Chapter 187: Let It Happen…

Valerius stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Here’s the truth, Kanzaki-kun. It doesn’t matter if she’s in your harem or not. What matters is that she’s a piece on the board. A talented, influential, beautiful piece. And if I take her, I don’t just gain her. I gain leverage over you.”

“You don’t have leverage over me.”

“Don’t I?” Valerius’s smile turned cruel. “Let’s say you walk away tonight. Let’s say you let her fall completely under my influence. Do you know happens next?

Akira didn’t respond.

“I’ll tell you. She becomes my spokesperson. My protégé. She uses her reputation and her influence to legitimize everything I do. And when the SPIU comes for you, when the Silver Hand closes in, when your little harem starts falling apart… who do you think they’ll believe?”

Akira tightened his fist, trying to hold himself back.

“The Ice Queen of Kawakami High, vouching for the generous philanthropist Valerius Ashford? Or the delinquent turned athlete with a suspicious pattern of supernatural incidents following him around?”

No response from Akira.

“She doesn’t have to be yours for me to use her against you,” Valerius said. “In fact, it’s better this way. You’ll watch her defend me. You’ll watch her tear down anyone who questions me. And you’ll know it’s because you failed to stop me.”

He leaned in. “So here’s the real deal, Kanzaki-kun. Join me willingly, and I’ll leave everyone alone. Your harem. Your friends. Even Sakura. Or refuse, and I take everything. Not just her. Everyone you care about. One by one. Starting with the weakest.”

He pulled back, his pleasant mask sliding back into place. “Your move.”

Akira grabbed his arm, holding him back before he pulled away completely. Then in a cold voice, he replied, “Fuck your deal.” Then let him go.

Valerius burst into a genuine laugh. “I was hoping you’d say that. This will be so much more entertaining.” He straightened his jacket. “See you at the Domain Battle. Three days from now.”

He started walking back toward the private room, then paused. “Oh, and the SPIU trap tonight? That was my gift to you. Your teacher and your little succubus are probably hiding in a warehouse right now, surrounded by exorcists.”

He smiled. “Good luck.”

—

Akira returned to the table, his mind racing.

Sakura looked up. “Is everything okay?”

“We need to leave. Now.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he’s dangerous.”

Sakura’s expression hardened. “You’re being paranoid, Akira. He’s been nothing but generous.”

“Sakura…”

“No.” She stood, crossing her arms. “I’m staying. I’m not going to let your jealousy ruin this opportunity for me.”

“This isn’t about jealousy…”

“Then what is it about?” Her voice was sharp. “Because from where I’m sitting, you’re acting like a child.”

Akira stared at her. The corruption was already working. She couldn’t see it, but she was defending Valerius without even realizing why.

He looked at Valerius, who was watching with that same calm, predatory smile.

Akira turned and walked out.

Outside, the cold night air hit him like a slap. He pulled out his phone and checked if there was any text from Satomi or Ayaka… none.

Quick check with the system.

—

[SAKURA CORRUPTION PROGRESS: 75%]

[TIME REMAINING: 45 MINUTES]

[WARNING: RESCUE WINDOW CLOSING RAPIDLY]

—

Akira stared at the notification with a tight jaw. He had less than an hour if he was to save her.

Just then, a new text appeared, overlaying the first.

—

[URGENT: SAVE SAKURA HANAMURA]

[OPTION A: FORCED INTERVENTION]Break back into the restaurant. Use Aura of Dominance to neutralize Valerius’s influence temporarily. Extract Sakura by force.Rewards: Sakura route unlocked immediately, +2,000 PP, Valerius declares war openly Risks: Public scene, SPIU attention, Sakura may resist and see you as the villain

[OPTION B: DIPLOMATIC EXTRACTION]Return to the table. Convince Sakura through logic and evidence that Valerius is dangerous. Appeal to her rational mind.Rewards: Sakura’s trust increases, +1,500 PP, corruption halted at 80% Risks: High chance of failure due to corruption affecting her judgment, time-intensive

[OPTION C: LET IT HAPPEN]Allow corruption to complete. Defeat Valerius in Domain Battle. Reclaim Sakura as spoils of war.Rewards: +4,000 PP, Corrupted Route unlocked, Ultimate Revenge achievement, complete psychological dominance over Sakura Risks: Permanent corruption side effects, party morale penalty, Sakura suffers severe psychological trauma

—

Akira stared at the notification with a tight jaw.

“Darling, you should intervene,” Ai said quietly. “She’s valuable. Student Council President. Perfect reputation. Scholarship offers. She’s influential.”

“Why should I?” Akira’s voice was flat.

“Because she’s…”

“She’s also the bitch who destroyed me in front of the entire school.”

Silence.

“She called me a ’creepy delusional loser,’” Akira continued in a cold voice. “She laughed while everyone filmed my humiliation. She made sure that video went viral.”

The memory flashed through his mind without restriction: the Halloween festival, the moment he’d worked up the courage to confess his feelings.

He remembered Sakura’s expression shifting from surprise to disgust. Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear: “If the day ever comes that I develop emotional feelings for you, or any feeling at all, that’s the day I want God or whatever supreme being is out there to just end my existence.”

