Battler pays Shannon to go too far. (Pink Trigger's Power >3,499, Stacks -1)

Battler slowly reached for the last stack. "Shannon... If this is too much, you've gotta tell me, all right? I want it. I definitely want it. But... if that's not fair to him, your husband... You've gotta say so! Stop me if this isn't right for you..."

Shannon shook her head and frowned, taking the money from him once again, but placing one of her delicate, bare hands over his. "I'm sorry, Battler. You don't understand, but... This is no longer about what is right for me. It seems I never had the right to decide, after all... That is the role of furniture, I suppose..." Before he could question any further, she cut him off by leaning in towards his face, locking her soft lips with his own speechless mouth. In no time at all, the two were holding each other like lovers. Battler's hands clumsily untied the laces of her jacket, shedding it from her so that her open blouse now revealed her bra in all of its glory. Slowly, but methodically, Shannon began helping him with his own clothing, undoing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt while he worked to shrug free of his white jacket.

Those two looked like a natural pair in both age and passion, except for the hesitant, guilty expression Battler wore and the sad look in Shannon's eyes. Finally, Battler tore himself back from Shannon... a trail of saliva hung between their parted lips, showing just how hard the maid had been working to try and please him. It broke with his words. "Sh-Shannon... I can't... George is-"

"Don't question it any more, Battler. If this is her will, I'm... not strong enough to oppose it... Neither is George. Neither are you..." With a beaming smile but wet eyes, Shannon spread her arms, baring her bra to the young man. "I can only offer myself as furniture, a gift of the Golden Witch, Beatrice..."

Battler's arms acted automatically to wrap around Shannon and work her bra clasp, but his face appeared troubled. "I don't get it... I don't understand this at all! Is this what you want or not? If you tell me it is, I'll pay this whole briefcase of money, fight George or whoever else...! But... wh-what is this witch you're talking about?!"

Shannon shut her eyes tightly, as though she couldn't answer. Instead, she gasped as her bra fell open, then crossed her arms across her chest. Tears fell from her eyes, running down her cheeks. Apparently, it was too far for her after all. "George... George...!"

Before Battler could continue, the darkness in the room exploded into activity. Something was roughly knocked over, and before anyone could react, Eva had rushed like a demon from the darkness. They say a mother gains unnatural strength when protecting her child: this was some dark twist on that familiar wisdom, as she easily lifted Shannon from Battler's lap and threw her, roughly, to the floor. The candle jostled, then fell to the floor.

I knew I'd die soon, but I had no intention to die **** for air in a fire! I hurried over to the flame before it could spread, then stomped on it, putting it out. This had the side effect of plunging the room into total darkness, except for the occasional flashes of thunder. One of those lit Eva's twisted grimace as she sneered down at the floor where Shannon had fallen, although I didn't think she could actually see her. "You little hussy! You snake-tongued, dirt-bred harlot! I was prepared to simply curse my luck and make your life a living hell for blowing my chance at that fortune, but you! You...!! You were after my George and Rudolf's degenerate, weren't you? Well, I've decided to give you and Battler my blessing! You two can join each other in-"

...

Eva's voice simply stopped. It cut off, as though she had disappeared.

Indeed, when the thunder flashed again, she was no longer standing there. Instead, there was the dignified visage matching the portrait in the hall. Even with only a second's revelation, everyone in the room must know it was Beatrice. However, she only watched Battler. Golden butterflies orbited the airspace of her head like moths near a lamp, giving her smile an otherworldly glow while leaving the rest of her body shrouded in darkness. "Hm, yes. Shannon, my furniture, served me well. It appears I chose the right tool for the right job..."

Since Battler seemed to be stunned, and I wasn't sure where Shannon even was, I was the one to speak. "Tool for the job?" Wasn't Eva the one who orchestrated this?

"Hmhmhm... Eva had the poor luck to choose my furniture as her piece in this game. This was a wolves-and-sheep puzzle of sorts... It seems like she isn't too skillful with those puzzles after all! Ahaha...! Since Shannon restored my power in the way that I asked, I saw fit to protect her from that fake witch. That is the duty of a benevolent master, after all. Yes, at the conclusion of tonight's festivities, she and George will join me in my Golden Land. After all, love is continually revived there... yes..."

