Summoning the Holy Sword

Chapter 599: Confused Heart (VII)

"No!"

The entire sacred hall shook as the phantom screamed at the top of her lungs. She lifted her head and glared fiercely at Rhode. Rhode had never seen such an expression on Lize's face. It felt as though the herbivore had turned into a ferocious carnivore.

"No! Rhode…! You're mine…! I will never let you go. You're mine forever… Forget it, it doesn't matter even if I can't win your heart. Having your body is good enough! You shall forever be mine and be my pet like that bitch over there!"

She raised her whip and lashed out violently. The invisible sharp blade tore the air and struck one of Rhode's afterimages. Then, a white radiance emerged before the phantom and transformed into a bolt of lightning that struck into her chest. The phantom let out a snort and took half a step forward, brandishing her whip.

"Dream on, Little Girl!"

Celestina's thorny whip arrived in time. It wrapped the phantom's wrist tightly and halted her from moving forward. But it made the phantom even more furious.

"Get lost, you slut!"

The phantom shook her wrist and lashed the thorny whip. Celestina felt as though a gigantic hammer swinging toward her and she hurriedly released the whip in her hands and expanded her wings to escape. However, the phantom's body vanished in the blink of an eye and charged forward.

"Argh!"

Celestina let out a horrified shriek. The flesh in her arms ruptured instantly and the powerful force penetrated her body like an enormous claw slashing from above and its razor-sharp nails tore her clothes. Her dark bat-like wings snapped like a fragile tree branch and the force threw her into the air like a tattered doll. She crashed to the ground heavily, crushing her usual arrogance. Every part of her body below her collarbone had been ripped apart with her skin turned over and blood splashing everywhere, tainting the white marble floor. Her body twitched, but she couldn't stand up. The phantom disregarded her and struck toward Rhode immediately.

Clang!

The pitch-black whip collided with Starmark and sparks splattered in all directions. The immense pressure from above shook Rhode's stance. At this moment, the phantom decisively lashed out her whip once more and in a loud_ clang_, Rhode's Starmark flew out of his hands. This time, Rhode finally failed to withstand the force and he flung to the ground and rolled miserably. Before Rhode stood to his feet, the phantom had followed him closely. She gritted her teeth and gave a resentful look at the man. This was the third time she lashed out her whip with such a powerful might.

However, she failed this time.

Shing!

Two spiritual blade rays struck out from Rhode's sides and deflected the phantom's attack. She had no choice but to retreat and dodge the daggers aiming for her neck and chest. Rhode used this chance and sprung up, laying the twin daggers before him in a crisscross stance to defend against her attack. But this time, Rhode revealed a strange smile.

"I haven't finished my sentence, Lize. It isn't a good habit to be too anxious."

Rhode stole a glance at Celestina who was gritting her teeth and crawling to her feet. Although she was gravely injured by the phantom and he had thought of withdrawing Celestina, he didn't expect this proud Demon young lady would stop him. Even though he could forcefully withdraw her from battle as her summoner, he agreed to her request.

"I've just told you that I won't be yours. But I haven't finished my sentence. Have you forgotten? Lize? You belong to me, so I can't belong to you."

"What did you say!?"

The phantom's expression changed slightly and she weakened the pressure applied in her whip instantly.

"Have you forgotten what I told you before I left the Paphield front line, Lize? You're my woman, just like Marlene and Canary. All of you only belong to me. But it seems that you've forgotten about it…"

"No! I haven't!"

The phantom revealed a complicated expression. However, it lasted only for a second and she returned to her vengeful self.

"I can't possibly share you with other women, Mr. Rhode. I want you to be mine only. I want you to speak and listen to me only. I want you to look at me only. I want you to stand beside me only. I don't want to see you with other women! Never!"

The phantom brandished her whip angrily. However, Rhode was ready for it. The instant she moved her arm, Rhode leaped up and dodged, landing on the other side cleanly. Then, he revealed a stern expression.

"I knew you would say that. But, whatever. Because I didn't say it for you."

"What… What did you mean?!"

The phantom's movements stopped abruptly. She raised her eyebrows and gazed at Rhode in bewilderment.

"It's simple."

Rhode spread his arms apart and turned to the throne. On the steps, the fully naked young lady chained to the steel chain like a dog had curled up her body and was trembling slightly.

"I'm speaking to the other Lize. I want her, and not you… Lize."

