I knew it, we messed up, Seaneight! ... Am I… getting played by this guy? ... I guess you tried too hard, and it felt unnatural… I'm such a screw-up… No, no, it's my fault for not crafting you to handle this, and for leaving you alone in this mess… ... Alright, I'll fix this… Wait!
"…" — 'Uh…'
Hold on, Seaneight, I'll take control… ... Hmm… I'll handle everything… You rest… ... Right…
"Hmm~ For a split second, I caught a flicker of your thoughts."
He can read even a fleeting thought!? No, it's because your mind was silent the whole time, so one tiny peep is like shouting in an empty room—everyone hears it!
Damn it! This is so frustrating! What do I even say!? This guy… Think, think! Ugh, if my head suddenly gets loud with thoughts and words, it'll look way too suspicious.
Sure, I look like a master planner, but I'm the type who plans ages in advance. Coming up with stuff on the spot? I'm as slow as when I used Sandwich! Even escaping to a 1/10000 dimension to think doesn't help…
"Are you satisfied?" — '…'
After all that thinking, the best move is to act like the original Seaneight.
Seaneight (me) slowly pushes Ramsa's body away, but it only makes him press harder, his face inching closer to the slightly damp crook of my neck—still moist from a quick towel-off post-bath and the sweat from this stressful mess.
"Hmm~ I'm satisfied, Seaneight… You remind me of fighting monsters in that haunted mansion…"
Fwip-fwip
This creep! Getting all pervy right when I take full control of the body!?
"Get… off!" — '…'
Seaneight tries to push him away, but he presses even harder. His strength shouldn't overpower a Level 409 magic-weapon master… This guy's gotta be Level 500+, maybe 600?
"Hmm, that's the spirit…"
Fwoosh!!Squish
"Eek!!" — '…'
Grab, squish, clamp, creak…
Then Seaneight (me) feels his free hand… roughly grab her chest… Why does it feel good?
Damn it, this guy… He's too good!! One move, and my body's trembling… No! It's gotta be some skill! …Seaneight's body shouldn't be this sensitive!
"Hah… Urk, I said get off! Urk!" — '…Get off…'
"Heh… Hmm, keep squealing like that, I love it~"
Swish His hand slides lower, while the sword stays pressed in place… until it reaches there.
This damn pervert… Is he just horny, or testing something else!?
"Stop… Huff, huff!" — 'Stop!!'
Thwack!! …
Seaneight (me) uses all her strength to push Ramsa, but it doesn't budge him from pinning her against the wall.
It only makes him pause his groping, grinning wider like he's won…
"I get it… Not fully a possessed puppet, since you still feel embarrassed, huh? Oh, I'm not mad at you…"
"Urk?" — '…'
"You're… being controlled by someone, aren't you?"
"…!!!!" — '…'
Shi, matta!! (Ship's sunk, Japanese-style!) How far did this guy guess!? He's sharp as hell…
"What's wrong, Seaneight? Did I hit the mark? Hmm~ Or should I be talking to… the one controlling you?"
"…" — '…'
He speaks with a smug smile, his calm, smooth voice controlling everything, brimming with confidence…
He's won… In a straight fight, he's got me beat… Completely crushed…
This is my first time facing a Mastermind like me… I've met smart folks before but never cared much, letting nature handle it. After all, those bodies can think naturally, and my commands feel like directing a subconscious (even without one, it's like a Core for fake bodies) rather than thoughts, so mind-reading or analysis always seems normal.
But messing up the plan from the start, facing an original-world hero who reads minds and predicts everything, with the Goddess watching? This is tough… No, way too tough.
"You said you wanted money, fame, power. Is that really all, or is there some bigger plan?"
"…" — '…'
"Tell me the real reason. What do you want?"
End of Chapter 82
Tell Me Your Real Reasons, What Do You Want?