Vicious Darling

[21]

“Freedom?”

“Of course, your ability will be restricted. Especially the ‘reincarnation’ part.”

Chris said with an expressionless face.

“I expected that much. But you’re really letting me out? Without surveillance?”

“Yes. We never intended to keep you locked up forever anyway.”

“…Alright. If that’s the case.”

Anastasia puffed out her chest.

“I’ll accept the deal.”

However, her lively eyes revealed that Anastasia hadn’t given up on complete freedom.

Chris had anticipated this much, and probably Yuri did as well.

‘There’s no way they won’t put any surveillance on me.’

Originally, she was someone who lived quietly enough when not involved with Chris’s affairs.

“When do you need me to use my ability?”

“Now.”

Chris pulled out a device from his pocket.

It was Janet Fortuna’s item that had restricted Anastasia.

When activated, it was set to emit a specific frequency for a certain period.

Anastasia’s restriction was only lifted within this frequency.

“You should be able to use your ability now.”

At Chris’s words, Anastasia looked at the device with greedy eyes.

“It’s single-use.”

“You should have said so earlier.”

Anastasia rolled her eyes coyly and stood up, gesturing to him.

“What are you doing? Come here quickly.”

Anastasia was already excited, her shoulders twitching.

Due to a strange suggestion, she couldn’t remember how to use her perfectly fine power, but now she finally remembered.

‘It would have been nice if I had seduced a mental Esper and kept their ability too.’

Licking her lips, Anastasia gestured to Chris with her chin.

“Clear the middle here. Like last time.”

As Chris nodded, Anastasia’s knitting items, yarn basket, armchair, and table were all pushed to the edges of the room.

A circular space was created in the center between the two of them.

Chris realized that even the carpet under his feet was something Anastasia had knitted herself.

‘She nodded so readily to restricted freedom even with limited abilities…’

She must have been incredibly bored.

“Oh right. Scissors.”

Anastasia, who was reaching out to Chris, rummaged through the yarn basket carelessly strewn at the edge of the room and brought scissors.

She snipped off her luscious blonde hair and threw the tress into the flames.

For a moment, the fire blazing in the fireplace leapt high. Soon, each flame began to turn blue, yellow, purple, pink, and orange.

With each color change, the flames cast a new shadow on Anastasia.

The witch’s shadows, with arms spread wide, seemed to hold hands as they danced around Chris and Anastasia seated in the center of the room.

The shadows, traversing the knitted objects Anastasia had made and hung, gradually changed to look like different people rather than Anastasia herself.

Some grew larger, some smaller. Some widened, some became slender.

It was an incredibly bizarre scene, but Chris watched with an expressionless face.

This wasn’t the first time he had seen this.

Those countless shadows were the lives of Espers that Anastasia had taken at some point in the past, and their abilities.

And at the center, Chris’s shadow began to spread out darkly.

Growing larger and larger, it was unfathomably tall and vast.

Not satisfied with swallowing up this entire room, it dyed the surroundings completely in darkness.

Anastasia couldn’t hide her inner ecstasy.

How wonderful it would be if she could tear off even a fragment of that and devour it?

Even if she built a tower with the other shadows she possessed, it couldn’t match Chris’s ability.

‘It’s really a shame, such a shame…’

Clicking her tongue, Anastasia summoned the therianthropic ability as Chris had requested.

A silver shadow, a beast’s shadow with wolf ears and tail protruding, leapt out from the dancing crowd and stopped in front of Chris’s shadow.

It growled, opening its mouth wide as if famished. The sight seemed to reflect Anastasia’s desire.

“Should I completely hide the telekinesis like last time?”

Anastasia asked, trying to maintain a calm tone.

“Just adding the therianthropic ability to the telekinesis will be enough. If I die and come back to life during the mission, the situation might end.”

The corner of Chris’s mouth twisted slightly.

“Besides, it would be very troublesome if I lose my memory again.”

Anastasia nodded at Chris’s words.

Even she didn’t want to make Yuri Sobolev’s dog run away twice.

If it had been before meeting the boss of Baekyah, it might have been different, but it would be troublesome to cause an incident when the responsibility was so clear.

‘Forget freedom, I’d probably be locked up in an underground bunker where I can’t even see the morning sun.’

The mere thought made Anastasia shudder.

“…Alright. But if we do it like that, the duration of the therianthropic ability won’t be very long.”

It’s a different side effect from completely overlaying one ability on top of another.

“I’ll take the penalty into account.”

The wolf shadow, which had been opening its mouth wide as if to devour Chris’s shadow, leapt inside.

