Chapter 133: Master Of Provocation
Chapter 133: Master Of Provocation
Chapter 133: Master Of Provocation
“…Damn it.”
After clashing with Mephisto, Yasmo Deus hid away, having fled the scene.
Her body was battered and partially disheveled from the damage taken during the previous clash.
It was inevitable. Though the body of a Mongma might as well be mist, direct interference with their magic would inevitably cause damage.
“To think that I’d suffer such humiliation at the hands of that snotty little brat. What a sight to live for.”
That runt, who once clung to the Demon King for dear life, now poses a threat to her.
Yet, more surprisingly, the source of that strength wasn’t the Demon King but merely a human man.
She watched out of cautious interest due to the organization she had recently joined, never imagining that Mephisto, having decided to abandon the Demon King, would obsess over such a person.
‘I thought you considered him merely a toy… Has that human man truly become your new object of obsession?’
Although it diverged from the Mephisto she knew, Yasmo ultimately did not deny that desire.Each demon was born with their own desires, and often, they didn’t understand why others were fixated on theirs.
If it wasn’t about losing hope over unattainable desires to the point of ending one’s life, then surely the reason to prolong that life must also be for abnormal reasons?
‘But respect and compromise don’t always coexist.’
Even if they knew each other’s circumstances, if they conflicted with their objectives, the result would always be conflict.
-Open.
Yasmo, recalling such a demonic principle, soon lifted her restored body and began to sluggishly open her eyes.
What her gaze fell upon was the view of an inn room below the rooftop she was standing on.
There, a man, still not fully conscious, sat on the bed, with Mephisto hesitantly standing in front of him.
She was likely explaining how to treat the magic she had implanted, but her actions lacked her usual confidence.
She seemed more than just embarrassed by the encounter; she was ashamed of the ‘acts of treatment’ to come.
“Haha, truly a sight to behold in one’s long life. Even that arrogant little brat can show such embarrassment.”
Shame.
It wasn’t an emotion usually felt by a demon proud of their desires, but if it took the form of love, the story would change.
In fact, demons like her, mongmas, felt a similar emotion to love in intimate relations with the opposite sex when they were inexperienced, and even Yasmo, who ruled as their queen, had such a period.
And such a shy period leads them to crave relationships with the opposite sex more, eventually indulging only in pleasure until it becomes a habit…
“…Well, it must reach this level to taste the thrill of the hunt.”
Even in this moment of truth, the new desire the Queen of Mongmas found was a deviant sexual attraction towards the same sex.
Such unproductive activities do nothing for reproduction, but to a great demon who had reached a level of meaninglessness, it didn’t matter.
“Ah, Mephi? You have no idea how much I’ve coveted you… You couldn’t even dream of it.”
Yasmo, looking down at Mephisto, soon started licking her lips as if savoring the thought.
Every time she saw her become powerless after falling into the void, she had always wanted to break her.
At this moment, when sadism mixes with lust, the betrayal felt in personally violating her would surely provide the stimulus to evaporate the irritation she felt.
“I wasn’t originally here targeting you, but now that we’ve met again, I suppose I should prepare too.”
Yasmo, confident in that resolve, began to formulate a plan in her mind upon observing the man associated with her.
Considering Mephisto’s level, her mental domination wouldn’t work.
However, vulnerabilities were considered more critical when they were external, beyond one’s ability to protect, rather than internal.
Connections like treasures of astronomical value or family, precisely because they were exposed externally, were not easy to protect.
‘Indeed, that man should be my target.’
Yes, even if he resisted her power, at most he would only be affirming himself, right?
Even now, if she saw an opportunity, she could amplify the power residing in his body before neutralizing it, making it possible to take him hostage.
From the standpoint of Mephisto, who rushed into a frenzy just by her touching him, it was clear that having his life in her hands would be enough to make him lose his will to fight and become incapable of doing anything.
‘If I play with Mephi’s body while holding him hostage… No, perhaps it’s better to break his spirit first?’
There was no satisfaction in tormenting someone if their body yielded but their heart did not.
And the best way to destroy one’s dignity was to teach them that what they held dearest was indifferent to them.
For example, if she were to violate the man she held dearest right before her eyes, and draw words of servitude to her directly from his mouth…
-Clop, clop.
While gradually completing the plan, the sound of footsteps began to be heard.
Realizing the significance of those footsteps, Yasmo’s expression visibly darkened.
“Ha, just the right time… Why are there so many obstacles today of all days?”
She could understand Mephisto, but with the Four Heavenly Kings dead, it was unlikely there was another demon capable of such a feat.
For someone who was not a demon to break through her barrier, it was an affront to the pride of the Queen of Mongmas, skilled in illusion and seduction.
“My apologies. I had no intention of committing a breach of etiquette…”
Despite such a hostile attitude, there was a man looking down at her from a higher position.
Yasmo immediately sensed upon seeing him.
That the opponent was not an ordinary human but a vampire, one who had ascended to the ‘True Ancestor’ level, possessing the greatest strength.
“Normally, I would be asleep at this time, but coincidentally, I have been wandering this area lately due to some investigations. The trail has led me here, inevitably causing you inconvenience.”
“…Ha, an investigation?”
His nonchalance in wandering places under the sun from the start served as a testament to the immense innate power he possessed.
However, Yasmo started to smirk, thinking him merely a parasite of human society, which had only survived for a mere few hundred years at most.
“What are you investigating that has brought you here without sleep? If you are aware that you’re interrupting, you should just leave.”
