The Jester's Wife Now Belongs to Hiroshi

After training, the group returned to the rest area.

Aioze looked at everyone, her gaze now lighter.

"You can do whatever you want for now. Tonight, I will decide on the team that will go with me to rescue Fujimoto ," he announced .

There was a murmur among the group.

Shana and Himeno exchanged hopeful glances. Koharu kept her gaze fixed on the ground.

Max remained silent, still brooding over the defeat.

While everyone relaxed, Hiroshi approached Yumi and Shouta with a strange smile on his face.

"I need to talk to you two alone. Can we talk in Dicarik Forest ?" Hiroshi said .

Yumi raised her eyebrows.

— Why? — he asked. Yumi .

"It's about something I saw during the mission. It's important," Hiroshi replied , trying to downplay his tone.

Shouta looked at her suspiciously, but ended up nodding.

Filna and Max, who were closer, watched the scene attentively.

Filna 's gaze darkened, and Max silently frowned.

The tension was palpable.

The group knew that something was about to happen.

Max noticed the worried look on Filna 's face .

"Don't worry, I'll see what's going on," he said firmly.

Filna sighed, but forced a smile.

"Thank you, Max," Filna said .

Max then followed in the same direction that Hiroshi had taken Yumi and Shouta , entering Dicarik 's forest .

Further on, among the dark trees of the forest, Hiroshi stopped and turned to face Yumi and Shouta .

The atmosphere was heavy, and the sound of creaking branches made everything even more tense.

Yumi crossed her arms.

"So? What do you want to talk to us about?" he asked. Yumi .

Hiroshi smiled in that cynical way they already knew.

"I can capture Alisiya again. I can deliver her to you on a platter... with all the secrets she hasn't yet revealed," he said , as if offering something trivial.

Shouta frowned.

"And why on earth would you do that?" he asked. Shouta .

Hiroshi shrugged.

"Because I can. And because I know you want answers," Hiroshi replied .

Yumi narrowed her eyes.

"Knowing you, I'm almost certain you want something in return. What would that be?" he said coldly.

Hiroshi's smile widened.

— Simple. I want your body, Yumi . I want you, and I want the freedom to "educate" Shouta ... my way. — he replied .

Shouta stepped forward, indignant.

"I knew it! You're still the same piece of human garbage you've always been!" she yelled. Shouta .

Before the discussion could progress, hurried footsteps echoed among the trees.

Max emerged, breathless, but with a vacant stare, still marked by the ability to ENSLAVE.

— Max?! — Shouta's eyes widened.

Hiroshi turned his face away, annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" Hiroshi asked .

— Filna was worried. I said I'd come see what was happening... and stop any fighting. — Max replied mechanically.

Hiroshi clicked his tongue, but quickly regained his smile.

"You're so dedicated, Max," said Hiroshi.

He turned to face Yumi again .

"Anyway... as I was saying. If you accept my deal, I can guarantee that Alisiya won't bother anyone again anytime soon," he continued.

"And Shouta ... will learn the weight of the choices he made in the past." Hiroshi's eyes quickly shifted to the boy.

Shouta clenched his fists, trembling with rage.

" Yumi , let's get out of here now. We'll tell Aioze everything : about enslaving Max, his intentions... everything," he said .

Silence fell over the clearing.

Yumi didn't answer immediately. She stared at the leaf-covered ground as the wind gently swayed the branches above them.

Hiroshi tilted his head.

"Are you really going to throw away a chance like this? You, more than anyone, know what Alisiya did. Don't you want to see her finally powerless? Without power, without escape?" he taunted .

Yumi clenched her hands tightly.

She remembered the destroyed country, the desecrated mother, the seal on her hands… everything burned inside her.

But I also remembered Fujimoto .

From his expression.

From the wrong decisions that had already cost too much.

She took a deep breath. No sound came out of her mouth.

Shouta watched her from the side, worried. Max remained motionless, in Hiroshi's shadow, like an extension of his will.

Yumi didn't give an answer at that moment.

He simply turned his face, staring into the depths of the forest, as if trying to see something far beyond.

Yumi lowered her head, her clenched fist trembling with tension. She took a deep breath, as if swallowing a decision that was eating her up inside. Then she looked up and stared directly at Hiroshi.

"I accept your offer," Yumi replied.

Shouta's eyes widened, completely perplexed.

" Yumi ... have you gone mad?!" he shouted , his voice trembling.

Hiroshi smiled slowly and cruelly, like a satisfied predator.

"I knew you'd understand quickly. Now do what needs to be done," Hiroshi said happily.

Yumi clenched her teeth, raised her hand, and activated TIME FREEZE. The world around her stood still, the wind stopped, the leaves froze in mid-air, and even the sounds were swallowed by absolute silence.

