Chapter 2: Crimsonia Route

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Do you save Vermilia?

Do you save Crimsonia?

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I had felt so terribly sorry for Crimsonia in the Vermilia Route, sacrificing her very life to save Kain and Vermilia. Hoping to shed some light on the unanswered mysteries, I chose Crimsonia’s route...

Just like before, the story began at the point where Vermilia was held captive by Nord.

The only difference was that Crimsonia arrived wearing the female uniform of the Hero Academy.

"Because of my utter worthlessness, another innocent girl was subjected to such awful things... How can I ever apologize to Crimsonia...?" Kain muttered in his room, clutching his head in absolute despair.

Just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Crimsonia?!"

"It has been quite a while! I called out to you several times, but you were far too lost in thought to notice," Crimsonia said, offering the startled Kain an adorable, warm smile.

"They found out Vermilia is a demon! They've taken her away!"

"Yes, I am fully aware. Do not fret, I have a secret plan. We shall get Vermilia back," Crimsonia replied confidently, giving her modest chest a reassuring thump with her fist.

────The Interrogation Room.

Nord's lackeys, who were loitering outside the door, tried to grab Crimsonia to block her from pushing her way into the room. But she caught their fingers, twisting them in the opposite direction with terrifying ease.

"Argh!"

"Gyaaa!"

"Urgh!"

"As expected of Big Sis Kizashi!" Glen cheered.

"Kizashi-chan, you're amazing!" Harry added.

Despite her cute, diminutive appearance, Crimsonia was exceptionally skilled in close combat. Glen and Harry were thoroughly impressed.

"Hehe. Do not shower me with such praise," Crimsonia puffed out her chest with a proud, satisfied expression, clearly enjoying the attention.

Glen and Harry, who had been tasked with keeping watch on Kain's room, had been completely captivated by Crimsonia in her school uniform.

Kain could only watch in awe, wondering if this was the magnetic charisma of a Demon Lord. Behaving like loyal retainers, Glen and Harry held open the door to the interrogation room. Crimsonia strode inside with regal composure, with Kain following close behind.

Upon entering, they saw Vermilia lying across an operating table, her fair skin bruised and swollen. It was painfully obvious that the "interrogation" had been a mere excuse for Nord to satisfy his twisted lust.

Nord spared a brief, predatory glance at Crimsonia, licking his lips before turning his smug gaze to Kain.

"Well, well, if it isn't the sore loser, Kain. We are in the middle of an investigation here. I can't have people barging in without permission."

"Nord, is it? That girl is my servant," Crimsonia declared. "Any misconduct on her part is my responsibility. I shall take custody of her and hand her over to the inquisitors of the Elon Religion myself."

"And who might you be? This room is strictly off-limits to outsiders. I'll have to ask both you and Kain to leave immediately."

"Me? I am Princess Kizashi of the Menou Kingdom, situated far beyond the mountains, a thousand leagues away across the sea. Under normal circumstances, a lowborn cur like you wouldn't even be permitted to speak to me. But I am a generous soul."

Adopting her fake identity, Crimsonia placed her hands on her hips and let out a smug, haughty huff.

She continued to press Nord.

"Allow me to ask you this: did you obtain permission from the principal for this interrogation? Conducting one without authorization is a punishable offense, is it not?"

"Heh... You think I'd fold to a cheap threat like that? I secured permission a long time ago."

"Then how explain stripping Vermilia of her undergarments and subjecting her to such humiliation? I highly doubt the principal ordered you to violate a woman simply because she refused to confess," Crimsonia pointed out.

"That is left to my discretion!" Nord sneered. "The girl is a Succubus. Therefore, I decided to flood her with energy, drowning her in pleasure to extract a confession. A brilliant strategy, wouldn't you say?"

"Your sheer stupidity leaves me speechless. Self-praise is rather pathetic when it's this deluded," Crimsonia sighed. "Kain, let us get Vermilia off that table."

"Right..." Kain nodded.

"Hold on. I'm not done interrogating her," Nord objected.

As Nord reached out to grab Crimsonia's hand, she effortlessly stepped back, completely out of reach.

"Filthy cur, did you just attempt to touch me? If you had succeeded, your head might have flown clean off your shoulders. You ought to thank Kain here; it is only because of my contract with him that a mere insect like you remains unharmed."

