Chapter 717 - 717: Temptation of the Queen

Or maybe use a little trick, and if that doesn't work, just feed her some holy water or something.

Give it a try first, there's always a way to fix things.

But Itsuki Shima, still closely watching from the next room, forced him to abandon his usual plans.

After all, a young believer like him suddenly appearing, boldly interrupting the cult leader Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki's ceremony without a trace of fear, that alone was suspicious enough.

And after taking down Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki and taking Yoshino Ayaka away, he then acted so calm and rational.

That would definitely make Itsuki Shima grow suspicious.

To avoid arousing the suspicions of Itsuki Shima, that evil deity enshrined by the Queen's Society, he had to provide a reasonable explanation for his actions, one that aligned with her values... and while Hikari was thinking furiously, the little bit of reason Yoshino Ayaka had briefly regained was quickly burned away again by the Awakening Orchid incense.

An intense softness and heat pressed tightly against Hikari.

Her two pale hands kept tugging at his collar.

"Hikari-kun... help me..."

"Cleanse... I need to cleanse the filth..."

"Please... help me..."

Yoshino Ayaka urged him repeatedly.

And in the small room on the other side of the one-way mirror, just a wall away from the two, Itsuki Shima stood quietly watching the scene, her pretty face expressionless, her eyes cold and sharp.

On one side, Yoshino Ayaka's relentless urging.

On the other, Itsuki Shima's watchful, icy gaze.

To keep Itsuki Shima from growing suspicious and to completely fool this evil deity, Hikari finally made his decision. Following Yoshino Ayaka's fervent request in her current state of delirium, he would step in himself and relieve her of the Awakening Orchid incense's intoxicating effects.

Once the decision was made, Hikari didn't hesitate.

He wrapped an arm around Yoshino Ayaka's soft waist, even putting on an impatient act.

And compared to Hikari, Yoshino Ayaka was even more frantic and desperate.

After all, to successfully secure the upper-class lady he had his eyes on, Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki had burned a massive amount of Awakening Orchid incense in the cult leader's hall, making her absorb an overdose.

And on the other side of the one-way mirror, Itsuki Shima had also lit Awakening Orchid incense.

The constant, unrelenting stimulation of the incense made Yoshino Ayaka's face twist with intense pain.

It wasn't until she received Hikari's help that the pain on Yoshino Ayaka's face gradually faded, replaced by a surge of intense joy and satisfaction.

———

Deep within the dojo, a secret room slid silently shut.

Itsuki Shima stood still in the shadows, watching with her own eyes as Hikari and Yoshino Ayaka performed the full Queen ritual.

Scene after scene of strange imagery, like special CGs being unlocked one after another, played out continuously before her eyes.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, nearly two hours had gone by.

Such a lengthy ritual made Itsuki Shima, who had remained expressionless throughout, unconsciously furrow her slender brows.

Even her breathing faintly quickened.

As an evil deity, she shouldn't feel tired from standing for so long.

But maybe it was because her attention was divided.

The longer she watched Hikari and Yoshino Ayaka, the more her legs grew weak and achy, to the point she could barely keep steady.

Just as Itsuki Shima was starting to grow impatient, beginning to suspect that Hikari wasn't just exceptionally gifted but might even be a reincarnated deity of steel, wondering whether he was an ordinary man or a superhuman who grew stronger the more he surpassed others, Hikari and Yoshino Ayaka's ritual finally ended.

Yoshino Ayaka, just relieved of the Awakening Orchid incense's effects, rolled her eyes back and passed out completely.

Hikari also put on an act of being out of breath, looking like he was about to collapse at any moment.

But just then, the door that should have been locked swung open from the outside, and Itsuki Shima strode in quickly.

Though he had expected this, Hikari naturally still put on a surprised expression and looked up in bewilderment, "Secretary-General Itsuki?"

"Hikari, what have you done?", Itsuki Shima demanded angrily, her voice sharp.

"Huh? What did I do?", Hikari looked innocent, deliberately playing dumb.

"Hmph! Miss Ayaka is lying right next to you, passed out with her belly showing, and you're still playing dumb with me?", Itsuki Shima scolded coldly.

"Th-this... it was an accident! Secretary-General Itsuki, let me explain...", Hikari put on a guilty look, as if trying to defend himself.

But Itsuki Shima cut him off directly, "Forget that for now. First, tell me clearly, why did you suddenly barge into the cult leader's hall and act so rudely toward His Holiness?"

"Not only did you interrupt his Queen ritual with Miss Ayaka, but you also injured His Holiness."

"Then you took Miss Ayaka away and pulled off such an audacious stunt!"

"Hikari-kun, you've got quite the nerve!"

Itsuki Shima's expression was terrifyingly cold, her tone extremely harsh as she scolded him.

But Hikari didn't show any fear. Instead, he puffed out his chest, putting on a defiant and even aggrieved look as he replied, "I... I just couldn't stand to see that kind of thing!"

"Oh?", Itsuki Shima had expected Hikari to admit his fault under her reprimand, but instead she got this unexpected answer. She raised an eyebrow slightly, staring hard at him.

Hikari met Itsuki Shima's gaze without flinching and explained, "Miss Ayaka was the one who brought me into the Queen's Society. When I saw her about to perform a ritual with someone else, I don't know why, but I got really angry inside. I just couldn't accept it."

"And... I also heard her unwilling cries for help from outside the door."

"So I... that's why I did what I did!"

"Itsuki-nee, you said not long ago that our souls and bodies are the most compatible, that you understand me best. So you should be able to understand, right?"

Hearing this childish, ridiculous, and willful speech from Hikari, the cold, stern look on Itsuki Shima's face suddenly melted away like snow under sunlight, even giving way to an obvious smile.

