Standing in the roadway, people passed by, unnoticing Ophelia's grim expression as a dark, wispy aura pulsed with raw, primordial chaos. The air around her grew heavy as her anger was brought to its fullest. Memories of her past torment flooded her mind nonstop. Her eyes burned with intense hatred as she stared directly at Tanimoto, taking notice of the woman by his side.
Both Tanimoto and Annabel smiled at one another with their fingers intertwined. Hugging and kissing, they were obviously in love, but such a sight reminded Ophelia of Yui; her former girlfriend when she was but Yuto.
"I finally have the chance to make you pay…" Everyone at the festival widened their eyes once they took notice of Ophelia.
Eventually, Tanimoto stopped in his tracks upon seeing her. Annabel beside him took a step back, sensing the oppressive atmosphere. People nearby began to scatter out of fear—Ophelia's chaotic aura inducing them with utter madness and dread. Others from afar, untouched by her aura, also ran, instinctively recognizing the threat emanating from Ophelia.
Her rage was palpable, like a physical force that made the ground tremble beneath her feet. The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them—the tormentor and his victim—finally face to face again.
"What the hell…? Are they looking at me?" Tanimoto realized he was the center of attention. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to approach. Despite the overwhelming dread he felt from her chaotic aura, he wouldn't back down; his mind as a hero was resilient enough to resist its effects, though his previous bravado was nowhere to be seen as he faced Ophelia's wrath.
Stopping a dozen meters in front of her, he managed to speak up, though his voice wavered slightly. "So… you have business with me or something? What do you want?"
His attempt at ignorance only fueled Ophelia's anger further. The aura around her intensified, making the air crackle with dark energy.
[Rare Skill Developed: Eldritch Aura.]
Through sheer anger alone, Ophelia developed a skill; one that not only induced her enemies with overwhelming madness and fear, but paralysis.
"T-Tanimoto!" Annabel tried to tug at Tanimoto's sleeve urgently, but her body froze in place as madness overtook her body. "W-What's happening to me?! T-Tanimoto… Tanimoto! Help!" Illusions began to manifest, the world began to spin, and her mind fell into an endless spiral of dread. "Aaaaagghhh!" Annabel released a bloodcurdling scream, as she fell unconscious, trapped in her own mind.
"What? Annabel?!" Tanimoto's face drained of color as he rushed toward his beloved side, momentarily forgetting about Ophelia. He cradled her unconscious form protectively as his voice lowered with worry. "What... what did you do to her? Annabel, stay with me!" Gritting his teeth in frustration, he looked up at Ophelia with growing dread, realizing the depth of her power.
Ophelia's lips curled into a cruel smile as she took a step closer to the dirty hero and his beloved woman. Her voice dripped with venom as she spoke in a calculated manner to cause maximum psychological damage. "Oh, Tanimoto... after all these years, you still don't understand. I've been waiting for this very moment." She let out a cold, hollow laugh that sent chills down his spine. "Bwa ha ha! You caused me so much pain in my past life. But now I have the power to make you suffer tenfold!!" She shouted, leaning forward like a madwoman as her eyes appeared crazed.
Tanimoto stared at her in confusion and growing terror; struggling to comprehend her words and intentions. He didn't understand what was going on, he had no choice but to protect himself and Annabel.
"You crazy chick!" Tanimoto's hands trembled as he drew his sword, instinctively positioning himself between Ophelia and Annabel. His voice shook with fear, and also determination to battle this woman, unaware of her status as princess. "Stay back! I don't know what you're talking about, but I won't let you hurt her! I swear I'll gut you like a fish, bitch!"
Ophelia's eyes brewed with interest at his defensive stance, chuckling. "Protecting her won't paint you in a good light, Tanimoto. You can't escape your past." All of sudden, Ophelia vanished into thin air as Tanimoto's eyes widened in shock, baffled by her speed.
Before he could react, she reappeared directly in front of him with devastating agility. Her high heel connected with his face in a powerful, deadly strike that sent him flying backward through several festival stalls.
"Gaaaahh!" The impact created a massive shockwave that shattered nearby windows and knocked people unconscious around them. "Guhh!" Tanimoto crashed into a stone wall and left a crater where he landed, gritting his teeth to endure the pain. "What the hell kind of strength?" Tanimoto struggled to get up as blood dripped from his face and a dark bruise formed where Ophelia's kick had landed.
