The master of the Purple Tower, the archmage Violet Iris, made her move.

—

The abode of the Succubus Queen, a lewd paradise for pleasure-seeking digital lifeforms, “The Nest.”

All members of “The Nest” were intoxicated with pleasure, eagerly awaiting the day our White Queen would bestow upon them the next delight, much like drug addicts leashed by a broker.

But an anomaly occurs. A chilling coolness creeps in.

Sssssss…

The worker succubi, gasping under the queen’s dominion and extracting magic from human souls, looked up to the sky, feeling a sensation they hadn’t experienced in a long time.

At first, they were bewildered. Confusion set in because it was a sensation they hadn’t felt in so very long.

What could this be?

A pounding heart, profuse sweating, muscles tensed throughout the body, trembling uncontrollably—what could this sensation be?

Some mistook it for an orgasm. But no, it’s similar yet entirely different. It’s something terrifying that pierces the heart from instinct and resonates deeply.

Everyone felt it. The catastrophe was imminent.

The moment that fragile dam made of glass shattered, its rage would sweep over the “Nest.” It must be stopped. But how?

“I’ll give anything. Whatever it takes. What does this monster seek?” In panic, the dream demons offered their most valuable possessions.

They extracted the soul of a tortured human, presenting it to the heavens with both hands. They cut off their cherished rings, finger and all, as an offering. It was a desperate struggle born from extreme fear.

Yet, the disappointment brimming in their eyes showed no sign of fading. And then, at some moment. Creak. And.

The giant burst into tears, wailing in despair.

“aaah… Give it back, give it back, give it back──!!”

Crack, crash, crackle──!!

A flash. A pillar of light descended from the sky, setting the corrupted world ablaze. Hundreds of “Subtractions” fired from outside, indiscriminately erasing the ground, buildings, sky, souls, everything.

“Hu, huaaah!!”

“Gone, it’s gone! Something has vanished!”

“I, I don’t know how to move. Someone, take me too⋯⋯!”

Information was swept away, disappearing. Countless dream demons died as the information constituting their bodies was erased. The “Nest” itself began to crack and rupture, breaking into pieces and falling into the void.

About 10 seconds had passed.

Using the “Nest” entrance in the Third Prince’s head as a backdoor, the Purple Tower Master unleashed a full-force information bombardment── completely erasing about 40% of the Nest.

The Queen burst into hollow laughter.

“Ha, haha⋯⋯ Is this, is this the monster you trusted? Kind Miss Mima.”

The Queen, who had been investing nearly all her consciousness in devouring Yuri and the mad magician, urgently redistributed her focus to address the great disaster unfolding in her domain.

It was a fifty-fifty split.

Then, she tightly squeezed the stored human souls and hastily deployed magic. Borrowing the power of the evil god statue, she warded off the calamity. Shrrrrrrr⋯⋯.

From the ground of the “Nest,” bubbling black tar pits appeared and exploded. Intermittent geysers of black pillars rose to counter the “Subtractions.”

At the same time, the “Nest” was closed. All entrances were sealed, the broken sky was patched up, and the attacking Purple Tower Master was expelled.

During this operation.

From a crack in the sky, a reconnaissance team lightly landed in the “Nest.”

And they stood up easily. The girl with the horns of a mountain goat on her head, arms crossed and face scowling, was truly displeased.

“⋯⋯Really, what do you think I am? Just because you order me to ‘save the mad magician,’ doesn’t mean I’ll obediently comply. Why would I save that crazy b*stard? Right?”

The fragment of the evil god, the 7% Esphoria or whatever, casually known as ‘Evil God-chan,’ strolled out of the informational hell where “Subtraction” and “Heroine” clashed.

While doing so, she devoured a few fleeing succubi and considered biting into a rolling human soul⋯⋯ but she refrained. The consequences were all too clear.

The mad magician had warned her that if she made another big mistake, she would shatter her sense of chastity.

Not that she was particularly concerned, though.

To preserve her remaining dignity, she was willing to entertain some form of negotiation. Moreover, she wasn’t there to save the mad sorcerer. She came to torment the Succubus Queen.

Her actions just happened to coincidentally aid in the mad sorcerer’s escape.

Tap, tap. She arrived with light steps. The White Queen, barely holding her own against the tower master with her magic, was in plain sight from the best seats in the house.

The fragment of the evil deity offered a casual greeting.

“We meet again after such a long time… don’t we?”

“Oh my, what a beautiful person you are. But it seems we’re meeting for the first time… Are you perhaps an acquaintance of Mima? Did you come to help him escape?”

