Memory 31 (significant neutral)

[thinkoutsidethebox]

Bern's final reward; the wedding~ [EP6] Form of a brass feather. Spin the quill between your hands. 3/3 uses remaining.

Warning for rape threats and rape imagery.

Bernkastel snapped her fingers.
......As she did, a cloud of gold butterflies gathered, ......and summoned Battler sitting in a throne at the center of the cathedral.
Of course, his eyes were blank. ......He was still an invalid, his heart trapped in the closed room that he would never be allowed to escape from...
"That man is your reward."
"......My reward......is Battler......?"
"Ooh... ......I see. ......You're saying you'll make it so that Erika inherits all of this game board's territory."
"That's right. ......Look at Battler's finger. ......He's wearing the ring of the One-winged Eagle, symbol of the territory lord. If that becomes yours, you'll become the official lord of this territory. ......I don't mean you'll be under my charge. ......In name and reality, this territory will be yours."
"So I need to take that ring off Battler's finger...?"
"......*giggle* Don't be stupid. ......There's only one ceremony where a woman gets a ring from a man's finger, right?"
"Erika. ......Take Battler as your husband and become the wife of the territory lord."
"T...take Battler......as my......?!"
"Yeah, that's right. ......If the territory lord is never to wake again, he'll need a partner to serve by his side and in his place. ......In other words, you will control this territory."
"So, we'll hold a wedding and exchange the rings. ......Battler's territory lord ring will become yours..."
"In exchange, you will put a ring of subordination on Battler's finger. ......You will control and humiliate him forever......and create as many tales however you like using this territory and game board."
"Territory lord, Furudo Erika. ......Any tale you wish will come true. ......The territory lord is a god. ...Congratulations, you've become the god of this small but wonderful world."
"......Ha......hahahahaha...hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... Is that...true...my...master...?!! Will I...become this world's...god...?"
"That is the final reward I will give to you. Take Battler's ring and create your own world. ......When that happens, you won't be my piece anymore. You'll be your own witch, and a splendid one at that. .........Congratulations, Lady Erika. And, one day, you must welcome me when I come to visit, just like Beato once did."
"Y, yes, my master...!! There could be no greater honor...! And I'm starting to like this marriage to Battler thing! ......*giggle*, if you think about it, there could be no greater disgrace to this game! After all, that Beatrice has apparently grown a desire to serve Battler and be liked by him. In the world that witch created, ......I will marry, defile, and humiliate Battler!! *giggle*giggle*, *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*!! Oh yes, I understand. I sooo understand how painful it feels to have the one you love stolen away from you!! And now, I'm finally the one dealing out the pain...!! Truly, there could be no greater honor!!"
"I'm glad you like it. I knew it was the one present you'd like most in the world."
"Thank you so much, thank you so much!! My......masteeeeeeeeeeeeer...!!!"
Erika leapt down from the balcony and walked briskly towards Battler.
Then, she peered down at the reward she had been given...
".........Now isn't that a wonderful finale. You'll have a wedding, right?"
"Of course. A magnificent one. The perfect way to end Beato's game."
"Of course, you'll send Beato an invitation too, right?"
"Let's hope she actually comes."
""*giggle*giggle*, ehheheheheheheheheheheheheh!!""
"......Alright, things are going to get busy. We have to prepare for the ceremony, make programs, send invitations..."
"Don't forget the wedding dress and a cake!! And you need to get things ready for the reception!"
The two witches disappeared, cackling.
Only the two who were to be wed remained in the cathedral.
".........Could you hear...? ......Battler-san. ...Do you realize......what's about to happen to you......?"
".....................Damn......it......"
Battler's consciousness wasn't completely gone. ...It was very distant......but he was slightly tethered to reality.
...And that......was what made it cruel.

It was as cruel as though the spider called Erika had wrapped Battler up......and was eating him while he was still conscious.
No, she might have been like certain kinds of wasp. It was the cruelty of paralyzing her prey alive so that she could save him for later and eat him.