"What… What did you say?"

The phantom's expression turned ashen.

"Am I wrong?"

The corners of Rhode's mouth perked up and he poked fun at her.

"I'm a man, Lize. What kind of woman does a man want to have? A man wants to have an obedient, submissive woman who will not be jealous of rivals and stay by his side forever and never betray him. So, isn't the Lize over there more suitable for me? Just like you've said. She craved to be my pet and she would feel the thrill even if I insult her or beat her up, so isn't she better? I don't have to worry about her betraying or leaving me. Besides, I can tease her anytime I want. She won't hate me for abandoning her after I've had my fun with her. Isn't such convenience and fun better than anything else? What about you? You said I belong to you only, so wouldn't I be the unlucky one if you were sick of me one day, Lize? Furthermore, you and her have the same body with different personalities. Since that is the case, what's the difference between me enjoying her and enjoying you? I like Lize and I want her. But, I don't want you… Now, do you understand?"

"…"

The phantom didn't launch an attack on him instantly. She widened her eyes and looked blankly at the man. Then, her body trembled and a complicated glint emerged in her eyes—filled with astonishment, fear, anger, distortion, and hatred.

"Ah—!"

The phantom hugged her head and yelled at the top of her lungs. The sacred hall shook violently as though an earthquake of 8 magnitude had struck, spreading cracks on the walls wildly. However, the phantom disregarded everything. She knelt on the ground and continued to scream.

The gamble paid off!

Rhode heaved an inward sigh of relief.

This was Lize's mental world and the two Lizes that emerged before them were two phantoms 'refined' by the Mind Devil. Although the Mind Devil could misguide her, it couldn't force or brainwash her into making decisions. This meant that Lize's true consciousness had always been accepting information from the outside world through these two illusory 'terminals'.

After entering the sacred hall, Rhode immediately realized that things were off, especially after witnessing the extreme cases of Lize becoming a masochist and sadist individually. He discovered another important factor. No matter which Lize it was, her dependability on him was really high. However, both of them performed on the other extreme end. The Masochist Lize would rather become his pet and follow around him while the Sadist Lize would rather treat him as a pet.

No matter which Lize it was, they reflected an important point in Lize's true willpower and that she wished to be with Rhode and didn't wish to leave his side.

And this had become the lethal weakness of the Mind Devil.

The Mind Devil created these two extreme personalities to force Lize into a dead end. The Sadist would be for battle while the Masochist's job was to humiliate. Just as the Sadist had said, the Masochist had the constitution of being abused, but when she realized that Rhode and Anne were watching her, the extreme humiliation made her escape instinctively and finally escape from her mental world as though nothing had happened. By then, the Mind Devil could happily take over Lize's abandoned control and devour its prey entirely.

But now, Rhode's method had wavered the Mind Devil's manipulation.

He had chosen the Masochist which Lize felt shameful of and kept the Sadist out of the picture. And this time, even though her subconscious was being manipulated, she could receive the information from the two 'terminals'. This was what Rhode had been gambling on: Lize hoped to be with him, so she wouldn't reject his advancements. However, he had clearly rejected the Sadist's request and accepted the Masochist instead.

So, how would Lize make her decision through knowing everything from the 'terminals'?

If she truly wished to be by his side, there was only one thing that she could do now.

And that was to expel the Sadist and destroy her entirely.

And now, the current situation had proven that Rhode's guess was correct. The sacred hall was crumbling while the Sadist knelt on the ground and yelled at the top of her lungs. Her body was deteriorating. Her fair tender skin was cracking wildly like a damaged wall. She clawed the ground like a crazy wild animal and rays of white radiance erupted from the cracks of her skin. At the same time, powerful mental strength had wrapped her up entirely.

This was Lize's mental world and she was the only presence in this place.

And now, she was exterminating the phantom for the sake of herself.

Which was irresistible.

Suddenly, the mental powers enveloping the Sadist became pitch-black. At the very next moment, the pitch-black powers exploded into thick billows of smoke that shrouded the entire space. In an instant, the sacred hall, statues, Anne, and every single thing were gone. The only thing remained was the phantom in front of Rhode.

It was dead silent in the pitch-black space.

