Because I Like Them
This was a place she could never get used to, no matter how many times she visited. A window spanned the entirety of one wall. The sweeping panorama of the city stretching out beyond it certainly had its charm, but a place this excessively luxurious felt uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that didn't fit.
Stepping into the penthouse atop a high-rise luxury residential complex in the heart of District 3, Regina let out a sigh.
"Sorry. I don't think it's going to work."
"Oh? Really~?"
The reply was entirely dry. The girl, who had been leisurely arranging flowers, slipped her fingers into the shears and spun them around. Because she had been selectively snipping off only the flower buds, petals lay scattered in a chaotic mess around her. Thinking that the scene looked like a pile of severed heads, Regina continued.
"I acted too hastily and ended up raising suspicions."
Just thinking of the girl with heterochromatic eyes and hair as deep blue as the abyss made a shiver run down her spine. Ever since that day, she had been constantly glued to Lucia, leaving absolutely no opportunity to approach her. She was likely on guard against them, guarding Lucia like an iron fortress to prevent any underhanded tricks.
Regina had considered slipping in secretly at night, but after learning they shared the exact same dormitory room and slept together, she had practically given up on the idea.
"If I set my mind to brainwashing her, it's not impossible, but we won't be able to do it quietly. It'll turn into a massive scene."
First, she would have to subdue Aris, but considering her supernatural ability, one wrong move meant being burned to a crisp. And given how Aris had resisted both drugs and brainwashing before, handling her quietly was out of the question. Sure, it could be done. But dealing with the aftermath would be overwhelming. They were already labeled as troublemakers under the teachers' watchful eyes; if they caused a real incident, she had to prepare for the worst-case scenario: expulsion.
"Of course, if you order me to do it, I will. I'll just have to push myself a bit."
"Forget it. It wasn't that important anyway."
The girl wearing the Red Fox Mask askew offered a bright smile. It wasn't said to comfort Regina; it truly wasn't important. Brainwashing Lucia was merely a 'nice-to-have'—it didn't matter if it failed. It was something she hadn't expected much from in the first place. There was no need to take risks and cause a ruckus over it. If she had been truly determined to turn Lucia into her puppet, she wouldn't have acted so half-heartedly.
"If it seems impossible, just drop it."
"Got it. I'll tell Seri to stop too."
Unlike Regina, who had already given up, Seri was still clinging to the task. She had been grinding her teeth, throwing a tantrum, and swearing she would get it done somehow—even though she was too terrified of Aris to even get close. Watching Seri flinch whenever their eyes met from a distance had been quite the spectacle. Wouldn't she secretly be relieved to hear Astaroth's decision? With that thought, Regina voiced the question that had been lingering in her mind.
"But why did you leave the brainwashing to Seri in the first place? Your mask should be more than enough, shouldn't it?"
The Red Fox Mask. It granted immense power to whoever wore it, while simultaneously brainwashing and dominating them. Its control was absolute, making the victims unable to resist even while fully aware they were being controlled. With the mask, there was no need to borrow Seri's supernatural ability. Couldn't they just kidnap Lucia and force the mask onto her? In fact, this very penthouse Astaroth resided in had been acquired through that exact method.
Hadn't it originally belonged to the CEO of some pharmaceutical company? Now, they had swallowed the entire company whole. It hadn't even required many masks. Brainwashing just a few high-ranking executives was enough to bring the entire corporation into their grasp. Regina simply didn't know the details, but there were likely dozens of enterprises seized in this manner. Perhaps high-ranking politicians or high priests of the Holy Church had already fallen as Astaroth's subordinates. The power of the mask was that formidable; she could make anyone submit if she truly wished. With such power at her disposal, why wasn't she using it on Lucia? It was only natural to wonder. Why take the long way around when there was a shortcut? Was it truly because it was an insignificant matter?
"It's not that I'm not using it, it's that I can't," Astaroth said casually.
Snip. She pouted, shearing off yet another flower bud. "My mask isn't omnipotent, you know. It actually has quite a few weaknesses."
"Weaknesses? Like what?"
"Once someone has worn the mask, it won't work on them a second time. Lucia, you see, has already worn my mask once. Though she managed to take it off halfway through, preventing the brainwashing from taking hold."
She had almost completely dominated her, but then an unexpected interruption had occurred. Crimson flames. A boy who resembled obsidian. He was inexperienced, but his blood-red blade had been quite impressive.
"Thanks to that, she's immune to my mask. Yep, what a shame."
"……I didn't know it had a weakness like that."
"Every technique, every object, always has a loophole."
The mask seemed absurdly powerful at first glance, but it came with a mountain of penalties. If the mask was destroyed, the brainwashing broke. If one took off the mask and stayed away from it for too long, the brainwashing would gradually weaken until they eventually broke free. Certain special supernatural abilities could nullify the brainwashing entirely. If the victim suffered a severe psychological shock, there was a chance they could overcome the control. It granted power, but carried the risk of going berserk. And while it might be fine for monsters, it couldn't be used indiscriminately on humans.
Astaroth listed the mask's weaknesses one by one. Even as she spoke, her shears never stopped. Snip. Snip. Snip. Soon, nothing but bare green stems and leaves remained in the flowerpot.