In other words, her cruelty was similar to that of a predator......
"You can't get out of this closed room. After all, you used all that red truth to show that it was a closed room. So don't worry, and just let yourself be trapped in there forever. ......Because as you do, ......I'll be giving your body some good, long humiliation. .........Let's have a mirror in our bedroom. ......That way, you can see just how you're being humiliated with your own eyes. .........*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*!!"
And then, let's have a bird cage hanging from the ceiling. We can stick your beloved witch Beatrice in there. What do you think......? ......Wonderful, isn't it......? Eheheheheheheheheeheheheheheheheh!! Yeah, ......I understand. This is how sweet it is to be standing on the other side... ...Aha, ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha......"
As he listened to this mad laugh, ......Battler couldn't even bring a distressed expression to his face.
His heart was still trapped in the closed room he had created...
His body and soul......would soon be trapped within a new closed room of Erika's.

[...]

A deep sound reverberated through the cathedral.

It was the sound of the several dozen Siesta Sisters Imperial Guards, members of the honor guard, who stood in a line across the cathedral and stamped their heels in unison.
......It brought about total silence even before the demons running the ceremony spoke.
"Let us have silence!! Ladies and gentlemen...!!"
"Welcome to the wedding of Lord BATTLER, territory lord and Golden Sorcerer, and Lady Erika, the Witch of Truth!!"
Zepar and Furfur had appeared in the center of the cathedral.

......Having them invited to host a wedding was a great honor.

Though they had asked for silence, the attendants who packed the cathedral welcomed the two demons with an enormous applause.

[...]

"Then, let us welcome the bride and groom...!!"
"Please give them a grand welcome and celebrate their departure!!"
""Come out, bride and groom!! Walk the path of the shackles called marriage, which will bind you until the grave!!""
The big doors in the back of the cathedral......slowly opened......
And then, .........the territory lord......and his beautiful bride...came into view......

Arm in arm, the pair slowly......began to walk down the 'path to the grave' lined with red carpet.
The Siesta honor guards stood at attention along either side of that path, raised their adorned bayonets with mechanical precision, and made sure that no evil could block the path that the pair walked down.

Siesta Sister troops that weren't part of the honor guard were stationed all over the cathedral, hiding behind pillars and so on, and keeping an eye out for any intruders.
".........00 calling 45 and 410, any irregularities?"
"Ceiling snipers, no irregularities nyeh."
410 and 45 could be seen on top of the massive chandelier hanging from the cathedral's ceiling.

Several other sniper pairs could be seen stationed on top of the other chandeliers...
This seemingly festive cathedral...was actually being heavily guarded in places that the attendants wouldn't notice......
"Currently, we are targeting 36 attendants suspected of being Lady Beatrice, as well as 131 who are located in positions suitable for a raid. Surveillance in progress."
"......Don't let your guard down. ......Lady Beatrice will almost certainly stage an attack on the wedding."
"That'd be so cool, breaking in to steal the bride nyeh."
"410, he's the groom, not the bride."
"But he's playing the bride's part nyeh. Nihihihihihi......"
The Siesta sniper teams on the chandeliers used super high-efficiency observers to track the movements of the several hundred attendants.

If any one of them made any suspicious movements, ......the Siestas were given permission to fire immediately.
...The one on that chandelier is Siesta 127.
That overworking monster sniper could pulverize a human target from 2 kilometers away.
...The one on the chandelier across from that is Siesta 20.
Her firing rate is 6000 shots per minute. However, she's using a portable magazine this time, so she'll use up her shots in about two seconds. That lazy bum can barely do her job for just two seconds nyeh.
Slowly, ......and making a show of it, the two walked down the red carpeted path.
Battler's eyes were blank.

......If you looked closely, you could probably tell that Erika was dragging him by the arm she held.
In other words, they weren't walking together.

......This was a ceremony for Erika to show off to everyone that this man belonged to her...

Behind the bride and groom walked the Seven Sisters of Purgatory, who held long, ceremonial arms in the shape of the One-winged Eagle...

[...]

The bride and groom's procession...slowly walked down the path to the grave......and reached the altar.

Though walking slowly was ceremonious and proper etiquette, it was also tiring.
Erika glanced over at Battler.
......Of course, his eyes were blank.