The sheer, cold bloodlust radiating from Crimsonia made Nord flinch, if only for a fraction of a second.

"Kain, would you mind carrying Vermilia?" she asked.

"Of course!"

Seeing Vermilia lying unconscious on the table, Kain quickly took off his jacket and draped it over her before lifting her gently in his arms. In his heart, he thanked her over and over again for sacrificing herself to protect him.

Left alone in the interrogation room, Nord let out a dark chuckle. He had let Vermilia go, but only because a far more intriguing toy had just presented itself.

"Princess Kizashi of some backwater kingdom, huh...? That cheeky little brat. I can't wait to break her and teach her her place! But how should I handle this...? What is the best way to get my hands on her?"

Nord couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful girl who called herself Kizashi. While Elise and Vermilia merely acted defiant, Crimsonia was entirely different. Her open contempt for him only fueled his twisted desire to make her submit. That was precisely why he had let Vermilia go without a fight. He wanted to lure Crimsonia into a trap, plunging Kain into even deeper despair...

"But that face... I swear I've seen her somewhere before..."

Though Crimsonia had infiltrated the Hero Academy under a false identity, Nord couldn't quite place where he had encountered her during his childhood.

"Lei, are you there?" Nord called out, ringing the handbell on his desk.

"Yes, Master Nord," Lei replied, appearing in her maid uniform.

"Gather all the information you can find on the Menou Kingdom."

"Understood, Master."

Crimsonia's lie had inadvertently sparked Nord's obsessive habit of thoroughly investigating any girl who caught his interest. After sending Lei off, Nord noticed a stray droplet on the interrogation table. He ran a finger through it, bringing it to his nose to sniff.

"The sweet scent of a female... Simply irresistible!"

Suddenly, a bolt of inspiration struck him.

"Heh... That's it! I've heard some dubious rumors, but it's certainly worth a try. I'm glad I took the trouble of collecting this. Hahaha!"

An evil scheme forming in his mind, Nord stared at the small vial containing the collected droplets, his laughter echoing through the empty room.

The next day, Crimsonia continued her sleepless vigil by the bedside of the slumbering Vermilia.

"I am sorry, Vermilia..." she whispered.

Her apology carried a dual meaning.

"If Vermilia truly falls for Kain... the mere thought leaves me utterly restless. Kain is a wonderful person. It is only a matter of time before you lose your heart to him too..."

Torn between her desire to save Vermilia and her own lingering feelings for Kain, she had abandoned her duties as the Crimson Demon Lord, assuming a fake identity to infiltrate the Hero Academy as an international student.

"If Vermilia saw me like this, she would surely look at me with utter exasperation. 'What on earth are you doing, Sister?' she'd say..."

As she murmured to her sleeping sister, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Crimsonia turned around to find Kain looking down at her with deep concern.

"If you overexert yourself, you'll burn out. You should take a break," Kain said gently.

"Crimsonia-sama... Kain is right," Riel chimed in, speaking up timidly from behind Kain. Her pointed ears marked her as a demi-human. "Please, leave this to me and go get some fresh air."

"Kain, Riel... Thank you. Very well, I shall take you up on your kind offer," Crimsonia replied.

"Now, Kain, you should go with her. Escorting a princess is a knight's duty, after all!" Riel said with a playful nudge.

Kain had been about to pull up a chair to help watch over Vermilia, but Riel gently pushed him toward Crimsonia.

"Ah, right... Of course. Thank you, Riel," Kain stammered, blushing slightly as he met Crimsonia's large, sparkling eyes.

Kain gave Crimsonia a tour of the campus as they strolled together.

"This is one of the classrooms where we take our lectures," Kain explained.

"Oho. And what kind of subjects do you study here?" she asked.

"Well... it's..."

Kain looked down, struggling to find the words. It was naturally difficult to explain to a demon that they were being trained to exterminate her own kind.

"Hehe. You are far too earnest. I was only teasing you," Crimsonia giggled.

"Hey! Crim—I mean, Kizashi!" Kain corrected himself in a panic.

"You know, I would truly love to attend these lectures with you and Vermilia one day."

"Yeah. I'll do my best to make sure that day comes—a day where all three of us can study together."

In a world where humans and demons could coexist, an academy dedicated to training anti-demon soldiers would become obsolete. Yet, Kain held onto that hopeful dream.

