* * *
“Everyone, calm down—! Calm dow—ghk!”
The tiny spark of chaos she had tossed out was now swelling into a blazing fire, spreading uncontrollably.
The scale was so vast that it seemed some espers weren’t fully affected, but it didn’t matter.
The hallucinations she’d planted were accelerating, fueled by the unstable atmosphere and growing commotion, making everything feel real.
Maybe not now, but in time, they’d no longer be able to tell illusion from reality.
They’d be flailing, like people drowning in a swamp.
Such large-scale hallucinations, nearly akin to mass hypnosis, were usually only achievable by espers ranked A to B+.
Yet Irina Sheril pulled it off with incredible ease—so smooth it felt unreal for a single person.
That a mere C+ rank like Irina could achieve this, well beyond her original capability, was thanks in large part to the red-haired woman’s contribution.
Of course, had there been any espers above B rank in this hall, they wouldn’t have been so thoroughly fooled.
But most of the espers gathered in this central hall were C rank or lower, and that played a decisive role.
“Urgh…”
Suddenly, her vision blurred.
Irina stumbled briefly before regaining her balance.
Her mind was oddly clear—unnaturally so—yet her insides churned like she was about to vomit.
It was ironic.
Looking down, her gaze settled on her arm, where a needle mark stood out vividly.
The unidentified drug and injection given to her by Roilnia had produced dramatic results, even for an esper like her.
It allowed her to use abilities beyond her original limits, severed her from the need for control devices, and most importantly—she no longer required a guide.
What a magnificent thing.
If something like this existed, then why hadn’t she—
Cough—!
She couldn’t hold back any longer.
Nausea surged up her throat.
Metallic blood-taste stained her lips, splattering onto the floor.
Her previous awe was broken, replaced by the memory of what the woman had said.
“I don’t know how long you’ll last. I’ve never seen anyone come out of it okay—besides me.”
No power comes without a price.
Maybe such a thing didn’t exist in this world to begin with.
After all, if there were really such miracle drugs, why would espers need guides?
Every esper required one.
When bonded, they functioned to complement each other.
That was the basic, fundamental principle—practically carved into the brain of every esper and guide alike.
‘A true bond? Complementing each other? Don’t make me laugh. Isn’t it just one-sided?’
Wiping the blood from her lips, Irina Sheril let out a bitter scoff.
If that were true, then he shouldn’t have made her this miserable.
Yet at the same time, she found herself disgusted by how eagerly she was betraying that absolute tenet.
It was laughable, really.
Straightening her back, Irina slowly stepped down from the platform.
The blood rising in her throat was forced back down.
Her task wasn’t finished yet.
This chaos—this was only part of the deal she made with Roilnia in exchange for power.
She didn’t feel the slightest guilt.
After all, she hoped everyone would end up just as miserable as her.
The only thing that mattered now was meeting the man who had abandoned her.
She was far too curious—what kind of pathetic, pitiful mess would he be in when she stood before him?
BOOM—!
“Aaaaahhh!!”
“Help me!”
The polished, civilized masks of the people had long since vanished, leaving only raw survival instincts.
As they tumbled over each other in chaos, Irina moved forward, steadying herself with the cracked walls.
Psychic blasts sparked here and there, debris and obstacles tripped her feet—but she paid them no mind.
“St—Stay away! Don’t come any closer!”
Because the man she was looking for wasn’t far away.
His suit, once neatly tailored, was so filthy with dust it was hard to tell what color it had originally been.
Crawling through the crowd, swinging wildly at anything within reach, his face was frozen in sheer terror.
“Die, you terrorist!”
“Argh!”
A woman in a frilly dress kicked him in the stomach.
The man crumpled like an insect under the pain.
Irina stopped just a few steps away, watching the absurd scene unfold.
Did the man even realize that the one attacking him was his own esper?
Conversely, did that dumb esper even realize she was attacking a guide?
Even though the answer was obvious, Irina still found herself wondering.
‘Seriously? That’s the kind of relationship they had?’
