Unfamiliar Sensation
KWA-BOOOOM—!!!
"Hiiiek?!"
An explosion tore through the air without warning while I was resting in bed. My whole body locked up at the sound. This was no ordinary noise.
Wh-what was that…?
Had a bomb gone off? An earthquake?
I stepped out into the hallway to figure out what was happening and found maids rushing past with towels and water, hurrying somewhere in a panic. I carefully followed them and discovered a massive hole blown clean through one of the walls. It looked for all the world like a bomb had detonated — the gaping wound in the mansion laid the outside scenery bare for anyone to see.
And standing right in the middle of that hole was a person.
Athena came into view. Her head was bowed, so I couldn't read her expression, but she didn't look like she was in a good mood. Something ominous rolled off her in waves. I approached her carefully.
"Athena… are you okay…?"
"…Hera."
When I spoke, she lifted her gaze and looked at me with quiet eyes.
"That person…? What on earth did you two talk about?"
But what came back wasn't an answer.
"Huh…? Wait— Athena, ho— mmph?!"
She yanked me in and kissed me without the slightest hesitation. Unlike the times she'd started with a light brush of lips, she forced her tongue straight into my mouth.
Chup— chuurp—
"Hyaah— A-Athena…!— mmph, wai—!"
I tried to push her away, but she locked one arm around me and pinned me so tightly I couldn't move.
"C-ca— calm d— mmph…!"
The kiss itself was fine. We'd shared plenty of them already; I could accept her mouth without any resistance. But the situation was different now. If it had just been the two of us, maybe — but right now—
P-people are watching!!!!
I rolled my eyes around and found several maids staring at us in a daze. A faint flush colored their faces as they watched, their breaths trembling.
"Hyaah… A-Athena!! People can s—"
"Hera. Stay still."
"N-no, that's not—! People…!"
"Hera. Still."
"People are watching us!!"
"Hah. How annoying."
Snap—
"H-huh?"
The moment she snapped her fingers, a flash of heat raced through my entire body — and then all the strength drained out of me at once.
I… I can't move…!
No matter how hard I strained, my body refused to obey. I looked up at Athena with trembling eyes, and she stared back with a gaze that looked distinctly angry.
"Why won't you listen to your Master, Hera?"
Her voice was endlessly low and quiet — nothing like usual.
"A-Athena…"
"A slave who doesn't listen… needs to be punished."
As she said it, she set her hand on the place where my brand was carved — more precisely, on my lower abdomen — and—
Press—
"H-huh?"
She drove her thumb down into my lower belly with all her strength. In the same instant, it felt as though my body had been wired directly to her finger — and the mana she'd gathered there burst outward in a single sharp pop.
"Hyaaak?!!"
A crackling, electric shock flooded every inch of me.
"If you're a slave… then act like one. Listen when you're told, Hera."
Press— press—
"Hngk?! Hyaah?!!! S-stop that!!"
It was a sensation I'd never felt in my entire life. My brain felt like it was being shaken loose. The feeling was so spine-tingling I tried to shove her off — but for some reason I couldn't put any strength into it. All I could do was thrash and twitch in place.
"Listen. To. Your Master's. Words."
She ignored my protests and kept pressing down on my lower belly again and again.
"Nngh??! S-stop it!! This is weird! It's weeeird!!!"
"Are you giving me orders right now?"
Press— press—
"Hyaah?! S-stop!! Stooop!! Don't do thaaat!!!"
"I decide when it stops, Hera."
Press— press—
"Don't press it!! Don't press my lower bellyyy!! It's weird!! This is weeeird!!!!"
"Hah. Still giving orders right to the end. Fine. I'll stop."
She said it — then curled her hand into a fist and drove it into my stomach with everything she had.
"???!?!!!"
Something burst open from below, and a brain-melting shock crashed through me. I screamed without language. My mind went pure white under that unnameable sensation — and I blacked out on the spot.
Athena looked down at Hera, who had fainted in her arms. Even unconscious, Hera's body still twitched and shuddered, as if the shock hadn't fully left her.
"…What have I done."
That old man's worthless words had sent a surge of emotion straight to the top of her head. In her fury she'd flung magic at him on the spot — but without fighting in earnest, there was no way she could catch him. In the end, all she'd managed to do was smash a hole in her own mansion.
And then Hera had appeared. Athena had tried to pour out that burning feeling on her — but Hera had refused her kiss. The sense that Hera was rejecting her snapped the last thread of her reason, and she'd tormented Hera until the girl passed out.