“Mima… Ugh. You, don’t tell me you… like that guy? That’s crazy.”

The evil deity, whose job was to tease sentient beings, still had the sharp acumen to notice the queen’s odd behavior.

She was designed not to harbor unnecessary emotions.

Tsk.

She had hoped, just maybe, that the mad sorcerer, cornered and desperate, might unleash the evil deity’s true form.

But her expectations quickly cooled. She didn’t know how things had turned out, but if her opponent was such a fool, blatantly exposing his weaknesses… the outcome was obvious. The mad sorcerer would win.

“Enough, enough. I’m the fool for having expectations.”

“……?”

“It’s natural you don’t recognize me. There’s been some contamination in the data… But don’t worry. I’ve caught a few on my way here, so I have plenty of resources.”

She might be able to regain a semblance of her original form.

Even if the core was sealed within the mad sorcerer’s head, the source of power still existed in the outside world. The fact that these dark sorcerers could use the power of the evil deity for their statues and such was proof enough.

Then, no matter how fragmented, the evil deity is still the evil deity. She couldn’t possibly be unable to draw out her own power. She connects and pulls it forth.

Grind, grind, grind.

Scales like those of a dragon sprouted on the skin of the evil deity. The transformation stopped at her arms, but the queen’s eyes widened in astonishment at the glossy sheen of those dark, shimmering scales.

She understood. This girl was part of the evil deity that the dark sorcerers had been so desperately chasing! But how had such a mighty being come to this state?

The queen clapped her hands cheerfully.

“Aha… So my fate’s shadow hasn’t lifted yet. But it’s laughable. A fragment of the evil deity. Such a pitifully fallen state!”

“Don’t scratch it, whore.”

“I’ve changed from the old days. I’ve gained the power you left behind, so I’m no longer swayed or manipulated. I’ll toy with you, now so weakened, and devour you.”

“Such a crudely made prototype.”

Clash, clash, clash!

There was no point in dialogue. The two fiends, intent only on mocking and belittling each other, would only resort to personal attacks if the conversation continued. The dragon scales aligned, making a sound as if blades were clashing.

The power contained within the dragon scales the evil deity had brought forth was of the purest grade.

It significantly increased computational speed and spellcasting speed. The evil deity’s toolbox was filled with various grotesque powers, but in the end, it’s the skill of the person wielding the tool that matters.

Physical prowess alone negates the need for bizarre fables. That’s why the mad wizard is powerful. A mutant, indeed.

As the fragment of the evil deity exudes a threatening aura, the queen’s consciousness splits once more. Five to confront the tower master, two for the fragment of the evil deity, three to devour the mad wizard.

The evil deity-chan smirked.

He’s the one still squirming, bare-bodied, in the enemy’s lair, thick with traps. Just a little balance, and it’s over. The mad wizard will take care of it.

Before the fight began, they sneered at each other.

“Manufactured toys should listen to their master, as toys do. Die.”

“I wonder what an evil deity tastes like, truly looking forward to it. Uhuhu…”

Dash. They charge. And then.

Clash──!!

Scales and gears collide.

—

It quivers. The pitch-black swamp quivers.

Control slips away, and the pressure felt noticeably diminishes. The awaited opportunity arrives, not a moment too late, before we melt away.

I limber up, preparing the extra module. Yuri Lancer too stretches out, readying for battle.

“Are you prepared in your heart?”

“Yes, it’s pulsating fiercely.”

“Good, once we’re out. You live for yourself and for us. I’ll employ you as a dedicated maid using the Second Prince’s wish grant.”

“Don’t worry about the three meals and bath attendance. You prepare your confession lines.”

I was prepared indeed. There are too many people who need a scolding with a confession attack. The succubus queen was scheduled for a confession beating as well.

The pitch-black swamp was the queen’s stomach, from which escape was but a dream. But now, with her consciousness significantly scattered by the external assault… it’s different.

From noble mtl dot come

With the barest of resources, a breakthrough is possible.

But those barest resources are not present now.

I hate to use it, but there’s no choice in this exhausted, melted state. Stripped of all bullet information, to sit at the betting table, something must be sacrificed to create the minimum capital.

I consider using memories as fuel. Insignificant memories, like perhaps a martial arts session, to secure resources.

“Magician.”

“Yes.”

From the sky, plunk. A scale falls.

It’s a piece that feels familiar in many ways. Picking it up, I sniff it carefully, and it smells of our dear Espoir de Eternal Dark.

Packed with valuable information. Looking at its composition, it seems like a passing worker succubus was pressed into it.

