The Deceiver Deceived
Greed truly had no idea why she had collapsed. How on earth had he figured it out? Her act had been flawless.
I've been with the princess since time immemorial. I remember every moment—from when she could feel emotions to her current state where she feels nothing at all...!
The subtle smiles, the halting speech, even the constant pleas for hugs—she'd mimicked it all perfectly. But it was useless against Si-hyun. He'd seen right through her at a glance.
The girl imitating Luna! And he hadn't stopped at spotting her; he'd turned her own performance against her with an unexpected strike.
As expected... Even with incomplete memories, the savior's instincts remain, huh? Your ironclad acting was one step ahead.
But there was something else she couldn't comprehend.
How the hell did he push me out...?
Greed was among the strongest of ghost stories—a mengmang-grade embodiment of sin. How could a mere human body repel her?
Sure, he'd once been the savior. He might possess unique abilities, but only in his nighttime Phantom form.
He didn't even transform into that form, so why...!
And that recent attack felt like a outright denial of her very existence. Like two north poles of magnets repelling each other with overwhelming force. It was exactly that.
I can't understand it... How do you have this body's energy? The power of Greed belongs only to Luna and me!
The black moon kept its distance from Si-hyun, who was still feigning confusion in his eyes.
You bastard! Planning to keep up the act?
"Si-hyun, why don't you drop the act now? Or should I call you Lucifer?"
"......"
"Hahaha! If you thought I'd keep falling for it, you're mistaken. I've lived just as long as you. Don't think some cheap imitation will fool me forever!"
"......"
"Why aren't you saying anything? Ah, you must not have expected me to take over Luna's body. I get the shock. Hahaha! It took so long to get this far. Without your interference, I could've claimed her ages ago...! Even when I tried tricking her as a doll, or in her dreams—you kept getting in my way...! But look at this, Lucifer! I won in the end. I won!! You couldn't protect Luna after all!!"
Greed's eyes bulged as she spat her mockery, looking like a wild dog frothing in madness—utterly menacing. But Si-hyun's face, watching her, showed no reaction whatsoever.
"......"
Hmph... Must be quite the shock. Seeing you so flustered is a rare treat. Just like that distant past, when I told you I'd become one with Luna—your face is the same.
That moment.
Wait... Become one with Luna...?
Greed realized she'd overlooked something. To merge with Luna required three conditions:
Mengmang's True Name
Host's Permission
And the most crucial final one: the object linking host and mengmang.
Medium
No way... No freaking way...!
The Greed Crystal she'd personally given Luna. And the similar energy she'd felt from Si-hyun when he repelled her. It could only mean one thing.
I can't believe it... When, where, how...!!
Eliminate the impossibles, and whatever remains must be the truth. But this made no sense. Him having the Greed Crystal?
—Twinkle.
Something in Si-hyun's pocket flickered with light.
"I suspected, but... to think you really had it."
The Greed Crystal she'd secretly given Luna to celebrate their "friendship." The medium meant for the princess was in Si-hyun's hands.
"How the hell do you have that...? I gave it to her myself. It's hidden in the 'Greed Space'—a place only Luna and I can access, tucked away with the other treasures...!! How...!!"
Her body began trembling uncontrollably.
She hadn't grasped a single one of Si-hyun's schemes.
It's chilling... I've lived eons, but I've never feared anyone like this. You... You're truly formidable, even as an enemy.
With Si-hyun holding a fragment of Greed, the black moon couldn't touch him physically. Ghost stories, like humans, couldn't self-harm. Neither collection nor corrosion via dark-red energy. No irrationality could reach his flesh.
Only then did Greed realize: she'd fallen into Lucifer's trap.
* * *
I had no thoughts right now. Because there were none to have.
What the actual fuck?
It was the kind of situation that demanded swearing.
Suddenly, too much info had flooded in—my head throbbed. I'd just meant to pat Luna reassuringly. Just hug her like always!
So why did she suddenly bounce away like that, confess it's all an act, and spill her entire identity?
Greed this, possession that. The thing in front of me was blurting out info I'd never heard before.
Her name... was Greed, right?
Whatever—weird name aside, the intel from fake-Luna Greed boiled down to:
《Greed stole Luna's body and is imitating her.》
《She's mistaking me for Lucifer.》
《The gold chunk I snuck from Luna is actually a piece of Greed, so none of her attacks work on me now.》
Something like that... Oh, Lucifer again?
This guy's name popped up everywhere. Even a total normie wouldn't show up in every event like this!
But I also saw this as a golden opportunity. To buy time until the system update finished!
