"Why are you looking at me like that, Brother?"
Helena's eyes locked onto mine, sharp and piercing. "Exactly the same as the way they used to look at me…"
I didn't say a word, but she still felt my gaze stabbing into her.
"A monster, right? You think I'm a monster too?"
Her body trembled. A cold, bitter laugh slipped from her lips.
"Hehehe… I already knew… I know…"
"You never saw me as your sister. You always saw me as a monster!!"
"And just because of that woman, you're mad at me!"
Her hand started twisting unnaturally, and then, like scattered flower petals, it burst apart into dozens of clawed tentacles.
They were wet and slimy, disgusting like snakes.
A crushing mental attack slammed into me.
Horrifying, twisting—like my heart was about to explode…
I couldn't move at all.
[You are under a powerful mental attack]
[Make a sanity check]
I clenched my fist, summoning every ounce of strength to fight the filth invading my mind.
Since returning to this old mansion, I had already prepared myself to face Helena.
[Sanity check successful]
[Sanity -0]
Maybe it was my will to survive that gave me such luck this time.
As soon as I could move again, I dug into my pocket and pulled out a glass vial.
Helena's eyes widened, probably not expecting me to still be standing.
But she quickly smirked—six clawed tentacles shot straight toward me.
I hurled the vial.
The sharp sound of shattering glass rang out.
The bottle smashed against Helena's face, shards scattering as the pungent smell of potion filled the air.
Her tentacles froze just a few centimeters away from me, then recoiled like they'd been shocked.
Helena shook violently, clutching her cheek, letting out a monstrous roar.
"Ahhhhhhh…!"
Her furious scream echoed through the mansion.
Seeing her like that, I exhaled in relief.
Of course, I immediately checked her status.
My trump card wasn't the potion, nor my charm at its peak—
It was my identity as the director of the "Containment Facility."
More precisely, the mansion itself.
As long as the data matched containment standards, I could secure her.
No matter what she was—even a terrifying abnormal existence could be locked away in a guest room with no escape.
But…
It seemed I was too quick to feel relieved.
[Helena]
[Race: Hybrid Aberration (Human 95%; Shoggoth 5%)]
[Affection: 100]
[Corruption: 65 ↓]
[Danger Level: ★★★★ (Extremely Dangerous!)]
[Description: A distorted being, hopelessly obsessed with you]
The potion, designed for low-level abnormals, didn't work as I had hoped; her corruption level was still above 50.
Helena only grew more insane!
With a piercing roar, her tentacles lashed out wildly, destroying the dining room furniture.
As the dining table split apart, I grabbed a knife to defend myself while retreating.
I glanced around the mansion—now feeling more like a prison—quickly calculating my odds.
No time. Only one option.
Forced containment.
Even if the chances were slim, I had to try!
I immediately opened the interface and hit "Contain," ignoring Helena's current state.
[Containment in progress…]
The mansion trembled faintly. Helena, her eyes blazing red with rage, glared at me.
"Don't even think about it!"
Two tentacles shot forward like arrows.
Blood sprayed. I screamed in agony, collapsing to my knees, paralyzed.
Both tentacles pierced through my legs instantly, rendering me immobile.
Using them as leverage, Helena lifted herself, hovering slightly before landing right in front of me.
[Containment check failed]
[Containment unsuccessful]
I lay sprawled on the floor, too exhausted even to feel anger, staring up at Helena standing above me.
Her once angelic face was now smeared with blood and shards of glass, twisted into a wicked expression, surrounded by clawed tentacles…
Like a demon risen from hell.
"Almost…" she smiled down at me, not with rage, but with amusement.
"You almost succeeded. My dear brother… you really are incredible…"
Her slimy tentacle slid against my skin, lifting me so I could look straight into her eyes.
The searing pain from my wounds made me groan. Blood and sweat dripped endlessly.
"You almost fooled me, Brother… so all those promises you made were just lies, weren't they?"
Helena studied my pained expression.
"You never wanted to stay with me. You never liked me… You think I'm a monster…"
She laughed madly.
"You're perfect in everything, Brother—your looks, your attitude, your family, your fearless courage… But you have one flaw."
The tentacles tightened, the stench of blood overwhelming. My mind blurred from blood loss.
"That flaw is… you're too good at lying!"
"Ah! I bet every girl would gladly be deceived by you…"
"You bastard, Brother!"
Helena leaned closer, embracing me with a strange kind of tenderness.
"Even if it was all a lie, I'm still happy… Today was truly beautiful… Let's stay like this forever… Brother, I'll take care of you, we'll never leave this house… I'll protect you… forever…"
Her words broke off.
With a wet, piercing sound, she released me.
Then looked down in disbelief.
The knife I had been holding was now lodged in her chest, straight through her heart.
"Brother… you…"
I forced a smile from where I lay, thinking: she's just a game character. Where did these fake feelings even come from? Even in this game, it was my adventure that saved your life!
A massive surge of energy erupted uncontrollably.
Her tentacles thrashed violently, turning into sharp blades.
My body was pierced again, collapsing into a pool of blood. My vision blurred, life slipping away.
But a shred of awareness remained.
I saw Helena clutching her chest, sorrow in her eyes as she drew near.
"So… this is your answer, Brother?" she mocked herself. "Yeah… someone like you… could never be mine…" "I am a monster… A monster, a monster, a monster…"
She repeated it again and again, trapped between guilt and hatred.
"Ahhhhh…!"
She clutched her head, refusing to remember.
After a long while, she finally calmed.
Seeing me lying motionless like a corpse, she curled up beside me, seeking comfort.
In that position, she felt a little safe, as if she were back in her mother's arms. Even though she had never known her mother's face.
"Brother, soon we'll be together forever~"
She smiled sweetly, pulling the knife from her chest.
She didn't
stop the bleeding, letting her blood flow freely.
Her face grew paler and paler.
The candlelight flickered warmly; two blood-soaked bodies looked eternal…
I closed my eyes.
[TO BE CONTINUED]