Who Are You?
The day the returned Cassian kidnapped Rubelia once again.
"Ugh!"
Cassian sliced off a lock of her hair with a dagger.
"Perfect. This should be enough, right?"
"Yes, Cassian."
"Ah, by the way, this is Seria. Do you remember her?"
"Seri...a? Don't tell me... Seriana Carte?"
"What? You actually remember my name?"
"Why... why are you here? You were rescued with me that day, weren't you?"
Five children had been rescued from Cassian's captivity alongside Rubelia. One of them was now standing before her, playfully waving the severed lock of her hair.
"Seria came back to me."
"Why? B-but..."
"I suppose you haven't heard the news of her disappearance?"
"..."
"As you know, the Carte family are diehard aristocrats. They would consider it an absolute disgrace that their precious daughter ran away to join a revolutionary group."
"Seria. Why on earth would you..."
Rubelia stared at Seria, utterly unable to comprehend.
"Cassian. She keeps asking me why I ran away. Honestly, I'm the one who's curious here."
"What?"
"Why did you have a change of heart after following Cassian? Weren't you his prize pupil before that?"
"Cassian was going to sell us out!"
"Yes, and it was all part of the plan to complete the revolution. If we had just received the funds properly, the revolutionary army would have gathered, and everything would have ended perfectly."
"What nonsense are you spouting! How can you say that while bearing the name of the Carte family!"
"No. I am no longer a Carte. I belong to Cassian now, hehe."
Smiling, Seria abruptly swallowed the severed lock of hair she held in her hand.
"What in the...?"
"Let me show you something fun."
At that moment, mana enveloped Seria's body. In the blink of an eye, her appearance transformed, becoming completely identical to the original owner of the hair.
"What... is this?"
"How is it? Identical, right? I went through a lot of trouble to acquire this ability, you know."
"It is Seria's ability. She is highly skilled in transformation magic. Though it has the drawback of requiring her to consume a part of the target's body."
"Cassian, you could at least call it a versatile transformation skill, as long as I have a part of their body."
Rubelia panicked. It wasn't the transformation magic itself that shocked her. It was because she couldn't fathom what horrific deeds Cassian would commit using it.
"Heheh. Curious about what we'll do? It's simple. The academy is full of important people. There are so many things I want to accomplish inside those walls using your identity."
"Do you... do you really think things will go that smoothly just by taking me?"
"Probably not, right? Because of the people around you. Just because you've been replaced doesn't mean everyone else changes. It's especially hard to deceive those close to you."
Rubelia glared at Cassian, barely managing to hide her mounting anxiety. Watching her, Cassian snapped his fingers. From behind him, a masked figure dragged out another captive. It was someone Rubelia knew all too well.
"Ah! Nanny!"
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Gagged, the nanny had been watching the entire situation unfold. Thus, she recognized the real Rubelia instantly. Cassian soon removed the gag from her mouth.
"You wretched bastard! What kind of gruesome death are you seeking to commit such an atrocity?!"
The moment her mouth was free, she began hurling curses at Cassian.
"Release the young lady this instant, Cassian!"
"The young lady?"
Cassian smiled at the nanny, pointing not at Rubelia, but at Seria.
"Your lady is right here."
"Stop this mockery and release the young lady and me at once, you villain!"
"Exactly! If people find out Nanny is missing, it will cause an uproar. You couldn't possibly have found someone to transform into her too!"
"Yes, that is true. If the nanny disappears, our plans will be exposed. Your family might start sensing something amiss soon."
"So, immediately—"
"However..."
Cassian snapped his fingers once more. Only then did Rubelia realize that this gesture was a spell releasing mana.
"I have already taken care of that as well."
"Ah...?"
The mana instantly surged into Rubelia's nanny.
Tenacitas
Target's mind is placed under absolute obedience.
"Cassian. What are you doing here?"
The nanny's furious expression softened for some reason, and she began to stare blankly at Cassian.
