Requiem of the Villainess

Chapter Seven: Prey for the Devil

Chapter Seven: Prey for the Devil

Subject 714 has displayed tremendous progress since the start of the game. It is apparent that she has forgotten all sense of her original self and has immersed herself in character. That feat alone has proven that our trials are making headway, to disconnect the subject from their real-world selves and plunge them fully into the flesh of the character.

Subject 714 has turned out to be far more cunning than initially anticipated. Her in-character morals have become warped in a way that deviates from the original plot, but has not split from it entirely. Her actions during the reverse playthrough have shown her sharp wit and vicious personality, unwilling to give up on her goals. At the current point of the game, this is her life, this is all she has ever known, so she will resort to any means necessary for survival. This is a remarkable development, as no other subject so far has displayed the same attributes. Perhaps it is a result of Subject 714's desire to become disconnected from reality, her wish to leave the old world behind and restart her life in a new realm. The intrinsic craving to cut ties with the real world may be what has allowed her to root herself so deeply into character.

However, Subject 714's vital signs are growing unstable. It is unknown if this is a result of her physical condition, her actions in the game, or both. If her condition worsens, it is possible she may break from character. We must monitor Subject 714 for as long as we can, because we may not be able to observe her much longer.

-Excerpt from an Azoth Robotics scientific report

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The thunderous clatter of hooves roared down the dirt road as we bolted back to my summer estate on horseback, the beasts galloping ahead at full speed. A cloud of dust kicked up behind us, leaving a sandy storm in our wake.

I ducked my head beneath the mane of my steed as the wind tore through my hair and pelted my face like invisible pebbles. Ryuji and Morrigan rode beside me, the latter rather ironic to see mounted on a horse, considering he was partly one himself. Prince Vlad seemingly disappeared once we started running back toward home, but at the present moment I could have cared less about the vampire's whereabouts. I had no time for clingy princes right now.

A flood of panicked thoughts surged through my mind, every horrible scenario that could possibly occur. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Something was very wrong, I could feel it twisting in my guts. After what had happened with Asmodeus, I feared what I would arrive home to...and I feared what would happen to my body. Asmodeus rooted himself deeper and deeper within me, to the point where we were becoming nearly indistinguishable. Being moved around like a puppet on strings, while the demon's voice left my lips, speaking words that were not my own...it was a helpless, terrifying feeling. But during the ride back to the estate, he remained unusually silent.

As the roaring wind whipped at me, the stinging scent of smoke flooded my nostrils. Gazing up to the sky revealed that the heavens were smothered by a thick cloud of black smoke, snuffing out the light of every star in the sky.

My heart raced even faster. I slapped the reins, urging my steed to move ever swifter as he let out a whinny. We were almost there...but when we reached the top of the hill, we halted in our tracks. The haze of smoke was overpowering, causing us to hack and cough. Every breath filled my lungs with the taste of charred death.

Beyond the black plumes, there stood an army of men from the church, some on horseback, some on foot with their weapons at the ready. And my childhood summer estate, the place I spent warm, sunny days hosting lavish tea parties and cantering my horses on its grounds...it was being devoured by raging flames. The light of the fire made the night look like lurid, hellish day. Orange tongues of flame lapped at the walls of the manor, peeling up the siding and charring the frame beneath. Billowing clouds of noxious smoke poured into the atmosphere, poisoning the cool nighttime air.