Gardenia’s Heart

Dozens of chandeliers illuminated the grand dining hall. Normally, when an event was hosted there, countless people would be dancing across the entire floor.

“Hand over the elf, you vile demi-human.”

But on that day, it wasn’t laughter mingling with the pleasant aroma of food that filled the hall.

It was hatred—raw and unfiltered.

”You really don’t know how to move a lady’s heart when asking for a dance…”

At opposite ends of the hall, the bunny-eared demi-human and the silver-armored demon glared at each other.

That was all it took.

A dagger flew across the room, and a brush of stardust painted the air.

A wall of vivid green ink rose high, the sharp blade embedding itself against it with a deafening impact.

“Devour.”

Selene whispered, and on either side of her, two wolves of crimson ink leapt forth.

Each wild predator stood two meters tall, their hardened bodies shoving aside tables as they charged toward the demon.

“T-That… was magic?” Dizzy and covered in wounds, Zaylin couldn’t help but widen her eyes.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Want to learn more? My school always has openings for enthusiastic students like you! If you work really hard, you could do things like this someday!” The bunny-eared girl, her pink eyes sparkling, began bombarding the elf with eager questions.

However, her sales pitch didn’t last long. Clicking her tongue, Selene tightened her hold on Zaylin, bent her knees, and leapt toward one of the marble pillars of the hall. A second later, the table they had been standing on split clean in half under the strike of a gleaming dagger.

“A wire, then…” Selene muttered, her high heels pressed firmly into the pillar to keep her suspended.

With the dagger still lodged in her ink wall, Selene had wondered how Belladona had retrieved it—but then she saw it: a thin, transparent thread glimmering faintly blue even under the candlelight. Suddenly, it all made sense.

The two crimson wolves were already dissolving on the floor. With a fluid motion, Belladona flicked her wrist, the dagger spinning in a spiral through the air before returning neatly between her fingers.

Selene knew—this woman was different from the riffraff she had brushed aside to get here. For the first time, a demon stood on the battlefield before her.

“Your resistance is pointless,” Belladona declared coldly, her voice dripping with disdain.

The woman seemed to be holding back the urge to vomit, her chin tilted up as if gazing down at something beneath her notice.

“Listen here, brat—I’m trying not to shatter this kid’s illusion that adults can do anything! So shut that mouth of yours before I rip off that horn of yours and shove it up your fat ass!”

Spinning her brush, Selene unleashed a flurry of insults along with powerful bursts of ink, forcing Belladona to leap away.

The bunny-eared girl’s eyes gleamed with a wild fervor, a grin curling on her lips for just a moment—until she noticed the utterly shocked expression on the elf in her arms.

“Sorry, where were we? Ah—yes, about that opening—”

Blinking rapidly to reset her expression, Selene couldn’t finish her sentence, as a loud shout erupted from the ceiling.

“Zaylin! Are you okay!?”

From the hole at the top of the dining hall, a green-haired boy’s head poked through.

Kelios, completely thrown by the sudden change in circumstances, had widened the gap in his search for the girl, even if it meant filling his already bloodied hands with splinters.

“Not ideal, but it’ll do.” Selene sighed, then turned her gaze to Zaylin in her arms. “It’s going to be a rough ride, but hang on until we’re outside, okay?”

“Wha—!? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”

That innocent question was all she managed before screaming uncontrollably.

Spinning her body with a sharp twist, Selene hurled Zaylin upward.

Though the hall’s ceiling was no more than ten meters high, the rush of air was enough to send the elf’s hair whipping wildly in every direction. Zaylin shut her eyes, bracing for the inevitable impact—yet once again, she felt something catch her.

The sleek, four-legged, orange form of the feline matched its incredible speed.

With a girl firmly held by the collar of her shirt between its painted jaws, the cheetah of ink burst through the hole in the ceiling, just in time to avoid a silver dagger.

The moment the elven girl vanished from sight, Belladona narrowed her eyes at the bunny-eared girl smiling before her.

“You get it now, don’t you? If you want to go after those kids, you’ll have to go through me first.”