────So that's Princess Kizashi!

────She's so tiny!

────And incredibly cute...

With her adorable appearance, Crimsonia had quickly become the darling of the Hero Academy.

"Th-This is highly embarrassing... Can we not do something about those noisy onlookers?" Crimsonia muttered, blushing.

Fidgeting with embarrassment, she leaned in close to Kain.

"We can't really help it. You're just too cute, Kizashi," Kain said.

"K-Kain... Th-To hear such words from you... makes me incredibly self-conscious!" she squeaked.

Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Crimsonia pressed the top of her head into Kain's stomach, squirming and grinding her head playfully against him.

────Why is it always Kain? He's just a commoner!

────I wish I could get close to the Princess like that!

────I want Kizashi-chan to nuzzle against my chest too!

Her breathtakingly beautiful face, combined with her charmingly playful gestures, quickly turned the boys' admiration into burning jealousy toward Kain.

Kain paid no attention to the resentful glares as they walked, but their path was soon blocked by Nord and his usual entourage.

"Well, if it isn't Kain and Kizashi!" Nord sneered. "Kizashi, are you not a royal princess? Kain is a mere commoner. Someone of your noble stature shouldn't be associating with such lowborn trash."

Nord reached out to touch Crimsonia’s cheek, but she slapped his hand away as if brushing off an annoying bug.

"Filthy cur! Do not dare lay your dirty hands on me without my permission! I am a princess. I decide who escorts me. You have absolutely no right to lecture me."

Any ordinary girl unaware of Nord's sinister nature would have been instantly charmed by his touch. But Crimsonia showed nothing but absolute disgust, pressing a handkerchief to her nose.

"The air is foul here. Let us go elsewhere," she said, taking Kain's hand and steering him toward the dining hall's café area.

"Master Nord! Even if she is a princess, allowing her to treat you with such disrespect... Wait, are you smiling?" Hans asked, grinding his teeth in frustration on Nord's behalf.

Indeed, a fearless smirk played upon Nord’s lips.

"Hans, you still have much to learn about the finer points of being a gentleman. Allow me to demonstrate," Nord chuckled. "Just imagine... that brat begging for mercy once she's been completely broken. Heh... Hahaha!"

Despite being a junior student, Nord possessed terrifying power and influence. Opposing him meant certain doom. Hearing Nord's dark laughter, a cold shiver ran down Hans's spine.

Kain sat down at a table in the academy's café, "Angel's Smile," as Crimsonia had urged, but his face was incredibly pale.

"I'm sorry... I don't have enough money to afford eating at a place like this," he whispered.

"Do not worry, rest easy. My pockets are quite deep!" Crimsonia declared, thumping her chest proudly.

But when Kain looked, her chest was noticeably modest.

Soon, a waitress in a maid uniform arrived to take their order. Out of consideration for Crimsonia’s wallet, Kain ordered the cheapest black tea on the menu.

"I shall have the 'Fluffy Ice Cream from the Cow's Blessing' and the 'Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice'!" Crimsonia ordered.

The waitress bowed politely and returned to the kitchen. When Kain glanced at the prices of her order, his eyes nearly popped out—it cost enough to buy a small house in Sope Village. It made sense; using ice magic to slowly churn the milk of rare dairy cows into fluffy ice cream required immense time and effort.

While waiting for their order, Crimsonia leaned across the table, eyeing him suspiciously.

"You... were thinking of something rude just now, weren't you?"

"I wasn't! I definitely wasn't thinking about how modest you are, Kizashi!"

"How rude! In my true form, I could easily bury your entire face in my bosom. Since you're being so mean, I won't let you see my breasts at all!"

Having one's attention captured by a woman's full bust was the tragic instinct of a man, and Kain was no exception. In truth, Crimsonia had ordered the rich ice cream in hopes of helping her petite disguise body develop a bit more volume.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. You're incredibly charming just the way you are, Kizashi," Kain said earnestly.

"I-I won't fall for your sweet talk! You've gotten far too good at flattery, Kain. It is not as if your compliments make me happy anyway..."

But in truth, she was ecstatic!

Though she denied it to hide her embarrassment, no girl could help but feel thrilled when praised by the boy she liked. As they exchanged these innocent words, their orders arrived, starting with the quickly prepared black tea.

"What is the matter? Go ahead and take a sip. It will get cold if you wait," she urged.

