Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen, Vol. 2

by Keishi Ayasato

  Vlad readily acknowledged that fact. His eyes half-closed, he spoke as if waxing nostalgic about the past.

  “Fiore and I were friends even before we made our demonic contracts. We would liven up balls together and transfix men and women alike. While we were quite close, however, our ideologies were at stark odds. I focused my efforts on what would come after we had taken control—prioritizing my bonds with my comrades, preparing a successor, and readying my army, although that army was annihilated after Elisabeth and I had our falling-out and I was captured—whereas Fiore paid no heed to such things and instead held the individual, that is to say herself, in sole regard.”

  “Yeah, I can believe that.”

  “She rejected my principles and refused to aid in rescuing me from the Church, but at least she took our long years of friendship into account and refrained from taking any selfish actions. But with my death, no doubt she’s stopped holding herself back. Any lower-ranked demon whose brain she sticks her needles into will become her puppet.”

  Kaito narrowed his eyes. A brain-shaped needle had been stuck in the back of the Governor’s neck.

  “So that’s what that needle was…”

  “Once the needle’s been placed, pulling it out will accomplish nothing. The only one immune to her needles is the Kaiser. She likely won’t take control of those ranked close to her—the King, the Grand Monarch, and the Monarch—but most of the rest of the demons are probably already her pawns, their hearts free for her to wrench out as she pleases. And faced with her specialty, Sacrifice, even Elisabeth would be at a disadvantage.”

  As far as Kaito knew, the demons held a great deal of attachment to their own lives. Even though they mercilessly slaughtered others, they would balk at the thought of meeting the same fate. That was precisely why none of them had been able to use Sacrifice, as it would have required giving up their own heart. However, the Grand King, Fiore, was able to take advantage of it by using her comrades as scapegoats.

  She could probably only use it as many times as there were demons remaining.

  …Dammit.

  Kaito bit down on his lip. Vlad, taking pleasure in seeing his pained expression, continued.

  “And? Is that all you wished to ask me? As far as Fiore is concerned, that’s the sum total of the useful information there is to know. May I take my leave now? Not that I would mind wiling away time making idle banter, mind you…”

  “I have…one request.”

  “Ah, music to my ears. Ask away.”

  A wicked smile crossed Vlad’s face. Kaito clenched his fist.

  As he was then, Vlad wasn’t contracted with the Kaiser. But even on his own, demonic was a perfectly apt descriptor for him. Vlad Le Fanu was a man who constantly probed at the weaknesses in people’s hearts.

  Knowing just how foolish it was to ask a favor of such a man, Kaito raised his voice.

  “Could you teach me how to use magic?”

  “…Oh?”

  Vlad frowned in surprise and then leaned back in his beast-rib chair and crossed his hands.

  “That wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I had been quite certain that you would ask me how to go about freeing Elisabeth from Sacrifice’s influence.”

  “When Elisabeth wakes up, I’m gonna follow her lead as far as dispelling Sacrifice goes. If I asked you, there’s a fair shot that you’d teach me a method that would end up killing her.”

  “How rude. I would never tell you such a lie.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  “It’s true! How could I bear using your filthy hands to kill my dear Elisabeth? As I no longer have hands to crush her slender throat myself, I wish merely for her to keep living so that she may continue suffering. I wish for her to suffer foolishly, helplessly, and endlessly, until eventually she meets the same fiery end as I.”

  “You’ve got some fucked-up tastes.”

  Vlad ran his tongue across his lips as Kaito derided him and then shrugged lightly.

  “While it feels odd to come out and admit it, people with healthy tastes generally don’t form contracts with demons. Their very existences are wicked and twisted… But in any case, why seek instruction from me? Wouldn’t you be better off simply having Elisabeth teach you?”

  “When we faced off against the Grand King, I was just baggage. I need to get stronger and fast. And one other thing…”

  “One other thing?”

  “I can’t rely on Elisabeth.”

  “Oh?”