The laughter. The cameras. The way she’d turned and walked away without a second glance.

The reason he’d gone to that shrine in the first place.

“Revenge is one thing,” Ai said carefully. “But this is strategy. If Valerius fully corrupts her…”

“Then he has a weakness I can exploit.”

“What?”

Akira’s eyes narrowed. “Think about it. Right now, she’s neutral. Unclaimed. If I save her, she might be grateful, but she’ll still be independent. Still the Ice Queen who thinks she’s above everyone.”

“And if she’s corrupted?”

“Then she becomes his. Part of his harem, his network, his collection.” Akira’s voice was cold. “And when I beat him in the Domain Battle, I take everything he owns.”

“Including her.”

“Including her.” Akira’s fists clenched. “She rejected me when I was weak. Now she’ll beg for me while broken by another man. That’s better revenge than anything I could do to her myself.”

There was a long pause.

“You want her corrupted,” Ai said quietly.

“I want her broken first. By him. Then I want to take her back.” Akira dismissed the notification. “She’ll understand exactly what it feels like to be humiliated. To be owned. To have no control.”

The system chimed.

—

[QUEST DECLINED: SAVE SAKURA HANAMURA]

[ALTERNATE QUEST ACTIVATED: THE LONG GAME]

[OBJECTIVE: Allow Sakura’s corruption to complete]

[OBJECTIVE: Defeat Valerius in Domain Battle within 72 hours]

[OBJECTIVE: Reclaim corrupted Sakura as spoils of war]

[REWARD: +7,000 PP, CORRUPTED ROUTE UNLOCK, ULTIMATE REVENGE ACHIEVEMENT]

[WARNING: This choice will affect party morale]

[WARNING: Sakura will suffer severe psychological trauma]

—

Akira dismissed all notifications and turned away from the restaurant.

Then his phone buzzed… Ayaka.

He answered immediately. “Are you out?”

“Akira, we’re still trapped.” Her voice was strained and breathless. “We need…”

The line cut to static.

Akira’s priorities shifted instantly. Sakura could wait, but his people couldn’t. He broke into a run, ignoring everything else.

—

The industrial area was a maze of concrete and rust. Abandoned factories, shipping containers, and old maintenance buildings stretched out under dim streetlights.

Silver Hand operatives were almost everywhere.

Akira crouched behind a rusted dumpster, scanning the perimeter. At least a dozen exorcists in white robes, holy weapons glowing faintly in the dark. They’d set up barriers at every exit, shimmering walls of purification energy that would burn any demon who tried to cross.

“They’re doing sweeps every fifteen minutes,” Ai said. “Looking for ’The Fragment Bearer.’ That’s you.”

“I know.”

Akira activated Essence Cloak, suppressing his demonic signature to near-zero. The golden glow around him faded completely. Then he activated Phantom Step.

The world blurred.

He blinked past the outer perimeter in three rapid jumps, his body phasing through space faster than the exorcists could track. He reached the maintenance building through a broken second-story window, landing silently inside.

The interior was dark, cold, and the smell of oil and rust was thick in the air.

He found them in a storage room at the back.

Satomi was sitting against the wall, her jacket was torn, and burn marks were visible on her side where a holy weapon had grazed her. Her breathing was shallow, controlled, but her face was pale.

Ayaka was kneeling beside her, hands glowing faintly as she tried to heal the wound. But her essence was nearly depleted. The glow flickered weakly.

Both of them looked up when Akira entered.

“You came,” Satomi said, relief flooding her voice.

“Of course I came.” Akira crouched beside them, assessing the damage. “How bad is it?”

“Holy burn. It’ll heal, but not fast.” Satomi winced as she shifted. “We’ve been hiding here for two hours. They’re doing sweeps every fifteen minutes. We can’t move without being detected.”

“And they’re looking for me.”

“They’re looking for the Fragment Bearer,” Ayaka corrected, clearly exhausted. “Valerius told them you’re carrying a piece of Lilithia. They think if they capture you, they can extract it.”

Akira’s jaw tightened. “He set this up perfectly.”

“He did.” Satomi’s eyes were sharp despite her injury. “The decoy Gate. The SPIU tip. The Silver Hand deployment. He wanted us trapped here while he works on Sakura.”

“I know.”

“Did you save her?” Ayaka asked, looking up at him.

Akira didn’t answer immediately.

“Akira.” Ayaka’s voice hardened. “Did you save her?”

“No.”

Both of them stared at him.

“You let her fall?” Satomi’s voice was carefully neutral.

“I made a choice.” Akira met her eyes. “She’s not my responsibility. And right now, you two are.”

Satomi studied him for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly. “Understood.”

Ayaka looked less convinced. “But if Valerius corrupts her…”

“Then I’ll take her back when I beat him.” Akira’s tone left no room for argument. “Right now, we focus on getting you both out of here alive.”

He stood, moving to the broken window. The exorcists were doing another sweep, their flashlights cutting through the dark.

“They’re too organized,” Akira said quietly. “We can’t fight our way out. Not with Satomi injured and your essence depleted.”

“So what’s the plan?” Ayaka asked.

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