Leaping from the pillar, Selene landed back on the dining hall floor, her stardust brush twirling between her fingers.

The demon lowered her head, the sound of grinding teeth echoing as her jaw clenched.

“...You.”

“What was that, sweetheart? Couldn’t quite hear you.”

“I’m going to kill you!!”

A deafening crack split the air as Belladona’s foot slammed into the floor.

A wave of wooden debris shot toward Selene at blinding speed.

Without the luxury of even a second to waste, the girl leveled her brush, bursts of black ink colliding with each chunk of wood before she took off running.

The demon gave chase.

Twisting and contorting her body into unorthodox positions, Selene weaved around the woman’s fists—each missed blow sending a shockwave exploding behind her.

There was barely space to breathe; the speed made reacting almost impossible, and if she took a hit unprepared, she risked losing a limb.

But the danger didn’t lie solely in the demon’s fists.

Leaping just high enough for her feet to land atop a nearby table, Selene tipped it vertically—the wooden structure catching the incoming dagger from a blind angle.

“Tsk.”

Clicking her tongue, Belladona yanked her left wrist toward her body. The blue-tinged thread linking her hand to the dagger twisted, dragging the silver blade into another strike—this time bringing the entire table with it.

“Seriously?”

Muttering in disbelief, Selene channeled mana into her left arm, parrying the fist aimed at her heart and locking her arms with the demon’s. The circular wooden table hurtled toward her, ready to crush her like an insect—but before it struck, she smiled.

“Devour.”

From the hand holding her stardust brush, a white rattlesnake of ink slid down the demon’s armor.

In an instant, the viper coiled around her legs and neck, forcing Belladona off balance.

Then came the impact.

Launched through the air, Belladona spun across the hall as the wooden table—missing its intended target—smashed into her.

The crash of her body hitting the wall rippled through the room, the chandeliers above swaying as their lights flickered.

Resting one hand on her hip, Selene gazed at the woman sprawled amid the wreckage.

“Heh… I wonder if the phrase ‘the table is served’ works here… Ugh.” Selene swallowed hard, cutting off her joke.

From within the cloud of dust, crimson eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

The porcelain-like forehead could not hide the deep gash spilling scarlet blood.

The killing intent—so sharp it made every hair on Selene’s body stand on end—exploded alongside an aura that twisted her stomach into knots.

“I’m going to kill you.”

The bunny-eared girl was smart enough to know when she’d pushed someone too far.

Bursting through the dining hall doors, Selene sprinted down the palace corridors as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Crap, this is real.”

Her golden twin-tails bounced wildly as her pink eyes flicked sideways toward her pursuer, a chilling shiver crawling up her spine.

“Seriously—they’re smaller than my rival’s, but they still swing in a freaky way.”

The two large… things swayed provocatively from side to side, forcing the girl to grit her teeth just to keep her focus.

“So you’re a libertine, huh? From the way you’re looking at me, you must be dying to get into my panties.”

Chasing after Selene, Belladona’s voice was sharp, the dagger in her hand reflecting the blood streaming down her face.

“Wait—what?”

Suddenly, Selene leapt high, twisting midair before hitting the ground in a long slide that brought her face-to-face with her pursuer.

Her brows were arched high, her eyes wide open. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out—as if her brain had shut itself down to protect her from the sheer absurdity of what she’d just heard.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who dresses provocatively because you don’t actually understand what’s truly arousing?”

Her expression shifted to something serious—almost solemn. Swinging her arm in front of her as if to push away some ridiculous notion, she locked eyes with the demon so intensely it made Belladona stop in her tracks.

“Listen—this is the problem. Everyone thinks the same way! Not everything is about exposed skin or obvious curves! Sure, the pink outline of a nipple peeking from the edge of a loose shirt or the defined shape of a cameltoe through tight clothing has its unique charm, but if we focus only on that, we’re limiting our possibilities! Honestly, I find it far more exciting when a girl wears dangerously sexy panties under a long, modest skirt than those cheap exhibitionists who strip down even on cold days. Don’t you see how enticing that is? A girl who can keep her composure while wearing the filthiest, most depraved lingerie you can imagine under her everyday clothes—that’s the epitome of eroticism!”

