Author Note: Trigger warning, strong emotions.
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After Yasenia asked, they all began arguing with each other, pushing the pill onto others.
One of the men said. "We should save them if we want to leave here!"
One woman sneered. "Then, eat the pill yourself."
That man answered. "How could I eat it? It was me who organized this!"
"Ha! You are just a hypocrite."
Another woman muttered. "Isn't it better if the lovers eat the pills? Only they have to die!"
Yasenia's eyes flashed, and she looked at those two men. One of them stuttered. "Ha? Our relationship was never that close either way. She was interesting because she didn't look dead!"
Disdain flashed in the dragoness eyes, and she looked at the two fans. She saw how one of them became pale and metaphorically saw her heart breaking in real-time.
The other man was much worse. Nervous because he didn't want to die, he stuttered. "S-She was more beautiful and naïve, so I just used her until now! Moreover, I only followed her because doing it with her felt really good."
Yasenia's disdain turned to disgust, and saw how the other clutched her heart and coughed blood.
Another woman looked at Yasenia sideways and said. "H-How about we allow Master to choose ten? T-That way, we can leave life and death to her."
One of the men turned and shouted, indignant. "Leave it to a beast human!? That's impossible! They are evil and will only bring us a sure demise. Moreover, she is a soul-sucking monster. Have you seen her appearance? Only demons of legends have that beauty, and they use it to trap men."
Another woman who also saw Yasenia's cold eyes shouted. "Y-You, all you men should die! It is all your fault! Why did you think of escaping such a wonderful master? Men are all evil!"
Yasenia's eyes changed from cold to emotionless. 'Trash. All of them are complete trash. No wonder they got swayed.'
One man was giving the back to Yasenia, so he said something that made the S.L.U.T. members almost slash him in his place. "What are you saying? We men are superior because we can impregnate many women! Can many women give birth to many children at once?"
That woman shut up, seemingly agreeing. "E-Even then…!
"Shut up."
Yasenia stopped it there. These people had lived lives as slaves, and their values were too skewed. 'What the woman said was bad, the man's answer was worse, and the woman's acceptance was as bad. I suppose that living entire lives as basically cattle can twist values to this extent.'
The twenty natives stopped speaking at Yasenia's voice's coercion.
Then, not giving them another look, the dragoness looked at the two former fans and asked. "See? They were really not worth it. Complete trash that doesn't deserve to live. Even for feeding beasts, they would be bad and might cause indigestion."
Their tears fell, and they looked at Yasenia, rushing toward her with stumbling steps as they pleaded and cried. "Please, give us one more chance, Yasenia. We swear not to betray you again."
"W-We were foolish. Please, please. Forgive us!"
Yasenia sighed, opened her arms, and hugged them both. A tiny flame of hope rekindled in their hearts. However, Yasenia's words extinguished it quickly. "I really don't have the leisure to forgive. Go and bid farewell to your close sisters. I'll wait."
Their bodies felt cold as Yasenia's face didn't change expression while sentencing them to death.
They quickly left her embrace, and one of them turned toward their close friends. Her voice was filled with sobs and becoming louder and more crazed by the second. "H-Help me convince her, please! PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
The other pleaded to Esther, her voice as desperate as the other. "S-She might listen to you, please. PLEASE! PLEASE, I WAS DECEIVED! THAT BASTARD DECEIVED ME!"
They both cried harder and asked their friends to ask Yasenia for forgiveness.
However, unlike those two, the rest of the S.L.U.T.s were highly loyal to Yasenia, and their hearts already went cold when they wanted to go against her.
Even the recently saved ones who had gone through much more hell than those two felt nothing for their pleas.
Their gratefulness for just being able to save them was already over the roof, not to mention their devotion toward her.
One former friend sighed and pushed the woman who threw herself on her. "At least she is merciful, and you'll probably go without feeling anything. Just… Accept your fate. This time, your mistake is too much."
The two women cried so hard that they became short of breath, pleading with heartbreaking cries.
The natives were not scared because of this, as they had seen this scene many times.
Honestly, this scene was more normal for a few of them than the paradise-like existence they've been having these last months. Many didn't even know that they could be treated as something more than objects, so their devotion toward Yasenia was even more profound than a few Sky Continent people who were saved, reaching something similar to religious belief.
It was not something healthy, per se. But after living in an existence similar to hell and being presented with everyday lives, treating Yasenia as their Goddess was not strange.
A few of the natives were even thinking that the natives that joined in this thing were brainwashed or something.
Meanwhile, Yasenia looked on with complicated eyes. 'To think that what I experienced in the trial would also happen here…'
Because of that experience, she knew that she couldn't be lenient with punishment in essential matters like this one.