"N-Nanny?"
"Didn't you leave five years ago?"
"Nanny!"
Rubelia cried out in panic. But the nanny's expression didn't waver in the slightest.
"Yes, yes, Rubelia's nanny. I have returned. I wanted to resume my work as the young lady's tutor."
"Oh? Why is the young lady here?"
"Nanny! Snap out of it!"
Despite Rubelia's desperate pleas, the nanny looked not at her, but at the imposter, Seria.
And then,
"Look over here, Nanny."
"Huh? What is this?"
Only after Cassian pointed did the nanny finally look at the real Rubelia.
"There is a cute dog here. Its name... well, the name doesn't matter."
"A cute... puppy indeed."
"A puppy...? Nanny! Nanny, please... snap out of it!"
"But why is this puppy wearing the young lady's clothes, Nanny? Our real young lady is wearing such shabby clothes."
"I see. Were you playing a prank, young lady?"
"Nanny! Please, please, snap out of it!"
"But we don't have time for pranks anymore. The young lady must return to the academy. Isn't that right, Nanny?"
"Yes."
Just like that, Cassian had complete control over the situation, manipulating the nanny at will.
"Now, Nanny. We have no time."
"Yes."
"Hurry and strip the clothes off that filthy dog."
"Yes."
"Let go of me! Nanny! Nanny!"
Rubelia thrashed and screamed in absolute despair. But there was nothing she could do.
And a few days later.
"Hello, Professor?"
The fake Rubelia—Seria—attempted to approach Professor Selene.
"You. Who?"
"What?"
She was exposed instantly.
"W-what do you mean, Professor? It's me. Rubelia."
"Rubelia?"
"Yes. Rubelia von Estel."
"No."
"..."
"Not you. Student who asks many questions. No."
"Then... who on earth am I?"
"Do not know. Not student who asks many questions."
"..."
"Rubelia... where is student who asks many questions?"
"Tsk! How did she figure it out?!"
Realizing things weren't going according to plan, Seria immediately drew a dagger from her bosom.
Without giving her opponent a chance to resist, she lunged forward with the blade.
"Sorry, but witnesses have to die—huh?"
However,
"What?"
When she pulled the dagger back, there was no wound. The blade of the dagger had turned into something resembling squished jelly.
"What? What is this?!"
Her hand felt strangely numb. Panicking, Seria backed away and immediately began to flee.
"Huh? What's all the noise? Oh, Professor Selene?"
The one who came running at the commotion was the maid, Mona.
Selene stood still, staring blankly at Mona as she asked:
"Mona."
"Yes?"
"My student disappeared."
"Pardon?"
"Disappeared."
"Are they skipping class?"
(Nod)
"Then we must catch them and punish them!"
"Fake student?"
"A fake student? No way, is it attendance fraud?"
"????"
"Impersonating another student!"
(Nod?)
"If that's the case..."
The moment Mona heard the words "attendance fraud," she rolled up her sleeves. Then, with a triumphant expression, she raised her fist.
"We must beat them to a pulp!"
At that moment—whoosh!
"Huh?"
With the sound of rushing wind, Selene vanished from right in front of Mona's eyes without a trace.
Attendance fraud? I did not know what that meant, but seeing Mona so angry, it must be something bad. Should I kill them? No, probably not. No need to go that far. I would just discipline them moderately.
"Ah."
I took about two steps. The fake Rubelia came into view.
"W-what? How did you catch up so fast?"
The fake Rubelia panicked.
Pop!
She threw something on the ground, and smoke billowed up. Inside the smoke, she moved to the right.
"Ugh! What is this smoke?"
"Ouch! Something pulled my hair!"
She ran, dodging the students in the smoke.
This time, three steps. I saw the fake.
She looked different now. It was no longer Rubelia's face. She was impersonating another student.
"Attendance fraud student."
"Y-yes? What do you mean?"
"Undo transformation. Attendance fraud student."
