*Clang…! Clang…!*

The heavy chains rattled loudly in the endless darkness of the void.

Thick links made of black metal dragged across the nothingness, creating a harsh, grinding sound where absolutely no sound should be able to exist.

The space around these chains was empty in the specific way that nightmares were empty, as it was not exactly dark and not exactly light, but just completely absent of everything except for the one thing that actually mattered in this place.

It was her.

The most beautiful woman in existence lay sprawled out comfortably on her stomach right in the middle of that vast nothingness, and her feet were kicked up in the air as they swung back and forth lazily like she was lounging on a soft bed instead of floating in a prison designed by forces that were far beyond mortal comprehension.

Her black high school uniform hugged every single curve of her body with absolutely zero regard for modesty, and the skirt was riding up just enough to make angels weep while making demons reconsider their life choices.

Long waves of midnight-black hair spilled across her shoulders and cascaded down her back in layers that looked way too perfect to be natural.

And she was currently eating popcorn.

She was just casually munching away on the snack while she watched something that made her eyes light up with a sense of pure and unfiltered joy.

"Ah~! As expected of my darling, you're so manly~"

The Antagonist's voice dripped with an affection so intense that it could probably be classified as a dangerous weapon.

Her crimson eyes tracked every bit of movement on some invisible screen that only she could see, and her facial expression shifted between adoration, excitement, and obsessive devotion with frightening speed.

The heavy metal that were wrapped around her wrists and ankles pulsed with a chaotic energy that would have killed most beings instantly.

The chains of <Plot Armor> actively drained her power with relentless efficiency as it pulled at her essence like a parasite that never slept and never took a break.

But she didn't even seem to notice the drain at all.

The crushing weight of the chains meant nothing to her.

The constant drain on her energy barely even registered in her mind.

She just kept watching, and she kept smiling, and she kept swinging those damn feet like she was having the absolute time of her life.

It was because she really was having the time of her life.

Every single moment of Nero's existence played out right in front of her with perfect clarity.

Watching him fight against monsters was amazing to her.

Watching him train with his various waifus was incredible entertainment.

Even watching him sleeping was adorable in her eyes.

Even the completely mundane shit like watching him eat his breakfast got her squealing with a delight that would have been embarrassing if anyone else had been around to see it happening.

She had been watching him for quite a while now, though she was not sure exactly how long it had been.

Time didn't really work the right way in here, but it honestly didn't matter to her anyway.

She would happily watch him forever if that was what it took.

Her darling deserved an audience that truly appreciated his greatness, and who was better suited for that job than her?

The lovestruck maiden's expression shifted suddenly as her gaze landed on two specific figures within her vision.

Her smile twitched just a little bit at the edges.

It happened just a bit.

Then her eyes narrowed down into dangerous slits that promised nothing but violence.

"The Chicken Wing and Miss Goddess of Whore."

The words came out of her mouth venomous enough to corrode solid steel.

She clicked her tongue in sheer annoyance, and her previous good mood began souring like milk that had been left out in the hot sun.

"Tch."

It was always those two.

It was always those two getting in the way and hovering around her darling like they had any right to his attention at all.

There was the silver-haired angel with her perfect face and her holier-than-thou attitude.

Then there was the golden-haired goddess playing at being mysterious while she was hiding secrets that would probably ruin everything if they came out at the wrong time.

Both of them were circling Nero like sharks, and he was simply too kind to see the problems that were brewing underneath the surface.

The Chicken Wing especially bothered her for she knew that the woman's existence is the exact opposite of her.

That uptight little Valkyrie was acting all proper and loyal while she was clearly falling for him harder than a meteor hitting the atmosphere.

The Antagonist had seen that exact pattern play out plenty of times before.

It was the classic story of the devoted warrior who swore eternal service and then conveniently developed feelings that somehow transcended duty.

It was a classic protagonist love interest setup.

It makes her gag every time she witnesses it.

She, her energy, her try-hard personality, and even her vibes…

'That woman is detestable.'

As expected of her counterpart, it manages to irk her off even by just thinking of her.

"..."

But what really made her crimson eyes glow with a dangerous light for now was the other one.

That Celis Verilla.

She was the so-called Saintess with her tragic backstory and her mysterious curse.

She was Miss Goddess of Whore herself, and she was playing the suffering maiden card with expert precision.

