The city was constructed like an intricate labyrinth.Opening a window might lead to the sky, while stepping through a mall entrance could drop you into the sewers. This reflected the fluidity of the mind, where appearances held little significance.
Succubus Isabella fled, driven by instinct, turning corners and feeling her way along the walls. But you couldn’t escape the labyrinth by aimlessly wandering.
She was merely playing into the hands of the Mental Module.
Suddenly, an old man’s face emerged from the wall, trying to tempt her.
“Dream Demon, poor Dream Demon, I can sell you a map of this city right now. Just give me your data. I don’t need much—just a bit from your left pinky finge⋯⋯.”
“Go—go away!”
Hissss . A billboard flickered to life, displaying a man in a suit who stared down at Isabella and spoke unintelligible words.
“We have an insurance plan perfect for you. Sign up today, and we guarantee a full refund of your principal data in 100 years. Termsandconditionsmayvarybasedonraceandotherfactors.”
“Stop saying weird things-!!”
As Isabella sprinted away in fear, hands erupted from the ground, grabbing at her ankles. She managed to shake them off, but their nails scratched her delicate skin, leaving marks.These were the ‘devouring’ modules. Their sole purpose was to tear apart and expel any invasive data, while sending the remaining pieces to the control center for analysis.
The hands tasted the bits of flesh stuck under their nails and began to evaluate her. She was clearly an advanced succubus, superior at least in her ability to enter dreams, even when compared to Pink-Haired Lesbian.
Of course, comparing her to Pink-Haired Lesbian, who had focused on her physical strength while ignoring her succubus traits, might be somewhat of an unfair comparison⋯⋯.
Still, the fact that Isabella had survived this long in a space where any other mental invader would’ve been torn to shreds proved her strength.
But even so, she was like a rat caught in poison.
Temptations and threats came at her from every direction. If she didn’t surrender her data, she would die. If she did, she might live. But, if she really did give up her data⋯⋯.
Isabella shook her head violently, screaming.
They were all lies. She knew it. No matter how sweet the promises, they would all lead to her ruin. She had used the same tactics herself, after all.
This place was hell. She needed to escape, and quickly.
Yes, yes!
There was no need to wander aimlessly. I just needed to escape from Crazy Wizard’s mind ──
“Nopenopenopeyoucannotgetoutofherethinkaboutithehassurelymadeitsoyoucannotgetoutlookthedoorisblockedyouneedtofindthekeyandtheexit.”
──Yes, of course. There was no escape. She needed to find a key. A key.”
With the malicious module now wrapped around her neck, whispering poisonous words in her ear, Isabella was dragged deeper into the city.
The city laughed.
===============================================================
Unlike the succubus Isabella, who was now fully immersed in this cosmic horror, the modules were enjoying their hunt. How long had it been since they had real work to do?
Most of the time, they simply collaborated with the external department’s 『Sexual Desire Suppression』 team, helping to dampen libido. It had been ages since they had to deal with truly malicious data like this.
Under the extreme pressure of mortal danger, Isabella began to tap into the hidden strength she had kept buried. Instinctively, she made her way toward the most significant location—the black dome.
But the modules were unworried. No matter how much the Dream Demon struggled, the city was an impregnable fortress.
The modules exchanged information seamlessly.
Their communication was a rapid exchange of magical signals in 0s and 1s, lasting mere moments. However, if we were to anthropomorphize this exchange, it might go something like this:
“Good, if things continue like this, we’ll have her soon.”
“Hold up. Orders just came down from above. They want to observe her for a bit longer. Don’t kill her—just keep her running in circles and dull her cognitive functions. That should be enough, right?”
“There’s another module up ahead. If it takes control of her movement path, we should be all good.”
“Hey, wait⋯⋯ I-is that the So What TV1 module?!”
The infamous So What TV module—officially known as the『Psychopath Module』.
It was designed to activate when the user experienced severe mental trauma, in cases where immediate action was necessary even at the risk of some side effects.
The kind of trauma that might come from witnessing the death of a loved one or experiencing an overwhelming surge of negative emotions from high-level Illusion Magic. The module imposed a powerful self-suggestion: “Nothing matters except myself.”
Since it was reserved for emergencies, it didn’t normally trigger and had a mutually exclusive relationship with other modules.
