My ragged breathing was no more than an attempt to distract myself even a little from the pain in my chest.
—But... the pain simply refused to vanish from my breast...
On the contrary, El's expression of a moment ago recurred to my mind as I was doing that, and a pain ran through my breast that made me want to claw it out.
Why in the world would he do such a horrible thing to me...?
Why, when he would get close to Lady Mercè like that, wouldn't he do the same for me?
Such jealousy boiled up in me.
—...Aah... That's must be it...
The reason El had said such things to me must have been that I wasn't "hero"-like.
Surely it was because he hadn't wanted to acknowledge a jealous woman like me as his "childhood friend."
I was certain he would do so proudly if... if I were a finer "hero."
So, in order that El might acknowledge me, too...
I had to make more of an effort.
If I didn't get closer to being a "Hero" everyone would make their ideal... I...—
—And then I woke up.
"...Hu... h...?"
What met my eyes the moment I awakened was a gloomy, cavern-like space.
It was dimly illuminated, despite the absence of any conspicuous light source.
When I looked around at my surroundings, I saw that the place was dome-shaped, and that its purple walls had been made as if to inscribe a circle with me at its center.
I wasn't sure what they were made of, but I felt no sense of oppression in that space, which was the size of an ordinary living room.
—And... at its center, my limbs were bound by.....
Purple tentacles which extended from the walls were restraining my arms as if to lift me up.
As a test, I tried putting all my strength into my arms, but the tentacles showed no sign of tearing.
I could barely feel the touch of the hazy tentacles.
They eluded my strength, which could have shredded them easily had they been made of steel, and rendered it ineffective.
Next I tried using magic on the unexpectedly skilful tentacles, but I couldn't invoke any.
I didn't understand how it had been done, but it was probably best to assume that my magic too had been rendered innefectual.
—...I've confirmed my situation. ...So, the next question is... how I ended up like this... but...
With my sluggish mind, just awakened from a dream, I quietly reeled in the thread of memory.
I knew I'd heard that a powerful monster had appeared in Lescatié... and received orders to suppress it.
The monster had already destroyed several units, and I judged that a group battle against it, in which I would be unable to move as I pleased, would be dangerous.
I had left my subordinates behind and come to the forest on the outskirts of the city... and then...
—Oh... that's right... I...
A succubus with unusual white wings.
Into that succubus, who loitered, her body illuminated by the moonlight, just as if she were the ruler of the world, I'd poured all the strength and skill that I possessed.
And yet... the result had been a crushing failure.
Without any of my strength or skill even reaching the succubus...
I lost miserably.
—I had been praised as "the strongest"... Was this all I could do...?
Of course, it wasn't as if I thought I had enough real strength to merit such praise, but it was still true that, to the people who called me that, I was a symbol of hope.
So, if I... were to lose this easily... a mere apology wouldn't suffice.
—And... for him, too...
Just the thought of that was enough to send a sharp pain running through my chest.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed since I had lost consciousness, but if the report of my defeat had reached El, then surely he would be worrying for me.
For his sake, too, I had to escape from this place quickly.
"Oh my, you've woken up?"
"!!"
—My body stiffened reflexively in response to the voice which became abruptly audible from behind me.
That voice had a sweet charm to it that brought a shiver even to me, who was of the same sex as its owner.
I had heard that voice, which seemed almost to boast of its womanhood, more than a few times in the midst of the battle.
That frighteningly powerful succubus was most likely behind me.
So thinking, I tried to turn to look at her, but my restraints prevented me.
I strained with all of my might just to bend my neck and direct my gaze behind me.
—And as if to reward my gaze, the succubus slowly began to move...
There was something suggestive about her whiteness, which stood out in this gloomy space.
It was probably the considerable exposure of the glossy, porcelain-like skin that made me think so.
The black bondage suit, which looked almost as if someone had pared down the surface area of a bathing suit to the utter limit, appeared lewder than mere nudity.
—And beneath that was...
Hard-looking black leg guards shone over tights of the same purple as the tentacles.
In their centers were embedded red jewels almost like condensed blood.
They were sinister things at first glance, but the voluptuous thighs and long, slender legs concealed beneath them hardly gave the same impression.
She wore similar shoulder pads and gauntlets on her arms as well, but I sensed that they were all decorative things, intended to make the succubus' beauty stand out.
—Aaahhh..... Actually... That succubi truly are very beautiful...