"No… No…"

The Sadist shuddered as she stood to her feet. She had returned to her usual self. She was no longer that powerful queen and was nothing more than an ordinary young lady. She looked at Rhode with bloodshot eyes, but she was less threatening than an exhausted kitten baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

"I will not lose, Mr. Rhode. I will definitely not lose… You're mine… You're mine…"

How stubborn.

Rhode puckered his brows. Lize was a stubborn person to begin with, and it seemed that this hadn't changed no matter on which personalities. He thought that this stimulation would bait out the Mind Devil hiding behind the scenes, but it seemed that Lize's extraordinary stubbornness had become a double-edged sword. On one hand, her stubbornness had stopped Rhode from breaking the Mind Devil's cage quickly and on the other hand, her stubbornness was like a solid fence keeping the Mind Devil out. After all, the Mind Devil was only capable of inducing and didn't have the ability to intervene directly. If Lize didn't give up on her own accord, things would be troublesome.

It seems that I can only resort to that now.

Rhode knitted his brows as he gazed at the Sadist before him. This wasn't the mental world of the true Lize. This was the 'space' of the Sadist herself._ So, if I'm not mistaken…_

Rhode disappeared in a flash and in the blink of an eye, he appeared before her.

"I'm not yours, Lize. Instead, you're mine. And now, I will make you understand it."

"You…"

Rhode lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers roughly.

"Argh… Argh…"

The Sadist widened her eyes in bewilderment. She pushed Rhode's shoulders away, but he didn't budge. When she tried to bite his lips, he pinched her mouth and forced his way through.

"Argh…"

The Sadist struggled violently, but Rhode didn't care at all. The Sadist had lost the support of its original self and she had the same strength as a normal human, which was no match for Rhode.

"Let me go! Mr. Rhode, don't even think about—"

"Sorry, I just had to."

Rhode grabbed her wrist with one hand while the other ripped apart the leather top covering her chest. Her soft round bosoms bounced and he grabbed them ruthlessly.

The Sadist let out a painful moan, but even so, she glared fiercely.

"Don't even think you can get away with it, Mr. Rhode. I'm not that perverted slut. Unless you agree to be mine, I will not let you do that… Ahh!"

Before she finished her sentence, Rhode had pushed her to the ground.

"You… Stop… You bastard. I will never… Ahhhh!"

A thick, warm presence penetrated and broke her defense mercilessly. The wild, violent thrusts disrupted her thoughts and she instantly lost her strength to resist.

If this happened in real life, perhaps I'm considered a perpetrator already.

Rhode let out a bitter smile inwardly as he gazed at the young lady glaring intensely at him with tears welled up in her eyes and her body twitching painfully to his pounding. However, Rhode didn't pull any punches. This sadistic personality craved to dominate and not be dominated. As long as he broke her persistence completely, everything would be resolved.

Making love should have been an enjoyment, but it had become humiliation for her. She fought to break free from Rhode's restraint, but he pressed himself on her body and invaded her mercilessly. The pain from her lower body spread to her fingertips and a sense of numbness enveloped her entirety. There was nothing more suitable to describe Rhode in this scene as 'worse than a beast'.

Her clothing had been brutally ripped off and her fair tender skin was scarred with bloody gashes while Rhode pushed her down like an irascible beast and disregarding her painful groans and screams, just to satisfy his own desires.

"I… I will never… surrender… Don't think… that you can make me… Argh… I'm not that… pervert… You don't…"

"Although you said so, your body is reacting really honestly, Lize."

Rhode ridiculed softly into her ear.

"You're also a part of Lize and you're aware of it, right? She's just like you and you're just like her, isn't it? Just like now… Even though you said no, your body is still responding truthfully."

"I-I'm not… I'm not that kind of pervert… No! That isn't me… Don't think you can dominate me! I will never… Ah… Ah…"

Suddenly, she widened her eyes that were filled with unprecedented fears. She felt Rhode's presence becoming bigger and stronger. Even though she didn't understand why, she instinctively felt that danger was approaching.

"You can't… You can't do that!"

"I can."

Rhode held her down and lowered his head with a dangerous smile.

"Didn't you wish to be with me? Lize? From now onward, we will become one."

"No! No! No! This isn't what I wanted. This isn't…!"

Rhode entered into her deepest and spurted out the warm, slimy liquid.

"Ahhh!"

She lifted her head blankly and extended her arms in despair. Specks of light dust slowly emerged from her body.

Then, the pitch-black space shattered entirely.