Terror (1)
"Hmm..."
"Hmph."
"So, what are we going to do with this woman?" Liliana questioned and eyed the blonde stalker who was sending me dagger-like looks.
Those eyes might be intimidating, but the image of her clinging to the ceiling earlier was more unsettling. Just the thought of it gave me the creeps.
"Well, I have a hunch about where she might be from."
With her advanced stealth skills and European background, the Iris Guild is the only plausible connection that comes to mind. It might not be the case, but chances are pretty high. There's also the Alice factor.
"Why would someone from the Iris Guild bother with me?"
"Ugh!"
Even with a subtle glance, the blonde's eyes showed no reaction. Clearly, having received proper training as an active member, she doesn't easily succumb to casual provocations.
"Sigh... I'm busy today, of all days."
This is not the time for this nonsense. The probability of a terrorist incident is over 90%. I should be scouring every corner of the festival for suspicious individuals. Yet, thanks to this stalker, I'm stuck dealing with this annoyance.
"You bitch, who sent you? Now that you've seen my identity, I can't just let you go!"
"Hmph."
Liliana brandished something akin to a stick and jabbed it into the blonde's side. With her mouth silenced by mana ropes, she could only squirm in pain.
"What should I do with her...?"
"Why not just kill her?"
Surprising as it may be, Liliana was dead serious about thrusting that stick into her. Even though she nonchalantly brought up the idea of killing her, I had a different opinion.
"Liliana, got any spells that could be useful for interrogation? Something suitable for torture?"
"Hmph."
No matter how I mulled it over, the finger pointed squarely at Alice as the likely sender of someone like her—probably enlisting the Iris Guild to pry into my affairs. The real puzzle was why she'd pull such a stunt after being so kind.
Anyway, killing is the last-ditch effort if everything else fails. Frankly, I'm not thrilled about killing a beauty with my own hands. Thankfully, she's captured alive, allowing us plenty of time to explore other options.
"If it comes to torture, it's a job for a succubus like me."
"Really?"
Liliana puffed out her chest, looking smug. Succubi being torture specialists? That's news to me.
"Succubi wield numerous spells carefully crafted to align with specific sexual preferences. Hehe..."
"Oh, show me one."
If Liliana is that confident, there must be a reason, even though I'm not entirely sure of its relevance. For some reason, she seemed reliable.
"Tickling spell!" A black mana flowed from Liliana's hand and swept over the nutty blonde.
"Hmph."
"..."
The blonde didn't succumb to the tickling and rolled on the floor... She showed no sign of being ticklish and continued to glare at me.
"Uh, what..."
"Even though she appears like this, she's probably got some stellar training for situations like these."
"T-then, a scent spell!"
"Hmph."
"What's a scent spell?"
"It's all about spreading the aroma of sweat right under your nose."
"Oh..."
Just fabulous... Didn't she mention earlier that succubi have an arsenal of spells tailored to specific sexual preferences? What on earth are the preferences of those infernal beings, seriously...?
"Hmph."
But even this time, the blonde didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, the way she straightened her back suggested that torture training was a breeze for her. Physical pain wouldn't cut it since it's the most basic torture method...
"Fine... Lust spell!"
"Hmph."
Please, just let me go for now. I'll listen to your conditions.
Scarlett desperately tried to convey her willingness to hear the conditions, but Liliana paid no attention.
"Hmm... Uterus stimulation... Well, it certainly brings an extraordinary sensation." Liliana caressed her own belly.
She had only experienced it once with Hoyeon, but at that time, an incredible pleasure surged through her entire body. Just thinking about the trembling inside her belly...
"Uterus... huh?" Liliana looked at her own tail. For some reason, her tail, which seemed longer after meeting Hoyeon, moved around in various directions.
"Uterus stimulation... Could this be achieved with this?"
Since succubus tails are originally organs for caressing males, they can gently stimulate without causing any harm. That's why she always used to wrap Hoyeon's legs during sex.
In order to restore the succubus's pride that had fallen to the ground, Liliana lifted her tail.
"Hmph! Hmph!"
Scarlett found the woman's smirk unnerving.
***
"It's too peaceful..."
We're clearly not in the mood for a terrorist attack. But then again, expecting a terrorist-friendly atmosphere is a bit of an odd request. If people knew beforehand, they'd be sprinting in the opposite direction.
If I were a terrorist, the ideal target would be...
For mass casualties, the central square is the obvious choice. But those guys aren't just into killing people. They use humans as demon-summoning sacrifices. The more magical power the sacrifice has, the better. That's why they prefer targeting students over active hunters.
"A park... No, I should head towards the booths."
It'd be easier to disappear in a crowd. Right now, the academy is swarming with civilians, and with minimal security, they can exploit the chaos.
"Hmm..."
Could it be that nothing is happening today?
After aimlessly wandering for hours without a hint of anything suspicious, I took a moment to rest on a bench. That's when I sensed a feeble tremor underneath—a weak tremor that demands concentration to notice.
"What's this?"
Under the bench, a small magical device was attached.
[Time Bomb]
▶ Grade: Low-Mid
▶ A device with a low-grade manastone implanted, engraved with an explosive spell.
▶ It will explode after a designated time. (12 seconds remaining)
"Oh, shit...!" I swiftly grabbed the explosive device and hurled it into the nearby lake.
Boom! Boom!
Boom! Boom!
A water spray erupted from the lake and triggered simultaneous explosions across the academy.
"What, what is it?! It's a terrorist attack!"
"Run! Run!"
Explosions everywhere plunged both students and regular people into chaos. I calmly assessed the situation.
The power of the explosions itself isn't strong. This is a diversion.
Indeed, looking at the water spray from the lake, it wasn't powerful enough to cause casualties. It might give you minor burns if you're too close, but that's about it. The noise, however, was deafening. It's designed to induce panic.
"Gather around the security guards in the vicinity!"
"Guards! Where are they?"
Security guards were drawing weapons and shielding people who gathered around them.
So many guards...?
There's an oddly abundant number of guards. And the urgency in their calls for people to gather triggered a strong sense of discomfort. If we had this surplus of guards all along, the Pandemic wouldn't stage a spectacle like this.
Fwoom!
I triggered Vision Enhancement, giving me the ability to perceive mana flow. In the midst of the security guards, I detected peculiar mana patterns in some..
"Found them."
The real terrorists. They must have blended in as guards. When did they prepare for this?
With flames in both hands, I leaped into the midst of the chaos.