"……I understand the other points, but what's that last one? You can't use it indiscriminately on humans? I'm a human too, aren't I?"
"A few people are fine. But too many is a no-go. After all, this world is ruled by your gods, isn't it?"
I'm an illegal immigrant, you see. If I leave traces carelessly, my tail will eventually get caught. There's a limit to hiding under a 'shell' like this. Do you understand, my sweet baby Regina?
The fact that the Mains suffered from a penalty called 'active time' was also entirely a mechanism to deceive the eyes of the gods. A day would come when they wouldn't have to walk on eggshells around the gods, but that day was not today. For now, they had to keep a low profile.
"In other words, you're a criminal dodging the cops?"
"Ahaha! I suppose you could put it that way."
Astaroth burst into cheerful laughter. She seemed to quite like the slangy comparison of gods to cops. Before long, only bare stems remained on the table. Astaroth glanced at the flowerpot, picked up a severed bud, and began plucking its petals one by one.
Just how much did she hate flowers? Regina was curious, but she didn't pry. She had a far more pressing question to ask.
"But……if the mask's power has limits, shouldn't you avoid sharing this kind of information with me?"
"Hmm? Why?"
"What if I break free from the mask's control?"
If she did, she would undoubtedly hand over all the information she had gathered during her brainwashing straight to the Heavenly Command. Regina even knew a portion of the Mains' ultimate goals. If that got out, it would deal a massive blow to their plans.
"It's fine. If it were something you shouldn't know, I wouldn't have told you."
"Ah, I guess that makes sense."
"I'm telling you because you're special to me. I haven't told anyone else, okay? You mustn't tell Seri either."
"Well, obviously I won't, but……"
Then why did you tell me? Regina almost asked, but shut her mouth. Come to think of it, Astaroth had never volunteered this information. Regina had simply asked out of curiosity, and Astaroth had merely answered.
"……."
Regina stared at the girl in the Red Fox Mask. Plucking the petals one by one with such care, she looked utterly innocent. But Regina knew the truth. This was a being who could leave an indelible scar spanning dozens of kilometers with a single gesture. Erasing an entire city from the map would be child's play for her.
She was her 'friend.' And because they were 'friends,' Regina had to comply with whatever she asked. But was Regina truly a 'friend' to her? She highly doubted it. To be called Astaroth's 'friend,' their races were too different, their powers incomparable. Between her, who could at best manufacture narcotics, and Astaroth, there lay a chasm as vast as that between a human and a bug. The only reason such a being would casually share forbidden secrets as if they were mere gossip……was, after all, quite simple.
"Astaroth. When you kill me, please make it as painless as possible."
"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Astaroth furrowed her brow as if she had just heard an absurd joke. Regina, on the other hand, shot back a questioning look.
"You're telling me secrets despite the risk of the mask's brainwashing breaking. Isn't that because you plan to kill me eventually? Dead men tell no tales, after all."
"Why would I kill you? We're 'friends,' aren't we?"
"……Were you actually being serious?"
"Did you think I was lying?"
It wasn't empty talk. Astaroth genuinely quite liked Regina. She had benefited from Regina's ability, and Regina's decadent appearance was exactly her type. She had no intention of killing her. In fact, if another Main tried to kill Regina, she was fully prepared to protect her.
"Until I grow bored of you, we are 'friends.'"
"I see. Figures. So once you get bored, I die. I should write my will in advance."
"Ahaha! I won't kill you. I told you, I won't! Your ability is useful, so why would I kill you?"
Astaroth picked up a flower bud that was dyed a deep, unnatural black from among the scattered pile. It was a color that could never occur naturally, an artificially bred flower. The name of this flower was……right, she remembered. A rose. A black rose.
"If the day comes when I grow bored and no longer find you interesting as a 'friend'……"
Astaroth gestured for her to come closer. When Regina obediently approached, Astaroth placed the black rose gently onto her purple hair.
"Then……yes, that's it. I'll cut off your limbs and keep you as a pet."
"……Wouldn't dying be better than that?"
"You don't want to?"
Regina stroked her chin, contemplating. A pet……of course she hated the idea. Maybe there were perverts out there in the world who would enjoy such a thing, but Regina certainly wasn't one of them. Yet, her response was already predetermined.
"I don't mind."
"Then there's no problem."
Regina let out a heavy sigh. She had gotten herself tangled up with the absolute worst kind of monster. If things kept going like this, she wouldn't even be treated as human anymore. But well, if it was Astaroth's 'request'……she had no choice but to abandon her humanity. Yes, there was nothing she could do. Scratching her head in awkward embarrassment, Regina changed the subject to something she had been wondering about.
"By the way, why did you ruin these flowers like this? Do you hate them that much?"
"No. I love flowers. I love them so much. I've always loved them."
"Then why……?"
Regina looked around. Upon closer inspection, shredded leaves and stems were mixed in with the rest. The marble floor was stained with a colorful, chaotic blend of severed buds and torn petals.
In response to the bewildered question, Astaroth curled her eyes into a smile, as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Because I like them."