"Ah, right... thank you."

Steam rose from the cup, carrying the rich, aromatic scent of premium tea leaves. Being an establishment for noble students, the tea served was an exquisite straight blend. Kain took a careful sip.

It was his first time tasting such fine tea at the Hero Academy. During his days with Elise, her maid, Rin, would often brew tea for them. This cup was easily just as delicious. His body instinctively recalled those peaceful, happy days, and a single tear slipped down his cheek, wetting the white tablecloth.

"Kain?"

"Ah, no... just got some dust in my eye..."

Elise now belonged to Nord, and the Magdalia House was gone. If he wanted to find happiness again, he had to earn renown as a hero and seize it with his own hands. Kain firmly reminded himself of his resolve.

"Huh...? Why am I suddenly so sleepy...?"

"Kain? It is still the middle of the day."

"I guess... I haven't been sleeping well..."

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you? I told you to rest and not worry about Vermilia and me... You stayed awake because you were concerned for her, didn't you? What a sweet soul you are."

Crimsonia gently stroked Kain’s hair as he slumped over onto the table, falling into a peaceful slumber. Just then, her ice cream and orange juice were served. She dipped her spoon into the fluffy treat, taking a bite.

"Delicious!"

She wanted to share the delightful treat with him, but Kain was fast asleep. Shrugging, she quickly finished the ice cream and gulped down the orange juice. But the moment she finished, her heart began to race violently. A sudden heat surged through her entire body, and she broke into a cold sweat.

At the same time, an intense, throbbing sensation pooled deep between her thighs.

Kain was asleep. Trying to shield herself from public view, Crimsonia's hand instinctively reached down toward her groin.

"Well, well, if it isn't Princess Kizashi. This won't do at all. Exhibiting such shameless behavior in public is quite unseemly," a smug voice drawled.

"Nord...! Did you... from Vermilia...?"

"Bingo. That's right. I collected Vermilia's fluids and spiked your drink with them. Legend has it that a Succubus’s secretions make for the ultimate aphrodisiac—potent enough to force the victim to view the first male they see as their destined mate. It seems the legends weren't entirely wrong after all. Believing in old folklore pays off sometimes."

"As if anyone... would ever accept a pathetic scoundrel like you, who has to resort to drugging women... as their mate! Hah, Hah... Stop talking utter nonsense... you miserable, bumbling idiot...!" Crimsonia hissed.

She fought with everything she had to resist the drug's effects, but despite her defiant words, her hand was already trembling against her thighs.

"Ngh...!"

In that moment, Nord reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. The mere touch of this man whom she despised like a venomous serpent sent a jolt of pure, electrifying ecstasy surging through her entire body.

She climaxed instantly—not from any sensitive area being touched, but from a mere hand resting on her shoulder...

"This was... all your doing...? Cowardly enough to use such methods on Vermilia... and now me..."

"Oh? I'm impressed. To think you can still talk after being hit with an aphrodisiac of that caliber... But that only makes it more entertaining. Let's see how long you can hold out—in the comfort of my private chambers!"

The aphrodisiac extracted from Vermilia was terrifyingly potent. Even as she was lifted into the arms of the man she utterly loathed, Crimsonia found herself completely unable to resist.

"D-Don't touch me... Ah... hic... I'm... going...!"

"Heh... Fascinating! I can't wait to see what kind of face you make once I've thoroughly played with you to my heart's content, Princess Kizashi... or should I say, Demon Lord Crimsonia!"

"I-I am not Crimsonia... You have... the wrong person..." she whimpered, her words slurring.

"My, my, no need to rush. You'll have plenty of time to give me your explanations in my room—with your body!" Nord sneered.

Instead of fighting back, she could only shiver weakly in his arms, a thin thread of drool slipping from her lips as her body convulsed in pleasure. Her reaction was so intense she looked completely intoxicated by the illicit substance.

"You guys," Nord commanded his lackeys, gesturing toward the sleeping hero. "Don't forget to drag that trash to my room as well. I want him to watch while I take her from him. Let's see how much despair his pathetic heart can handle."

────Nord’s Room.

Crimsonia lay spread across the bed, her body completely at the mercy of Nord’s teasing hands. It was like the exact opposite of gout—where instead of agonizing pain, even the gentlest stroke of bare skin on her highly sensitive areas sent waves of intense, overwhelming pleasure washing over her.