…It's fine.
What did she care about karma? Since when had she ever fretted over something like that? No matter what came for her, as long as Hera was at her side, it was enough. Hera was her slave. Even if she wanted to run, she would never escape.
That kind of karma… bring it on. As much as you want.
Just like always. She would simply crush it with force.
"L-Lady Athena…"
The maids nearby approached her cautiously. Seeing them blush as they looked at Hera, Athena felt a sudden urge to tear those faces apart — but she swallowed it down without showing a thing. Thinking it over calmly now, Hera hadn't refused the kiss because she disliked it. She'd refused because they were watching. Once Athena understood it hadn't been a rejection of her, the storm in her chest settled, and room to breathe returned to her heart.
She issued orders to the maids waiting quietly.
"Call repairmen for the hole. For everything else, take your instructions from Rosalyn."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
"And tell Bordin to wait in my office."
A demon, was it? Her mood was already foul — he would make a perfectly suitable outlet.
"Nngh…"
"You're awake?"
Consciousness returned. I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids and found her there. Looking around, I confirmed I was lying on the bed in my own room — more precisely, my head was resting on Athena's lap as she sat on my bed.
"Hiiiek?! Get away!!"
The memory of what had happened came flooding back. Instinctively I scrambled out of her arms and curled up against the wall in the corner.
Twitch— twitch—
Just recalling that sensation made my body flinch and tremble all over again. A feeling that defied description. It hadn't been pain, exactly — but it had been a shock I simply could not endure. Like my mind was melting from the inside. I didn't even want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't fainted.
"Hera…"
"D-don't come near me!!"
A scream tore out of me, raw with betrayal. It was too much. I'd trusted her. She'd said she would only love me. And then she'd forced that strange feeling on me. Tormented me.
"I'm sorry, Hera."
A sincere apology. For a moment my heart wavered — but I shook my head hard and steeled myself. I had no intention of accepting her apology yet. What she'd done this time, I would remember for a very long time. Even if I needed her too, and would eventually end up back in her arms… for a while, I would treat her coldly. I swore it firmly to myself.
Brace yourself. I am absolutely not going to forgive you easi—
Thud—
"A-Athena?!"
"I'm truly sorry, Hera. I couldn't control my emotions."
Huh? What was I looking at right now?
The strongest human alive. Arrogant and noble in the same breath. A woman whose pride scraped the heavens, backed by overwhelming martial power. That woman was now kneeling on the floor in front of me.
"I lost my reason for a moment. I never meant to treat you roughly. I mean it."
"…."
"I'm sorry, Hera. Will you forgive me just this once?"
M-maybe I could forgive her…?
My resolution flipped in under ten seconds. Somewhere in a corner of my heart, a voice protested how spineless I was being.
B-but… she got on her knees…
And not just anyone — Athena. I had never imagined this. It was that unbelievable. Faced with her genuine apology, the grudge I'd been cradling melted away like snow. All that remained wasn't resentment toward her, but a stubborn little resistance to breaking my own promise.
I-I'll only forgive her this one time…
I believed everyone deserved one chance. Letting it slide once wouldn't hurt. Next time, I really wouldn't let it go. Yeah. Absolutely.
I slowly approached Athena, who was still waiting with her head bowed for my answer. Looking down at her kneeling so obediently at my feet sent a strange, wicked thrill rising through me.
"…Don't do that again."
The moment I forgave her, she shot to her feet and pulled me into her arms.
"Hiek?"
"Thank you. Next time, I'll press a little more gently."
Wasn't the normal line supposed to be something like I'll make sure this never happens again…?
But she spoke again before I could get a word out.
"But Hera. You know some of this was your fault too, right?"
"M-my fault?"
"Yes. Your fault for refusing to listen to your Master."
In an instant her expression went cold. While I was still reeling from the sudden shift, she moved to the edge of the bed, sat down, and looked at me.
"Th-that was because…"
"Hera. Don't forget. You're the slave, and I'm the Master. I said I would love you under that condition, didn't I?"
"Ugh…"
I wanted to argue — but every word of it was something I had accepted myself. I couldn't say a thing.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"Just with words? I even got down on my knees for you."
Who asked you to kneel…
But there was no way I could say that to her face.
"Th-then what should I…"
I asked Athena. She exhaled a heated breath, her face flushed and eager, and held out her hand to me. More precisely — one finger.
"Kneel. And suck."
I'll carve into that pretty little head of yours exactly who the Master is.