Chapter 20: The Hellish Hot Spring Carnage

The rock bath, filled with milky-white steam, was instantly dominated by a freezing silence.

The heat in the air did not come from the hot spring. Instead, it was the heavy pressure of domination pouring from Elizabeth, making it feel like someone was squeezing your insides. At the same time, Sylphi’s killing intent sent chills through everyone, wearing down their self-control.

Inside the bathtub, Allen, now back in his human form, was surrounded by Luna, Ferris, Misha, Pee, Kuu, Aria, and Sui. None of them were prepared for what was happening.

“…Oh my. …Hehe, hehehe. …It is so comical, I am left completely speechless.”

Elizabeth held her folding fan to her mouth and let out a quiet laugh. Her purple eyes did not smile. Instead, they moved over Allen’s shoulders and the women holding onto him with cold, precise focus.

“Little Allen. …To think the cute little chick that used to tremble on my lap would become this ‘filthy’ in the muddy waters of the frontier. …It is my responsibility as your tutor. …I must re-discipline you from the beginning, or rather, from zero.”

Behind her, a huge purple magic circle appeared. The mana pouring out of it boiled the hot spring water right away and started to melt the nearby rocks until they glowed red.

“Onee-sama… That’s enough talking. …Sylphi can’t hold it back anymore.”

Sylphi re-shouldered her giant scythe and stepped forward. From her crimson eyes, a single tear resembling blood rolled down. She was feeling so much rage and jealousy that her mana was flowing in reverse.

“Those hands that touched Nii-sama. …That tail that embraced Nii-sama. …Those eyes that looked at Nii-sama so lewdly. …Sylphi is going to mince all of them right here, right now, finely. …Nii-sama doesn’t need any ‘trash’ around him other than Sylphi!!”

Zzziiing!!

The countless “red threads” Sylphi unleashed crisscrossed the hot spring like lasers.

“— I won’t let you!!”

Luna shouted and swung her staff as she jumped out of the bathtub. She quickly put up an indigo mana barrier, just managing to block the attack. With only her indigo robe over her wet skin, Luna looked desperate, embarrassed, and fiercely determined not to lose.

“Elizabeth-sama, Sylphi-sama! Allen… Allen is no longer your ‘toy’! He is a precious member of our family — of this territory!”

“Family? …Hehe, do not make me laugh. …Are you planning to bare your fangs at your owner when you are nothing but ‘bait’?”

The purple magic bullet fired from Elizabeth’s fingertips shattered Luna’s barrier like paper.

“Kh…!? The caliber of her mana is completely different…!”

“Move, Glasses! — I’m going to protect the Master!!”

Covered in golden lightning, Ferris jumped forward and stood in front of Allen to protect him. Her silver ears stood up in anger, and sparks of electricity shot from her tail.

“If you want to take the Master, you’ll have to kill me first! I am the Master’s knight! I’m not handing him over to your rotten love!!”

“…A knight? …A mere ‘stray dog’ certainly barks a lot. …Sylphi, take that dog’s head.”

“Okay, Onee-sama. …Die, little doggy!!”

Sylphi’s scythe became a red flash, attacking Ferris.

Clang!! Clash!!

Ferris’s lightning blade clashed with Sylphi’s scythe. Sparks burst out, and the shockwave sent hot spring water spraying into the air.

“…Allen-sama. …Leave this place to us. …Please, hurry to the back…!”

Her pale skin completely exposed, Misha wrapped her tail around Allen’s waist, trying to help him escape to the rear. Pee spread her wings to guard against aerial attacks, and Kuu offered an “escape mantle” to Allen.

“…Everyone, stop! Please, don’t do this anymore for my sake…!”

The collision of violent love drowned out Allen’s voice.

When Elizabeth saw the monster girls working together to protect Allen, her beautiful face twisted with anger.

“…I do not like this. …Bonds I do not know, expressions I do not know. …Allen, I will burn away all those memories of yours with my mana. …The only thing that needs to be etched into your mind is my name.”

Elizabeth spread her arms wide.

“— 【Purple Chain Prison (Eternal Cage)】!!”

Huge purple chains spread over the whole hot spring like a web. They were not just physical restraints; they drained the will of anyone they touched and forced them to their knees.

“Ahh…!? My body, it won’t move…!”

Pee folded her wings and plummeted, while Kuu and Aria also fell to their knees on the ground.

“…Ghh, Master…! Dammit, my lightning is… being sucked away…!”

Ferris also could not fight against the heavy pressure of the chains. She could only just keep Allen upright while her knees shook.

It was overwhelming. With a single spell, Elizabeth had neutralized every monster girl who had evolved to the strongest class in the frontier.

Elizabeth walked with grace, but also with cruelty, past the girls who could not move and came closer to Allen.

“Now, Allen. …Let us wash away the filth. …That ‘barbaric crest’ on your neck, that collar — I will overwrite all of it. …You will return to being my cute little… ‘mascot’ once again.”

Elizabeth’s pale fingers reached out toward Allen’s cheek.

“— Don’t touch me.”

A low voice, echoing as if from the very depths of the earth. The chain around Allen’s neck shone an unprecedented dark red.

“…Eh?”

Elizabeth’s hand was repelled by the golden mana released from Allen.

Allen stared at his comrades kneeling on the ground. These girls who loved him, protected him, and laughed alongside him. Their devotion was what supported him now. He could not forgive the people who called them “trash” and trampled all over them.

“…Elizabeth-ane-sama. …Sylphi. …I will not obey you. …I am the ‘King’ of my comrades, of my territory!!”

Booooooom!!

A golden mana explosion erupted, centered around Allen. It shattered Elizabeth’s purple chains from the inside out.

The excessive mana consumption caused Allen’s human form to waver once again. Enveloped in golden light, he reverted into a tiny mascot.

However, he looked different than before. The chains around his neck, which mixed Elizabeth’s purple and Sylphi’s red, now had golden blades that followed only Allen’s will.

“Everyone! Stand up! Share my mana — share my chains!”

Allen unleashed the cursed chains in all directions, connecting them to the napes of his comrades’ necks.

— 【Curse Chain: Total Authority Sharing (Over Link)】.

“…Ahh. …My power, it’s returning…!”

Luna stood up, her indigo mana dyed in gold.

“Master…! Hehe, this feels amazing! I never knew being connected by a chain could be so reassuring!”

Ferris howled, her lightning evolving into golden flashes.

With Allen, now in mascot form, at the center, Luna, Misha, Ferris, and the others stood together in a circle.

“…Oh my. …To use my own chains to oppose me. …You are being quite impudent, little Allen.”

“Nii-sama… Just as I thought, there are so many bad bugs swarming around you. …It seems we can’t talk until I burn them all to cinders.”

Elizabeth and Sylphi entered a serious combat stance.

Their killing intent was so strong that it cleared all the steam from the hot spring.

The chaos of the Royal Castle faced off against the strong bonds of the frontier. The battle for the ‘idol of love’ called Allen was about to begin.