Synchronization: 99% Complete
1% left—should finish in minutes.
I just had to survive until then!
Ding!
Si-hyun, how did you know about that Greed fragment and snag it? I was a little disappointed when I saw you sneak it from Luna, but to think it had this hidden meaning! You're amazing!
I flinched! My conscience stung for a second, but I couldn't admit the truth here.
Old saying fits:
Lie boldly, and if it doesn't backfire, you're golden!
Now I had to sell a soul-deep con. To the notification window—and to Greed!
Tsk tsk. Disappointed in me like that? I'll forgive you now that you've seen my grand design. Hahaha!
Hehe. Si-hyun was always so cool, past and present...
Anyway, focus on the system update. I'll handle this somehow.
Huh? With no beginner package, nothing—just bare-handed?
The fragment makes her attacks bounce off, and she's mistaking me for this Lucifer guy. I'll bluff and stall.
I eased Miria's worries, then stepped toward Greed. The girl still glared like she wanted to rip me apart.
Damn, her in Luna's body feels off. Like Luna despises me. Kinda awakening new tastes here.
Before any masochistic urges kicked in, I had to act!
First words are key.
Pretend to be Lucifer! Act like I know everything! Like I planned it all!
Bluff hard to buy time.
Alright, tell her I've seen through her plan—cut the crap!
I steeled myself, took a deep breath, and opened my mouth.
"Greed, cut the crap—"
That instant.
"If I can't touch you physically, how about the mental world, Lucifer? Kyahahahaha!!"
Greed cackled wildly, scattering dark-red energy.
Hey, asshole! I haven't even said—!
—Whoosh!
My vision went black, and I was sucked into cold, dark energy.
* * *
If I can't touch him physically, I'll shatter his mind first. That's the only way to beat Lucifer.
Greed dragged Si-hyun into the mental world, just as she'd shown Luna—revealing the past.
No matter how iron-willed, he'd crumble realizing the girl he loved had ended his life.
Betrayal, despair. And disappointment in himself for cherishing Luna all this time, oblivious!
Did her prediction hit? Or was his reaction even stronger?
"Guhhh...!!"
Si-hyun writhed on the ground in agony the moment he saw the past.
"I can't... I can't take anymore...!"
His violent response surprised even Greed.
I didn't expect it to work this well... He's reacting like he's acting. Yes, Lucifer—you're human after all.
Like forgetting the moment you fall asleep, no one remembers their death.
Having relived his eternal sleep, his mind will break soon.
"Kekeke... Seeing you suffer washes away all those days you tormented me, Lucifer."
The black moon danced around him in the air.
Si-hyun still face-planted, unable to rise. His collapse was imminent.
Once he's a puppet with severed strings, unable to feel anything, I can reclaim the fragment. Hahaha! While I wait leisurely, I'll destroy your reality.
Greed flicked Si-hyun's bowed head mockingly.
"Stay trapped here and watch your world fall to despair. Hahaha!!"
—Whoosh!
The black moon vanished into the void, leaving Si-hyun behind with mad laughter.
Then, the writhing Si-hyun on the ground lifted his head slightly and muttered low.
"She gone...? Yeah? Fuck yeah, she's gone!!!"
Ding!
Si-hyun! Perfect acting—she totally fell for it and left us! Now it's our turn to strike back!
What happened? Si-hyun had seemed driven mad by the past Greed showed.
"Sure, it's a sad backstory... But I'm not Lucifer, you idiot! Show me that death scene 10 or 100 times—it's some random guy I don't know. Think that'll faze me?"
S-Si-hyun... Even so, not batting an eye feels a bit too emotionless!
"I'm a hardcore otaku who's binged every thriller and gore anime out there. A heart-piercing scene to rattle me? Try 10 years early."
Si-hyun... Being a hardcore otaku isn't something to brag about...
"A-hem! Anyway, we fooled her—good enough!"
The scenes Greed desperately shoved at him did zero damage.
Everyone's mistaken, but I'm definitely not Lucifer.
"Stalled long enough—system update done, right?"
Of course! Look at thiiiis!
Ding!
But contrary to Miria's confident declaration:
Synchronization: 100% Complete.
Reuse Cooldown: ~10 Minutes Estimated
"You're kidding, right? Don't pull a Windows update on me—get your realism in check!!"
S-Si-hyun! N-No violence...! Just 10 minutes... Giiive me 10 minutes...!!
"Shrink it to 5 now, or it's you who dies!!"
Waaahhh!! Y-You're too meeean!!
I seriously wondered if this notification window was the root of all my troubles.