The heart-shaped glow in Rose's eyes intensified, casting the room in a pulsating pink light. The mist thickened, filling the air with a sweet, intoxicating scent that clung to everything. It was so dense it felt as if the very air had become suffocating, yet despite this overpowering atmosphere, Layton and Miruku remained on their feet.

At first, both of them felt their blood pumping faster, a rush of adrenaline hitting them like a wave. Their heads began to swim with the sensation, but something didn’t add up. Layton blinked, shaking his head as if trying to clear the fog from his mind.

'Wait... is this it?'

Rose noticed it too. Her eyes widened, her expression shifting from confidence to confusion. In her fully transformed state, her charm should have been irresistible, overwhelming. Any normal human would be on their knees, brain washed over by lust, barely able to think, let alone fight. Even monsters, when faced with this level of Prana-based allure, would crumble.

But these three stood unaffected, not even a hint of strain showing on their faces.

"How...?" Rose muttered under her breath, bewildered. "Why... why are they still standing?"

One of the succubi, trembling, hesitantly broke the silence. "Sister... our charm... it doesn’t work on Heroes?"

Rose spun around, her mouth hanging open. "What?! Why didn’t you say this earlier?!"

Had she known, she would’ve never resorted to using her full allure. She would’ve continued negotiating, perhaps even offering something else—anything—rather than starting a fight she now realized was unwinnable.

"In—ineffective..." she stammered, trying to make sense of it all. Her sharp red nails dug into her palms as she stared at Anyi, her frustration palpable.

The truth was undeniable now—these Heroes weren’t like the others she had encountered. Somehow, they were immune to the charm that had felled so many before them. What was she supposed to do now? The other succubi looked to her with wide, hopeful eyes, waiting for her to find a way out, waiting for her to lead.

She clenched her jaw, If charm was useless, and she had no offensive magic powerful enough, then there was only one option left.

"Even if it’s futile..." Rose’s voice trembled with emotion, but her gaze was resolute as she turned to Anyi. "I will never betray my kind!"

In a sudden burst of motion, Rose charged, roaring, her wings flaring and her tail whipping behind her as she aimed her horns straight at Anyi’s chest. She was ready to give everything—her life, her body, her pride.

Layton and Miruku moved immediately, instincts kicking in. Layton raised his shield, thickening it with layers of slime, while Miruku vanished in a flash of black light, aiming to strike Rose before she could reach Anyi.

But then, in the midst of all this chaos, Anyi stepped forward calmly. "Slow down," he muttered.

Before anyone could comprehend what had happened, Anyi reached out effortlessly, his hand grasping Rose's horns just as they were about to pierce his chest. Her momentum halted in an instant, as if she had slammed into an immovable object.

Stolen novel; please report.

Layton blinked in disbelief, lowering his shield in confusion. "D-did... did he just—?"

Miruku, frozen mid-attack, stared wide-eyed at Anyi, who stood casually, his grip firm but gentle on Rose's horns. The room fell into stunned silence.

Rose, her feet still pressing forward, fluttered her wings in a futile attempt to push Anyi back. But no matter how much strength she poured into it, she couldn’t budge him an inch. Her tail stiffened in a straight line, showing she had used every last ounce of her power. Yet... nothing.

"Sister...?" one of the succubi behind her whispered, utterly baffled.

Rose, panting and red-faced from exertion, finally pulled back from Anyi’s grasp, turning to face her comrades. "Charm is useless... so I thought I'd stab him to death with my horns."

Without missing a beat, she repositioned herself and charged again, this time from a different angle.

Anyi sighed, shifting his stance slightly before reaching out once more. His hand caught her horns again, stopping her dead in her tracks with the same eerie ease.

No matter how much force Rose applied, it was as if her head was lodged between two mountains, immovable against Anyi's calm grip. Her every effort to pierce his belly with her horn felt like a cruel joke, a dance of futility as she thrashed in place. Desperation clawed at her insides, erupting in a furious scream.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!"

She swung her claws wildly, her sharp nails aiming for Anyi's face. But when her fingers made contact, it was her own nails that shattered. The sharp pain shot through her, forcing her to crouch on the ground, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she groaned in agony.

Layton stood nearby, completely dumbfounded, staring at the scene as if it were some bizarre dream. Miruku’s mind, meanwhile, was a tangled mess of disbelief, question marks practically swirling around her head.

'This?' she thought. 'This is the succubus attack?'

Rose, now crumpled on the floor, glared up at Anyi with tear-filled eyes. "Tch... Kill me!" she spat, venom in her voice. Her body was trembling, not from fear, but from the stark realization of how vastly outmatched she was. Her charm was useless, her physical strength meaningless—nothing she tried had even dented him.

"Just give me a quick death! No need to humiliate me anymore!" Her voice cracked with the weight of defeat.

"Sister... he’s literally just standing there..." came a hesitant voice from one of the other succubi.

"Tch!" Rose nearly exploded, her face flushed with humiliation. 'Did you have to point that out?!'

Her hands balled into fists as she stared coldly at Anyi. Tears threatened to spill, but she held them back. "Ah... no matter what, I won’t betray monsters!" Her voice was sharp, defiant, her gaze burning despite her tears. "Even if I die! You won’t get a single useful word from me!"

A sudden, awkward silence fell over the room, broken only by the trembling of the other exposed succubi.

Rose, her teeth clenched, spun toward them, her voice dripping with fury. "What?!"

The four cowered under her glare, one of them stammering, "Ah, well... uh... the weather! The weather is great today, don't you think? Even though we can't really see it from here..."

"Yeah, yeah! You’re standing up for us, so brave! Ahaha..."

But Rose’s expression darkened with every word, realization creeping in. "You... you didn’t just..." Her voice trailed off, ice cold.

The succubi fidgeted under her stare. "We didn’t say anything! Really! We swear!"

"It’s not like we mentioned the Goblin Centurions in the forest or anything..."

"Yeah, yeah! The three of them! We didn’t say a word about it!"

"And it’s not like the goblins are any threat to us, so what’s the big deal?"

"YOU ALL JUST SAID IT OUT LOUD!!"

Rose’s furious roar echoed through the room as she sprang to her feet, smacking each of the succubi on the head in a mix of frustration and despair. These girls—supposedly part of one of the most intelligent monster races—had spilled everything with a few nervous giggles.

Once the last blow landed, Rose leaned back against the wall, her face pale, her eyes hollow with defeat. It was over.

"It's over," Anyi said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Now, can I continue asking questions?"

Rose’s head slumped as she sighed, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Ah... fine. The color of my underwear is... I’m not wearing any."

Anyi blinked. "Nobody asked you that."