His heart was still inside that closed room.
Once more, the sound of the Siesta honor guard stamping their heels rang out loudly.

Silence returned to the cathedral once more.

......Now, the wedding ceremony would finally......begin.
"People live for the sake of love! Therefore, today, you have fulfilled the purpose of your lives."
"Oh, how great is the power to live, the power of love...! I pray that the brightness of this day blesses these two for all time!"
""Come now, you who love one another! Make the oath of love!!""
"In the place of the husband who cannot speak-"
"Let the wife make the oath on behalf of both of them...!"
"......Battler swears to Erika, and Erika swears to Battler to support each other, both in sickness and in health."
".........Ggh.........ghh..."
"......I didn't catch that, Battler-san... If you have some objection, please say it a bit more clearly, in a loud voice."
"......Da...mn...it......"
"If you have anything further to say, please get yourself out of that logic error closed room first. .........Don't worry. I'll support you until that day comes. ......*giggle*, ......*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*!!"
"You have heard the pair's oath of love. Oh, let this oath be eternal...!!""
The thunderous applause celebrated their marriage of subordination......
After the oath, ......they would physically signify the bond.

......It was the exchanging of the rings.
......The territory lord's ring with the One-winged Eagle engraved on it that sat on Battler's finger...would become Erika's.
By this, she would become the ruler of this game board...

And in exchange, ......Battler's finger would be given a diamond ring that Erika had prepared.
......At a glance, it just looked like a ring adorned by a large diamond.

......However, this cursed ring would force Battler into eternal subservience and mark him as another's property......
"Yes, let the pair exchange rings...!!"
"......Since the husband's fingers cannot move, let his wife support him...!"
Erika respectfully took Battler's right hand......then slowly pulled off the territory lord's ring that had sat on his ring finger......

That was the ring Beato had entrusted him with. ......Erika...stole it away.
"This is the ring that woman left behind, right......? Heh...heheh... ......How does it feel to have that stolen away by a woman like me......?"
"......to...he......"
"Huh? I can't hear you. Please say it one more time."
"......Go......to hell......"
"Oh, that. Well, then there's no need to worry, Battler-san."
Erika pressed her lips up against Battler's earlobe as if biting it......and told him where they were.
"......We're already there. *giggle*........."
Then, slowly, ......she took Beato's ring, which she had stolen from Battler, ......and slipped it onto her own left hand...
"And now, bride. You may give the groom your ring."
"......This one's pretty incredible. .........It's the shackle that'll hold him in place for all time."
"*giggle*. ......Yeah, ......it's custom made."

Even Battler's blank eyes could see the diamond ring Erika held.
It was like Erika herself.
On the outside, it shone beautifully, ......and possessed an absolute hardness that would bend to no one's will.

And on the inside, ......it had, to symbolize never letting go of the prey it had latched onto, ......eight sharp thorns pointing inwards.
If they had been growing out of the outer side, it would have looked like the collar of a watchdog from hell.
......However, who's ever heard of putting those on the inside...?
By twisting the diamond, those thorns could slide in or out.

......In other words, if you twisted it after thrusting the finger inside, ......the inward-facing thorns would bite down, never releasing until the end of time.

......Then, even his soul would be trapped, ......and his body, mind, and soul would be forced to serve Erika for all eternity.
".........Are...you...kidding me......? ............Who the......"
Who the hell would wear a ring like that?

......He couldn't even finish speaking that simple phrase.

And furthermore, those awkward words were the only way he could resist...
She raised Battler's left hand......and stroked his ring finger as if tasting it.
......Erika pressed the ring of subordination against the tip of his finger...
If a ring is made to fit too tightly, it can hurt and be annoying if it's impossible to take off.

However, ......this ring was never intended to be removed for life anyway, ......so its inner band had been mercilessly narrowed.