"How is it?" Nord whispered mockingly, his fingers tracing slow, deliberate circles over her skin. "The aphrodisiac derived from your own sister? It’s not a bad sensation, is it? To think that both of you sisters are destined to be loved by me."

"Who... who would ever be pleased to be... loved by the likes of you...?! Stop talking nonsense... hic!" Crimsonia gasped, her voice completely slurring as she struggled to form coherent words.

"What’s that? I can’t quite hear you," Nord taunted.

He leaned down and pressed his tongue against her navel. Crimsonia let out a sharp cry, her back arching violently off the mattress as a fresh wave of sensation tore through her.

Gasping for breath, her chest heaving, she could only watch as Nord climbed over her, straddling her hips with a dark, triumphant smirk.

"Now, it’s time for that long-awaited reconciliation between humans and demons," Nord declared, leaning down until his breath hot-pressed against her ear. "I shall inject my seed deep within you."

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" Crimsonia stammered, desperately trying to cling to her dignity despite her body’s utter betrayal. "That is no reconciliation! It is nothing but pure... violation!"

Nord merely chuckled, his fingers lightly tracing the soft, yielding contours of her belly.

"My, what deep affection you have for Kain-sama! I am truly, deeply moved. Even under the influence of such a potent aphrodisiac, you refuse to betray him... Very well, then. Let’s play a game."

"A ga...me...?" Crimsonia echoed faintly, her mind too hazy to comprehend.

"Yes! If you can look Kain-sama in the eye while I love you, and refuse to say that you love me, you win. If you win this little wager, I swear I won't lay another finger on you, Vermilia, or—of course—Kain-sama himself."

Between the intoxicating effects of the aphrodisiac and the multiple mind-melting orgasms Nord had already dragged her through, Crimsonia’s ability to think rationally had entirely shattered. Helplessly, she found herself nodding in agreement.

Before long, Kain was dragged into the room, his body securely bound in thick ropes by Hans and the other lackeys.

"Wake up, trash," Hans barked, delivering a sharp kick to Kain’s thigh.

As Kain groaned and blinked away his forced slumber, his eyes went wide with sheer horror.

There, right in front of him, was Crimsonia—the girl who had sworn her love to him—straddling Nord’s waist. And she wasn't just sitting there. Of her own apparent volition, she was moving her hips and letting out breathless, ecstatic pants.

Satisfied that their job was done, Hans exchanged a brief glance with Nord before leading the rest of the lackeys out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

"N-No... it’s a lie... right? Crimsonia..." Kain choked out, his voice trembling in absolute disbelief.

He was so utterly devastated that her true name slipped from his lips. But the ever-watchful Nord did not miss it.

"I see! Just as I suspected!" Nord laughed triumphantly. "I had Rei look into it, and there is no such country as the Menou Kingdom. And this face... Though your form has grown younger, you are the very source of terror that plunged the nations of the Elon Religion into despair—the Crimson Demon Lord, Crimsonia! But you are nothing to fear. I’m giving you a thorough lesson in obedience right now. You should be thanking me, Kain!"

To be forced to perform such a shameful act of intimacy before her beloved Kain was a fate worse than death for Crimsonia.

"Don't look! Please, don't look!" she wept, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. "My... my body in this state... I wanted to hide it from Kain... from Kain of all people...!"

"Heh... You can say whatever you want with that mouth of yours," Nord sneered. "But your body is remarkably honest! After all, I’m just lying here doing absolutely nothing! Now, tell me, Demon Lord—who do you prefer? Me, or Kain?!"

"I... I... love Kain-sama..." Crimsonia cried out.

But the overwhelming wave of pleasure finally broke her spirit.

"But I can't... I can't live without Nord-sama's body anymoreeee!!"

With a desperate, back-arching cry, Crimsonia collapsed onto Nord’s chest, panting heavily as she surrendered entirely to the heat.

"A beautiful, obedient doll," Nord whispered, stroking her hair. "I’ll love you even more, until your mind is completely stained with the realization that you are my woman. Unlike that pathetic weakling over there!"

Watching the scene unfold, Kain felt something snap inside him. Even though their bodies were partially obscured by the bedding, it was painfully clear what was happening. In a fit of absolute despair, Kain began to chant his final spell.

