Bad Women

The Abyss, deeper than the Sixth Layer—

This was the ‘deep layer’ of the Abyss, a realm teeming with dense, suffocating darkness. No solid ground existed here, only a viscous, sludge-like fluid that swallowed anyone who dared to tread upon it. Weaker souls, once ensnared, would swiftly dissolve, becoming an indistinguishable part of the pervasive gloom.

“Hmph… hmph… hmph… Finally… finally… It’s nothing short of a miracle…”

Justin, the Third Venerable Lord’s trusted confidant and the ‘Dreamweaver,’ was submerged in the sludge up to his waist, yet he remained remarkably untouched by its corrosive properties. He had masterfully employed his unique ability, weaving the very sludge into a protective barrier by separating its components and donning it as a formidable defense.

He had been toiling in this abyssal expanse for an entire night.

Justin had been certain the Ninth Apostle would slay him, but a sudden warp rift had disrupted everything, allowing him to seize the opportunity to escape. The most prudent choice then would have been to flee the Abyss, to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Ninth Apostle.

However, his loyalty as a subordinate had prevailed, prompting him to prioritize his mission in that critical moment. Perhaps the Demon God had seen his sincerity, for after searching the sludge for an incredibly long time, almost without hope, he actually retrieved an object.

An eyeball.

It was roughly the size of a human eyeball, complete with a white sclera, cornea, and iris. Aside from its vertical slit pupil, it appeared entirely unremarkable.

Yet, this tiny eyeball held more significance than the warp rift, the human defense lines, and the Ninth Apostle combined.

“…The Demon God’s Right Eye has been successfully recovered. Mission accomplished.”

With utmost reverence, he cradled the eyeball in both hands, carefully placing it into the protective barrier bestowed by the Third Venerable Lord. For every demon, this was an unparalleled honor; even a Venerable Lord might not have the chance to touch a fragment of the Demon God’s remains.

At last, Justin breathed a sigh of relief.

He felt a surge of pride, almost wanting to commend himself.

Not only had he escaped death at the Ninth Apostle’s hands, but he had also retrieved the mission objective from the deeper reaches of the Abyss while the Apostle was preoccupied with the beast tide. Aside from severing his own legs, he had suffered no major injuries, effectively making a full retreat.

This was an immense achievement. Following the left leg, intestines, stomach, left eye, and ‘unit,’ the sixth relic of the Demon God had finally been discovered and recovered. The ‘Demon God’s Remains Collection Plan,’ proposed by the Third Venerable Lord, had advanced significantly.

From this moment, should he successfully return the Demon God’s Eye to demon territory, he would become a great hero to the entire demon race.

“Paris is dead… no matter, that scoundrel deserved to die…”

“That Parashana… seems to have a significant background… never mind… she isn’t the priority…”

“An Meng… ugh… she… shouldn’t have died like that… I bear some responsibility… damn it…”

“And then, the Ninth Apostle…”

“Before I leave… at least… at least I must obtain further images of him… even if it’s just a single photograph… to take back… to prove I discovered the Ninth Apostle’s whereabouts… it would benefit our next course of action…”

The next day—

After a night of chaos, order was tentatively restored in Sandra City by dawn.

It was initially feared that the entire city’s military and civilians would suffer heavy casualties, but the number of dead and wounded was surprisingly low. Everyone had prepared for a desperate struggle the previous night, yet a mysterious radiance had descended from the heavens, instantly annihilating the abyssal beast army.

What had transpired during that time? Accounts varied amongst the populace, though many believed that ‘an Apostle had arrived in time to provide support,’ and that the efforts of those great figures had saved Sandra from utter destruction.

Inside the Lord’s Manor—

Jadette, her arm bandaged and crossed, sat opposite Aimira, her expression grave.

“So… you encountered Corvus in another city recently and received his help?”

“Yes.”

“You weren’t sure it was him at first, so you invited him to a restaurant to talk, and that’s when he borrowed your handkerchief to wipe his mouth?”

“Yes.”

“Corvus does seem to have a habit of using handkerchiefs, but…”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, not really… In any case, after that, you followed the clues, tracing him all the way to Sandra City?”

“Yes.”

“……………”

Aimira recounted the events in detail, her expression perfectly natural, showing no hint of deceit. Jadette pondered and scrutinized her words from every angle, yet found no obvious discrepancies.

It wasn’t that she harbored no suspicion, but rather that she lacked any evidence to support it. Thus, the matter could only be left unresolved.

After Aimira departed, Jadette leaned back on the sofa and let out a long sigh.

“So… it was a wasted trip after all…?”

“Though not entirely without gain… at least… I saw him again…”

“And…”

As she recalled the events of the previous night, a flush crept onto her cheeks.

—’To say I have absolutely no feelings for her, well, that is, unequivocally, impossible.’—

“Uwaaah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!”

Jadette buried her face in her hands, writhing on the floor. Oh no, oh no, oh no! What kind of man was he? Claiming to dislike her, yet clearly still caring deeply! He was indeed a tsundere who loved to be contrary! Yes, that’s how it should be, after all, I’m the rightful wife, the rightful wife! The wife! Wife! Oh! Oh! Oh!!!!