Beatrice held her pipe aloft, then lowered it to point where Shannon ought to be. I saw her slowly raise it, then heard something moving from the floor... dragging across the wall in the dark, as though being rubbed against it...

"Oh, yes, even pathetic furniture like Shannon is permitted to join me there! Even ordinarily useless furniture might be good to store in my attic until I have guests to entertain, after all! Hoho, oh, Shannon...! I am so fortunate, so truly lucky and blessed, that your so-called romance with your fat fuck of a fiance was so easily tossed aside! With only that weak shackle binding you, a slutty honeypot like you was the perfect trap to ensnare Battler and restore my power...! Kyahaha, aaaahahahaha!! Ah, Battler! Did you enjoy the snack I prepared for the night's festivities? A nice and fluffy melon tart, aaaahahaha!!"

Battler finally snapped to his senses, just barely. He looked to where a noise had indicated Shannon must be. "Shannon! Shannon?!"

"Oho! Battler is worried for you, seeeee, Shannooon?! I guess you were a tasty treat, after all! Ah, is Battler supposed to be your knight in shining armor? Heeheehee, I guess he'll fall head over heels with just about any girl who favors him with a kiss! Say, Battler... Shannon belongs to George, okay? How would you like to smooch a babe who's more available, huuuh?!"

With a grin, Beatrice flourished her pipe in the dark. Suddenly, enough golden butterflies circled her and Battler to illuminate both the young man's shirtless body and the witch, who turned out to be clad in a dark red lingerie set herself, as though in mockery of Shannon's. As Battler struggled in the air, she floated in towards him... Then, with eyes full of cruel amusement, she had her way with his mouth, forcing her tongue upon him and making him reciprocate. She wrapped her hands around his unwilling body, and in the light of her familiars, I even saw her hands firmly grab the seat of his pants.

She drew her head back with a sloppy smacking noise, as if giving him a wetter kiss than Shannon had managed was a challenge she'd tasked herself with. "Mmm! Not bad, for a human! If you had about four-hundred and forty more years of experience, you might be worth making my main squeeze, Ushiromiya Battleeeer! Oooh, and Shannon, he was really working his tongue in there! I guess he was hungry for a taste of a real woman after your clumsy bumbling, huh? Kihihihi! Aaaahahahahaa!!"

Her head whipped around and Battler's body fell to the floor. Now, she was looking at me, her blue pupils dilated. "I'm just about through pleasuring myself with these pieces, Mr. Player. I'm ready to restart my game properly, having satisfied myself. I'm afraid I can't have any unannounced guests joining me... I'll need to reset Shannon, Battler, and Eva, but I think it's fine if you stay here. Hmhmhm... Not many get to stay in this particular room, Mr. Player!"

I'll just... remain in this room?

"Well, yes, after we fix that bit of it you messed up. Let's see... what form did it have? Oh, little flickering flame, oh <little light of mine>... Try and remember the form you had...!"

Golden butterflies drifted from her. For a moment, only her flashing grin was visible in the darkness; then, her entire body was hidden in darkness as the butterflies touched upon the candle on the carpet. Those butterflies touched down there, one after another...

Then, the illusion vanished. It must have been an illusion. After all... I had been careful to stamp out that fire before...

... Now, as though a veil had been lifted from my eyes, what I had initially taken as golden butterflies was a roaring bonfire in the center of the room. It wasn't just there: the shadows of the room had inverted into a bright, golden flash as I became aware every fringe of the room was brightly lit with flames. I was the only one there... There was no sign of Battler, Shannon, or any witch. The heat was unbearable... it felt like I was in the mansion's furnace...!

Ah... Soon, I was a perfect, unidentifiable corpse. I'm sure the servants and family managed to fight the fire, but far, far too late to save the mysterious body that had set it off in the first place. It looked like I would become the final addition of the cursed legend of this VIP room...