Chapter 17:Master~

Before the last sliver of consciousness was swallowed by the holy light, Aaliyah finally pieced together the full truth.

Claire had been reborn.

And, just like Phyllis, she carried memories, hatred, and an insane obsession with the name “Aaliyah Violet.”

The difference was that Phyllis chose to lock her in place with a hypnosis brand.

While Claire… chose to use holy light to lock herself into Aaliyah’s world.

“Master~”

The girl’s voice was cloyingly sweet, carrying the clarity unique to clerics, yet hiding a pathological tremor in the tail.

“From today on, Claire is Master’s little dog.”

“Woof.”

The biting winds of the Far North howled past her ears, but they couldn’t scatter that “woof” echoing in her mind.

When Aaliyah woke, she found herself bound atop a tall steed.

Wrists, ankles, waist—all secured by soft yet unyielding chains of holy light.

Claire sat behind her, arms wrapped around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder, nose lightly nuzzling her silver hair.

“Master’s awake?”

“…Let me go.”

“No can do.”

Claire smiled like a child given candy, her voice carrying an unquestionable stubbornness.

“Master wants to run away, and Claire would be sad.”

“So, Claire will help Master delete the words ‘run away’ from Master’s world, okay?”

She raised a hand, a strand of holy light glowing at her fingertip, gently tapping Aaliyah’s brow.

[Holy Light · Memory Rewrite]

A cool sensation seeped into her mind, and Aaliyah shuddered violently.

“Don’t touch me!”

She desperately mobilized the magic within her body, the evil god seed throbbing wildly in her chest, black rose patterns instantly spreading to her collarbone.

But in the next second, the holy light chains suddenly tightened.

Claire pressed against her ear, her voice low like a lover’s whisper:

“Master, don’t be afraid. Claire won’t hurt Master.”

“Claire just… wants Master to belong to Claire forever.”

Far North Duchy, depths of the frozen ancient mine.

Before the evil god cult’s altar, Phyllis stood on a high platform in black robes.

In her hand was a flickering magic crystal, reflecting the image of Aaliyah bound by holy light chains.

“Found her.”

Phyllis licked her lips, her voice cold as ice.

“My thing—no one can steal.”

At the same moment, Starfall Academy, professor’s office.

Rhode stared at the magic projection on his desk, brows furrowed.

In the image, Aaliyah was taken by Claire, while Phyllis led cultists straight to the Far North.

“…The plot line has completely collapsed.”

He sighed, rubbing his brow.

“Looks like we have to activate ‘that’ plan early.”

On the ice plains, the carriage raced forward.

Claire held Aaliyah, humming an unknown hymn.

“Master, the Far North is just ahead.”

“Once there, Claire will build Master an ice palace.”

“Then…”

She lowered her head, kissing Aaliyah’s earlobe.

“Master will only need to look at Claire, look at Claire alone, okay?”

Aaliyah closed her eyes, the black rose patterns on her chest spreading wildly.

The evil god seed was responding to her rage.

Far North ancient mine, center of the altar.

Phyllis raised her hand, the crystal shattering.

“Aaliyah.”

“You can’t escape.”

“Because…”

She smiled, her voice identical to Claire’s.

“You are mine.”

At the end of the ice plains, a storm was coming.

Two reborn madwomen.

One fleeing princess.

A shura field with no winners was about to begin.