  Vlad opened his eyes wide in an abrupt show of glee. Kaito met his crimson gaze.

  Ever since he’d arrived in this world, all his experiences had taught him one thing.

  The Torture Princess was a terrible sinner and a cruel woman. And if the need arose, she could even be merciless to those who’d earned her trust. If Kaito asked, she’d probably have been willing to use her torturous means to train him in the ways of magic. However, she’d probably choose the specifics of her methods herself.

  And while she could be callous toward Kaito, she wasn’t a monster.

  And that means…she probably won’t push me hard enough for me to become truly useful.

  Dark magic was accompanied by pain, and the power of demons demanded it.

  Lastly, Kaito’s body was accustomed to pain.

  When he’d put those three truths together, Kaito had realized the key implication therein.

  And to check if he was right or not, he needed Vlad’s help.

  Vlad was a man who had once trained Marianne, an ordinary tutor—and a woman Kaito himself had killed—into a necromancer. No doubt he would gleefully cast open doors that Elisabeth wouldn’t have dared touch.

  The reason Kaito had hidden Vlad’s soul from Elisabeth was to obtain information and knowledge. It would have been too much of a waste to simply throw away access to the memories of the Kaiser’s contractor. But if not for the current situation, Kaito wouldn’t have had any intention of actually summoning Vlad.

  Rational as he was, though, Kaito could be rash and cruel when it came to matters involving himself. As long as he didn’t fall into madness like Marianne had and all he did was receive education, the only person this decision would affect was him.

  After making that judgment, Kaito continued making his request.

  “I won’t let you do to me what you did to Marianne. But you asked me to become your successor, so you must know some way that I can make full use of myself, some way that Elisabeth doesn’t.”

  “Oh, that I do indeed.”

  A beastly grin crossed Vlad’s face. However, he wiped it away a second later.

  Then he spoke in a calm, gentlemanly tone.

  “I see the makings of one who can surpass Elisabeth in you, after all. You understand pain, and you can regard wounds with a calculating eye. But in spite of that, you act strongly when driven by hatred, and you possess a fastidious side as well. You’re a person with great capacity for malicious growth. However, it seems that you reject the notion of taking from others. That will make it difficult for you to develop, but…you did come out of your way to ask me for help. First of all, there’s one thing you’re suited toward that I can teach you right now.”

  As Vlad spoke gently, he opened both his hands. He was clearly plotting something.

  Even though he realized that, Kaito nodded. The disparaging remark the Grand King had thrust at him still rang in his ears.

  “And as for you, lover boy, do try to get a bit stronger.”

  She was totally right. I need to become stronger—I need to prepare for the worst, going forward. At this rate, I’m going to lose all the things that I worked so hard to obtain.

  Kaito thought back to all the sadistic things the Grand King had done and said. She clearly numbered among those who took things from others. Even compared to the other demons, whose very lives she took advantage of, Fiore was in a league of her own.

  At the rate things were going, Kaito was going to remain a member of the oppressed and have
everything taken from him.

  That was something he refused to let happen. But in order to surpass the trials before him, the only chip Kaito had to gamble with was himself. He slid it forward; however, he didn’t take his hand off the chip just yet.

  Sensing his caution, Vlad continued talking in his coaxing voice.

  “The fact you were able to summon me means that you learned how to activate magical devices, correct? The next lesson is the practical test. Carve a deep wound in your flesh and then, using the pain as your anchor, gather the mana flowing through your blood. Once you’ve gotten used to gathering it, try to merge its heat and your pain within your body. Then, when you can clearly feel the mana atop your palm, use your voice to set it off. That should allow you to give it form.”

  Kaito looked down at his bloody palm, which still clasped the stone. After passing the stone to his other hand, he began gathering mana around the pain of his wound. The wound gradually grew hot.

  As he felt the heat and the pain mix together, it reminded him of the injuries he’d grown so used to in life, and he felt a faint weight atop his hand. However, it still didn’t have a form.

