"This is—!?"
Kurose Akira's expression turned grave as he fixed his gaze on the mirror before him. He could feel it clearly now—the one speaking to him was the Natasha inside the mirror.
"Mr. Akira…"
Natasha, too, noticed the scene reflected in the mirror. She saw her own figure staring back at her.
"I don't know exactly what it is," Akira said calmly, "but I'm certain it's related to the evil entity you just mentioned."
If his guess was correct, then this presence was very likely the soul of an evil fiend.
It had been sealed away by the Guardian Family of the White Rose. And now, it was using this magic mirror—this very object that bound its soul—as a medium to communicate.
"What? Am I not beautiful enough?""Come on~ hurry up and use your holy sword and punish me properly~"
The voice of 'Natasha' echoed once more inside Akira's mind—wanton, provocative, dripping with seduction. It was utterly different from the pure, gentle Natasha he knew.
Unfortunately for it, this level of temptation was nowhere near enough to shake Akira's ironclad will.
Trying to seduce me? Keep dreaming.
"Since you've already discovered me, how could I possibly let you leave so easily?"The Natasha in the mirror chuckled softly. "I originally planned to activate everything in a couple of days… but now, it seems we'll have to move things up ahead of schedule!"
"But before that~ the Guardian of the White Rose cannot be allowed to live."
As her words fell, a wisp of black demonic power slowly seeped out from the mirror, surging straight toward Natasha.
At the critical moment—
A pair of pitch-black giant scissors appeared out of nowhere, severing the connection coming directly from the soul.
"Ahhh!!"
The mirror-Natasha let out a piercing scream."What kind of weapon is that?! Why can it threaten my soul—ahh!"
Amid her shrieks, the image within the mirror grew increasingly blurred, until it finally vanished altogether.
Only then did Akira let out a long breath of relief. Thankfully, he had summoned Alice in time to launch a soul-based attack against the evil fiend—otherwise, Natasha would have been in real danger.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Akira~ You've saved me again~"
Natasha expressed her heartfelt gratitude.
"It was nothing," Akira replied casually as he picked up the Soul Magic Mirror. "The fiend's soul should be gone for now. But why didn't this mirror manage to seal it completely?"
He carefully examined the mirror and quickly found the cause.
There was a thin crack running across the surface of the Soul Magic Mirror. It was likely this fracture that allowed everything to happen. Presumably, with the Guardian Family's decline and lack of proper maintenance, the artifact had deteriorated over time.
"So it's because of this crack… Let me try something. Maybe I can repair it."
"Mm."
Natasha took the Soul Magic Mirror from Akira and gently infused it with her own magic.
Before long, the crack on the mirror's surface disappeared, restoring the artifact to its original, flawless state.
"All done~"
She smiled as she handed the mirror back to Akira—but he refused it. Only the Guardian of the White Rose was permitted to wield that item.
"Then let's head back."
Just as Akira was about to leave, Natasha swayed the moment she stood up—and collapsed straight into his arms.
"Natasha? What's wrong?" Akira asked anxiously.
"It's nothing~ I might've used a bit too much magic. I'll recover after resting for a while~"
"I'll carry you back."
Hearing that, Akira immediately reached out to lift her up. But the instant his fingers touched Natasha's skin, her delicate body trembled violently.
"Mr. Akira… are your fingers… electrified?"She bit her lower lip softly, her voice trembling.
"E–electrified? I… don't think so?"
Akira frowned slightly. Could this be another effect of the [Succubus Physique] trait?
Wasn't this effect a bit too outrageous?
"No? Then why does it feel like this…?"Natasha's eyes shimmered as her body continued to quiver. Unable to endure it, she shyly buried her flushed cheeks against Akira's chest.
"Then… should we rest here for a bit first?"
"N–no… it's fine~ Let's go back~"
Natasha forced herself to endure the electric sensation as Akira carried her away. Though the feeling made her act strangely… she actually liked it.
"Then I—"
Just as Akira was about to carry her out of the attic, he noticed Natasha trembling even more intensely.
His brow furrowed deeply. What the hell did Edith give me with that succubus fruit?This effect was far too domineering—could it be that only succubi were capable of enduring something like this?
"Natasha, let's rest here first."
Akira gently set her down. He was worried she might suddenly pass out halfway back.
"…Alright~"
With Akira's help, Natasha sat down safely on the floor.
Her cheeks were now fully flushed, and her gaze had softened into something almost silky. She didn't quite dare to look at Akira—afraid that if she did, she might completely lose control.
While waiting, and after receiving Natasha's consent, Akira began searching the Guardian Family's attic for treasures. To Natasha, the items stored here were no longer of any use; giving them to Akira would be better—and would also increase their mutual favorability.
Besides, Akira had a strong feeling that something valuable was still hidden here.
Loot time.
"Oh?"
Suddenly, a notification flashed across his vision.
[Guardian Helm (Rare): Can block one soul-based attack.]
"Blocks soul attacks? Nice find."
Satisfied, Akira placed the Guardian Helm into his inventory and continued searching.
After thoroughly looting the area, just as he was about to conclude that there were no more valuables, a beautifully crafted brocade box caught his eye.
"This is…?"
Akira opened the box to find a snow-white rose resting inside.
No—on closer inspection, it seemed to be a rose crafted from some kind of special material.
[White Rose Blossom (Elite): The symbol of the White Rose Guardian Family, and also a key that opens secrets.]
"A key to secrets?"
Akira frowned slightly. What secret was it meant to unlock?
Just as confusion settled in, Natasha moved closer, peering curiously."Mr. Akira, did you find anything useful?"
"…Yeah."
Akira held the White Rose out toward her. The instant Natasha laid eyes on it, her gaze turned unfocused—empty, as though her soul had been pulled away.
"Natasha?"
Akira's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be… that this so-called 'key'… was meant to unlock Natasha herself?
"M–Mr. Akira~"
Natasha suddenly began acting strangely. She gently covered her cheeks with both hands and whispered,"How did you find it? I remember this rose—"
"Ah—it hurts!"
Her words cut off abruptly, as if an explosion of pain from deep within her soul had detonated in her mind.
"Natasha?! What's wrong?!"
Akira asked urgently.
But Natasha didn't respond.
Her body gradually relaxed, her eyes glowing with a faint blue luminescence—as though her world had been reduced to nothing but endless deep blue.
At that moment, a prompt suddenly appeared in Akira's field of vision:
[The hidden lock of the secret has appeared. Quickly use the key in your hand to open her!]
Gulp.
Swallowing, Akira reached out and grasped the White Rose.
The instant his fingers touched it, a mysterious force surged into his body. His soul felt as though it were being dragged straight out of his flesh.
At the same time, upon Natasha's body, a white rose woven from pure soul magic slowly bloomed—its petals tightly closed, quietly awaiting the key in Akira's hand… the one destined to unlock her.
..
Want to unlock up to 60+ early-access chapters and exclusive novels ? Join my Patreon today and dive deeper into the adventure!
patreon.com/denji21