Elysia's feet were clad in pristine white tabi socks, slipped into geta with red straps.
This was her last shred of decency.
Even during the crawl earlier, Elysia had not taken off her footwear.
The flawless maiden's pink hair, damp with fragrant sweat, stuck to her cheeks and nape; her clothes were in disarray, requiring her to clutch the collar to prevent any indecent exposure.
Only her feet seemed to be the "last pure land," untouched by the defilement.
At this moment, although the laboratory was vast and quiet, it felt filled with a thick, oppressive atmosphere.
Mebius's words were teasing and seductive, while Ye Feng's gaze was scorching and intensely aggressive.
Elysia took a small step back on her geta, her small hand tightly gripping the collar of her kimono. As her beautiful legs crossed, a flash of dazzling, fair skin peeked out from the hem of her garment.
"Endure? Lose face?... Mebius, isn't it time to stop? Even for me..."
"Even for you, so what?"
Mebius's slender hand toyed with her own light green hair as she watched Elysia with great interest.
That appearance, like a small animal trembling—although she wasn't actually trembling—truly delighted Mebius.
"When you come here, you must cast aside all morality. Didn't Aponia tell you?"
Elysia's pupils constricted slightly. "...Aponia?"
"Mhm?"
This time, it was the little snake's turn to hum. The corners of her mouth slowly rose, curving into a deep arc.
"Eden, Aponia, aren't they your best friends? Didn't she tell you?"
Elysia suddenly had a moment of epiphany. She finally understood what Aponia meant before when she said she was "guilty."
But she had also said she would watch over her steadfastly...
If that was the case, if Aponia was also here, why hadn't she appeared yet?
"Hehe, hehehe. Elysia, you really don't know anything, do you? It's alright. Although you've lost Aponia, you still have me. I can be your guide. In the future, we can teach that lewd nun a lesson together."
"Stop trying to sow discord. Aponia must have had my best interests at heart, which is why she didn't tell me."
Elysia understood, even if she had known the relevant information beforehand.
In this world, in front of someone like Ye Feng who was "practically a god," the outcome would not have changed in the slightest.
She couldn't do anything.
So what could Aponia do? Coming here, she could probably only pray.
And... although Elysia didn't want to think about it, Aponia's body... was truly full of a vibrant, powerful tension.
She was afraid that Aponia had already been defiled by Ye Feng in all sorts of ways.
Elysia looked at the ramrod-straight Ye Feng. A faint smile still played on the corners of his lips.
"Mr. Ye Feng, may I ask a question?"
"Please."
"Aponia, she..."
"Don't worry, she's fine. I haven't coerced her. Nor will I force her to do anything she doesn't want to do."
"Eh?"
That was a truly unexpected answer.
But there was no reason for Ye Feng to lie.
"What's with that expression? You make it sound like I'm some kind of villain."
Elysia: "Then, Mr. Ye Feng... why are you... so rough with me?"
"It's probably the choice of the 'Steins;Gate,' I suppose."
"Huh?"
"Simply put, it has to do with your 'entrance method'."
"Mmm..."
Elysia couldn't help but think back to when she first arrived, her entire body sticky as if she had been drenched in... a certain kind of rain.
"And besides—"
"Besides?"
"I like you the most, Elysia."
"??"
Elysia was stunned for a moment, then crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"No way. Because you're a bad person, Mr. Ye Feng."
"I'm relieved to hear you say that."
Ye Feng let out a series of cackles.
"A 'good person' is a rejection, so a 'bad person' is an acceptance, right?"
"Huh?"
Elysia didn't understand.
But Mebius couldn't watch any longer and let out a cold snort.
Ye Feng then looked at the green figure sitting on the operating table. "Of course, I like you the most too, little snake."
"Nobody cares."
Mebius raised her chin haughtily, not even glancing at Ye Feng.
The little snake lifted her perfect foot. The hem of her dark green skirt slid down to both sides like flowing water, the fabric covering her calf so silky and delicate it brought a snake to mind.
"Lab rat, you are not allowed to feel anything either."
Mebius declared.
"Not allowed to feel anything... that's a bit too difficult, isn't it? Look at me now."
Ye Feng stood up straight and took a few steps forward.
Mebius was startled, a flash of panic and shyness in her eyes. Her perfect feet, hidden beneath her skirt, instinctively curled like a mimosa plant, her five jade-white toes wiggling restlessly.
Then, the little snake said with a look of disgust, "That's enough, just stand right there. What a shameless lab rat."
Ye Feng said, "An instinctive reaction is unavoidable unless you sever the neural connection. But that wouldn't be any fun, would it? Therefore, what needs to be endured shouldn't be the 'feeling' itself, but 'being able to control yourself even when you do feel something'."
Mebius raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me how to do things?"
"Not at all, little snake. As the person who likes you the most, I'm just offering a friendly suggestion."
"Then shut up. I don't want to hear your suggestions."
Mebius crossed her arms, her face as cold as frost.
In the next second, a pink [Pleasure Meter] with a heart-shaped lock materialized above Elysia's head.
But there wasn't one above Ye Feng's.
Even with the authority she'd been granted, Mebius couldn't interfere with Ye Feng.
Ye Feng looked up at the empty space, then at the little snake's tempting, moist cherry lips, and smiled. "Ah, I get it, I get it."
Then, a blue [Pleasure Meter] with a similar heart-shaped lock appeared.
Ye Feng said, "Neither of them are locked. Whoever finishes first, loses, right?"
Mebius snorted, which was taken as a tacit agreement.
Elysia was confused. "What happens if you win? And what do you face if you lose? In the end, what is the meaning of this kind of... game?"
Mebius narrowed her eyes and said, "Pleasing me. That is the greatest meaning of this laboratory."
"Ehh~~ Does bullying me make you happy, Mebius?"
"Hehe, what do you think? And I also want to know, Elysia, whether you will... feel anything because of the lab rat."
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Chain-like tentacles suddenly shot out from the void, wrapping around Elysia's limbs.
The chains abruptly pulled taut, and with a yelp, Elysia was bound in mid-air.
"Lab rat, don't you love licking things the most? Then let me see just how far you can go. But, you can only use your tongue."
"Eh? Wait, Mebius? You're joking, right? Wait, Mr. Ye Feng... No, you need to calm down first, you can't do this... Mmmph~~~"