In other words, it was uncontrollable.
“Hey, salary Lupin! Make that Dream Demon change directions a little!”
“Not my job.”
“Hey, hey! She’s heading straight for the Black Box! Stop her!”
“That’s none of my business.”
“Fuck!”
Thanks to the So What TV module’s stellar defense, the succubus Isabella continued straight toward the black dome at the heart of the city. The modules groaned in frustration.
“We were told not to break her.”
“If we’d caught her ourselves, we could’ve at least salvaged the core data⋯⋯.”
surrounding the black dome was a complete unknown, even to the modules and the Crazy Wizard himself. No one truly understood what lay inside. All they knew was that 『something』, buried deep in his mind, was confined there.
However, they could guess based on past experience.
Data sent to the dome… never returned intact.
===============================================================
The atmosphere shifted.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
The city ended abruptly, leaving behind a silent wasteland. At the center of this desolation sat an enormous black egg. The devilish whispers of the modules had fallen eerily silent.
It was quiet⋯⋯ almost peaceful.
Step. Step.
Cautiously, the succubus Isabella made her way toward the center.
With every step closer, the black dome warped her sense of perspective, growing larger. What was this thing?
Was it something that stored the Crazy Wizard’s most precious memories?
Or perhaps it contained the core of his very personality?
It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, it was clearly important. Especially if it was being guarded so carefully. A faint glimmer of hope sparked in Isabella. If she could seize the core of this, escaping from here would become a simple task.
But escaping might not be enough. She could even enslave the Crazy Wizard completely. If that were possible, she would pay back all this humiliation⋯⋯.
Step. Step. Thud.
How long had she been walking?
The black dome now loomed like an impenetrable wall, filling her entire vision. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest. Thump. Thump. It wasn’t excitement or lust, but something was making her pulse race.
Isabella was confused by this inexplicable pounding. It was as though her heart was malfunctioning. Yet, her mind remained calm.
It was as if her body and mind had split. While her thoughts were serene, her body trembled as though it had sensed something ominous.
Beyond the black wall, everything was shrouded in darkness⋯⋯ it was impossible see through. But if she looked very carefully, she could make out something that was shining.
Scales⋯⋯?
As if entranced, she reached out to touch the black surface.
“It would be better if you didn’t⋯⋯ really. I’m saying this for your sake. Can’t you reconsider, just this once?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯?!”
A gentle boy’s voice broke the silence.
Startled, Isabella turned to face the empty space, now occupied by a boy with jet-black hair fluttering around him.
The boy bore a smile as warm as the sun. His features bore a striking resemblance to the Crazy Wizard’s.
Instinctively, Isabella tensed, ready to defend herself, but soon relaxed.
“⋯⋯Wh-Who, Are you?.”
“My name⋯⋯circumstances forbid from sharing it. But if you need something to call me, you can call me ‘Little Promise.’”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
As Isabella silently stared, he continued to speak gently.
“I can understand how you feel, being chased⋯⋯ I’m sorry. But you can’t go any further. This isn’t a place to escape to. You’ll only be putting yourself in danger.”
“Bu-but. I need something to break through! I have to get out of here!”
“I want to get you out⋯⋯ But I don’t have such powers. I need to use all my strength to guard this, you see.”
The boy looked genuinely sorry. He looked at Isabella as if gazing at a pitiful animal. Then he swept his hand through the air, left to right.
Isabella suddenly felt as though a thorn had been pulled from her mind. It was as if something had vanished, though she couldn’t quite grasp what it was.
“⋯⋯What did you do?”
“I believe everyone deserves a second chance. You’ve hurt many people, lost in the pursuit of pleasure. But with the right experiences and encounters⋯⋯ I think you could have led a better life.”
“What⋯⋯ what are you talking about⋯⋯.”
“I’ve removed the wedge that was lodged in your mind. Now you won’t sacrifice every part of your life for another moment of fleeting pleasure. The rest⋯⋯ is up to you. I hope that you’ll find some self-reflection.”
What did you do to me, to my hea──
⋯⋯⋯⋯.
Blink.
When Isabella blinked, she found herself once again standing in the middle of the city.
It felt like she had just met someone… but at the same time, it felt as though she hadn’t.