Being soft today will make ideas sprout in the minds of every human woman. Things like:
'Oh, if I plead hard enough, I will be forgiven.'
Or.
'Oh, so her rules are not that absolute. You can be forgiven.'
Or.
'Oh, so I can escape punishment if I'm close enough to Yasenia.'
Therefore, no matter what, punishment was something that had to be done, even when the people were from the Sky Continent.
Yasenia used her aura to lock in position the natives that did wrong and manipulated her energy to shoot the pills into their mouths.
The twenty people's eyes widened, not knowing what happened.
However, before they could even try to cough it or something, the effect of the pill appeared.
It was swift.
They all became sluggish, yawned, and then fell asleep. Then, they slowly stopped breathing and died painlessly.
In twenty seconds, those twenty were gone.
The two S.L.U.T. members that betrayed Yasenia saw it and they stopped their screaming, looking at the twenty corpses with desperation.
"Come here." Yasenia gestured to the two slut members to come. Her voice was soft.
They tremblingly approached, tears still flowing.
Yasenia hugged them both and made them sit on her lap. "Close your eyes and relax."
One of them hugged Yasenia firmly and sobbed. "P-Please, Yasenia... Sob, we really won't do it again…"
The whimpered. "W-We were confused! I really didn't want to hurt you… I-I just wanted to save them, I-."
Yasenia shook her head and kissed their foreheads. Her voice was soft like nature, and her hands slowly caressed their backs. "I really can't forgive you. I know the intentions weren't to damage me, but we must be disciplined. Not all people committing atrocities do it because they want to do evil. But that doesn't change the fact that they are not correct and must be punished. I can't be soft-hearted, or a weak link will be created."
The two of them stopped sobbing, but they were still crying. They knew that their lives were truly over.
One of them looked at Yasenia and said with a bit of a strangled voice because of her desperation. "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Yasenia shook her head and cupped her face, placing her forehead against hers. "It is mainly my fault. I was not decisive about not accepting people besides women, and this happened. It's my fault, Zaria."
The woman, Zaria, cried even more and buried her face in Yasenia's neck.
Yasenia gently pushed the other woman and also placed her forehead with hers. "I can't imagine how you must be feeling. But I'll always remember both of you, I promise, Velvet."
Velvet, the other woman, also burst into tears and buried her face in the other side of Yasenia's neck.
"Open your mouths, Velvet, Zaria."
They both opened them, and the black pill entered their mouths. They felt the medicine, or better said, poison, and they felt an instantaneous sleepiness hitting them. Their thoughts also became a bit sluggish.
Zaria thought as she snuggled closer to Yasenia. 'After crying so much… I'm a bit sleepy. W-Why was I crying again? Hm? Why am I in Yasenia's arms? Well, whatever. It is very comfy. I will do that thing Esther told me after I wake up.'
Velvet thought as she smelled Yasenia's sweet floral scent. 'So tired… Crying is really draining. Hm? I was crying? Why? Well, whatever. Sleeping in Yasenia's arms is quite nice after crying a lot. I will work hard when I wake up.'
After Yasenia fed them the two pills, she cradled them and hummed a soft lullaby.
They quickly fell asleep, and Yasenia felt closely how life left their bodies.
The feeling of the vitality of them slowly escaping was a consequence of her mistakes.
She could fault many, but Yasenia knew that although others had a hand in this, she must not flee from her responsibility.
She was not a perfect being and could avoid mistakes. But the critical part was working on those mistakes once they happened so they didn't occur again.
The temperature of the two bodies in her arms slowly cooled down, and the lively energy running across their meridians stilled.
The activity of the bodies slowly faded as Yasenia tightened the arms around them. 'I must feel their parting closely to remember about my mistakes. To remember what are the consequences of not adhering to plans. However, I must not allow this to consume my thoughts and make me inflexible.'
The woman around didn't speak, looking at Yasenia's calm face and golden eyes looking at one point.
There were not a few who were secretly crying. The scene was harrowingly beautiful.
Esther approached and spoke softly. "Yasenia, they are already…"
Yasenia nodded and spoke calmly. "I know. Leave me alone with them for a while longer. You can all leave this room and continue with work."
Esther nodded and guided the girls outside. When she was about to leave, she heard Yasenia calling her.
"Esther."
"Yes, Yasenia?"
"Don't accept males until I say otherwise. Also, begin screening females as well if they are natives. When there are exceptions, communicate with me. I'll make the decision on them."
Esther bowed. "As you wish."
Yasenia stayed in that room for about an hour, sitting on the chair with two corpses in her embrace.
She thought about many things, about responsibilities, about the weight she truly carried.
