To claim that Vichy had never felt affection toward anyone over the past several millennia would certainly be a lie. Yaxiu from before his memory loss had read her accurately: she appeared cold and brutal, yet her emotions were richer and more abundant than anyone else's. And it was precisely because she burned with such intense feeling that she could pursue an unreachable dream day in and day out across thousands of years.
Someone truly callous by nature could never give rise to such surging emotions.
Throughout her long life, Vichy had consistently maintained the violent, ruthless image of the Spectre Prophet, yet even so, there were plenty who still wished to get close to her—men and women alike.
Her admirers fell into two categories. The first knew exactly what kind of person she was and loved her anyway. These, however, were usually evil sorcerers every bit as wicked and depraved as she was, for only their kind wouldn't care about Vichy's brutality. They regarded her as a prized trophy, or sought to join her in marriage to pursue even greater depths of villainy, or simply admired her heinous deeds. But no matter the flavor, Vichy had zero interest in them.
She lived by enormous double standards. Shameless and vile though she was herself, she despised others being shameless and vile. Even if she was a murderer, she would never look fondly upon another murderer.
The second kind were those who initially had no idea who she was—Vichy frequently traveled the lands incognito—and fell in love with the mask she wore. Toward this sort of admirer, Vichy would sometimes feel a genuine spark of fondness. Among them, some couldn't stomach the truth once her real face was revealed, while others, after agonizing inner turmoil, became willing to follow her to the ends of the earth.
Those who rejected her went without saying; some even faced her vindictive retaliation. But would Vichy grant a chance to those admirers who were willing to accept her?
No.
Because Vichy knew full well that she had been drawn to the admirable virtues in those people. Once they were willing to abandon their principles to follow her, it meant those very virtues were doomed to be tainted and corrupted.
If someone could watch Vichy slaughter living souls without batting an eye, then in her eyes, every bright quality in that person would dim into utter mediocrity.
Vichy hadn't wandered alone for thousands of years without reason. She knew how perverse she was: she was utterly incapable of altering her cruel, cold-blooded ways, yet anyone who could stomach those ways earned her contempt, while anyone who couldn't... naturally wouldn't accept her either.
Short of a miracle, there would never be someone she could embrace.
Not that Vichy cared. She had long ceased to heed emotional needs; so long as she could reach the supreme pinnacle, she would lay everything she owned upon the altar.
And so she drifted through two lifetimes, drifted across millennia, drifted into a third rebirth—and then... she met her miracle.
Yaxiu had subjugated her with the Ruby Chains, tethering her to his side. He refused to let her go and refused to exploit her, keeping watch over her like a prisoner. He abhorred slaughter, hated cruelty, was willing to sacrifice everything for others, and possessed moral principles that shone as brilliantly as the stars...
Naturally, Vichy was met with his constant vigilance and disgust. Nor did she blame him; after all, she had played a hand in the death of his little girlfriend, Silver Lantern, so it would have been strange if Yaxiu didn't despise her.
She had long prepared herself to be humiliated and degraded by him, yet from beginning to end, Yaxiu had never trampled on her dignity—at most punishing her insolent tongue. During the Angel Hunt, he had never once treated her as cannon fodder, even coming to her rescue in mortal perils again and again. While Vichy mocked his foolishness aloud, an inexplicable warmth had quietly bloomed in her heart.
Yet just as easily as that fondness arose, she could tamp it back down.
How could the Spectre Prophet ever accept becoming someone else's prisoner?
The turning point had been the demigod promotion ceremony. Although Vichy possessed the capacity to love, she would never permit herself to fall for anyone before reaching the supreme pinnacle. In the ceremony's dream, however, she envisioned herself finally holding supreme, absolute authority. And so she had unlocked her heart, falling wholeheartedly in love with someone for the very first time in her life.
Even then, Vichy hadn't considered it particularly serious, treating it merely as an intriguing experience. It wasn't until her subsequent interactions with Yaxiu that she gradually realized she had changed.
Around him, she couldn't keep her heart calm and unruffled. She grew irritated easily, embarrassed easily, and intimate interactions with him set her pulse racing... She was the millennial demigod, the Spectre Prophet!