Selene, having said it all in a single breath, puffed out her modest chest with pride. Her expression made it clear she was satisfied with her explanation.

As a lover of romance, Selene could have gone on explaining her philosophy for much longer—but unlike what she expected, there was no reply. Focusing entirely on staring down the demoness, Selene crossed her arms, watching her without a single expression, not moving a muscle.

For a moment, the idea of calling out to her crossed her mind—but then, Selene froze on the spot.

The bunny girl’s ears twitched ever so slightly.

The general structure of the corridor was in much better shape than the other areas. No shattered glass, no fog, no wind entering the space.

That sound…

There was no way she wouldn’t notice it.

Her fingers clutched at her clothes, and without a second’s hesitation, Selene tore off a piece of the crimson fabric from her dress, coated it with ink, and wrapped it around her face like an oversized scarf.

“The problem with gases is… once you smell them, it’s already too late.”

Without the slightest hint of shame—and now with a good part of her stomach exposed—Selene teased in a sultry tone.

“But… poison, is it? I’m surprised you decided to hear me out from start to finish, but that’s a really rude way to get close to someone, you know!?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The woman’s expression was unreadable, but Selene didn’t miss the faint raise of an eyebrow beneath those white bangs.

“I get that some people have more libido than others, but those guys trashing the palace, drooling and popping boners while screaming your name—that didn’t seem normal to me.”

Even with the makeshift mask, her body was heating up. The tips of her fingers tingled as saliva and sweat production ramped up.

“Trying to use aphrodisiacs to make me fall in love with you? How cute~”

There was no warning—just a simple flick of Belladona’s fingers, and a dense yellow cloud exploded from her hands, shooting straight toward Selene.

A black swirl whipped through the air, and a green wall split the corridor in two.

“Chlorine gas?” Selene muttered, forcing her ink wall to shove the yellow cloud back. A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek as her eyes narrowed, trying to analyze what was being released—only for sheer panic to crash through her heart the moment the green ink began to bubble. “Shit—it’s mustard gas!”

She bolted without even thinking of looking back.

This was bad—really bad.

If that touched her skin, something horrifying enough for her mind to refuse to even imagine would happen.

The ink wall began to melt slowly, and from the other side, a laughing voice echoed.

“Now that that elf isn’t around, I have no reason to hold back my magic. You lost your best chance when you sent her away.”

The demoness had a voice as sweet as honey, yet laughed with the rasp of a wicked old crone.

“Is this prickliness part of your romantic style? If so, I really want to stay far away!”

Selene wasn’t stupid enough to face a deadly gas head-on. Kicking down one of the doors, the twin-tailed girl rolled across the floor to avoid the yellow cloud before hurrying down a flight of stairs.

“Damn… and here I thought my mansion was big.”

After reaching the next floor and refusing to count how many doors lined the corridor, the girl barged into what looked like a large kitchen.

Various ingredients littered the floor, squashed vegetables making it slick, so she leapt carefully around the counters.

She needed to buy time to think of a plan—but she couldn’t get too far. If she lost sight of Belladona, the demoness might change targets and go after those she had helped escape.

But the moment her feet touched the ground again, a low yet distinct sound reached her rabbit ears—A frightened whimper.

Lowering her body in panic, she yanked open the wooden cupboard door beneath the sink. Inside—where there should have been utensils and pots—Selene found something she never would have expected.

Crouched and huddled together, three elf maids stared back at her. Their eyes were swollen red from crying, their faces streaked where the thin layers of makeup had long since vanished under tears.

Selene couldn’t help the bewildered look that crossed her face. She hadn’t thought there was anyone left in the palace besides those she had already evacuated. Given the scale of the chaos, she’d imagined everyone had fled into the city to seek shelter. But there were always those too frightened to run, who chose to hide instead.