“Though you still managed to slip away… but…”

“Next time…”

“Next time we meet, I will, I will, I will be fully prepared!”

“Just you wait, Corvus!!”

Just then—

“Ahhhhhh Jadette-sama ahhhhhh!!”

The reception room door burst open. The City Lord, performing a 360-degree spin, landed prostrate, sliding over ten meters directly to Jadette’s feet. His face was ashen, he trembled like a sieve, and sweat poured off him like rain, presenting a picture of utter doom.

“You— uwaaah, we are so incompetent to have allowed you to be injured! I am extremely! Extremely! Extremely! Extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely sorryyyyyyyy!”

“That’s enough… This was my own unauthorized action; you needn’t worry.”

“But, but! You are the daughter of Lord Dochido, if anything were to happen…”

“……………Hmph, I told you there’s no need to worry.”

At the mention of her father, Jadette’s brow furrowed in a fleeting expression of distaste, but she quickly regained her normal demeanor. She had a secondary objective for her visit, which she had almost forgotten, but the City Lord’s words brought it back to mind.

“Listen, this was my own unauthorized action. My report to Father will state exactly that. Not a single word will mention the military, civilians, or anyone in Sandra City, and that, of course, includes you, Your Excellency.”

“R-really!? Thank you so much!”

“However… I have a condition, or rather, a ‘proposal.'”

“A proposal…?”

Jadette curved her lips into a foxy smile, her eyes glinting.

“As far as I know, most of your Excellency’s enterprises are inextricably linked to my father’s Waldo Group, correct?”

“That is indeed true… but… in this world, within human territory, industries not entangled with Lord Dochido are few. Over 80% of the human economy is under his control…”

“What if I were to formally invite your Excellency to sever ties with my father and instead join the ‘Jadette Foundation,’ which I established? What would be your thoughts?”

“……………….Huh?”

Human territory, Western Europe, deep within the mountains on the continent’s edge—

“I’m~~~~~ baaaaaack~~~~~”

Parashana dragged out her languid greeting as she passed through the Witch’s Forest barrier. This place had been the domain of witches since ancient times, with outsiders strictly forbidden. Yet, she, who was neither a witch nor even a sorcerer, could enter and exit as she pleased.

She skillfully navigated the winding forest paths, kicking aside bothersome pixies, swatting away annoying butterflies, and crushing tripping vines. She continued until she reached a small wooden cabin nestled against a large tree in the deepest part of the Witch’s Forest, where she finally stopped.

“I’m back, you know! The super invincible, incredibly voluptuous, brown-skinned hot girl, Parashana Dominique, is back, you know~~~”

She thumped on the door, repeatedly, until it finally opened. A petite young girl emerged.

She appeared to be under fifteen, dressed in a cute yet alluring outfit, reminiscent of a magical girl from an adult anime. Her light pink hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a purplish-black witch’s hat sat atop her head, its wide brim creating a stark contrast with her tiny frame.

“Back from playing, Parashana? Any gains?”

Her voice held the high pitch of a young girl, yet her tone was the low, deep cadence of an adult, creating a subtle discord.

“I went north and killed a few people~ went west and stirred up some trouble~ collaborated with old friends in the southwest, and I forgot what I did in the Abyss~~”

The girl hummed.

“So, no gains, then.”

“Mmm~ Oh, right, I ran into the Ninth Apostle.”

“…………Oh? That’s interesting. And then?”

“Then?”

“Did you capture him? Or kill him? Or perhaps carve a tracking spell onto him?”

“Haha, none of the above! I saw things were going south and fled!”

“Oh ho, I see.”

The girl smiled sweetly—

“You truly are useless~♪”

Thud!

By the time Parashana registered what happened, her vision had twisted ninety degrees, and her body lay sprawled on the ground.

“You seem to be having a wonderful time, don’t you?”

Stomp! The girl stomped on her stomach, and an invisible wave directly blasted through her abdomen, leaving a large crater in the ground.

“Not returning home, gallivanting about outside, enjoying yourself, and yet gaining nothing, hmm?”

Stomp! Another kick, and the girl’s cute little boot harshly pressed onto Parashana’s face, her heel grinding against her nasal cartilage with a grating sound.

“I… I’m sorry…”

“Hmm? Your voice is too quiet; I can’t hear you~”

Stomp! The third kick landed directly on a certain spot below her pelvis. Parashana let out a sharp cry… yet, a mysterious pleasure was mixed within the scream.

“Please… ahhh… please continue… continue… harder, please❤… as long as you’re happy… ahhh… Semiri-sama…”

“Who gave you permission to call me by my name?”

Thud! This time the girl kicked her in the mouth, sending her front teeth flying.

“I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry… ahhh… my Master… the supremely great… supremely beautiful… supremely intelligent… Sixth Apostle-sama!!!”

“Hmph, at least you know your place.”

The girl—the Sixth Apostle Semiri Nitrailer—lifted her foot and snapped her fingers, though it wasn’t a loud sound. The shattered ground instantly returned to its original state, and Parashana’s kicked-out front teeth regrew.

“Come in. I was just looking for something to step on; your return is perfect.”

“Yes~~~~~~~ Master!”

“Don’t forget to change into your maid uniform.”

“Alright~~~~~!”