Did Heiyingxian also join the mad wizard’s rescue operation? And… to find a passage from “The Nest” to here, sending data for my use?

Why this little one, suddenly doing something so pretty.

Yes. Once we’re out, I’ll erase the intermittent purring I’ve been doing with great resolve. I pressed down on the scales with my hand, shattering them. Part of my melted body restores itself.

It’s not enough to be fully conditioned with just a piece of nightmare information, but this is more than enough to make rice cakes. And I have the reliable Pingballez by my side.

I step on a certain point in the swamp.

And then, if I dive in and flip it over── the world rotates half a turn clockwise. The sky becomes the ground, and the ground becomes the sky. The sticky black rain that was falling from above, now rises from below.

Since it’s flipped, I naturally fall along with the rain.

When I open my eyes from a momentary dream.

Yuri and I stand atop an endlessly white space that stretches to the horizon. And before us, the Queen── “The Virgin Drinking Pleasure” was there.

“Oh my, tattered and torn.”

“Darling, I’m out. Did you wait long?”

“Ho-ho… Is that, perhaps, a beauty trap?”

“Maybe, maybe not, it could be sincere. After all, the young Yuri I loved was you. It’s a bit confusing.”

Not confusing at all. Would I love such a woman?

Of course, it’s an empty word, and both the Queen and I know it. Yet, there’s meaning in uttering it. To utilize the opponent’s ability.

I heard it from Pingballez. Succession and sublimation, “Gearwheel: Heroine.”

If the whole world acts as a stage, then from the moment the Queen stepped down from the GM’s seat to become an actor, she too would have been affected.

So, she must still hold the affection of the mere Yuri Lannister. Because the Queen is a heroine!

Therefore, I should play it gently. To be a satisfying male lead in the eyes of the theater audience.

“…Release us, Queen! I don’t want to fight you. You don’t really want to, do you?”

“……”

The Queen’s expression subtly changes. It sinks. She seems to feel a sense of discomfort. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and smiled.

“Right now, I’m a bit confused. I heard it from a fragment of the evil god. That it’s… in your head. It was quite interesting.”

“Hmm.”

“I can’t comprehend this action, Mima. If I calmly have a cup of tea and think about it… I might be able to read your intentions. But you won’t give me that time, will you? Because you’re a genius.”

So.

The Queen resolved to go on the offensive.

“I’m too busy and preoccupied right now. So I’ll focus on putting you all back to rest. Please don’t be too sad, Mima?”

“Here it comes, Pingballez!”

“Succession and Sublimation – ‘Gearwheel: Heroine.'”

Click.

Click-click-click──!

Instantly, I’m seized. A large grip encompasses this space itself, and a massive force pushes against our backs. The first thing to hit is the command to disrupt our gaze.

Whoosh, and the view flips. My eyes move on their own. Attention is drawn to strange places.

I cover that with omnidirectional information gathering.

Go ahead, try it. Cast my eyes down to your feet as much as you like. But if I can read the queen’s movements from the trembling dust and shadows underfoot, isn’t that enough?

Tap, tap-tap.

Yuri and I run simultaneously. I’m sharing information with Yuri in real-time through the ‘tail,’ so even if she closes her eyes, she can accurately target the queen.

As we approach, the second wave comes.

“Heroine: The Poison that Melts the Heart.”

A power that melts people’s hearts, stirring them up. The technique that turned Yuri Lanster into a sleeping beauty.

“…It’s the first demonstration, Pinballes! It’s a combination attack!”

“Stop chattering excitedly and just activate it!”

Understood.

The heart, turn it white.

And that heart, to Yuri.

It colors her soul. The change in the soul accompanies a physical transformation. A white dot appears in the center of Yuri Lanster’s eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul.

Chrrrrrrrr──!!

The sound of chains is heard.

But it’s the opposite. Not the sound of chains being tied, but being undone. Unleashing the suppressed heart to its fullest, using the recoil to block mental interference, a transformation into a butterfly (變異羽化).

“White: Liberation of True Desire!”

Chrrrrrrack!

Anger, joy, sorrow, all emotions swell up. There’s a limit to what humans can feel. Once the heart is full, there’s no room for fake affection!

“…Huh?”

A boiling-like affection passes by. But I’ve broken through. There’s no time to be played by such fakes!

Now, not even ten steps remain between us and the queen.

That’s as far as the advance information goes. From here on, it’s improvisation. If the queen has no more moves left, I’ll knock her down with this, and the battle will be over.

“Shall we move on to the next step♥”

Yes, it won’t be resolved that easily.

“Heroine: Wedding March.”

…The third wave is coming!