"How does it feel, knowing that you're outclassed for once?! I'll humiliate you, even if my reputation is ruined!" Ophelia vanished again, leaving only a blur as she moved at lightning speed. Tanimoto, still dazed from the previous attack, barely had time to raise his sword to block. "Damnit… what's your problem you crazy bitch?! I don't even know who you are!" Her fist clashed with his sword, causing an echo across the festival.
"Grrrh!" Ophelia's eyes flashed with renewed anger at his defensive maneuver. Utilizing her speed, she appeared beside him in an instant as her movements became even faster and more unpredictable.
The ground cracked beneath her feet as she delivered a series of lightning-fast strikes, each one blocked by his blade until he found an opening and jumped back to gather distance.
"Hah!" A nervous, yet confident grin played on his lips. "You may be scary with that aura of yours, but you fight like an amateur! You don't even know how to throw a punch!"
Ophelia frowned at his comment and lunged at him once again. Her wrath meter started building up.
[Sinful skill, Fury Surge, activated.]
[Ophelias Wrath: 10%]
The more she got angry, the stronger, faster, and more durable she became. It was Ulysses' skill.
Launching a series of rapid, untrained strikes, Tanimoto struggled to keep up as his arms trembled from the force of her blows, constantly running backward while defending himself. "Ghhhk… what the fuck? Why're you getting stronger?!" Blood trickled from his split lip as he desperately tried to maintain his footing against her relentless assault.
"Haaaaahhh!" Ophelia spotted an opening in Tanimoto's guard as he tried to parry another strike, but in a flash of light, her leg shot forward with brutal precision, connecting squarely with his stomach.
"Guhack!" The force of the kick lifted him off the ground, and he doubled over, blood spilling from his mouth. Tanimoto's sword clattered to the ground as he rolled backward, clutching his midsection. "Fuck…!"
Ophelia watched with satisfaction as Tanimoto struggled to breathe, however, this caused her rage to settle.
[Ophelias Wrath: 5%]
As a result of her satisfaction, she was no longer blinded by rage, only sadistic pleasure. She walked forward and started circling around him, like a predator toying with its prey. "Is this all you've got? How pathetic. To think that you were the one who always made me seem weak is just laughable!"
Ophelia stopped in front of him as she reached forward, tangling her fingers roughly in his hair before yanking his head back with brutal force. "Aaagh!" His neck strained painfully as she forced him to look up at her. "F-Fuck you… what is your problem? Who are you?!"
"Hmph." She lifted her hand and slapped his face hard enough to echo through the damaged streets. "Learn some manners, you miserable fool. I'm your superior." Ophelia grinned as she saw tears forming in his eyes from the pain. It was truly breathtaking.
"Just… tell me what you want!" Blood continued to drip from his mouth as he struggled weakly against her grip, but Ophelia's strength was far beyond what he could handle in his current state.
Leaning in closer, she whispered something bewitchingly. "You always loved making others suffer. Now it's your turn to feel what it's like to be helpless." Ophelia released Tanimoto's hair with a smirk as she took a step back, crossing her arms.
She looked down at him with pure contempt as her voice dripped with mockery.
"Beg for forgiveness, you worm. Get on your knees and kiss my feet. Show some respect and maybe I'll spare you from an even worse fate than this."
Her smirk got even bigger as she waited for his response. The once-proud hero lay trembling on the ground, bloodied and humiliated. The festival around them had become a scene of destruction, with unconscious bodies scattered everywhere. This all felt like a dream.
"Tsk tsk tsk…" Ophelia gracefully perched herself on a nearby barrel, crossing her legs elegantly, despite the chaos around them. Her expression was one of complete disdain as she looked down at Tanimoto before swinging her leg forward, hitting the tip of her high heel right into his face. "I said kiss my feet. You're not deaf, are you? Or are you too proud to grovel before your victim?"
The barrel creaked under her weight as she leaned forward. Ophelia's voice became colder. "Last chance, Tanimoto. Show me how sorry you are for everything you did to me. Refuse, and maybe… I'll have to spend some time with your little girlfriend this time around."
Tanimoto widened his eyes at her comment. Despite the pain she inflicted upon him, it seems he cared more about Annabel than himself, but then again, his pride was too much.
"Tsk… who cares? I refuse… pweh!" He spat on the ground next to her feet, refusing to follow orders, but Ophelia merely grinned.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Turning to face the unconscious Annabel, an evil grin spread across her cheeks. "I suppose you can watch everything while strapped to a chair. Let's find a private area, shall we?"
Tanimoto frowned, unable to stand up and attack her.
"No! Are you serious?! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Touch her… and I swear… I swear!!!"