’ve been tough maintaining that weird spell! As reward, I’ll slowly tear that body apart!”

“On one condition.”

“…Condition?”

“Yes, a contract. Will you hear me out?”

Demons have two major traits.

Contracts must be fulfilled.

And they cannot lie.

The demon possessing Orca’s body – who knew this better than anyone – calmed instantly and spoke.

“…What are the terms?”

“Nothing difficult. If released, we’ll make a simple wager. That’s all.”

“…Truly?”

“Of course.”

She looked suspicious.

Understandable. Someone who subdued a demon offering release for a simple contract would be perplexing.

But seemingly finding no alternative, she soon nodded.

“Fine. Contract established. What’s the wager?”

“Hmm, how about alternating good and evil deeds, then deciding which feels better?”

“…Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. The loser obeys the winner for life?”

“What nonsense is this? Fine, it’s simple enough.”

So saying, the demon suddenly smashed my laptop on the desk and scattered the pieces.

Then carefully picked up a few pieces and put them in the trash.

“Contract complete, fool. Not specifying scale of good/evil deeds. I’ll hear your last words.”

…My laptop.

I had so many games installed there…

Tears welled up from the unfairness.

Bastard. Truly demonic wickedness.

To soothe this bitterness, I decided to play a small trick.

“…The contract isn’t complete yet, Haze.”

“You, how do you know my…?!”

Was knowing her name shocking?

Haze stared at me in horror.

Understandable.

Even if someone kills a demon possessor without knowing the demon’s identity, the demon survives.

So how does one kill a demon?

By learning its name. Killing the host after knowing the name destroys the demon too.

Naturally, demons greatly fear those who know their names.

So a human suddenly saying her name would be shocking.

…Though I have no intention of killing Orca.

Just pointless worry.

“That doesn’t matter. Answer the contract terms.”

“Knowing a demon’s name is trivial to you? You…! What are you?!”

“Answer the contract and I might tell you?”

“…Doing good felt better! Satisfied?! Now answer my… huh?”

Caught.

I smiled victoriously.

“Looks like I won.”

“W-wait. What was that? That’s wrong. I clearly said doing good felt better…?! W-wait. Something’s off…”

“Demons can’t lie, right?”

“…!”

Finally noticing my smile, Haze seemed to realize.

That I’d played some trick.

“You, you…! What did you…?!”

“Aw, I didn’t do anything to Haze?”

True. I did nothing.

To Haze.

The hypnosis was only placed on Orca.

…The fourth hypnosis made her feel intense happiness when doing good deeds.

Normally, hypnosis on one person doesn’t affect others…

But when two beings share one body, it’s different.

Sharing the same brain.

Some influence is inevitable.

“Now then… Time to exercise the winner’s rights.”

“W-wait. Let’s discuss this…”

“How about banning evil deeds until your destruction?”

“You, youuuuuuu…!”

The contract was established.

Exactly as I wanted.