"Eek?!"
"Rubelia. Where is she?"
"G-get away!"
She ran again. But following her was bothersome.
"Gah?!"
Before she could get far, I grabbed the fake student by the scruff of her neck.
"Ugh?! W-who the hell are you?!"
"Professor."
"Eeeek!"
But what should I do now? What was the limit of "beating them to a pulp"? Since she was a student, she should not be hurt too badly.
"Get away from me!"
Crackle!
Lightning magic. The fake student cast lightning magic on the professor. I supposed this was the limit.
"U-ugh?!"
I reversed the flow of mana through the scruff of the fake student's neck.
Zap!
"Aaaaargh?!"
The current flowing toward me reversed, coursing through the student's body instead. Wait...
Crackle!
"Ugh..."
"Student. Output too strong. People get hurt this way."
"...Ngh!"
It felt a bit too strong, so I stopped the lightning magic. I only sent back exactly the amount she had sent to me, so why did she use such strong lightning magic?
"Dangerous. Be careful in future."
"..."
She must be a student who was poor at controlling her magic.
"What is this commotion?"
Another familiar voice came from behind. It was the lab rat student.
"Huh? Professor Selene? W-wait, what are you doing to Rubelia?!"
"Rubelia?"
I looked back, and the fake student had changed again. She was in Rubelia's form.
"K-Kyran..."
But her voice was slightly off. She seemed clumsy at shifting her form back and forth at will. This must be the student's original voice.
"H-help me..."
"W-what? Her voice...? Selene! You bastard, let go of her this instant!"
The lab rat student drew his sword.
"Lab rat student. Dangerous."
"Shut up! Who are you calling a lab rat?!"
"If you swing that, fake Rubelia gets hurt."
"Cut the crap! Who is hurting whom right now?!"
This would not do. If I dealt with the lab rat student now, the fake student might get hurt. Humans were fragile creatures, after all. When I killed a human for the first time, I did not know they would die so easily.
"Fake student."
"Hehe, if you don't want to be killed by Ky—Kyran, release me this inst—"
"Might be a bit dark. Please bear with it."
"What?"
"Ahhh—"
I must handle her gently.
"Let go of her this—"
"Hieee?!"
Just as Kyran was striking a pose and preparing to swing his sword, the fake Rubelia—Seria—felt a sudden, ominous premonition and shuddered violently.
"W-wait, what are you doing?"
Selene grabbed Seria by the waist with both hands. Though Seria was larger than Selene, Selene lifted her as effortlessly as if she were a sheet of paper.
"Wait! Hieee! Stop!"
Kyran panicked as Seria's body tilted toward Selene's mouth. It was the most bizarre, grotesque sight he had ever witnessed in his entire life.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
Selene's slightly parted lips approached Seria's face. Unable to overcome her primal instincts, Seria began to scream.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Seria grabbed Selene with both hands, trying to push against her face and shoulders to block her. But Selene's absurd strength made it impossible to resist.
"Ah! No! Stop! Kyaaaaaah!"
Finally, the crown of Seria's head touched Selene's lips.
"Save me!"
The small mouth instantly began to slowly draw the human in, starting from the head.
"Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me! Save me!"
Seria's fully swallowed head shrieked pitifully. The screams echoed from somewhere between Selene's neck and chest.
Yet despite her pleas, the screams gradually descended, and Seria slid further down Selene's throat.
"Save..."
And finally, as the tips of her toes vanished down the throat, the screaming ceased. Everything fell dead silent.
"W-what..."
Kyran, having witnessed the unbelievable sight, found his legs trembling so violently he couldn't move.
Cough! "Ah... went down wrong."
With a casual cough from Selene, a single shoe belonging to the vanished person popped out of her throat.
"Y-you bastard?!"
Using that as a trigger, Kyran converted his rising terror into pure rage.
"You monster! I'll kill you!"
Squeezing out the last of his courage, he lunged toward the inhuman entity before him.