A faint silver light slowly swirled around and dispersed. Like the Milky Way at night.

The sight of it breaking into pieces and melting away was incredibly beautiful.

At the same time, Chris looked down at his palm. It had already transformed into a beast’s paw rather than a human hand.

“Good.”

Watching Chris extend his claws, Anastasia’s mouth fell open.

“Partial therianthropy? That’s possible too?”

Even for an S-class Esper, he handles others’ abilities too skillfully.

There was a reason Anastasia preferred life force over others’ abilities as payment.

Abilities that weren’t her own were generally uncomfortable, like wearing borrowed clothes.

Sometimes, coveting abilities beyond one’s capacity, like Chris’s ability, could put a strain on the body.

“I thought it might work, so I tried it.”

When he had lost his memory, he could either completely transform into a wolf or return to his original form, one or the other.

It was fascinating anew.

“Thank you. I’ll keep my promise.”

“Good.”

Anastasia ran and greedily hugged her yarn.

“Can I leave now?”

“No. You can leave when I return safely and give back this ability.”

“Aw… Did you think I was going to cheat?”

Watching her pout, Chris spoke calmly.

“Didn’t I promise you freedom? We don’t plan to put surveillance on you, so if you hide well, we won’t be able to find you. I’m asking you to stay here because it would be troublesome if you can’t return this ability.”

“Geez…”

Anastasia sighed deeply and slumped back into the crumpled armchair.

“I can’t deny that I wouldn’t even spit in Baekyah’s direction if I escaped… Ugh.”

The chair was tipped backwards, but she made no attempt to right it.

Chris understood Anastasia’s frustration.

Instead of helping the witch up, he bid farewell.

“Then, I’ll see you when I return.”

Anastasia, not showing her face, just wiggled her foot in response.

“Yeaaah. Come back before I wither away and die here.”

***

“You look quite flamboyant.”

Yuri commented upon seeing Chris.

Right now, about ten scarves that Anastasia had given him as a parting gift were wrapped tightly around his neck.

“I told you to bring back a new ability, did you come back with your mind replaced too?”

Under Yuri’s suspicious gaze, Chris tried to appear as calm as possible as he spoke.

“…It’s quite warm. Would you like one too, Yuri?”

“You’re thinking of going to the Spring Continent wearing a scarf?”

At the look of disbelief, Chris swallowed a sigh.

He had no choice but to bring them along as she grumbled that there was no place to put scarves in that cramped prison.

‘There were at least three rooms though.’

He was completely persuaded as Anastasia complained that he was ungrateful after she had helped him so much.

“No, that’s not it.”

Chris began unwrapping the scarves one by one.

There was no need to mention that Anastasia had been happy to have someone to talk to after a long time.

It wasn’t out of any calculation. He simply wanted all of Yuri’s sympathy, if it existed, to be used for himself.

He recalled thinking Chase was crazy when he saw his obsession with Gwen.

Espers are essentially madmen. They’re crazy about their Guides, and they don’t hide that fact.

“Did you bring back the ability?”

“Yes.”

Chris nodded.

Intending to show it right away, he changed only his ears to those of a wolf.

“It’s the same therianthropic ability as before.”

When Yuri’s gaze towards the top of his head froze, Chris immediately reverted to his original state.

“The duration is shorter than when it completely overlaid the telekinesis, she said. I’ll check it gradually.”

“…I see.”

Yuri answered slowly, then abruptly turned his head and started walking.

‘Did I… make a mistake?’

Feeling anxious, Chris bit his lower lip.

He thought he had been clever. He hesitated to change just his hand as he had shown Anastasia, worried about the claws that might suddenly protrude. What if they accidentally scratched Yuri?

On the other hand, if he fully transformed into a beast, his clothes would tear, and he’d have to crawl on all fours outside. It was obvious that Yuri would scold him harshly, asking if he intended to crawl around just anywhere.

Therefore, he had only transformed his ears, which could be immediately verified without having to bow his head.

Chris felt a bit dejected.

In the past, when he had lost his memory due to Anastasia’s reincarnation ability, Yuri had been favorable towards Chris’s transformed appearance.

He had assumed it would be the same this time.

Before turning the corner, Yuri stopped abruptly and looked back at Chris.

Chris, who had forgotten to manage his expression, froze the moment his eyes met the purple ones.

“…If you’re going to do such creative things, be aware of your surroundings.”

A strangely troubled look flashed across Yuri’s face.

Without knowing the reason, Chris responded with relief.

“Yes. I’ll be careful.”

“I’ve called for the Keysmith. Go there right away.”

Chris followed Yuri with lighter steps than before.