Assault Suicide!

But a cold, mechanical voice chimed mercilessly within his mind.

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Your stats do not meet the requirements.

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Yet, Kain refused to stop.

Assault Suicide! Assault Suicide! Assault Suicide! Assault Suicide! Assault Suicide! Assault Suicide!

He screamed the incantation over and over, but the brain-stabbing alert merely chimed in response, changing absolutely nothing. His throat grew parched, and his tongue felt heavy, his speech slurring into illegible murmurs. It was then that a gentle presence materialized beside him.

"Kain-sama..."

"Vermilia-chan?! How are you...?" Kain-sama gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

"Your soul's desperate cry, along with my sister's, flooded into my mind," Vermilia-chan explained softly, a look of grim determination on her face. "It woke me from the darkness that man plunged me into. Kain-sama... let me be the one to deal the final blow to him in your stead."

Stepping past the bound and helpless Kain, Vermilia marched resolutely toward the bed where Nord and Crimsonia lay.

"Vermilia, what are you doing?!" Kain screamed.

"Vermilia... no... please, stop..." Crimsonia whimpered weakly from the bed. "If you use that spell... you... you will disappear from this world entirely..."

"Don't worry, onee-sama," Vermilia replied, turning back to offer her older sister a remarkably gentle, reassuring smile. "This is the only way to wash away the humiliation I suffered. I am not doing this out of despair."

When she turned back to face Nord, the warmth vanished from her eyes, replaced by a gaze of frigid, piercing hatred.

"Nord Villance... prepare yourself. You will rot in hell, regretting the day you took everything from us."

"Haha! Don't make me laugh," Nord scoffed, pulling the sheets back. "Your body must be aching for me again if you've crawled back to my bed so soon. Or are you jealous because I took your precious sister? Don't worry. If you bow your head and beg, I’ll gladly take both of you sisters at once. Now, strip off those clothes and get over here."

Vermilia merely stared down at him with an expression of profound, chilling disgust—her eyes half-closed in a freezing glare.

"Your delusions are truly pitiful," she spat. "Who would ever willingly go to you? The only one going anywhere is you. Kain, Crimsonia-onee-sama... please, find happiness together... Love Prisoner: Max!"

Kain, realizing the terrible price of her ultimate charm magic, went pale with horror.

"No! Vermilia!"

"Vermilia... stop... please..." Crimsonia cried.

"Kain-sama... meeting you was the greatest happiness of my life. I have absolutely no regrets left," Vermilia whispered, her voice carrying a serene peace.

Then, she snapped her eyes back to Nord, commanding with absolute, iron authority:

"I, Vermilia, sister of the Demon Lord, command you. My slave, Nord Villance... commit suicide!"

As the absolute charm took hold of his mind, Nord’s eyes went vacant. He reached for the Serpent Sword Galienus resting by his pillow and stepped off the bed. Grasping the deadly, bladed chain with both hands, he planted the pommel firmly against the floor, positioning the razor-sharp tip directly against his own throat.

But Nord’s legendary resistance to charm magic began to fight back. His body shook violently as his mind struggled against the absolute command.

"Ngh... Graah! I... I will not... kill myself...!" he groaned, his muscles bulging as he tried to pull the blade away.

"Hurry up," Vermilia urged coldly, her voice devoid of any mercy. "Anyone can drag their feet, but the end remains the same."

Under normal circumstances, even the strongest warrior would have been reduced to a mindless puppet instantly. Yet, Nord’s sheer willpower and passive resistance kept him hovering on the edge of freedom.

If I let this monster live, he will remain a constant blight on the lives of Kain-sama and Crimsonia-onee-sama... He must be erased, no matter the cost! Determined to end him, Vermilia poured every ounce of her soul into the magic, reinforcing the command of Love Prisoner: Max. Suddenly, a brilliant crimson light began to bleed from her body.

The intense pressure cracked her skin like shattering porcelain, and the crimson light shone even brighter through the fractures.

"I... must... die...!" Nord gasped, his resistance finally breaking under the overwhelming weight of her sacrificial magic.

With a violent thrust, he plunged his beloved sword deep into his own throat.

"Gurgle... cough... haha... so this is... the ecstasy of... tearing my own flesh..." Nord rasped, blood bubbling from his lips.

"I won't let you die a peaceful death!" Vermilia spat. "Self-destruct, Nord Villance!"