She approached Shouta with a blank stare.

"Forgive me..." she murmured.

Yumi punched Shouta in the chest with enough force to instantly knock him unconscious. His body fell, and time returned to normal.

Hiroshi took a few steps forward, looking at the unconscious young man.

"Now that that idiot is quiet... I'm finally going to get my revenge," he said , with the most vicious smile Yumi had ever seen.

He turned his face to Max, who was standing right behind him.

— Max. Do as I told you. — said Hiroshi.

Max stood motionless for a second, his gaze empty and mechanical, the invisible mark of the ENSLAVE skill gleaming in his eyes like cold glass.

Yumi looked away, clenching her teeth tightly as her fingers trembled.

The muffled sound of bodies impacting and groans of pain and humiliation cut through the silence of the forest like knives. Yumi closed her eyes, trying not to hear, but it was impossible to block out.

— Yumi …! Get me out of here… please… — Shouta 's weak, distorted voice echoed, choked.

A tear rolled down her face.

"Forgive me, Shouta …" she whispered.

Minutes later, everything stopped. Shouta fell to the ground, weak, gasping and trembling. Hiroshi crouched beside him and held his hair, pulling his head up.

"You thought you could fool me, clown? In the end, you're nothing but a court jester," he muttered scornfully.

Shouta tried to say something, but he could barely articulate any sounds.

Hiroshi laughed.

"He can barely form words. Pathetic," Hiroshi said , smiling.

Then he placed both hands on Shouta 's forehead , and an intense blue energy flashed forth.

The mark of ENSLAVEMENT appeared clearly, burning into his skin. Shouta screamed silently, completely broken.

Yumi's eyes widened in shock.

"Why doesn't Max have that mark...?" he asked. Curious Yumi .

"Concealment seals. Useful when you want to keep a collection of puppets secret," Hiroshi replied , holding up a small magic paper between his fingers.

He then stood up and looked back at Yumi .

"Enough of this nonsense. Fulfill the last part of the agreement," he said coldly.

Yumi closed her eyes.

Her hands trembled, not from shame, but from hatred, despair, and guilt.

She took a deep breath… and began to slowly take off her own clothes, without looking at anyone.

Hiroshi's smile widened.

Hiroshi watched Yumi in silence, his gaze taking in every detail, like a predator analyzing its prey.

"Let's go," he said , his voice low and calm, as if he were simply asking for a trivial favor.

Yumi took a deep breath and stepped forward. The cold air of Dicarik 's forest felt like it was cutting her skin, like tiny blades.

Hiroshi approached and held her chin, pulling her into a forced kiss. When he pulled away, his eyes gleamed with something sick.

"Stay like that," he ordered , touching her shoulder and pressing down.

Yumi knelt on the earthen ground, her hands supporting her, feeling the roughness of the dry leaves. The metallic sound of Hiroshi's belt falling echoed through the forest, a cold, sharp sound that made her stomach churn.

She closed her eyes.

"Now, don't make a sound," Hiroshi murmured , with a smile she recognized well.

His touch came immediately afterward, invasive, rough, without any care. A shock ran through Yumi 's body , making her hold her breath. A sound escaped her throat, more from the pain than anything else.

"So? Is it better than Shouta 's ?" Hiroshi whispered disdainfully in her ear.

Yumi clenched her teeth, feeling her body tremble involuntarily.

— …it’s different. — she replied , almost voicelessly.

Hiroshi chuckled softly, satisfied.

His movements were abrupt, rhythmic, and each impact made her body tremble against the ground. Yumi 's breathing became irregular, a mixture of pain and confusion. One of her hands was pulled back, and she lost her balance, pressing her face against the damp earth.

He gripped her waist tightly, as if he wanted to assert his ownership.

Yumi tried to keep her mind off it, but her body reacted in a contradictory, treacherous, confused, broken way. She felt her muscles contract uncontrollably, as if something inside her was being ripped out and replaced.

"That's it. I knew you'd end up giving yourself away," Hiroshi murmured , almost in a victorious tone.

A tear rolled down the corner of Yumi 's eye and fell silently onto the dark sandy ground.

Minutes dragged on like hours.

Until it all ended.

Yumi fell forward, breathing heavily, her arms trembling. Her body was heavy and exhausted, as if she had been drained from the inside. A few strands of hair clung to her sweaty, dirt-covered face.

Hiroshi adjusted his belt again, as if nothing had happened.

"Don't forget that, Yumi . Now you belong to me," he said with a cold smile.

Yumi did not respond.

She just stood there, motionless, trying to gather the strength to get up from the ground.

The moon emerged from between the clouds at that moment, illuminating her face, marked not by physical pain, but by a devastating emptiness.