"It's time to begin the prayer~ my master~"
Ivsha's bewitching voice echoed softly beside Kurose Akira's ear, carrying an alluring, almost tangible magic. A soft, yielding warmth pressed tightly against his back—so close that even through layers of clothing, the temptation was unmistakable.
"Ivsha."
Akira slowly turned around, smiling as he looked at her.
"Mm~?"
Ivsha took a small step back. Her snowy curves brushed lightly together, sketching a picture so perfect it was practically sinful.
"Ahem."
Akira paused, then said quietly, "I've just learned a spell."
"A spell?"
Ivsha lifted a fingertip to her cheek, her expression briefly tinged with confusion.
But in the very next instant, realization dawned. A seductive smile curved her lips.
"Oh~ I see~ Has Mr. Kurose learned some new kind of wisdom again? Do you want me to experience it firsthand?"
"?"
Akira's nostrils twitched slightly. She figured it out again?
"I really did learn a spell! Ivsha, lie down first."
He decided that actions would speak louder than words.
"Alright, alright~"
Ivsha lay down eagerly, her beautiful eyes filled with bouncing pink hearts as she waited for Akira to cast his magic on her.
"Ahem… This is my first time trying to use magic, so it might—"
"It's fine~"
Ivsha replied gently, her voice soft and affectionate. "As long as it's you, I can accept anything~"
"Then I'm starting!"
"Mm~"
Hoo—
Akira took a deep breath and gently placed his fingertips on Ivsha's lower abdomen. When she was standing, there had been the faintest hint of softness there—but lying flat, her figure appeared absolutely flawless.
Her skin was so soft it felt like it might melt at a touch—lush and enticing, nothing like those dry, hollow frames that only looked good from afar.
"First, o_o…"
"Then, _>o…"
"And then…"
Following the method Idis had taught him, Akira tried to awaken the power hidden deep within Ivsha's body.
Since he had never used magic before, his movements were stiff and awkward at first. But Ivsha patiently guided him from the side, helping him gradually grasp the fundamentals.
After some effort, Akira finally completed the basic gestures and flow of the spell. He wasn't smooth yet, but the framework was there.
Threads of magic began to flicker at his fingertips, slowly seeping into Ivsha's skin.
"Th—this is…?"
The moment the magic flowed in, Ivsha sensed something was wrong.
She had originally assumed that the "spell" Akira mentioned was just another playful prelude—part of their usual flirtation.
But reality struck her hard.
He had actually learned magic?
"I've got it!"
Akira's eyes were locked onto Ivsha's lower abdomen. There, he could clearly see a mysterious pattern gradually surfacing on her skin—as if it had been hidden beneath the flesh itself, now being coaxed out by the spell.
This was a succubus's… magic crest!
No wonder he had always felt that something about Ivsha was incomplete. This was what had been missing.
As the crest fully emerged, Ivsha's skin took on a cherry-blossom hue, and her aura changed instantly.
The hearts shimmering in her pupils beat faster and faster. Her mischievous, heart-shaped tail had long since wrapped tightly around its prey, her affection for Akira swelling to the point of overflow.
"My master~"
Before Akira could do anything else, Ivsha suddenly threw her arms around him.
Her sultry voice drifted languidly through the air~
"You've just touched~ a forbidden switch, you know~"
"Eh?"
(What follows is a description of the unsealing of the magic crest. The next one hundred thousand words are omitted…)
...
Silvermoon Town, within a certain manor.
Morre lay submerged in a wooden vat filled with liquid. His face was twisted in agony, his skin an unnatural shade of red, as though his muscles were being torn apart from the inside.
"Damn that knight!"
Morre roared in fury, hatred for Loserine's kick burning deep into his bones.
"Lord Morre, the priest has arrived!"
A servant's voice came from outside the door.
"Let him in!"
At the mention of the priest, an excited grin immediately spread across Morre's face.
Creak—
The door was gently pushed open. A man dressed in priestly robes stepped inside, his movements solemn as he approached the vat. He carefully examined Morre's bloated body and the murky green liquid within.
"How does it feel?" the priest asked with a smile. "A bath in holy water from the church?"
"Incredible! I've never felt anything like this before!"
Morre raised his thick arms excitedly, veins bulging as if they were brimming with boundless strength.
"After bathing in holy water, even an ordinary man can gain power beyond the norm," the priest said pleasantly. "Including this time, you've already soaked in it ten times. By the end of today, your body will undergo a complete transformation."
"Really? Then I'm truly looking forward to it!"
Morre's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he imagined his body undergoing a qualitative change.
"As long as you're willing to provide funding for the church, this holy-water bathing is only the first step. Many more benefits await you in the future," the priest continued.
"And the deal regarding the church…?"
Morre narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of expectation flashing within them.
"Rest assured. As long as you follow the church's arrangements, everything you desire will be fulfilled," the priest promised.
"Is that so? That's wonderful! Hahahaha!"
Morre burst into delighted laughter.
"Then I'll take my leave. Please continue," the priest said with a warm smile before exiting the room.
The moment he was gone, Morre's joyful expression darkened instantly.
He raised his left arm. A faintly pulsing, dark-green vein stood out against his skin—an unsettling sight.
"Using me as an experiment while pretending to be some kind of savior? Disgusting. Pah!"
Morre spat coldly under his breath.
He climbed out of the vat, grabbed a piece of clothing, and threw it on.
Then he walked to a section of the wall, twisted a candle mounted there, and opened the door to a hidden chamber.
"Keeping a backup plan—that's what a smart man does! Your Grandpa Morre isn't some idiot who'll let you toy with him!"
With that, he stepped into the secret room and vanished into the darkness.
Inside the dim chamber, a small demon with deep-red skin was chained in the corner.
It looked ferocious and grotesque, yet the moment it saw Morre enter, fear crept across its face—it clearly dreaded him.
"After absorbing the blood essence of so many townsfolk, your strength should be mostly restored by now, right?" Morre stared at the demon, grinning savagely.
This little demon was the true culprit behind the recent disturbances in Silvermoon Town. Morre had discovered it and secretly kept it within his manor.
Because the demon's strength hadn't fully recovered—and because he feared attracting the attention of law-enforcement knights—Morre restricted its actions, allowing it only to drain vitality from townsfolk without taking lives.
That was why so many townspeople had fallen into widespread lethargy, yet the knights had been unable to identify the culprit.
But now, the arrival of Kurose Akira and Baron Noda had made Morre feel threatened. So he decided to accelerate the demon's growth and eliminate his enemies as soon as possible.
"Looks like you're still a bit short—but that's fine," Morre sneered. "I have several slaves in this manor. Their flesh and blood should be enough to fully restore you! I've invested a lot in you, so don't disappoint me when night falls tomorrow!"
"Kill those meddlesome fools for me! All of them—they deserve to die!"
As he finished speaking, Morre pulled out a silver bell and gently shook it.
What he failed to notice was a tall, slender nun watching everything from the shadows.
Her voice was icy.
"Fool."
...
Inside the guild.
Akira tried to reach for the cup of water on the bedside table, but his trembling right hand refused to cooperate, missing it again and again.
"Master, are you trying to drink some water?"
Ivsha's seductive voice drifted over lazily. "Here~ let me help you~"
"Wait! I don't want to drink that!!!"