"Hahaha, that's hilarious! What a useless small fry master."
The twin-tailed fox girl laughed wantonly at Ye Feng.
"To have your hypnosis broken so easily... See? Small fry master is completely useless."
Ye Feng smiled. "And how do you know that I didn't set it that way intentionally, based on the level of Aponia's spiritual power? The goal was to keep her 'half-asleep, half-awake'."
"Really? I don't believe you."
"For a psychic-type MANTIS like Aponia, even without using 「Hypnosis (Absolute)」, just 「Hypnosis (Deep)」 would make it impossible for her to wake up."
"Oh-ho-ho, the only thing hard on you now is your mouth, small fry master. What good does doing this do for you?"
"I don't know about 'good,' but it is pleasurable."
The sun outside the window slowly rose. As the first ray of light shone in, Higokumaru suddenly knelt on the red carpet, her tails wagging behind her like a puppy's.
She shuffled on her knees to Ye Feng and used her teeth to pull open the tab on a carton of milk.
While drinking her morning milk, Miss Fox continued to clamor:
"Mmph, mmph, admit it, small fry master, you're just no good. If it were me, this level of hypnosis wouldn't work at all."
"Yes, yes. After all, Higokumaru is the great Dean of the Convent of the Holy Maiden, the continent's foremost Crimson Saintess."
Ye Feng gently ruffled Higokumaru's hair, then pinched her puffed-out cheeks as he looked at her panel.
「Name: Higokumaru」
「Character Status: Hypnosis (Deep), Common Sense Altered」
「Character Profile: On the surface, she is the Crimson Saintess. In reality, she is the Dusk Witch who worships the [Evil God Taisiyuros]. In order to welcome the return of her "Lord's" true body from the endless void, she has secretly infiltrated the [Convent of the Holy Maiden] to erode the Goddess's power of purity in the mortal realm. Personality: Meshigaki, cold on the outside but passionate on the inside, accustomed to a rich glass of milk every morning.」
Higokumaru had forgotten who had gotten her belly so big.
She even felt that it was perfectly natural for her to have a "big belly."
Ye Feng looked down at Higokumaru kneeling before him and asked, "Am I being a bit too cruel, playing with you like this?"
"Mmm~~ Small fry master... playing with~ me...? Hahaha, slurp~ that's hilarious, hahaha~~"
"Well, if you don't think it's a problem, then that's fine. I'm recording all of this, by the way. Don't come crying and screaming to me when the simulation is over."
Ye Feng patted Higokumaru's head, straightened his clothes, and left the principal's office.
He had set the rule for himself: When the essence of life surges, that will be the moment Aponia 'awakens'.
But that was a rule for his game with Aponia. What did it have to do with Higokumaru?
「In the year 1992 of the Goddess Calendar, the Elven Goddess of the Holy Dominion of Light prophesied the advent of an "Evil God."」
「Desire and greed began to stir, and the evil lurking in the darkness revealed its blood-stained claws.」
「In order to resist the "Scourge" arriving in 8 years, the nations of the continent began selecting "Saintesses" who could hear the Goddess's will.」
"Mmm... why do I feel like this is heading in a Western fantasy direction?"
"And having a pure saintess fight filthy monsters on the battlefield... isn't that straight out of a hentai plot? How exciting!"
「As the only male in the [Convent of the Holy Maiden], Feng naturally attracted a great deal of attention.」
「But for Aponia, this was undoubtedly a heavy burden...」
---o---
The Grand Cathedral.
Sunlight streamed through the arched window, striking the statue of the goddess, casting one half in light and sinking the other in shadow.
The nun praying below stood up and turned around. Her plump yet slender, fair legs stepped forward in high heels, her posture poised and elegant.
Aponia watched the boy before her—who could still be called a "child"—with a worried gaze.
But today was his birthday. He had just turned eighteen.
And yet, it was as if time had frozen for him; he had stopped developing physically.
Aponia's eyes were filled with pity.
"Little Feng, are you going to the battlefield tomorrow?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"..."
Hearing this answer, Aponia fell silent.
The nun's hands fidgeted before the hem of her skirt.
"Don't worry so much. I'm very strong, you know."
"...The ones you'll be fighting are called the [Star Gods], aren't they? Since you'll be facing such an indescribable, terrifying existence, you cannot afford to be careless in the slightest."
Ye Feng gazed at Aponia. "For the things I want to protect, for the place I want to return to, I will swing my sword as I always have. And I will survive."
"Yes. I believe Little Feng can do it."
"When this war is over, I'll come back and get married."
The hand Aponia was about to raise to stroke Ye Feng's hair froze in mid-air. She then retracted it without a trace and smiled. "So, Little Feng has someone he likes."
"I do! Will Mother Aponia support me?"
Aponia turned her head away. "...No matter what decision Little Feng makes, I will support you."
Having gotten the answer he wanted, in this holy and solemn cathedral, Ye Feng spoke that phrase once more—
"Mother Aponia, I'm hungry."
Normally, the act of "feeding medicine" in a church was a profanity, a taboo that went against her [Discipline], but the nun had grown accustomed to it by now.
But this time, Aponia's body did not begin to swell.
Her body's calmness plunged the nun into an icy abyss.
"...Why?"
Aponia looked at Ye Feng, trembling. "Little Feng, I... I don't have... any..."
Without the substance necessary to suppress his [Entropinversion], Little Feng would continuously "regress" until he returned to a void equivalent to death.
Ye Feng's brow twitched as well. A flash of panic crossed his face before he calmly analyzed, "Milk is a fluid secreted by the body. Could it be that other fluids have the same effect?"
"Other... fluids?"
Ye Feng looked at Aponia's cherry lips.
Though she was an abstinent nun, her lips were the color of a fresh morning rose, vivid and alluring, tempting one to pluck them.
Their eyes met.
Aponia instantly understood Ye Feng's intention, and her cheeks flushed crimson.
"No!"
Ye Feng shook his head and declared loudly.
He made a gesture as if to run outside.
But Aponia grabbed his wrist. "...Little Feng."
"Let go of me, Mother Aponia."
Ye Feng's firm words echoed through the empty cathedral. "I cannot continue to make one mistake after another. I can't put Mother Aponia in a difficult position again."
"I... I'm not in a difficult position..."
"No. And besides, it's just a guess. It might not even work."
"How will we know if we don't try?"
Aponia's previously hesitant eyes instantly became firm. "I cannot repeat the same mistake."
"Eh, but, I can't..."
Ye Feng struggled with all his might!
Her response was a clear and resolute gaze.
"Little Feng, [Please] deliver your body and soul unto me."
As she spoke, several golden arms of light seemed to extend from behind Aponia. Like a vise, they firmly clamped onto Ye Feng.
The golden arms slowly closed in, bringing Ye Feng before Aponia.
Holy golden light filled the cathedral, and Ye Feng felt his lips being covered by something incredibly soft and moist...