Her feelings crystallized in something. One of the auras inside of herself made a breakthrough and reached the next level.
The Monarch Intent became Monarch Intent level two.
Yasenia didn't care about it. She wasn't happy. She wasn't sad.
She felt… a bit empty.
After feeling the warm bodies in her arms go cold, Yasenia stood up and buried them in the Spirt Plant Garden.
Yasenia wanted their bodies to nourish new life, and for the new life they created to help those they considered close in the group.
While silently looking at the two mounds of dirt, she felt a pair of arms and wings going around her.
The silver plumage made it clear who it was.
Yasenia smiled. "Sweetheart, I thought you were in the training ground."
Cecile pressed her forehead on Yasenia's back and spoke softly. "I was. I couldn't leave you alone here."
Yasenia smiled and laughed a bit. "I'm used to it, seeing close people go… I saw plenty on the trial."
Cecile circled around her big girl and hugged her from the front. "I know, my love. But they weren't real, and you knew it deep inside, allowing you to control your emotions better."
Yasenia's smile faltered a bit, and then she sighed, hugging Cecile's waist and burying her face in her lover's platinum-blonde hair.
Yasenia muttered. "It felt so real, Cecile."
Cecile kissed her clavicle and nodded. "Yes."
Yasenia continued. "You know… Sometimes, I still wonder if I'm still in there. I wonder if this is still part of the test. If this moment right now is still part of the trial."
Cecile separated a bit and looked at Yasenia.
Yasenia used one hand to touch her cheek. "Your presence is usually the most telling, the thing that anchors me to reality. However, even then, some doubts grow. What if the feeling is that you are close but outside the trial?"
Cecile wound her arms around Yasenia's neck and tip-toed to kiss her lips, silently listening.
Yasenia sighed. "But… It's impossible. The death of these two allowed me to realize. The feeling of their bodies cooling down and their life ending right between my arms. It was too different. I don't think any formation can capture this feeling."
Cecile's wings closed further, cocooning her dear dragoness, and leaned in her arms again.
They didn't move for a few minutes.
After that, Yasenia kissed her ear and bit it playfully, making Cecile giggle. "Let's go, sweetheart."
"Yes."
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Angel: Sniff… Such a pretty and sad chapter.
Yasenia: Is this… correct?
Tatyana: Some might agree, some might not. The real question is, do you regret it?
Yasenia: Regret? No… I don't. I think my decisions were correct. However, I wasn't skillful enough to carry them. If I placed stricter rules, maybe I could've avoided this…
Tatyana: Well, maybe. That's what you must think. What can you do in the future? Don't dwell too much in this, little treasure.
Author: Are you prepared, Yasenia?
Yasenia: Yes. Don't worry.
Author: Good! I summon you!
dezwon quinn: Hello!
Andrea: Hello. You are new! Welcome to the Celestial Theater~.
dezwon quinn: Thank you, Andrea!
Tatyana: Well, who do you want to ask?
dezwon quinn: Hehe, everyone!
Author: Well, go ahead.
dezwon quinn: What skill or trait do you have that you feel people underestimate the most?
Author: Who wants to go first?
Evelyn: Me!
Evelyn: Ahem, the trait that people underestimate the most is-
Yasenia: Answer seriously, dear.
Evelyn: … Tsk. Okay. Well, I think that people underestimate my defense a lot. My lightning armor and treasures are quite durable and can take quite a bit of abuse. I might not be at Yasenia's or Andrea's level, but I'm not that far.
Yasenia: Even while answering normally, you could sneak in something.
Evelyn: Hehehe.
Yasenia: In my case, I think that my overall strength. People know that I'm very strong, but they underestimate how truly strong I am.
Andrea: Hm… The temperatures I can create. Fighting near me if you don't have fire, magma, or sun affinities is very hard.
Kali: In my case, the poisonous nature of my creatures. It always takes people by surprise, I wonder why.
Andrea: Well, your temperament is gentle and soft…
Kali: I mean… Not all poison masters need to act as if they are crazy or something, right?
Tayana: You are an exception, Kali. I can confirm.
Kali: Oh…
Angel: In my case… I don't know what to choose… *Pouts* People always underestimate me!
Yasenia: *Glomps her in a hug* Oh, baby. I know you are the strongestestest and most beautiful and cute and adorable and clever person in the world.
Angel: Hehehe~. I love you!
Cecile: People underestimate my close combat capacities. They think that if they close the distance they can win.
Tatyana: Hm… people underestimate how crazy I can be.
The rest: …
Author: Well, that's all.
dezwon quinn: I see. Thanks!
Author: No problem~. Goodbye, little lurkers!