At first, she convinced herself it was because Yaxiu was the sorcerer most likely to attain eternity, making him the most ideal partner imaginable—which was why she liked him. That was what she had told Yaxiu, and it certainly sounded reasonable enough.
Yet as their transactions continued, Vichy discovered what truly stirred her heart: Yaxiu detested the Spectre Prophet, but was fond of the demon maid.
In terms of their nature and conduct, Vichy and Yaxiu stood at polar opposite extremes. By all logic, they could never be drawn together, and even if thrust together, they would quickly tear apart. Yet the Ruby Chains made it impossible for Vichy to leave him, compelling her to obey his will.
Yaxiu did not accept her wicked methods, only her as a person. She could not leave his side, yet was subjected to his restraint at every turn; even when they held feelings for each other, they had to pretend it was all feigned affection... Though Vichy would never admit it, this twisted, bizarre dynamic of subjugation was the only miracle suited to someone like her.
Of course, the moment an opportunity arose, Vichy would shatter the chains without the slightest hesitation or regret.
Until then... falling was simply inevitable.
Loving someone for the very first time, the surging affection released from doors that had never before opened completely drowned out the Spectre Prophet's reason and crushed the millennial demigod's pride.
Lying flat on the bed staring at the top of the tent, Vichy clamped both hands tightly over her mouth. Her eyes glistened like pools of spring water, her shallow breaths composing an intensely seductive melody. Suddenly, the Spectre Prophet arched her neck like a swan. In the quiet dark, a whimper restrained to the absolute limit rang out, followed by total silence.
With a rustle of fabric, Yaxiu emerged from beneath the quilt. He reached for the cup on the bedside table and found the pineapple juice was full again. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he gulped down a large mouthful.
Turning his head, Yaxiu saw Vichy still sprawled limp across the bed, looking as though she might melt into a puddle at any moment. Just moments ago she had claimed she needed to replenish her energy through the transaction, yet looking at her now, it seemed even her last drop of strength had been completely drained.
"The reward is over," Yaxiu said. "Satisfied?"
"...Mediocre." Vichy curled her lip. "Just so-so. Barely a passing grade."
Seeing how stubborn she remained, Yaxiu couldn't resist planting a kiss on her, then said lazily, "Now that the reward is finished, shouldn't you...?"
Vichy blinked. After a brief hesitation, she pressed her hands together in a cautious plea. "Can I use my hands instead?"
Yaxiu stared blankly, then shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant now that you're satisfied, hurry up and leave! You've got the energy to go back now, right?"
Vichy bit her lower lip. "It's not like I forced you, so there's no need for an equal return, right? I'm not mentally prepared yet... Can I just use my hands this time, please?"
"No, just leave! You really don't need to worry about me!"
"Are you angry?"
"I'm not angry!" Yaxiu nearly coughed up blood.
"But I am the Spectre Prophet—can't you leave me some face?" Vichy slipped out of her maid outfit and folded her arms across her chest, pressing her supple curves together in what seemed like an enormous concession. "At most... you can savor whatever you want this time."
Not pulling any punches, Yaxiu pointed straight at the tent flap. "Vichy, get out right now, immediately, this instant!"
Earlier, he hadn't wanted to issue a command because he didn't want to wound her pride. Now that she was completely satisfied, he couldn't be bothered to coddle the Spectre Prophet's dignity!
Vichy gave him a look of deep grievance and slowly shrank beneath the quilt. Just when Yaxiu thought tonight's farce was finally coming to an end, an unexpected yet entirely foreseeable quenching made him suck in a sharp, hissing breath.
*Didn't you say you wanted to preserve the Spectre Prophet's dignity? How could you play dirty like this?!*
Yaxiu desperately wanted to stop her, but the thought that she was the proud millennial demigod, a symbol of evil feared by all living beings, a cold and ruthless schemer, and right now she was... An indescribable feeling overwhelmed him, making Yaxiu abandon all resistance.
After who knew how long, Vichy slipped out from under the quilt and lay down beside Yaxiu. Her lips were pressed tight, her eyes staring blankly into the dark with flecks of tears lingering at the corners, her face the very picture of wronged misery.
Yaxiu found it rather amusing. Handing her the drink cup, he said, "Though it feels strange coming from me... I thought you would've prepared yourself mentally from the very first day I locked you down."
