When the plot-skips players into the game world

The lash nearly flayed the Great Guardian, his skin cracking open in a web of crimson fissures like shattered glass — his muscles even bulged out through the cracks. The blood vessels around his eyes became grotesquely distended before bursting, soaking the area around them with blood, which even seeped into his eyes. Emitting a bestial, frenzied, and hysterical roar, utterly devoid of rationality, he dropped The Heirloom Divine Artifact from his hands and charged at Yulia amidst intense pain and struggle. But the white-haired girl, who'd been panic-stricken and fearful, suddenly calmed down. As if her previous fear had been nothing but an act. The Great Guardian also suddenly stopped in his tracks, slowly turning around. Aiwass, Night Fiend, Great Guardian, Yulia...everyone stopped their attacks and turned to look at her slowly. Their faces turned pale, their expressions twisting into a bizarre and icy smile. The Succubus was only startled for a moment before she realized the truth. —This is false! An illusion! The tenacious will of the Superior Phantom allowed her to break free from the illusion in an instant. Without hesitation, she turned around to attack, scattering the Earthbound Spirit that was trying to approach her with a single lash! At this moment, the Great Guardian had just begun his furious charge, and "Yulia's" expression had just calmed. The Succubus suddenly became vigilant— But it was already too late. Behind her, a giant hand that had already opened now fell and firmly grasped her. While Aiwass silently summoned the "Earthbound Spirit," the Succubus was only drawn into an illusion that lasted less than half a second. Aiwass had, of course, noticed Isabel's appearance, but he was more aware that Ligeia already knew what he was about to do and was nearby. Therefore, he had no need to worry about her safety. So, while the Succubus was focused on Isabel, Aiwass took the opportunity to take control of her in return. The Succubus's own conspiracy had unwittingly led her into a trap! It was those half seconds that decided the victor— —When the Night Fiend's hand of jealousy grasped her, the Succubus knew she was utterly unable to escape. Layers upon layers of shadowy giant hands overlapped from all directions, wrapping the fist tighter and tighter. Unlike the "gentle" extraction of Gryphon's power, the hand of jealousy grasping the Succubus was obviously much more "forceful." Amid the creaking sounds of clutching fists were muffled and blurred screams of agony and the sour crunching of bones being crushed. —Aiwass breathed a slight sigh of relief. It was over. Although he had great confidence in the Night Fiend, he couldn't help feeling a sinking sensation in his heart upon realizing he might have to face two or even three opponents at once. Luckily, the Night Fiend proved to be a capable fighter... and luckily for Aiwass, the Succubus was intimidated by the Night Fiend's might, too scared to attack him directly. Otherwise, Aiwass truly felt that the Night Fiend might not have been able to withstand a combined attack from all three of them. When released, the Night Fiend could easily handle one against three. But the problem was Vinesse and his own vulnerability. She had to protect herself and could not inflict fatal harm on the Great Guardian and Gryphon Philip, so she was somewhat restrained in her actions. "You have my sympathy." Aiwass said softly to Vinesse, "And... thank you." "Your will, Master." Vinesse's voice was cool and ethereal, yet the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. Elsewhere, "Yulia's" body suddenly burst into a pink glow, reverting back to Isabel's appearance amid the shattered illusion. She was dressed in a queenly gown, her expression serene. The next moment, silvery chains emerged from the void with a clanking sound, latching onto the Great Guardian and locking him tightly in place. He let out a deafening roar, continuously moving closer to Isabel. His muscles bulged, and the chains grew taut. Due to his violent struggle, his flesh was cut by the chains. Blood burst forth from his wounds, splashing onto Isabel. But Isabel didn't take a single step back. She was fearless, merely raising her hand to gently stroke the Great Guardian's cheek. Her hand was barely a caress before it became wet. It was the blood seeping from his body. Isabel's pristine white dress was stained red with blood, and specks of it dotted her cheeks—even though it wasn't her own blood. Upon being touched by Isabel, the Great Guardian's body trembled violently. He was commanded to attack Isabel, but the binding of authority prevented him from attacking a member of the Du Lac family. He constantly fought against himself, his temples bulging fiercely, yet he never caused Isabel any harm. "Be still, George," Isabel commanded. At that moment, Ligeia's youthful voice echoed from around the corner behind them. The Great Guardian, bound by the silver chains, stopped moving instantly, reverting to the puppet-like state he was in at the beginning. The feverish madness on his face also calmed within an instant. Only the blood bathing his body and the exploding wounds proved what he had just endured. Ligeia, holding the Avalon scepter taller than herself, stepped out from around the corner at a slow pace. As she looked at the Great Guardian hanging in mid-air by the silver chains, head bowed, Ligeia sighed with a hint of pity, "This child George... truly suffered." She turned to Aiwass and called out loud, "Hurry, Aiwass!" "I know!" Replied Aiwass. Less than half a minute had passed since the battle began. Even from the first loud noise, it was a mere matter of seconds. He didn't know when the people from the Arbitration Hall would arrive—if possible, he preferred to complete the sealing before their arrival. He wouldn't dare to withdraw the Night Fiend that had complete control over the Succubus until she was sealed. He had to act quickly... because he didn't know how long the Night Fiend could maintain this pose in the material realm. Even for the Night Fiend's sake, he had to complete the sealing quickly and return the Night Fiend to its traveling form. If so, both the blood moon in the sky and the ominous blood rain could be blamed on the Countess Emma—after all, as the Son of the Moon, she naturally had an affinity for the concept of "blood." Therefore, Aiwass took out the spell card he had prepared and poured his mana into it with a surge— The Succubus could be sealed using either "Strength" or "The Lovers" cards. Aiwass had already given "The Lovers" card to Vinesse, so only the "Strength" card was available for use. With ten points of Dark Attribute Mana, he could obtain the "Spell Card: Suggestion Brand." This spell was so obscure that no one even used it in the game; it was a filler spell whose effect could only be employed on a target already under the effects of charm, implanting a delayed "Suggestion Brand." Once the charm wore off, the brand could be triggered again within its duration to cast a "Command Spell." "Command Spell" was considered a spell of the Path of Love, its effect akin to those Decree Spells used by Legal Mages. It was a lesser version of Ligeia's "Dragon Blood Edict." There were, of course, certain benefits to using it. For players who had contracted a Succubus or turned a Succubus into a Great Sin Beast, it could be used to reinforce their control chain, which was better than leaving a card slot empty. Command Spells could occasionally have surprising effects—like ordering "Drop the weapon," "Interrupt the ritual," or "Attack an ally." But it was highly situational. To trigger the effect, charm had to be successfully applied after a successful casting and judgment. Then, after applying the Suggestion Brand, triggering it required passing another judgment. The more dangerous the command, the lower the success rate and the shorter the duration. For example, commanding suicide was almost impossible, while ordering to stand still was almost guaranteed success. So Aiwass dismissed this card outright. What Aiwass agonized over were the remaining two options. With twenty points of mana, he could create the "Enchantment Card: Charm of Radiance." And with thirty points of mana, he could create the "Equipment Card: Crimson Poison Widow." Either card would be very useful!