Harem Stealer: Reborn with the God-Tier Sharing System Chapter 457: Twisted

"Such tricks are useless against me." Apollo snarled, his gaze burning with the embers of fury. "I am unsure who you believe you are deceiving, but this effort is wasted on me."

"Deceiving?" Law let out a cold scoff, lowering herself to the ground. She met Apollo’s stare directly, showing no hint of intimidation. "I have no further need to deceive you. That task is already complete. By your own choices, I led you to step away from the political maneuvers of the Celestials."

"Furthermore, you went as far as slaying your own daughter to force her reincarnation."

She suppressed a giggle. "Following that, every piece of the puzzle fell into place."

As Law continued to speak, a relentless sense of dread began to coil within Apollo’s chest.

He clenched his jaw, stubbornly refusing to accept a single word she uttered.

"My sister," Apollo stated, his voice strained with tension, "is merely doing what is required to maintain our facade. She harbors no love for her husband."

His tone dropped into a deep, primal growl. "She wouldn't dare."

"I truly regret being the bearer of bad news," Law remarked, though her gleeful tone suggested she enjoyed every second of it. "The only reason you managed to bring her to your bed was because of the obsession and attention you showered upon her."

"Idalia Marigold entered this world with a strange complexion. A singular trait of her existence. Yet, it turned her into a pariah, a target for whispered ridicule."

The surrounding Living Darkness trembled under the weight of Apollo’s escalating rage. "Stop... do not dare speak another lie."

Law ignored his warning, pressing on. "In the midst of that isolation, regardless of being the True Child of a Progenitor, she felt nothing but emptiness and abandonment. It was worsened by a father constantly in seclusion and a mother who detested the very sight of her offspring."

"I told you to—!"

"And that is precisely where you stepped in." Law interrupted his outburst with a wide, mocking grin. "You, Apollo, the 'perfect' brother. You provided everything she craved. You gave her affection, focus, safety, and so much more."

"You exploited that vulnerability to reveal your repulsive desires. And how do you think she would react? A girl terrified of losing the only warmth she had painstakingly secured?"

"Is this the extent of your schemes?" Apollo asked icily. "Fabricating lies just to manipulate me? To force me into conflict? Or is there another motive you are hiding?"

"You are well aware that I am speaking the truth," Law replied with eerie calm, "because if these were mere fictions, your eyes would not be weeping blood at this very moment."

Apollo remained silent. He offered no retort as he felt the hot streaks of crimson tears carving paths down his face.

"You can deduce the rest, can't you? Or perhaps you’ve always known, but chose to look away. If you have the courage to face reality, allow me to show you the way."

The Firstborn of Light stayed quiet, but his bleeding eyes spoke volumes.

They were clouded with fury, loathing, and a profound sorrow.

However, as Law’s words struck him like a physical blade, his grief evaporated, serving as fuel for his burgeoning hate and wrath.

"Idalia Marigold chose you only because she feared losing her sole comfort in a judgmental world. But those days are over. She used your sacrifice to establish her own power. Now, she has discovered her true love, while you are left here to rot, consumed by this Darkness."

Law paused, savoring the sight of Apollo’s spirit crumbling.

'For so long! I have anticipated this moment for countless eons!' she thought to herself.

Layers of intricate plots had been laid. It had cost her immense sacrifices to reach this turning point.

Apollo was oblivious, and he didn't need to understand. He didn't need to know that she was the architect of Idalia’s childhood loneliness.

Even so, Law hadn't anticipated the twisted nature of Apollo’s love for his sister. That revelation only served to delight her, allowing her to refine her strategy accordingly.

Now, she stood on the precipice of total victory.

Law struggled to hide her triumphant smirk.

Witnessing her expression, Apollo—unable to deny Law's words after so many hidden truths came to light—finally spoke in a parched, frozen voice.

"What," he whispered, "is it that you require from me?"

Though drowned in malice, Apollo was no fool. He recognized that the Overseer of Law sought something specific.

Every word she spoke was calculated.

Her intent to provoke his rage, to make him desperate to escape and slaughter his sister’s husband, was part of a larger design.

He loathed to admit it, but she had successfully fanned the flames of his fury.

Law broke into laughter at his question.

"Swear an oath upon The Records," she commanded. "Do that, and I will reveal my terms. Do it, and I will grant you the power you should have already attained. Do it, and you shall have the means to kill your sister’s husband and sate your dark, ugly cravings."

Apollo went silent, fighting to suppress the impulses raging within him. "What is the nature of the oath?" he managed to ask.

"Pledge your absolute fealty to me," Law answered instantly. "You shall follow every command I give without hesitation. You will never betray me."

"You seek to make me your slave," Apollo growled.

"I seek a reliable ally," she countered. "Make your choice. I have wasted enough time, and the Progenitor awaits my report."

A heavy silence fell between them. The Son of Light wished there was another path, but he was trapped.

However,

"You must also pledge not to betray me," Apollo insisted. "That is my only condition for the oath. You must swear you will not turn on me, Overseer of Law. If you refuse, then let us both be damned."

