Chapter 29: The True Boot Licker

"Who exactly are you?"

Staring at the suddenly appeared Theresa, Edd attempted to take a step forward but found himself inexplicably immobilized.

"Don't even think about moving; there's nothing you can do to stop me now," she said softly. "However, I feel rather sorry for you. Would you like to know what your beloved Hinata-sama is up to right this moment?"

Theresa approached Edd closely, swiftly snatching the dagger from his hand as she studied its intricate patterns. With Oath of Judah's power suppressing him within the room, he had no strength left to resist.

"Give that back!" Deprived of his weapon, Edd nearly lost control, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Theresa.

"I have no use for it. Here..." After examining the blade briefly, Theresa casually tossed it beside him.

"Who the hell are you? Do you want to tell me?" Edd hastily reclaimed his dagger, unable to tear his gaze away from Theresa. He was utterly bewildered by her sudden appearance and presence.

Her intentions were utterly inscrutable.

"The Hinata you worship so fervently... is currently lying naked in bed, being licked by another man!"

That's what a true boot licker looks like, she thought mockingly. Even if you wanted to join in, there'd be no chance for you. The words hung in the air, designed to incite jealousy and anger.

To tell the truth, whenever Theresa heard "Hinata," her mind inevitably wandered to the web version's portrayal of Hinata Sakaguchi's story.

In that alternate narrative, Cardinal Nikolaus Spertus had thoroughly explored every inch of Hinata's body with his tongue...

And Hinata herself seemed indifferent towards her own flesh, regarding it as cheap and disposable. At Nikolaus' request, she willingly offered herself without reservation.

The image persisted: Hinata lying completely nude on the bed, gazing down at him with cold... arrogant eyes, allowing him to lick her... It was an intensely erotic scene, one that stirred primal desires within Nikolaus—a man who stood as both the confidant of the sole, inviolable Emperor of the Holy Empire of Lubelius and the de facto leader of the Western Holy Church.

Despite his status, this formidable figure remained unwaveringly devoted to Hinata alone, loyal almost to a fault—like a faithful hound awaiting its master's command.

"What nonsense are you spouting? How could Lady Hinata possibly..."

"You don't believe me? Feel free to ask her yourself! If she doesn't lie, she might tell you all about it.

"Or perhaps you should try requesting permission to... lick her? Who knows if she'd agree? After all, she truly couldn't care less about that body of hers."

Theresa paced before Edd, hands clasped behind her back. Seeing his unwillingness to believe her words seemed to satisfy some twisted curiosity within her—a perverse pleasure derived from embodying the demon herself, as though even her own identity had been subsumed by this role.

This isn't right, she thought.

"Lady Hinata would never—"

"That's enough for now," Theresa interrupted him. "Save your questions for later; seek out the answers on your own time." The incident involving Hinata being licked had occurred long ago, well before Rimuru's appearance—and thus was already history.

Oh, how Theresa anticipated the moment when he finally confronted Hinata with these matters! It promised to be quite entertaining—but alas, she feared she wouldn't live to see it unfold.

"It's time to attend to more pressing business. Come here..." She stepped closer to Edd, her voice dripping with condescension. "...Open wide, my little boot licker."

As she reached him, Theresa sliced her finger with her nail, drawing blood. Under the moonlight, drops glistened like fallen stars—the essence of Honkai Impact seeping from her veins. Consuming her blood directly could indeed infect one with vampirism, albeit not as effectively as through a bite introducing the virus into the bloodstream via teeth.

But standing before her was a man, and Theresa had no intention whatsoever of biting him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Edd observed Theresa's actions with confusion, yet he felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

"Open your mouth when I tell you to," she commanded. "Become my familiar. Once I've fully developed and grown stronger, I'll capture Hinata for you to lick clean. Then you'll truly appreciate what I'm offering from the bottom of your heart!"

Edd fell silent, refusing to open his lips or utter another word.

"You really believe that will stop me?"

Theresa stepped closer, raming her heel firmly on his foot.

"Ahh!" A pained scream tore through the air as Theresa dripped blood directly into his mouth.

"There we go! Consider yourself marked now—just wait to become one of us Vampires! But remember this: The Luminous you worship is actually part of our kind too—the oldest Vampire Ancestor herself. So consider yourself fortunate—to be aligned with your god in race should bring you joy!"

With those final words, Theresa gently tapped Edd's face, sending him off to sleep before beginning her transformation back into mist form.

And so it continued—with the second, third...

Using the power of the Oath of Judah, she swiftly infected all but one of them.

In the end, only the leader remained—the black-haired young squad commander...

-

As Theresa materialized in his room through her Mist Form ability, the young man seemed to sense her presence immediately.

He swiftly drew his weapon, eyeing the doorway warily. "Who's there?"

"Aiya... So Theresa has been discovered," came the voice as she appeared at the door, Oath of Judah slung over her back.

The moment Theresa materialized, the youth wasted no time, swinging his blade towards her without hesitation.

Startled, Theresa hastily thrust Oath of Judah before herself. The sudden appearance of the holy relic caught the young man off guard; he was too fast, leaving him no time to react. His entire body collided directly with Oath of Judah.

"No need for such haste," Theresa observed calmly as the youth crashed into her sacred artifact. She promptly activated its binding power.

"..."

Rubbing his aching body, the youth glared at Theresa standing before him. He attempted to raise his weapon for another strike but found himself immobilized.

"A binding spell?" The youth remained unfazed, his expression composed as he positioned his knight sword defensively, ready to counterattack at any moment.

"Relax, I'm not here to kill you." Theresa waved dismissively.

Yet, in that instant, the youth fiercely swung his massive knight sword, unleashing a wave of light hurtling straight towards Theresa.

"What is this...?"

The incoming wave of light startled even Theresa. In an instant, she vaporized her body to evade the beam. As she reformed, she once again raised an Oath of Judah before him.

One Oath of Judah had failed to fully suppress him into an ordinary human—so she prepared another.

By this point, the young man seemed unable to even lift his knight's sword, which clattered down onto the ground.

"Remarkable," Theresa said, genuinely impressed as she observed him. "Even my Oath of Judah, capable of instantly stripping high elves of their power, couldn't subdue you. You're far stronger than I anticipated."

But surely you can't withstand two Oaths of Judah, right? she thought confidently. Although neither artifact was currently empowered with any enhancements...

"Who exactly are you?" The youth, now completely devoid of resistance, finally voiced his question.

"Oh me? Well, actually, I'm...the younger sister of your goddess Luminous," Theresa replied casually.