Carefully, she assessed the situation. She knew they had every reason not to trust her. She wasn’t an elf, her clothes were torn, and a makeshift cloth scarf hid her mouth. She needed to calm them in another way.

“You three… are sisters?”

Selene formed her words as gently as she could.

The three women had notably different builds, but all shared similar facial features. Dark green hair spilled down to varying lengths, and all bore the same frightened violet gaze fixed on her.

“You must be the eldest sister, right?” Selene asked softly, looking to the woman crouched at the left.

When she’d opened the cupboard, this woman had been the only one to move forward rather than shrink away—placing herself between Selene and the others. And among the three, she was the only one with faint marks on her hands. The pillar holding them together—her hands had been clutched so tightly by the others that small wounds had formed in her skin.

“I have an older sister, you know? I can’t exactly say I was the most well-behaved kid… but she stayed with me whenever I got into trouble, and she never left my side, even when I was in danger.”

Her expression softened.

“I never felt alone. Even when darkness came, even when the nightmares closed in, I never felt lost—because she was there with me. She doesn’t even know this, but just the fact that she held my hand a few times… was all I needed to keep going.”

Lowering the cloth from her face and smiling, Selene extended a hand.

“I know you’re scared, but we don’t have much time. It’s dangerous here. I’ll get you out—I just ask that you trust me, please.”

Her open palm lingered there, patiently waiting for an answer.

The elf’s wrist trembled, her hand hovering in the air as her eyes flicked toward the two girls beside her. Fear seemed to whisper in her ears—but then her violet eyes shifted to meet Selene’s.

There was no fake smile, no hidden gleam of ulterior motive. Only safety.

Before she even realized it, her breathing had calmed.

Slowly, she stretched out her still-tense fingers and touched that warm, steady palm.

“Please… take care of my sisters.”

Her voice was rough from long hours without water, muffled but clear. Almost instantly, two more hands joined hers.

Her eyes widened, and she turned her head to the side—only to meet the determined gazes of two girls.

“Save our sister!”

The two spoke in unison, and Selene’s smile only widened.

“Of course.”

Then Selene subtly moved one foot forward to steady her stance…

And tripped.

“Ahhh!”

Her vision went dark for a moment. Falling forward, she didn’t curse the crushed vegetables that had made her slip, nor her luck for smashing her forehead against the base of the cupboard… because something entirely different had consumed every last neuron in her brain.

“…Black.”

At the end of a long silence, only a single word slipped out of her lips.

“Excuse me!?”

“Nothing!”

The eldest sister’s startled voice made Selene blush so hard she thought her face might explode.

Standing up, she quickly pulled the three girls out, her brush dancing through the air. Just like before, a cheetah of ink took shape, grabbing hold of the elf maids.

Leaping back into the hallway, Selene saw the yellowish haze already spreading through most of the floor.

“This will take you to the ground level—run as fast as you can from there!”

Dashing in the opposite direction, the ink cheetah sprinted down the corridors, while Selene sealed the passage behind them with a layer of green-tinted ink.

“Maids in underwear capable of killing virgins like me are dangerous. Elves really are a threatening race.”

One hand pressed to her beet-red face, she steadied her breathing before pulling the cloth back over her mouth. The gas cloud was advancing—she had to escape.

“Eh…”

That is, if she hadn’t just sealed her only exit.

“Hey!? Hey!? Heeey!!”

With her back pressed against the windows, Selene shouted louder and louder until, with no other choice, she went for the only path left.

A sharp cry tore from her lips as she leapt from the palace window. In an instant, the cold wind of the mist slammed against her again.

Frantically moving her brush in midair, the rabbit-eared girl painted on the sky. Blue-tinted ink danced into the shape of a two-meter-tall goose.

“Argh!”

A pained grunt escaped her clenched teeth as her shoulder nearly dislocated from grabbing onto the bird’s claw. The goose flapped its wings wildly, fighting to keep itself—and its creator—from plummeting to their deaths. Still, it managed to glide smoothly alongside the royal palace.