Law shrugged indifferently. "I swear upon The Records that I shall never betray Apollo of BrightSky, Firstborn of Light."

The overwhelming presence of The Records descended upon them, ancient and all-seeing. Then,

[Approved.]

The vow was etched into existence.

Law turned her gaze toward Apollo. Feeling a strange sense of relief, the Son of Light spoke his part.

"I swear upon The Records to obey Sirin Sora of Light and never betray her, provided she remains true to her word."

Law, whose true name was Sirin Sora, smiled broadly.

The Records reacted once more.

[Approved.]

Their spoken words finalized the new bond between Sirin and Apollo.

He spoke again, "Now tell me, why? Why go through all this trouble?"

Sirin’s grin widened so much it seemed to split her face. "Why?" she repeated, her voice echoing with strange, discordant layers. "Don’t be naive, Apollo."

"I am pursuing exactly what they are all searching for."

A sudden, horrific realization dawned on Apollo, and his blood-stained eyes stretched wide.

"No," he gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, I would, I would, I would!" Sirin laughed, her voice booming and unchecked.

"I dare, Apollo! I dare! And you will be right there with me. We will either triumph together or burn together."

"Now, Firstborn of Light," she murmured, "it is time to step into the Light. Oh, I am so curious! Truly curious..."

With a mere touch from Sirin, the prison gates swung open.

"I wonder what your sister will say when she sees you?"

Apollo grunted. "Say? She won't have the words. She will do nothing but weep as I butcher her husband before her very eyes."

Sirin laughed, stepping into the cell to release Apollo from his bindings.

"In due time, Apollo. In due time. For now, you have an audience with the Progenitor, your father."

The heavy shackles fell away from the Son of Light.

"And you have a task to perform for me," Sirin added, the sound of her footsteps echoing through the dark halls.

Thus,

The Firstborn of Light was liberated.

...

At the same moment Apollo was being released, Idalia Marigold was within her own domain, inside a palace crafted in the likeness of a sun.

In her vast chambers, she stood tall and unclothed, her vitiligo-marked skin revealing a powerful, muscular physique for all to see.

Her focus was locked on a specific scene—a man bound to a chair, also naked and physically aroused.

Looking at Idalia’s form, the man’s expression was a mask of pure revulsion and fury, with loathing etched into the sharp features of his incredibly handsome face.

Marigold’s lips thinned. "Truly?" she asked, her voice a mix of rage and melancholy. "Why is it so impossible for you to love me?"

"You are revolting—!"

"Is it because of her?" Marigold interrupted coldly, her heavy footsteps echoing as she leaned in until her face was inches from his.

Their golden eyes clashed.

"Have you still not managed to forget her after all these years?" Idalia questioned again.

"One does not simply forget the person they love, Idalia," the man spat with pure hatred. "That is a concept your warped mind will never grasp."

"Oh, but I do understand," Idalia retorted. "And I truly wonder if your love will persist once you learn what has become of her."

The man’s brow furrowed as a creeping sense of alarm began to take hold.

"What," he snarled, "did you do to her?"

"I assumed you would be pleased?" Idalia laughed. "You loved her so intensely that I couldn't stand to see you in pain. So, can you guess my actions? Can you guess why I claimed a fragment of your soul that day?"

The man began to struggle against his bonds, his voice growing frantic. "Tell me, Marigold! What have you done?!" he roared, veins bulging with anger on his forehead.

Idalia met his fury with a manic, wide-eyed grin.

"It is quite simple, my darling," she whispered into his ear. "I took your precious Justicia, the one you adore, and I shattered her will and mind so completely that she lost almost all memory of her past."

The man's eyes widened in horror.

"I handed her over to my son as a slave, serving as a guardian for my reincarnated daughter."

"No... no..." the man gasped, trembling in shock.

"But as I said, I am not entirely without mercy. That piece of your soul I took... I gave it life. I gave it your face, your personality, and every trait that defines you."

"Then I bound him to Justicia, ensuring he would be under her care and protection, and I even made sure your love for her remained intact within him."

"I believed that would suffice," Marigold said. She then slowly lowered herself onto the man, her eyes fluttering in pleasure.

The man continued to thrash in resistance, yet he couldn't help but let out a moan as Marigold’s body claimed him.

He felt a deep self-hatred for the reaction, but the physical sensation was overwhelming.

Marigold tilted her head back and laughed toward the ceiling.

"Where is Justicia?" the man managed to shout through his self-loathing. "WHERE IS JUSTICIA?!"

"Oh, don't yell, my love." Her voice dripped with obsessive tenderness. "I hesitate to tell you for fear of breaking your heart, but I shall."

She leaned close to his ear and whispered slowly,

"Your incarnation was slain. Justicia survived, but she became the wife of a man named Noah Vaelgrim. Oh, but they are both dead now. Hahaha! But tell me, can you picture him taking her the same way I am taking you?"

The man began to sob.

"Please, my darling, tell me."

"Can you imagine it, Elijah?"