Heroines, Villainesses, and the Hero's Yandere Harem? I want them all!
Chapter 42: What truly is a Nightmare....?

Chapter 42: What truly is a Nightmare....?

"Listen... I’m going to let go now. Once I do, grab onto my hands," she said calmly.

"Wait, no!" I screamed.

Damn it.

I didn’t want to get lost in some space-dream. Who knows what kind of nightmare monster the bastard dreaming this reality cooked up ?

"Come on, scaredy cat. I’m right here," she teased, floating slightly ahead.

"All the more reason not to," I muttered.

"Alright then... I’M LETTING GO NOW!" she yelled dramatically.

And she let go.

I clung to her like my life depended on it.

Which, well... it did.

"Hww~" she purred. "You really don’t wanna let go of me, huh?"

I felt irritated. I couldn’t let go.

"Come on. Stop whatever this is," I said through clenched teeth.

"Alright..." she replied, her voice suspiciously calm.

Sigh.

"...After this!" she suddenly slipped out of my grasp.

"NO!" I shouted, panicking as I flailed in mid-air.

"GRAB ON!" she yelled, her hand extended toward me.

I reached out, snatched her hand like my life depended on it.

Because this time, it really did.

She smiled. A beautiful, maddening smile.

"Fuck you and that smile!" I snapped. My heart was still racing like I’d just escaped death.

"Really?" she asked sweetly, her grin only widening.

"WAIT—please just drop me. Don’t do anything stupid," I begged. That smile meant she definitely had more craziness in store.

"Shhh... I’m going to spin you now. Very fast."

God. No.

"Wait! Don’t do it! Fine, what do you want?" I asked desperately.

"Don’t worry... it’ll only be for a second," she said with a laugh—then started spinning. Slowly at first, at the same spot.

Then—

"WAIT!"

She suddenly spun like a damn tornado.

I felt like I was going to throw up.

The already grey world blurred, then faded into blinding white.

"Haaah... haaah... haaah..." I panted, barely staying conscious as she finally stopped.

"Ugh..." I groaned, stomach lurching.

I felt sick. Like my brain had just been put through a blender.

"All done," she said cheerfully.

I realized I was on solid ground now—but I was leaning against her, still dizzy and off-balance. Her arms were around me, steadying me.

"Damn... you..." I muttered as she gently draped my arm over her shoulder and started walking.

Haah. I really wanted to sit somewhere until this irritating spinning sensation went away.

"Come on, stop being so grumpy all the time," she said playfully. "You used to say there was a place you went to once... you got on a metal cart that took you into the sky and spun you around until you were dizzy. You said you’d take me there one day."

She laughed softly.

Wait...

That sounds like... an amusement park.

I narrowed my eyes.

"I never said anything like that," I replied.

She just grinned.

"There you are, Miss E—"

"What is it?" she cut off the knight before he could finish her name.

Alright. She’s definitely hiding it at this point.

Which only makes me more curious.

"We have a problem."

...

...

After some walking, we reached a clearing.

I could see tents being pitched—likely a temporary camp.

"This way," the knight said, leading us to a larger tent.

It was spacious. That was the first thing I noticed.

The second—

"Wait... you can walk now?" a familiar voice.

Nora.

"What’s the problem?" the girl beside me asked, getting straight to the point.

Nora glanced at her, then at me. She frowned.

Then looked away.

...Wait.

Why does it feel like something happened between them while I was unconscious?

"Can you heal him?" another voice asked.

I recognized it immediately.

We turned toward the source—some distance away, a knight was restraining another man, pinned to the ground.

The one speaking was standing beside them.

Wait... that’s the knight from Karendel Castle—Nora’s guard.

"What happened to him?" the girl beside me asked, letting go of my hand. Immediately, the lightness I’d been feeling vanished.

Sigh.

She moved forward and knelt beside the man, inspecting him closely.

His eyes were pitch black. Completely devoid of white.

Dark veins spidered from his sockets, trailing down his face.

He was screaming.

Thrashing.

And from the way the knight struggled to hold him down—it was clear this man had become stronger.

Something had changed.

"It seems whatever monster controls this nightmare isn’t passive," the knight said grimly.

"Tsk. When did it happen?" she asked.

"Just moments ago. They were sent to scout the perimeter. He was the only one who returned. At first, he seemed normal—terrified, but normal. But as soon as he got close to one of us, he went completely berserk."

"He attacked someone?" she asked.

"Yes. We managed to restrain him before he did any major damage."

I frowned.

"Did he bite anyone?" I asked.

"...Who are you?" the knight turned to me.

"He’s with me," she answered before I could.

"Wait... is he that young man...? But I thought he was crippled," he narrowed his eyes.

"Don’t overthink it," she said coldly. "Just answer the question."

"...Yes. One of the guards securing the east side of the camp."

Yeah. I knew where this was going.

"Find that guard and kill him. Now," I ordered.

"No!" a voice snapped.

Nora.

"No one is dying," she said firmly, stepping forward.

"Why not?" He asked.

"It’s obvious," I said. "He tried to bite. Of all the ways to attack, he went for a bite. I think that says it all."

The knight stared at me... then his eyes widened.

"GO! FIND AND RESTRAIN GEREN!" he barked. Five knights rushed out.

"Why do you think it’s infectious?" the girl asked me. She was still kneeling beside the man, trailing her fingers gently over the black veins.

"Because it has to be," I said. "You said he was the only one who returned, right?"

"...Yes."

"Did you ask yourself why?"

He glanced between us.

"Can you heal him?" he asked her.

"Not at the moment," she said. "I’ll need to conduct some experiments. Pure healing magic might not work. This feels like a curse."

"...Holy magic," he muttered.

"Yes. Or an antidote," she added.

He looked at her for a long moment... then raised his sword.

"NO! I FORBID YOU FROM KILLING HIM, LANCELOT!"

Her voice echoed sharply through the tent.

Everyone turned.

She stood there, serious for once. Eyes locked on him.

Oh.

I see now.

Maybe it was the death of all her knights.

Maybe that’s what changed her.