“I would like to, but seeing a lady of my taste here makes it difficult just to leave. Since we’ve met, I’d like to have a cup of tea and engage in a cozy conversation, if you may…”
The soft smile and the spark in his eyes could certainly be described as affection.
Facing that, Yasmo secretly spread her power around, slowly waiting to dominate his mind.
“…I have no interest in sharing such things, so why don’t you just leave? I might have been interested before, but not in men now.”
“Ha, I see. No matter how attractive, if that’s your taste, I must respect it willingly.”
The mist of seduction slowly began to spread underneath.
This mist would corrupt the mind unnoticed, and soon, the fully eroded one would be transformed into a slave.
Even a vampire skilled in seduction would not be an exception to this.
“Then let’s save our conversation for another time. Since I’ve come this far for my investigation, may I ask you something? Would you be able to answer?”
“…Make it quick.”
Yasmo answered nonchalantly, seemingly unaware of the vampire.
Immediately after, the vampire’s discerning gaze sharpened as if to pierce through her inner thoughts.
“Beautiful lady, by any chance, do you know of an organization called ‘New Era’?”
Yasmo’s body flinched and trembled.
The vampire, not missing that reaction, soon started to approach her slowly with a smirk.
Step, step.
Steps continued without hesitation, in a situation where it would not have been strange if his power had already eroded her.
Realizing that her attempt to dominate his mind was not working at all, Yasmo soon twisted her smile and began to gather more power into her body.
“…Now that I think about it, the leader of the organization mentioned this. He said there’s one among his kind who is particularly troublesome.”
The Virgin Slayer - Virgil Huntress.
He was one of the most notoriously wanted individuals in the empire, but the empire’s leadership had been under vampire control for a long time.
Unlike demons, vampires, who had strong kinship, would normally try to prevent bounties on their kin.
If a bounty was placed nonetheless, it would be on a ‘hybrid’ who became a vampire through impure blood or an ‘apostate’ who denied vampire culture.
“If the purpose is to investigate the organization, one would do so discreetly. Why reveal oneself here deliberately?”
Yes, if the opportunity arises, he should be torn apart immediately.
As the vampires who invited him to the organization have repeatedly said, his revealing himself after being hidden for so long must have been unexpected even to them.
“I initially intended only to tail, but… it seems the man you are targeting is a talent I have been keeping an eye on.”
“…Is that your taste?”
“Don’t misunderstand. My taste is in women with a dense charm like you.”
Saying so, Virgil Huntress quietly controlled the power flowing through his body.
Despite it being broad daylight, his power was calmly stirring.
“But how can one live only doing what they want? Coincidentally, life often requires one to follow ‘aesthetics’, setting aside their personal tastes and duties.”
Aesthetics.
A life philosophy valued more than their own lives by vampires who considered themselves noble, to prove their existence.
“…For that aesthetics, you’ll protect that human youngster?”
“Of course!”
In response, Virgil fluttered his cloak, boldly expressing his conviction.
“No matter how attractive you are compared to any woman I’ve seen, it’s only natural to want to protect a man born with the talent to steal purity, as much as she is attracted to him!”
-Rumble, rumble.
The atmosphere began to thrill along with his forceful attitude.
Feeling the spread of power in tune with the emotional excitement, Yasmo soon lifted her body with a rich smile.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but… you came to interfere with me, right?”
There was nothing more annoying than having one’s hunting and planning interfered with.
But since she also had her own target, and having joined an organization created by a different race, she couldn’t just overlook the person before her.
The opponent was the leader of the organization, the King of Vampires, and, furthermore, a figure that the powers of humanity were eagerly awaiting.
Taking his head would surely win the organization’s favor and increase the chances of achieving her own goals.
“Can you handle it?”
With that will, the surrounding space heavily compressed with a ‘boom!’
It stemmed from her immense magical power.
She had avoided combat and hidden her full strength simply because she disliked losses. Judging by her accumulated potential, it would not be an exaggeration to consider her ‘the best among the Four Heavenly Kings.’
“Ha, if someone like you would accompany me, as a gentleman, I would be delighted to escort you.”
Despite facing such a formidable entity, Virgil was ready to confront that power head-on, while stealing glances at the young man he was interested in.
‘So, young man. Don’t worry about anything and just stay true to the moment.’
The man he had been eyeing since their first meeting.
‘If you open your heart to me, I will always protect you for my aesthetics.’
The man perfectly matched his ideals.
Hoping that through the opportunity he provided, the man would ascend to greater heights.
-Swoosh, plop.
How long had it been since they entered the inn?
The sound of water reached my ears as I sat on the bed, trying to regulate my body’s heat.
The sound coming from the bathroom connected to the inn room made my heart start to flutter just by listening to it.
Knowing who was inside, and with each sound of water, I could imagine what she was doing.
“Woo Hyo-sung… Are you there?”
Then, a voice began to be heard.
Turning my stiff neck to the side, I saw Merilyn peeking her head out from the entrance of the bathroom.
The dampness on her hair and skin indicated that she had not finished showering yet.
“Yes, yes. I’m here, but why…?”
“Shall we bathe together?”
“…What?”
“Ah, no. That… It’s nothing.”
Saying so, Merilyn returned to the bathroom, continuing to make sounds of water.
Afterward, in the silence that followed, I mulled over what she had said.
To bathe together. Naturally, it wouldn’t involve wearing clothes, implying an exchange of nakedness…
…This is treatment, right?