Even without the thorns, forcing a small ring like this on would hurt......
"This ring will seal up your body, heart, and soul......for all eternity. ......And you'll become an eternal living doll... ......I won't even let you die. ......You'll be endlessly defiled and humiliated by me, ......and every time I forget the taste of victory, ......I'll use your body to remind me. .........Over......and over again...... ......If you think you can bite off your tongue, now's the time... ......Once this goes on your finger, ...you won't even be able to do that."
"......Ffg...ggg...kk..."
Battler didn't even have the strength to bite his tongue.

......Even if he had, ......Battler didn't want to give up until he found a way to escape the closed room. So he couldn't kill himself.
However, if he accepted the ring, ......he would never be able to even think about escaping from the room, much less commit suicide......
"S......st...stop......it........."
"No way. ......Look......I'm......sticking your finger in......"
"Ghih......gyaggh......it...it huurts.........gggghh...agh..."
It wasn't just the pain of having his finger forced through the tight ring.
......The curse of the ring......fiercely tormented Battler's body from the inside.

That pain would always torment Battler.
......But, fortunately...
The power of the ring even stole away the heart that could understand that pain......

Erika kept screwing that too-small demon's ring on...
"It hurts............! .........!! ...It's...impossible... ......There's no way...it'll fit......"
"......Don't worry. ......It will fit......No problem..."

With an obscene laugh......Erika let a silver thread drip from her mouth...and soaked the finger and the ring.
"......Please relax. We'll stick it in......all at once... ...Please don't waste your energy resisting. ......It'll hurt less if you don't resist, okay...? .........You see? ......Now it's sliding right on......"
"Nooo.........oo.........oo...... .........!"
Slowly...slowly......Battler's finger went deeper...deeper through the ring.

He was pushed through the iron ring of pain and humiliation...which would never be removed again...
"Ooh.........gah..................gyhaah.........""......Come ooon, ......look, okay...? ......It's in all the way to the base, see......?"
"...It...hurts......it...hurts......guhh......Take...it......off......"
The demon's ring tightened around the finger......so much that it seemed the finger would snap off along with the bone.

......Could Battler's hazy expression of anguish......really describe how unbearable this filthy pain was......?
"......Okay. .........Now that it's on all the way, ......let's add the final touch, okay...? After this, ......you will be mine......forever......"
Erika touched the ring's diamond knob.
......If she twisted it, ......the thorns would bite in...and never let go again...
"N............no......stop......it........."
"Sure. ......Just say 'forgive me, Erika-sama', and I'll stop."
"............R, ......really.........?"
"'Forgive me, Erika-sama, please. I swear to spend the rest of my life as your dog, with a collar around my neck, so at least spare me that ring'. ......If you can say that, I won't make you wear the ring."
"......F.........f......f.........""......Huuuuh...? ......I can't really hear you......?"
I won't.........forgive you......
"......I'll never......forgive you......"
"For making you suffer like this...?"
"No. ...I'll...never...forgive you......for defiling.........Beato's...ring........."
Though Battler's eyes had supposedly been forced into a muddled condition, they looked strong for just an instant.

However, it really was only for an instant.
Battler had used up the last of his fleeting resistance......just to say those words.

In his dim consciousness, he had even bitten his own tongue to stay alert......so that he could say those words of resistance until the very end......
".........Of course. It seems you aren't the kind of dog that can be tamed. But it's better that way."

Erika smiled. ......Then, she turned the diamond.
In that instant, ......Battler let out a voiceless scream......and threw his head back...
"Ggh.........gah...ahh............aaaahh......!!!"

His howl had no voice and could be heard by no one. ......However, it still rang out throughout the cathedral......

Notes:
- ...YEAH.
- Erika is not actually hugely enjoying this even in the memory which is why it's significant neutral! She thinks that being the one that deals out pain is better than being the one receiving it, and she enjoys her ultimate victory over Battler, but she is still... aware that objectively this isn't a very happy ending for her either. BUT SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN HAPPY ENDINGS SO THIS IS GREAT OKAY. IT'S GREAT.
- This is tempered with extra concerns due to recent heart game effects that make her less sure that what Bern plans for her is the best thing for her.
- She has been told in Aather that Battler got out of his closed room eventually so she will definitely wonder what happened after this, and particularly if Beatrice showed up.
- We will see how things play out when she takes this!