  Kaito envisioned the closest thing he could to the heat—fire.

  “—La (become).”

  As he whispered, a golden flame rose into the air. It quickly vanished, but Vlad clapped his hands.

  “Brilliant. For a beginner such as yourself, it’s quite rare to become so proficient with pain so quickly! Unfortunately, though, the magic that technique will allow you to use is limited. Generally, turning the pain of others directly into mana is by far the most efficient method. To that end, you’d need to consume the flesh of a demon…”

  At that point, Vlad licked his lips again. Then he whispered, his voice dripping with the cloying sweetness of honey.

  “…or summon a demon yourself.”

  “Master Kaitooooo! Where are youuuuu?!”

  Suddenly, Hina’s voice rang out. As it did, Vlad’s body began crumbling. Apparently, he planned to beat a retreat of his own volition before they could be discovered. How gracious of him.

  From the tips of his toes, his body transformed into black feathers and azure flower petals. The phantasmal petals and feathers swirled as they were sucked back into the stone.

  “Master Kaitoooo!”

  Kaito could just make out Hina’s voice from a distance. Before long, she’d end up making her way into the underground corridors in her search. Kaito was at a loss for what to do.

  It’d probably be better for me to go out on my own. But I don’t think there’s any way I’m going to be able to hide this wound on my hand.

  After pondering his options for a moment, he shoved the bare stone into his pocket and set the fruit knife on the floor. Then he roughly wrapped the handkerchief around his hand and tied it off tightly with his teeth.

  “Master Kaitooo, where are youuuu?!”

  “I’m coming!”

  After surveying the room one last time, as if looking for Vlad, Kaito took off at a dash.

  Behind him, all that was left was a fresh bloodstain.

  “Master Kaito, thank goodness, I was so worr— What happened to your haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand?!”

  “Huh? What?”

  Even though he’d wrapped it up with the handkerchief and hidden it behind his back, there had been no hiding his injury from Hina’s sharp eyes. Right after they’d found each other in the first-story hallway, she’d let out a scream, circled around Kaito, and grabbed his hand.

  The handkerchief wrapped around it was already stained red, and blood was dripping off it.

  Wondering what excuse to give, Kaito unconsciously looked up at the ceiling. But Hina didn’t ask.

  …What? She’s…not going to ask how I got hurt?

  Hina stared silently at the blood-soaked handkerchief. Then, as Kaito was thinking, a torrent of tears came pouring from the corners of her emerald-green gemstone eyes.

  “Wh—? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Hina, why are you crying?”

  “Lady Elisabeth is wounded, and while I wasn’t watching, my beloved Master Kaito has been injured as well… My artificial tears won’t stop coming… My pardons, my sincerest pardons. Even though you instructed as such, this happened because I wasn’t able to be with you… Even though I am your lover and your shield, I—”

  “No, no, this isn’t your fault! I mean, hey, my hand just slipped when I was cleaning up the knives… Even if you’d been there for me, I was just being clumsy, so please don’t apologize! I’m the one at fault here!”

  “No, Master Kaito, that isn’t the case. If I’d been there, I would have immediately taken your hand in mine and stopped the bleeding and then snapped that violent bastard of a knife in two… Wahhhh!”

  “Hina, the knife didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Kaito was lost as to how to convince Hina not to assign blame to inanimate objects. While he thought, Hina stroked his hand over and over while being careful to avoid his wound.

  Her tender, sorrowful gesture filled Kaito with guilt. As he was about to open his mouth to speak, Hina’s expression suddenly changed.

  “That’s right! I mustn’t just stay here like this! We have to treat your hand! All the medical equipment is in Elisabeth’s room, so we should head—that’s right! Before that, there’s something I must tell you!”

  “Something you have to tell me?”

  “Lady Elisabeth has opened her eyes!”

  The instant he heard her say that, Kaito took off at a run.

  “Oh, Master Kaito! Please wait for me!”