"U-Understood...! Assault Suicide!"

Possessing magical stats far superior to Kain’s, Nord easily executed the self-destruction magic without a chant.

With a deafening explosion, Nord’s body detonated like an overinflated balloon, showering the room in blood and flesh. Yet, even as his severed head rolled across the floor, his lifeless, open eyes stared back at them with lingering, venomous hatred.

"What a wretched man..." Vermilia whispered. "Even in death, you refuse to repent, choosing to curse us to the very end."

With a flick of her wrist, Vermilia unleashed a final Fireball, consigning Nord’s remains to ash.

Thinking about my own future reincarnated as Nord makes my head spin... but considering the sheer, unadulterated evil of his actions—violating Elise, Crimsonia, and Vermilia—this was a thoroughly deserved, satisfying end (well-deserved poetic justice).

With her life force completely depleted, Vermilia collapsed onto the floor, sitting in a helpless, duck-legged posture.

Using her very last ounce of strength, she reached out toward Kain. Kain- threw his bound torso forward, desperately struggling to touch her fingers, but...

Their fingers barely grazed before Vermilia’s body began to break apart, dissolving into a shimmering red mist that dissolved into the air.

"Vermilia!!" Kain-sama screamed, his voice cracking with grief.

"Vermilia... no..." Crimsonia sobbed.

A small, glowing red mana core was left behind on the floor. Crimsonia crawled forward, desperately trying to scoop it up, but the moment her fingers touched it, the core crumbled into fine dust, slipping through her fingers and vanishing into nothingness.

Still bound, Kain slammed his body against the stone floor, thrashing like a helpless insect as he screamed in absolute, raw agony.

"Aaaaaaaaargh!!"

Shortly after Vermilia’s death, the lackeys who had aligned themselves with Nord were swiftly expelled from the Hero Academy. Hans resisted the decision until the very end, but Principal Lillian’s resolve was absolute, and his protests came to nothing.

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OFFICIAL NOTICE

Nord Villance is hereby officially erased from the records of the Hero Academy.

Henceforth, any student or faculty member who utters his name shall be subject to immediate disciplinary action.

Lillian Brushka, Principal of the Hero Academy

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Furthermore, Lillian issued an unprecedented decree. This came in the wake of Kain’s tireless efforts to secretly broker a non-aggression pact between the Ackersen Kingdom and the Crimson Demon Lord’s Territory. The sole condition Crimsonia had demanded in exchange for the treaty was the absolute erasure of Nord Villance’s existence from human history.

────The Hero Cemetery.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Vermilia," Kain murmured.

"I brought your favorite ice cream!" Crimsonia added softly.

On a gentle, grassy hill located just behind the Hero Academy, overlooking the campus, lay the resting place of the heroes and graduates who had fallen in battle.

"Isn't that actually your favorite ice cream, Crimsonia?" Kain teased gently.

"What I love, Vermilia loves too!" Crimsonia huffed, puffing out her chest proudly.

Placing the frozen treat before the modest grave marker they had erected for Vermilia, the two of them offered their silent prayers for her soul.

"Kain."

"Crimsonia."

Crimsonia reached out, gently clasping the hand Kain offered. Together, they looked toward a future where humans and demons could walk hand-in-hand, living in everlasting peace...

Crimsonia Route: FIN.

Wait... did I make a wrong choice somewhere?

I stared at the screen, scrolling through the game's log over and over again, but there were absolutely no other branches besides the choice between Vermilia and Crimsonia.

This is completely ridiculous!

The promotional CG for the "Demon Sisters Route" clearly depicted an incredibly spicy, three-way harem ending with both sisters! Yet, whether I chose Vermilia or Crimsonia, only one of them could ever be saved!

And to make matters worse, the only one who got to enjoy both sisters at once was that bastard Nord!!

One of the main reasons Rising Hero was widely panned as a legendary "kusoge" (trash game) was because it teased a happy, harem-style sister-sandwich ending, only to lock players into bittersweet normal endings where one sister always died.

Various rumors floated around online—budget cuts, the developers stiffing the illustrator on payments, or missing their final release deadlines...

Selling a game in this state is practically a crime!

Furious at the complete absence of a true, happy "True Ending" for the demon sisters, I let out a frustrated scream that would have made any online gaming forum proud.