If it were her, she wouldn’t have fallen for such a basic psychic illusion.
And if this esper had succumbed to it, that meant she was barely C rank.
As expected, that man should never have abandoned her.
She couldn’t fathom what made him throw her away to become that esper’s guide.
“Hah, it’s almost funny.”
Irina let out a short, dry laugh.
“I… Irina…? Irina Sheril?”
The man, battered and bruised, turned toward her.
Recognizing her instantly, he looked like he’d glimpsed salvation.
A glimmer of hope lit up his face as he reached out to her.
“H-Help me, Irina!”
“Why would I? We’re nothing now.”
With her arms crossed, Irina looked on indifferently.
Her apathy made the man even more desperate.
Her expression, so detached from his pain, even seemed to carry mockery—but the man didn’t have time to dwell on that.
“Ghh—!”
The woman’s frenzied kicks stopped.
Instead, her hands wrapped around the man’s throat.
Choked of breath, the man’s legs thrashed wildly, desperately kicking the esper.
But she held on, unmoved.
“P-Please, save me—!”
“You’re begging for your life after you threw me away?”
His gasping, convulsive flailing looked like a fish dragged onto land.
Like a fish, he would soon go still.
Without Irina’s help, that was his very near and certain future.
“Wha—ghhk—!”
“Why not call for your amazing esper instead? The one you left me for.”
“W-Where… Where is my esper…”
Even with his esper right in front of him, the hallucination kept him from recognizing him.
The man desperately searched for his partner.
“Li… Lily… Save me, Lily!”
But her pitiful cry couldn’t reach anyone.
Irina stared, stunned by how quickly he reached for another lifeline, and let out a scoff—then clapped her hands, as if struck by a delightful idea.
“Well then. Let’s see if you can still recognize your esper now.”
Clap!
“Watch closely. See what your esper is really doing.”
With that signal, Irina shattered the man’s illusion.
The moment clarity returned, the color drained from his face.
His wide-open eyes trembled endlessly, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!”
What followed was a scream of utter horror.
‘Good. Be that miserable. If you made me this pathetic, then it’s only fair that you become just as wretched. Don’t you think?’
“Lily! It’s me! It’s me, Lily! Snap out of it! Aaaagh!!”
A moment ago, he seemed like he’d die at any second—but now his life flared back with terrifying intensity.
Even a worm will wriggle if you step on it.
Who knew he had that kind of strength?
Screaming like mad, the man clawed at the hands wrapped around his neck.
“The one choking you to death right now is your own esper. So what now? Still want to save her? Or should I let her finish you off?”
“Irina—! Kh, Irina Sheril! This is your doing, isn’t it, you crazy—!”
“Shut up! What am I lacking compared to her?!”
Thud!!
Irina, unable to contain her fury, kicked the woman straddling the man with a vicious force.
The woman screamed and was flung off, rolling across the debris-strewn floor before she tried to push herself up.
But Irina Sheril stomped down on her head, grinding it mercilessly into the floor.
“No, Lily! Get a hold of yourself! Irina Sheril, stop this madness!”
“Why should I? Even now, is she still that important to you? She tried to kill you!”
“It’s because of your ability! She’s my Esper, please, just stop!”
“Your Esper was me!”
Crack!
“Aagh!!”
Irina grabbed the woman’s pinned arm and wrenched it until a sickening crunch echoed through the room, bones shattering.
The chaos around them surged in panic, but somehow, to the man’s ears, that sound rang out clearer than anything else.
“Irina Sheril!!”
A voice, filled with rage, lashed out at her.
But Irina Sheril only felt that voice fuel her fury even more.
Her vision blurred momentarily from the rising nausea, but she forced her eyes open wide, looked down at the woman beneath her feet, and gave her another cold, heartless kick.
“Do you really want this woman to die?”
“Is this because I’m not your Guide anymore? Is that it?!”
“You shouldn’t have thrown me away like that. You knew how much I loved you!”
* * *