  As he ran, ignoring the voice calling out for him to stop, he passed through a hallway decorated with imposing stone statues as he pulled ahead of Hina. He dug his feet into the ground atop the unpleasant designs cast by the stained-glass clerestory windows as he rounded a corner.

  He continued dashing straight down the hallway and then vigorously cast open the door to the bedroom.

  “Elisabeth, are you okay?!”

  “…Hmm?”

  Elisabeth was sitting on the bed, stark naked.

  Their gazes met, then parted. After an awkward silence, the two clumsily voiced their confusion.

  “……Huh?”

  “……Hmm?”

  Kaito looked once more at the scene before him, unsure of what to say. Elisabeth’s pale limbs, each like a piece of art without a single wasted stroke, were adorned with captivating crimson runes. Her slender, crossed legs cast a precarious shadow between them, her waist was so thin it seemed to invite an embrace, and the curves of her breasts were shapely.

  After looking over Elisabeth’s tender, beautiful body from top to bottom, Kaito opened his mouth and spoke mechanically.

  “I’m very sorry.”

  “I’ll have your head.”

  Kaito slammed the door shut with all his might. As he wiped away his cold sweat, he took a deep breath. Hina, who’d been chasing after him, stared him straight in the eyes and lifted a hand.

  She then loudly slapped Kaito across the forehead.

  “Ow.”

  “You mustn’t enter a lady’s bedroom without so much as calling out first, Master Kaito. Bad boy, sir.”

  “Yeah, that…that was my bad.”

  “Please wait here for a moment. Lady Elisabeth, pardon me, I’m coming in.”

  Hina opened the door a hair and then slid inside. When she came out, she was holding medicine and bandages.

  She lathered a magical dark-green poultice—apparently of Elisabeth’s make—on Kaito’s wound and then wrapped it in a bandage. Although it worked more slowly than a healing spell, it was supposed to close up wounds without the need for stitches.

  At about the time Hina was finishing up Kaito’s treatment, a voice called out from inside the room.

  “’Tis fine now; my analysis is finished. Enter.”

  “As soon as I open the door, are you going to torture me?”

  “Ha. Any other day, I’d sit you atop the Ducking Stool,
but at the moment I haven’t the mana to spare. Be grateful for my poor condition.”

  “Man, I’m not gonna be glad about something like that. I’d rather just get dunked underwater.”

  “…True, I misspoke. If a demon came to attack, we would find ourselves in quite the pinch. ’Tis a nasty situation.”

  As he listened to her quiet voice, Kaito opened the door.

  Just like before, Elisabeth was sitting atop the bed. However, she was no longer naked, instead wearing her usual bondage dress. The crimson runes were still visible upon the exposed sections of her skin. Elisabeth was in better shape than he’d expected, though, and she was gently tracing the runes on her shoulder with her finger.

  “To put it simply, these runes inhibit the mana running through my body. They act much like blood clots. Because of their obstruction, I cannot use my mana as freely as I’d wish.”

  “They hold it back? Your mana’s not gone?”

  “Indeed, nothing has been taken from me. If such a thing happened, I would cease being able to preserve the roots of demonic flesh running through my body, after all. I slaughtered my people until their corpses piled up, and doing so afforded me just enough power to maintain my body even without constantly harnessing the pain of others. If that was impaired, I’d not last long.”

  Elisabeth raised her arm out in front of her and then grabbed her elbow, her fingers sporting painted black fingernails. The crimson runes pulsated almost like veins.

  “My magical energy is silent, like how water that is too clear can appear as if it is nothing at all. However, as I slept, my blood fought against the runes, and most of my mana flows once more… At the moment, I can summon torture devices, but their power is reduced. It’s really quite annoying.”

  Elisabeth clicked her tongue. As she did, Kaito thought back to what Vlad had just told him. The Grand King could only use Sacrifice as many times as there were demons remaining.

  What exactly would happen if Elisabeth was on the receiving end multiple times over?