Because the trace of suspicion in her heart had now been laid to rest.

'So it was just youthful, reckless impulse...'

At first, when Itsuki Shima saw Hikari burst into the cult leader's hall, injure the leader Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki, and take Yoshino Ayaka away, a faint suspicion had arisen in her mind.

After all, she had already drained him thoroughly earlier, and she herself was a bit stuffed.

Yet Hikari hadn't rested and still had the energy to go out and cause trouble.

That contrast made Itsuki Shima suspicious.

But in her observations, Hikari did naturally have far more energy than the average person.

Even the exceptionally gifted Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki paled in comparison to Hikari, like a firefly to the bright moon.

And just now, Hikari had held Yoshino Ayaka for nearly two hours of intense Queen ritual, unlocking who knows how many special CGs, which fully proved that point.

His stamina was truly, overwhelmingly abundant, even more than she had imagined.

And once that point was cleared up, the rest wasn't worth mentioning.

Though the fact that Hikari had injured Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki, the cult leader, and taken Yoshino Ayaka should have been more shocking, in Itsuki Shima's eyes, this so-called cult leader Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki was nothing but a puppet.

Anyone could fill that role. If she wanted, Hikari could take over his position right now.

In the eyes of the Queen, the cult leader wasn't a king, just a seat.

And Hikari had also given a reasonable explanation for attacking Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki, possessiveness toward Yoshino Ayaka and hearing her cries for help.

Then there was the matter of Hikari performing the Queen ritual with Yoshino Ayaka.

In Itsuki Shima's view, that was even less worth mentioning.

In her understanding, someone like Hikari, whose stamina was dozens or even hundreds of times that of a normal person, would naturally have dozens or hundreds of times the physical urges.

If he had rejected a mature beauty like Yoshino Ayaka when she so actively invited him to perform the ritual, that would have been suspicious.

Hikari's strong possessiveness over women and his boundless energy struck Itsuki Shima as perfectly reasonable.

And the fact that he would dare to lay hands on the cult leader Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki over a woman like Yoshino Ayaka showed that his urges were so strong his self-control was virtually nonexistent, making him the perfect target for her control.

Seeing the shift in Itsuki Shima's expression, Hikari felt the time was right and immediately stiffened his neck, putting on the look of a rash youth, and said again, "Itsuki-nee, what I just said makes sense, right? You do understand me, don't you?"

"Hmph!", Itsuki Shima gave a cold snort, shooting him a sharp glare with her beautiful eyes.

But then she changed her tune, "Still, what you said does have some truth to it. I can more or less understand."

"As the one who brought you into the faith, Yoshino Ayaka does share a special bond with you. Acting on impulse like that is still within the bounds of human nature."

"This time, I'll speak to His Holiness on your behalf and try to get you lenient treatment."

"But, don't let it happen again!", As she spoke, Itsuki Shima took the chance to pinch his cheek, which even she found handsome.

"Thank you, Itsuki-nee!", Hikari put on an overjoyed expression.

But inside, he wasn't surprised at all, because he had already foreseen this outcome.

After all, as the Queen, Itsuki Shima could surely tell that his stamina far surpassed Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki's.

So in her eyes, his value was likewise far greater than Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki's.

With that premise, when the two came into conflict, it was only natural for Itsuki Shima to side with him.

Cult leaders and followers probably held no value in the eyes of Itsuki Shima, the Queen.

And those few scoldings earlier were just the preliminary "beat with a stick before offering a carrot."

So instead of backing down in the face of Itsuki Shima's magnanimous forgiveness, Hikari pressed his luck and pressed on, "Itsuki-nee, Miss Ayaka has already performed the Queen ritual with me. From now on, we're closely bound fellow devotees. Could you please not let her perform rituals with anyone else?"

The possessiveness Hikari showed at this moment suited his young and immature appearance perfectly, so Itsuki Shima wasn't the least bit offended. Instead, she smiled teasingly and asked, "Not even with His Holiness?"

"Not even him!", Hikari said firmly, his tone dripping with possessiveness.

"Hikari-kun really is domineering. Even more overbearing than His Holiness. So according to you, any believer who performs a ritual with you can't do it with anyone else, is that it?", Itsuki Shima asked with a smile.

"Is that not allowed?", Hikari still had the fearless bravado of a newborn calf.

"It's not that it's completely not allowed. I did say I think highly of you. But... I also performed most of a Queen ritual with you, so... does that mean I can't perform rituals with anyone else either?", Itsuki Shima asked with a sly smile, her bewitching face carrying a captivating grin.

"Well...", Hikari put on a look of wanting to say yes but feeling a bit too embarrassed.

After all, at this point in the Queen's Society, at best he was Itsuki Shima's anointed junior cult leader; at worst, just an ordinary believer.

And Itsuki Shima was the Secretary-General, whose authority even surpassed that of the cult leader.

So if he started making bold claims about claiming Itsuki Shima as well, it would seem a bit off.

But saying he had no such thoughts wouldn't fit his reckless, lustful persona either, and might even displease Itsuki Shima.

So Hikari put on an expression that said "I want to but I dare not say it."

And Itsuki Shima, who had "seen through" Hikari, couldn't help but laugh at this. To keep him from being embarrassed, she took the initiative to rescue him when he was stammering, smiling as she said, "It's okay~"

"Huh?"

"I mean, what you just said, it's okay. If you insist, then I won't perform Queen rituals with any other believers either. From beginning to end, I'll only perform them with you, my first and last man~"

Itsuki Shima smiled as she took Hikari's hand and pressed it against her full chest, saying words that made his heart race.