Like a fleeting dream, the memory was slipping away. She had the sensation of having dozed off for just a moment. She tried to grasp at the fading fragments of what had just happened, but the memory stayed elusive, then dissolved entirely.
Isabella quickly realized that whatever had occurred moments ago was now lost, forever beyond her reach.
The noise erupting from all around her suddenly dragged her back to the present.
“There! The Succubus!!”
“Succubus! Succubus!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”
Oh, right. I was being hunted.
The succubus Isabella started running frantically. She didn’t even spare a glance in the direction of the pitch-black dome. In an instant, the modules began pursuing her.
“Catch the Succubus!”
“When we catch you, we’ll tear you apa──”
Sorrow welled up in Isabella. This was her punishment, a consequence of her own sins! The Academy, the Queen’s orders—none of it mattered anymore. She didn’t even know why she had gotten involved in this in the first place.
Mere pleasure—it wasn’t worth enduring all this chaos. It didn’t matter whether she got it or not. With tears brimming in her eyes, Isabella cried out to the sky.
“Pl-please… get me out of here⋯⋯, I was wrong⋯⋯!!”
===============================================================
Pink-Haired Lesbian, who was peering into my Mental Barrier through a magic screen, exclaimed in wonder and asked.
“Do you always have this bullshit going on in your head?”
“No way. That’s a waste of resources. The trick is more like ‘Step into a Door, Ascend into a World.’ You just have to gradually push someone’s beliefs to escalate.”
Communication between modules was more like a stripped-down exchange of 0s and 1s. It was closer to cells signaling “you take this” and “you handle that” than actual conversation.
Since succubi exist on the border between illusion and reality, they tend to interpret things more literally. And, well, I did spice things up a little on purpose.
Pink-Haired Lesbian watched the now-bound succubus, captured at last, with a look of satisfaction as she spoke.
“Can I take this one with me? There are a few things I need to investigate.”
“Oh, go ahead. I’ll even wrap it up for you.”
“Thanks.”
Her satisfied nod and the gleam in her eyes were sharper than usual. For a moment, I thought she might use the captured Dream Demon as a dakimakura2 , but it seemed she had more serious interrogation plans in mind.
I reached into my mind, grabbed the succubus, and shook her a bit before pulling her out. She tumbled to the ground from mid-air, landing with a thud. She was unconscious, but unharmed.
As Pink-Haired Lesbian and I tied the succubus in a hexagonal bind, we casually chatted.
“So, should I repay you with my body?”
“Who would that benefit? Well, I mean, it would be nice, but⋯⋯.”
“I’ll sneak in tomorrow night in my pajamas. Keep sure the bed is nice and warm.”
I mentally checked my schedule, then shook my head.
“Ah, I’m a bit busy that night. I have an appointment.”
“⋯⋯An appointment you say?”
A question mark appeared above her head. Her expression seemed to say, You have appointments? Well, I did spend most of my academy years holed up in the lab.
Even I have obligations from time to time.
“Ah, yeah, I have a dinner reservation.”
“And what bitch are you having dinner with?”
“It’s not a bitch⋯⋯.”
==============================================================
The hairy, one-eyed Viking raised his mug full of beer high.
“Now, welcome to the 21st Academy Professor Faculty Dinner! Let’s kick things off with a mug of beer!”
“Hmph, no matter how much of a genius a wizard is, everyone’s tolerance differs. I’m not bragging, but I, Alejandro, who has mastered elemental magic to the extreme, take pride in my liver’s health. And thanks to a drinking method I devised, the chances of getting drunk are reduced by 30%⋯⋯.”
I raised my own beer mug, feeling confused, and asked:
“I thought this was an all-staff dinner. Why are there only three of us?”
“The female professors said it’d be too boring. Anyway, it’s good for us men to bond. We can speak more freely this way, can’t we! Uhahaha!”
In charge of the subject『Everything About Close Combat』—Alexon.
In charge of the subject 『Introduction to Basic Elements』—greasy silver-haired wizard Alejandro.
In charge of the subject 『Anti-Illusion Magic』—Crazy Wizard, me.
Put us together, and you have the beginning of a truly dull faculty dinner, six balls total.
1. korean slang. Shortened way of saying “so what do you want me to do about it..just go watch some tv or something” Basically means you don't give a fuck about what the other person has to say and denying them the chance to say anything further.2. body pillow