“It’s troublesome out here too.” With her left hand keeping her suspended from the goose’s claw, Selene tried to get a read on the other battles.

The thick mist blocked most of her vision, but she could still hear terrifying impacts from both the skies and the World Tree.

Yet, as much as she wanted to assess the battlefields, Selene knew she couldn’t waste time. Swinging her body back and forth, she built up momentum and hurled herself toward one of the palace’s already-shattered windows, landing lightly in a corridor.

“Face an army of monsters, Selene! Fight demons, Selene! Save the palace, Selene!”

Dusting herself off, the rabbit-eared girl shouted her frustrations. It wasn’t exactly dignified, but it let her release a heavy sigh of relief.

After having her few hours of sleep denied, while she was in the middle of talking to a pretty girl, Selene had been thrown through a portal and forced to ride a terrifying black wolf. Before she even realized it, she was fighting monsters—and mere minutes later, she found herself battling atop a colossal tree with a grand castle at its crown.

And now, in this place where even breathing deeply hurt, she tilted her head just enough to avoid the silver dagger aimed at slicing it clean off.

Step by step, a girl with ivory skin and long horns walked down the corridor. When her red eyes met the pink ones, both faces twisted.

“Listen— the only one allowed to stab me is my beloved sister!” Selene declared confidently, then immediately realized it didn’t sound as solid as it did in her head. “I mean… maybe not, but still—she’d be the only one I’d forgive for doing it!”

Belladona watched the bunny-girl mock her and couldn’t hide the look of disgust. “Have you finished your pathetic resistance?”

Despite all her bold talk, Selene had been running from the start. As a mage who couldn’t face her head-on without running, the demon couldn’t help laughing at the girl trying to hold off the inevitable.

Cornered, the demon expected a plea for mercy. Instead, a very calm voice reached her.

“Your armor and weapons are platinum, aren’t they?”

Belladona didn’t answer, and that silence was an answer in itself.

“If the person you’re after already left, I wondered why you didn’t just coat the whole palace with your magic — but it seems that would kill you too, right?”

Selene tilted her head slightly, her pink eyes cold on the woman.

“Vesicant gases are highly corrosive. Iron, steel, copper — all of those are out of the question. You’d need something like gold, silver, or platinum to avoid damage.” A fierce smile spread across her face, two rows of teeth bared. “If you need something like that to protect yourself, it means you’re not completely immune to your own magic.”

A mage who could wrap their fist in flame would still be hurt by that flame unless they encased their hands in a thick layer of mana when casting. Likewise, spells that affect the environment don’t distinguish friend from foe.

“So what of it?” the demon spat, lifting her chin as if looking down on the demi-human.

“Oh, nothing~” Selene hummed, her grin widening. “It just proves you’re not as invincible as you pretend to be.”

“We’re not equals, you filthy demi-human. Don’t act like you’ve achieved anything!” Belladona roared.

Selene sighed.

“This is going to be annoying.”

She knew she was at a disadvantage — gases work best in closed spaces — which was why the demon insisted on fighting inside the palace. Taking the fight outside would let wind and open space work in Selene’s favor, but it would also drag the populace into a slow, painful death by corrosive gas — something Selene would never risk.

As perverted as her opponent was, Selene knew she was terrifyingly strong. The circumstances weren’t in her favor, and even the environment worked against her — yet there was no fear in her eyes.

Her reasoning was simple.

If Selene woke up one morning and decided to grade a huge stack of tests all at once, she’d lose courage. So instead she focused on doing her best for the task right in front of her.

In short…

“No matter how complicated everything is, I only need to deal with the problem in front of me!”

This was her fight, and she would see it through.

“For some reason my school’s finances are always in the red. You mind if I sell your armor to raise some funds after I finish you?” She leaned forward, shifting her center of gravity, twirling her stardust brush between her fingers as she asked.

“I’ll end your miserable life, bitch! I’ll kill you and mount your bones on spikes!” Belladona snarled.

Never before had so much bloodthirst been directed at her. Yet, Selene had only one answer.

”See? You do know how to move a woman’s heart, after all~”