Suddenly appearing behind the old mage, Hayashi grasped his head with one hand.
A silent pressure surged like a tide, instantly overwhelming the entire space.
Without giving Flare a chance to react, Hayashi's other hand shot out, seizing her slender neck with lightning speed.
"Plunder!"
In an instant, the magic power of both was drained dry by Hayashi.
Using [Heal] as the core, he had developed the "Plunder" skill, allowing him to steal the opponent's magic and stamina, converting it for his own use!
Now devoid of magic, the two mages were rendered utterly powerless.
Feeling the surge of magic within him, Hayashi grinned.
Right in front of Flare, his hand gripping the old mage's head slowly twisted.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Amidst the sickening sound of bones breaking, the old mage desperately struggled to survive.
But his feeble punches and kicks couldn't even budge Hayashi an inch.
Squelch—
As the old mage's neck twisted to its limit, shattered bone fragments pierced through flesh, and crimson blood sprayed out.
[Ding! Randomly plundered keyword: Magic Scholar (Blue)]
[Magic Scholar (Blue): After long years of studying magic, you possess an instinctive intuition for it, greatly accelerating the speed at which you learn spells.]
Warm blood stained Flare's dress, and the sudden brutality filled her with absolute terror.
Thud!
Casually tossing aside the old mage's corpse, Hayashi finally looked up at her.
Flare's heart nearly stopped, and she felt a warm liquid trickling down her legs.
Drip… Drip…
Watching the droplets fall, Hayashi laughed.
"Pissed yourself already? How pathetic, our esteemed Princess Flare."
Humiliated, Flare's first instinct was rage and shame.
But the sight of the old mage's corpse made her burst into tears.
Gasping, she shook her head and barely managed to choke out a few words.
"P-Please… don't kill me."
"Kill you? No, no, why would I do that? You're far too useful as a tool—just like what you intended for me, right?"
Hayashi loosened his grip slightly, allowing Flare to breathe.
Gulping down air, she collapsed to the ground.
After a moment, she immediately cried out, "Wait, Hayashi! There must be some misunderstanding between us—Mmph!"
Before she could finish, Hayashi gripped her smooth chin.
"Trying to call for help? Too bad. You won't get that chance."
He yanked her up and pulled her into his embrace.
Under her terrified, stunned gaze, he suddenly shot into the sky.
"Windwalker!"
Spiritual energy coiled around his legs, propelling him upward.
A purple gravity ring materialized, reducing his weight to near nothing.
In the next second, his figure became a streak of light, soaring across the sky.
Even the kingdom's barrier was bypassed effortlessly thanks to the "Penetrate" ability of the Boosted Gear.
Flare's vision spun wildly as the capital shrank into the distance.
"…Impossible…"
By the time they landed in a desolate wilderness, she finally regained her senses.
Collapsing to the ground, she stared at Hayashi in despair.
"You're making an enemy of the entire Kingdom of Jioral! Let me go, and I'll pretend none of this happened!"
Desperate, Flare begged for reconciliation.
Hayashi looked down at her with a faint smile.
"Do you really think I care about that?"
"But I'm happy to give people a chance. If you can actively make me happy, I'll let you run. You know what I mean."
Slap!
The moment he finished speaking, Flare's cheek was struck hard.
Gulp.
Trembling, she scrambled backward, muttering, "I-I'm a princess! How could I let a lowly commoner defile me?!"
"Oh? If you hate it that much, then how about this instead?"
Hayashi pulled out an iron rod with a wicked grin, heating it red-hot with fire magic before presenting her with the choice.
"I'm no demon—I'll always give people a choice. So, Flare, pick: this… or this?"
"Or, better yet, why not both? I highly recommend the third option."
The moment those words left his mouth, tears of terror spilled from Flare's eyes.
"N-No! No!! I-I'll choose you, Hayashi-sama! Y-You're much better!!"
Crawling forward, she clutched at his pants in desperation.
Seeing the haughty princess reduced to this filled Hayashi with a rush of conquest.
Even with [Heal], he could undo any damage—but until he could remove the side effects, he wasn't about to let her experience the agony of a red-hot iron rod.
Tossing the rod aside, he placed a hand on Flare's head.
A master-servant contract's magic circle instantly enveloped her.
A pink collar mark materialized around her snow-white neck.
His commanding voice echoed in her ears.
"Flare, do what you're supposed to."
Her wide eyes locked onto him before she reluctantly lowered her head.
No matter how humiliated she felt, she knew she had no choice.
Damn commoner! Damn commoner!!
Her heart raged, but the voice in her mind grew weaker and weaker.
The overwhelming pressure left her unable to even whimper.
Yet Hayashi only looked bored.
"You were so eager to send those women to me before, but now that it's your turn, you're this pathetic?"
"The 'Magic Hero' is just trash, huh? What a worthless piece of garbage."
Each word stabbed at Flare's pride.
"I'm… not… garbage!!"
Knowing she had no way out, she resolved to show the dignity of a princess.
But when faced with reality, she was instantly overwhelmed.
After all, even as the Magic Hero, she was still a beginner.
Her strength lay in magic, not physical endurance.
With a weak will, it took barely ten seconds before she was reduced to a sobbing, broken mess.
Her former arrogant, foul-mouthed personality vanished—only weakness, tears, and submission remained.
"At least… at least… Nngh—!!"
Before she could finish, her eyes rolled back, and she passed out.
Unfazed, Hayashi picked her up and continued his journey.
She woke up again and again, and each time she saw him, the collar's mark glowed pink.
The succubus's curse flared, shattering her reason.
Fainting, waking, fainting…
Over and over.
By the twelfth time she awoke, her eyes held only fear and obsession.
"Finally realized it? The moment you feel hostility toward me, the master-servant contract activates."
"Master-servant… contract… So I'm your slave now… No, I—Aahhh!!"
As hatred surged in her heart, the curse ignited once more, burning her nerves to ashes.