How to Handle a Yandere Harem - Chapter 11 - The Demon of Time

A few minutes before…

The council’s ironclad directives had cornered Elizabeth and Seda. Circumventing their mission seemed an impossible task, especially since Professor Akuma had sealed off nearly all the backdoors. A stringent rule was in place: any mission that deviated from its predicted course could be halted immediately. This rule might provide an escape route, but neither of them wanted to risk Adriel’s safety as part of their plan.

Desperate times called for mythical measures. Their best chance lay with the enigmatic demon of time—a being not bound by the normal flows of past, present, and future. Once human, this creature was cursed with the power to navigate time streams, forever witnessing countless potential futures without the ability to directly alter any outcomes. His knowledge was vast yet fragmented; he didn’t just see what was to come, but experienced the myriad ways the future could unfold.

Elizabeth, in her prior encounter with this time-twisting entity, had bested him in a duel of wits and magic. Even armed with the advantage of foresight and adjusting his strategies by stepping back into the past, he was no match for her cunning. Each revision to his approach only led him to the same result—defeat and humiliation at Elizabeth’s hands.

Turning to a demon, however, was fraught with its own perils. In this world, ‘demons’ were not merely supernatural creatures. They were individuals whose powers had burgeoned to such extremes that they withdrew from society, earning the ‘demon’ moniker not for their abilities, but for the steep prices they exacted for their services. These prices were never monetary but deeply personal, often costing something as precious as the very essence of one’s fate.

Demons were akin to those legendary figures of old, like alchemists who sought to transform lead into gold, only their currency was the metaphysical stuff of human souls and destinies. This kind of transaction was more akin to bartering one’s fortune for a glimpse of another—dangerous, unpredictable, but sometimes, the only path available when fate itself backed one into a corner.

Elizabeth and Seda knew the risks, but with the council breathing down their necks and Adriel’s safety on the line, they had little choice.

In the shadow-laden corners of Magus High’s ancient library, Elizabeth and Seda plotted their next move, surrounded by the musty scent of old tomes—a silent testament to the countless secrets hidden within. They had strategically chosen their battleground, a place filled with whispers of the past and echoes of lost knowledge—an irresistible lure for a being who trafficked in time.

“Are you sure this will draw him out, Elizabeth?”

“We have limited options, Seda. Allowing Adriel to face danger alone isn’t one of them. And I’m certain Akuma hasn’t left us any straightforward paths. We need to appeal to something the time demon can’t resist—his rivalry with me.”

“Are you sure? He’s a demon; maybe he doesn’t care about his defeat.”

“I’m pretty sure he does care about it. I’m certain he has time-traveled several times to try to change the outcome, and if he did, of course, he cares about his defeat.”

“But invoking the time demon—could we be risking too much?”

“It’s a calculated risk, it’s necessary. Besides, he won’t be able to resist the challenge or the setting.”

As if on cue, a shimmering blue light began to coil like mist among the shelves, growing denser and more vibrant with each passing second. Elizabeth and Seda exchanged a glance—this was the moment of truth.

“It’s time,” Elizabeth whispered, stepping forward as the air thickened with the power of summoned time.

From the pulsating glow, a figure materialized, his appearance strikingly youthful despite his ancient burden. His hair was a vibrant shade of blue, tousled as though by the winds of centuries. His eyes, a stormy azure, flickered with recognition and irritation upon seeing Elizabeth.

“So, the great Elizabeth dares to pull me from my wanderings once more. Have you come to best me again, or do you finally acknowledge your need for my unique expertise?”

His voice was as cool as the air that swirled around him, his stance defensive yet curious, clearly agitated by the challenge yet intrigued by the circumstances of his summoning.

“I’m not here for jests; I came because…”

“Let me guess… you’re here to stop Adriel’s mission?” the demon interjected with a smirk.

“Did you travel through time already?”

“No, it’s obvious what you would ask.”

“Then answer me!”

“It’s impossible for you to understand. And even if it weren’t, I wouldn’t divulge such secrets. By the way, cease invoking our past duel and this so-called rivalry you imagine exists between us. I’m here because I sensed an anomaly—a dissonance in the timelines. I can’t predict what will befall young Adriel on this mission; this scenario is unprecedented. Someone else is altering the future, and it certainly isn’t me…”