Vichy gulped down a large draught, sniffled, and said piteously, "Being forced by you would've been out of necessity, but doing it willingly is self-debasement..."
"Corrupting the Spectre Prophet," Yaxiu snorted with a laugh, "is definitely going to be one of the greatest achievements of my life."
Vichy punched him in irritation, whining, "Go ahead and laugh... I must be the most pathetic demigod in the whole wide world..."
"Stop cursing yourself, stop," Yaxiu quickly urged her to quiet down—the others could hear everything! "So the transaction is finished now, right?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the resentment in Vichy's eyes threatened to condense into an endless abyss that would swallow this scumbag who looked like he'd crawled out of a trash heap. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around Yaxiu and leaned in to kiss him as an act of defiance.
"...So you still don't want to leave?" Yaxiu gave a wry smile.
"I never said we'd only do one transaction," Vichy mumbled. "Just now was the reward transaction; next is the regular transaction."
"Why does it always turn out like this..." Yaxiu sighed. "Wait, didn't I order you to leave just now? How could you... Did you break free of the chains?"
Vichy gave him a look reserved for absolute idiots. "If I could break the chains, you'd already have been abducted by me."
"Then why didn't you obey my command?"
Vichy hesitated for a moment before admitting, "Ever since I acquired the Soul Lock God, I've been able to preliminarily analyze the Ruby Chains. While I still can't break free, as long as the soul lock is connected to you, I can resist orders below a certain priority level—provided your tone isn't utterly resolute or you repeat the command fewer than three times, I can distort it through various means."
"Distort it?"
"As in changing your mind," Vichy explained. "For example, once you didn't want me to leave anymore, I naturally had no need to obey the previous command."
Yaxiu asked, "All these days, you've been trying to use the Soul Lock God to analyze the Ruby Chains?"
Vichy looked at him and slowly nodded. "I am the Spectre Prophet. I will never accept spending my entire life under someone else's thumb."
"So, are you going to take the Soul Lock God back?" She tried her best to sound indifferent. "It makes sense, honestly. We're just putting on an act in a transactional relationship anyway. I slipped up and let you catch on this time, but I'll be more careful next time..."
"I'm not taking it back," Yaxiu said exasperatedly, ruffling her hair. "I'm confident that by the time you can break the Ruby Chains, I'll have reached a realm where even you will obediently do as I say."
"That's not so certain." Vichy held him tighter and murmured, "Giving me opportunities like this... you'll regret it sooner or later. Don't tell me you took my pretend affection seriously? You really think I won't hurt you? The Spectre Prophet doesn't have weaknesses."
"You and I have been supervisor and prisoner from start to finish. You despise my code of conduct, and I hate your dominance and imprisonment. It's only for the sake of transactions that we have to pretend to like each other..."
"When you wake up tomorrow, don't act like you're close to me—it's sickening." Vichy gave Yaxiu's neck a soft bite and added, "I'll explain things to the Sword Princess and the others myself; you don't need to meddle."
"In short, only for transactions, and only right now, do I like you. Do you understand?"
"Understood, understood." Yaxiu chuckled softly, adopting the tone of someone humoring a child. "I am your supervisor. If I'm going to die, I'll definitely drag you, my prisoner, down to the grave with me. I'll never go easy on you just because of some fake affection."
"Glad you understand," Vichy hummed.
"But as long as I live, I promise that I will take you, my maid, to behold the sights at the supreme pinnacle and wield supreme authority." Cupping her cheeks, Yaxiu said earnestly, "I wouldn't dare unlock your chains, so I'll help you fulfill your dream instead."
"Perhaps only then can we turn what is fake into something real."
Vichy stared at him in a daze. Suddenly she turned her head away as if fighting back an overwhelming surge of emotion, but in the end she couldn't hold it in, leaning in of her own accord to press her soft lips against his.
Yaxiu thought she would finally be satisfied and leave. Yet when their lips parted and their warm breaths mingled, Vichy out of nowhere asked a bizarre question:
"Yaxiu, how has your romantic progress with the Sword Princess been lately?"
At that moment, everyone—including Yaxiu—knew Vichy's true intention in bringing up this subject.
Chapter 1131