Chapter 21: Curse Chain Limit Break: Clash at the Hot Springs

The air in the hot spring bathhouse was no longer just filled with steam. It had turned into a swirling vortex of plasma, with high-density mana sending sparks flying.

Allen sat at the center in his mascot form, his golden fur bristling as chains stretched from his neck in every direction. At the end of each chain stood one of seven maidens: Luna, Misha, Ferris, Pee, Kuu, Aria, and Sui. Each was surrounded by Allen’s mana and wrapped in a golden aura.

“…Fufu, ahahahaha! Splendid, little Allen! To think you would rewrite the ‘Chains of Domination’ I bestowed upon you into a ‘bond’ of rebellion against me! That indomitable will of yours makes me want to add you to my collection even more!”

Elizabeth laughed like a madwoman, giving her folding fan a grand sweep.

A huge magic circle appeared behind her, and thousands, even tens of thousands, of “Purple Magic Bullets” poured down like heavy rain. Each shot carried enough power to break through castle walls, turning the downpour into a storm of despair.

“—Master, hold on tight! —【Golden Lightning: Bolt Burst】!!”

Ferris carried Allen on her back and raced across the ground like a streak of golden lightning. With Allen’s mana powering her, she moved so fast she broke the sound barrier, barely dodging the falling purple bullets.

“Onii-sama, you can’t run away…! No one can escape from Sylphi’s threads!”

Sylphi thrust her massive scythe into the ground, and countless “red threads” erupted from the bottom of the hot spring like a geyser. They resonated with Allen’s “silver collar,” drawing his body like a magnet, sealing his movements.

“…G-Guh, the collar…!? My body’s being pulled…!”

“I won’t let you! —【Cobalt Ice Rejection: Cobalt Shield】!!”

Luna pointed her staff forward and froze the space around Allen. The red threads from Sylphi hit the ice and broke apart with a sharp crack. Luna’s eyes shone with confidence, showing none of her old shyness. By sharing Allen’s senses, she had taken on his desire for freedom as her own.

“Elizabeth-sama! Sylphi-sama! Allen is no longer your property! He is our King of the Frontier!”

“Shut up, Thieving Human. …I’ll make sure that mouth that defiled Allen never speaks again.”

The moment Elizabeth pointed her fingertips at Luna, Misha cut in from the side.

“…Your opponent is me. …【Amber Serpent Ascension: Amber Noah】!!”

Powered by Allen’s golden mana, Misha’s tail grew larger and knocked Elizabeth’s magic bullets out of the air. The scales on her body had changed into a mirrored armor that could even reflect royal mana.

The battlefield descended into absolute chaos.

Up above, Pee sliced through the purple clouds with blades of air. On the ground, Kuu and Aria worked together to stop Sylphi from getting closer. Sui turned the hot spring into a golden slime that twisted and tried to trip Elizabeth.

And yet, the power of the two royals still seemed bottomless.

“…Phew. Perhaps I’ve played around a bit too much. …Allen, I’ll show you. I’ll show you what true ‘royal domination’ looks like.”

Elizabeth brought her hands together in a prayer-like gesture.

Immediately after, the chains on Allen’s neck violently turned a dark, blood-red color unlike anything before.

“—G-Gah, aaaaaaaahhhhh!!”

Allen screamed, tumbling off Ferris’s back.

The Curse Chains burned inside Allen, forcing his mana to flow back to Elizabeth.

(…No, my mana… it’s being drained… The link connecting me to everyone is… breaking…!)

The golden auras around his companions, linked by the chains, faded away right in front of him.

Elizabeth’s mana lifted Allen’s small body into the air.

“Now, come here, Allen. …I will dye every part of you back into my colors once again. …The memories of those females, their warmth, I’ll overwrite it all…”

Just as Elizabeth’s hand was about to reach Allen,

— Don’t fuck with me.

Allen’s eyes unleashed a “kaleidoscopic radiance,” a swirling mix of deep crimson, purple, and gold.

(…I told you I won’t belong to anyone. …Elizabeth-ane-sama. …If you insist on binding me, then with these very chains… I’ll drag you down with me!!)

—【Curse Chain Limit Break】.

As Allen roared, the chains around his neck broke apart.

The broken pieces of the chains started to rebuild Allen’s body.

A golden light cut through the night sky, making the whole hot spring bathhouse shine as bright as the sun.

When the light faded, Allen was no longer a mascot or even in his temporary princely form.

His long golden hair flowed in the wind, and marks of broken chains covered his body. This was Allen’s true form as the “Golden King.”

His clothes, made from magic silk by Aria, changed shape to fit his new form. They became a battle suit that looked both noble and fierce.

“…Wha-!? You destroyed the chains… and made them your own flesh and blood!? Impossible, a spell like that shouldn’t exist in this world—”

For the first time, Elizabeth’s face twisted in shock.

“Ferris, Luna! Everyone, lend me your strength one more time!”

This time, Allen didn’t use chains. He asked his companions directly to join him in a “resonance of souls.”

Luna and the others gathered around Allen, ready to fight by his side.

“…Ahh. …This is it. …This is the true radiance of the Allen-sama I love…!”

Luna placed a hand on Allen’s back with a rapturous expression.

“Master…! Hehe, if you’re up for it, I’ll make an enemy out of the whole damn world!!”

Ferris stood next to Allen, channeling golden lightning into her blade.

They combined their magic around Allen, creating 【Elysion Dawn】.

The feelings of the seven maidens and Allen’s desire for freedom joined together, forming a huge sword of light that struck down at Elizabeth and Sylphi.

“…Onii-sama, you’re amazing… …But, Sylphi will still make Onii-sama…!”

Sylphi readied her scythe, and Elizabeth turned all her mana into a shield.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!

Everything turned white.

The hot spring bathhouse collapsed, the steam blowing away in an instant.

When the light faded,

Allen and his companions stood together, breathing heavily.

Across from them, Elizabeth and Sylphi knelt on the ground, their clothes partly burned.

“…Fu, fufu. …I suppose this is our loss. …To think the two of us ganging up on a single boy would be overpowered like this.”

Elizabeth wiped blood from her mouth and gave a fearless smile.

Her eyes showed not frustration, but a deeper, twisted pleasure.

“…How amusing, Allen. …To think you were hiding such fangs. …But you see, my boy. …That power just now, it isn’t yours alone, is it? …Without your ‘bond’ with those girls, you will return to being my cute little mascot. …And that very bond will become your greatest weakness.”

“…Onii-sama. …I’m going home for today. …But I’ll make it so Onii-sama comes to Sylphi on your own. …Look forward to it, okay?”

Elizabeth and Sylphi left the scene, their eerie presence and the purple and red mist fading with them.

Silence fell.

Allen’s form as the “Golden King” faded, breaking apart like sand.

In his place was a tired, mud-covered little golden furball: Allen’s mascot form.

“Kyuu…”

Allen collapsed into the ruins of the hot spring.

This was the price of the limit break. The chains around his neck were not gone. Instead, they had fused deeper into his soul, becoming an invisible pact.

“Allen!!”

Luna and the others hurried over and hugged Allen tightly.

The two from the royal castle were gone.

However, this was not a victory.

Now that they recognized Allen’s power, they planned to invade the frontier as a nation, bringing their full military strength. This was only the beginning of an even greater war.

As Allen clung to consciousness in Luna’s arms, he felt the warmth of the girls around him.

(…Was I able to protect them? …Everyone…)

The Golden Territory.

There, a storm of love greater than ever before was about to begin.