"Asta! Where did you go?! Do you have any idea how scared we were?!"
The moment they escaped Herta's office, Mo Wang and March 7th spotted Asta waiting for them. Mo Wang immediately latched onto her, sobbing dramatically.
"How could you just leave us in there and run off? You're so cruel!" If she didn't treat him to a nice meal after this, he was going to lie on the floor and not get up.
"Ahaha, Ms. Herta gave me specific instructions. I couldn't really do anything," Asta said sheepishly. She might be the station master, but Herta was the real boss.
"So you just watched us walk into the lion's den without a word of warning?"
"I... I didn't dare." Asta wasn't about to risk her job, even if it meant she'd have to go back to being a ridiculously wealthy heiress. "Besides, you two are so close with Ms. Herta. I didn't think anything bad would happen. At worst, she'd just study you for a few days..."
"What do you mean, 'at worst'?! Asta, you...!" Mo Wang was starting to think she was a secret sadist. Was the "cute pink-haired girl is actually a demon" trope really unavoidable in the 2D world?
"Alright, I've prepared your rooms. They're the same ones you stayed in last time," Asta said, changing the subject. "So, what happened in there that got you two so scared?"
"It wasn't scary, exactly," March said. "But Herta... she's planning to marry Mo Wang."
"Huh?! M-Marry?!" Asta shrieked, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
"Shhh! Do you want us to be on the front page of the news tomorrow?" Mo Wang clamped a hand over her mouth. An Emanator of Preservation and Elation, marrying an Emanator of Erudition? The entire universe would explode. Not to mention the Herta fan club would probably try to lynch him.
"But... but... how...?" Asta was speechless. The news was too much for her brain to process. To be fair, even Mo Wang and March didn't fully understand it. As Herta would say, the mind of a genius was beyond the comprehension of mere mortals.
---||---
Late that night, Mo Wang was tossing and turning in his bed. The day's events had been... a lot. Herta wanting to explore the origins of life with me... He was starting to regret not taking her up on the offer.
Sigh, I can't sleep. Might as well watch some anime. Just as he was about to get comfortable, his door creaked open.
"Holy crap!" He pulled the covers up to his chin, staring in horror as Herta casually walked in.
"H-Herta?! What are you doing here?!"
"I just walked in. Is there a problem?" she asked, her expression unreadable.
"I mean... why..." He clutched the blanket tighter as her eyes roamed over him.
"Would you stop that? It's not like I haven't seen your body before," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"What do you want?" he asked, a sense of dread creeping up on him.
"Well, you may not have agreed to the marriage, but you did agree to let me study your body, didn't you?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Then you should be compensated."
"Compensated? With what...?"
"With an exploration of the origins of life, of course. To be honest, your proposal piqued my curiosity. Why are you mortals so obsessed with such an inefficient and... messy... process?"
Her calm, analytical tone sent a shiver down his spine. "Herta... are you sure this is a good idea?" he stammered.
She tilted her head. "Why wouldn't it be? Scientific research requires bold experimentation. And you did agree to be my test subject."
"But... this is different!"
"Shhh," she said, pressing a finger to his lips. "You don't want March 7th to hear, do you? She's right next door. It would be... awkward... if she knew we were having such a late-night 'academic discussion.'"
He was trapped. And, he had to admit, a little turned on. He was no saint, and this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
He lunged, pinning her to the bed. "Hehehe, you're not getting away this time," he growled.
But before he could make his move, several mechanical arms shot out from the walls, binding him to the bed.
"What is this?" he asked, confused.
Herta climbed on top of him, a triumphant smile on her face. "I did agree to this. But I prefer to be the one conducting the experiment." She ripped off his pants and grabbed him. "So this is it. It's not as special as I thought."
A chill ran down his spine. "Wait, do you even know what you're doing?"
"Don't worry," she said, a new glint in her eyes. "I've read a lot of books. Just relax and enjoy it."
"D-Don't stop! Do your worst! I, Mo Wang, will not submit!" he declared, as if he were the one being... serviced.
"As I said, this is just part of the experiment. I'll be very gentle," she purred, and then...
...The exploration of life began.
After the first round, Herta was flushed and breathless. "So... this is what it feels like..."
"Hey, don't tell me you're already done after just one round," Mo Wang said, shattering the restraints with a burst of strength. He flipped her over, pinning her beneath him.
"Huh? You still have energy?" she asked, surprised.
"Don't forget who you're dealing with. I'm an Emanator of Preservation. I could do this for three days and three nights!"
"Using the Path of Preservation for this... you're one of a kind," she panted.
"Less talk, more action!" he roared. He was going to make sure she couldn't walk for a week.
"Not so fast," she said, and a dozen of her puppets appeared, surrounding the bed.
"I'll take on all of you!" he declared.
The battle of the Emanators raged on, their power threatening to tear the room apart. They fought until the next afternoon, when Mo Wang, the dual Emanator, finally emerged victorious.
But it had been a costly battle. He had used up almost all of his energy to defeat the army of Hertas.
Lying in the wreckage of the bed, a new headache began to form. He had fallen into the succubus's trap. How was he going to explain this to March 7th?
It felt like he had just walked down a dead-end street in his harem-route galge. He was doomed. Was there any way to save this playthrough?