Afternoon sunlight filtered through the silk curtains, casting golden streaks across the polished wooden floor. The atmosphere inside the living room had plummeted to sub-zero levels, so deathly quiet that the ticking of the wall clock was the only sound echoing through the room.Haruna sat gracefully on the maroon velvet sofa, legs crossed. The gentle steam rising from the cup of jasmine tea on the mahogany table did nothing to thaw the thick hostility hanging in the air.Directly across from her, Krai sat rigid with his hands resting flat against his thighs. He swallowed hard, painfully aware that he was sitting dead center in a storm ready to erupt at any second.To Krai's left, Shizuku stood at attention, hands neatly clasped in front of her waist. Her usually calm, gentle gaze had sharpened into icy daggers, primed to strike.On his right, Agnes crossed her arms over her chest. The succubus queen's tail swished with restless agitation, brushing against the carpet while radiating

A dense, dark gray chain of magic extended from Krai’s chest, piercing straight through the center of Haruna’s without shedding a single drop of blood. The construct chimed softly, sending out a soul resonance that made the surrounding air vibrate.Magic lanterns along the walls cast a golden sheen over the gray marble floor. The room felt warm and humid, thick with the lingering traces of newly bound magic."Hnghh."A soft, low gasp slipped past Haruna’s crimson lips. Her eyelids fluttered gently as a stream of cold mana seeped into her core, binding their very existences together in an absolute pact.The sound hit Krai square in the ears. Wild thoughts instantly scattered his focus, making the circulation of magic in his hands hitch for a beat."Master~."Shizuku’s flat yet sharp call dragged Krai straight back to reality. Flinching slightly, he hurriedly looked away, refusing to meet the crimson eyes of his personal maid.Over in the corner of the room, Agnes leaned against a pilla

Krai cracked his bedroom door open, poking his head out to scan his surroundings carefully. The grand corridor of polished white marble lay completely deserted, with not a guard in sight."Master~."A sweet, melodic whisper brushed right past his ear."Yes!" Krai snapped his back straight on reflex, spinning around to face the crimson-haired maid before him, his posture stiff as a board.The stunning maid stood tall in her elegant, lace-trimmed uniform. Her bright red irises bored into him, as if peering straight through the mind of Stromveil's supreme ruler."Why are you sneaking around, Master?"Krai cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to play it cool. "I just feel guilty for neglecting my duties as emperor.""Hmm~."Shizuku wore a look of utter skepticism. Her eyes narrowed inquisitively as she studied her master's guilt-ridden expression with mock doubt."I'm being serious here!""In that case, prove it with your actions.""What do you want me to do?"A sly smile tugged at Shizuk

Haruna tilted her head slightly to the right. The hem of her dress and her soft, shimmering deep blue hair floated gently in the air, catching the dim glow cast by the crystal lanterns along the fortress wall."You remind me of that dwarf princess from back then," Haruna interjected without hesitation, shattering the silence that hung frozen over the corridor. "Tell me, are you her descendant?"The old woman flinched violently, her eyes widening as she stared straight at Haruna. The deep wrinkles on her stern face suddenly twitched, overcome by a rush of sheer disbelief."Huh? You... you knew my ancestor?!" she gasped, her voice climbing in pitch as whatever composure she had managed to maintain crumbled away.Haruna let out an amused chuckle and crossed her arms, wearing a relaxed smile that stood in stark contrast to the old woman's tension."My name is Haruna. The Spirit Queen from two generations ago.""What?! Lady Haruna?!" The old woman shrieked, staggering half a step backward.

A relentless gale tore through the sky five hundred meters above, whipping the hem of Krai's black coat.The biting cold pierced deep into the skin, yet the youth stood composed upon empty air as if grounded on a solid sheet of glass.Beside him, Shizuku floated gracefully, her frilled black-and-white maid dress holding its immaculate form against gravity. Their sharp gazes were locked squarely onto the colossal anomaly hovering erratically before them.The creature's silhouette was an outright violation of the laws of nature. Its body formed a pitch-black, utterly seamless sphere rotating slowly on an unnatural axis.From the base of its round body, five slender, heavily-jointed legs clawed at the void, supporting a massive weight that radiated ripples of pure darkness.A single giant eyeball laced with glowing crimson veins dominated a quarter of its surface, darting erratically without pattern and exuding absolute hostility.From the creature's back, ten thick, serrated tentacles l