'The story for the Whore Goddess has been laid… the next is…'

The Antagonist's thoughts tracked the narrative threads that were invisible to everyone else.

She could see the plot moving forward, and she watched the pieces sliding into position with mechanical inevitability.

That "being" who was writing this story had apparently decided to focus on the arc for Celis next.

It was the archetype of the tragic heroine seeking salvation.

It was the story of the cursed woman carrying a darkness that threatened the world.

She was the damsel in distress who would probably need Nero's help to overcome her fate.

It was such a tired formula.

It was so predictable that it actually hurt her brain.

And yet, she knew that it would work.

It would work because Nero was exactly the kind of person who would throw himself into saving someone like that without a moment of hesitation.

That was just who he was as a person.

It was her darling's greatest strength and his most exploitable weakness all rolled into one package.

"..."

Silence settled over the void as the Antagonist processed the implications that made her smile return to her face.

But this time it wasn't the lovestruck expression that she had worn before.

This smile carried something twisted, something sharp, and something that suggested she knew things that others didn't and that she found it hilarious.

A giggle escaped from her lips.

Her crimson eyes gleamed with twisted amusement as she stared at the figure of the angel this time.

Because, unexpectedly…

"I wonder if you're prepared for the surprise, O dear Protagonist?"

It seems there's something else that's brewing in this part of the story.

The words were directed at her rival as her gaze went towards another figure in another location before she closed her fluttering eyelids.

"..."

The Antagonist shook her head.

Poor Aurelia.

That uptight angel probably thought she had everything figured out, didn't she?

She thought she understood the situation, understood her role, and understood that the focus of the story is all about Celis for now, huh?

But she had no clue.

She had none at all.

The real surprise was going to hit her like a truck, and the Antagonist couldn't wait to see that perfect composure shatter into pieces.

A faint chuckle once more came out of her blossom lips before her eyes returned to watching Nero, and she started tracking his every movement with an obsessive focus that would never waver.

Let the story play out however it wanted to play out.

Let the Goddess of Whore have her tragic arc.

Let the Chicken Wing fall deeper in love.

She would be expecting a grand scene to happen here after all…

'It looks like my Darling is on the move.'

A faint smile was on the Antagonist's lips as she noticed things others would not.

***

Somewhere within the deep recess of Nefarynth.

*Thump..!*

Darkness pulsed with a rhythm that felt like it was alive.

The chamber stretched impossibly wide, and it was carved from a stone that seemed to absorb light instead of reflecting it.

And at the center of everything, dominating the space with an overwhelming presence, stood a massive pillar.

It was massive.

It was grotesque.

It was radiating an energy that made reality itself feel uncomfortable.

The structure throbbed like a diseased heart, and each pulse was sending waves of corruption rippling through the air in visible distortions.

Dark veins covered its surface, and they were glowing faintly with a malevolent light that hurt to look at directly.

Countless cords extended from the pillar in every direction like a spider's web that was made from nightmares.

Each one connected to containers positioned throughout the chamber at precise intervals.

And inside those containers...

Souls screamed.

Hundreds of them, maybe even thousands of them, pressed against the translucent barriers that held them captive.

Their anguish created a symphony of suffering that filled the space with constant background noise, consisting of wails and shrieks and desperate pleas that nobody would answer.

The containers absorbed that agony with mechanical efficiency as they drained the spiritual essence and channeled it through the cords back toward the central pillar.

Energy flowed in continuous streams, feeding whatever horror waited at the core.

A figure stood near one of the monitoring stations, and he was hunched over complex instruments that displayed data in symbols that most beings couldn't comprehend.

Horns protruded from his head, marking him as something decidedly not human.

He was a demon researcher.

He was one of the many assigned to oversee this facility's operations and to ensure the harvest proceeded according to the schedule.

His expression shifted as numbers scrolled across the display.

A frown creased his features.

Something was wrong.

The absorption readings were dropping.

It wasn't by much, but it was enough to be noticeable to someone who had been watching these metrics for weeks.

The flow rate had decreased by approximately eight percent over the past forty-eight hours, and the decline was accelerating.

"How odd..."

The muttered observation drew attention from others nearby.

Workers and inspectors who had been monitoring different sections of the facility stopped what they were doing and turned toward him with visible concern.

One of them, a humanoid creature with too many eyes, approached the station.

"Hey, what's going on?"

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