The Man with Hypnotic Powers Doesn’t Hold Back the Second Time Around

Chapter 196

The Aftermath of Paimon’s Subjugation

With the decision made to spare Paimon, the Chairwoman and I quickly moved on to clean up the situation.

“The subjugation of the demon Paimon marks the conclusion of the special mission requested by S-Class Rank 7, Seo Yujin,” the Chairwoman announced.

Addressing the Public

[“Excuse me, Chairwoman Seol Hayeon? What special mission are you referring to?”]
“Allow me to explain. This was an operation to lure and subdue Paimon, a demon capable of burning the entire world.”

She elaborated on Paimon’s identity and the Academy’s purpose in organizing this operation, emphasizing the success in neutralizing the threat.

[“So, the explosion terror we heard about…”]
“It was real, but thanks to Seo Yujin and Ninomiya Aika, we prevented any harm.”
[“Goodness, is that true? We were so worried.”]
“There was no need for concern. That said, I apologize for causing alarm to the public.”

She ended with a polite bow, seamlessly sliding in a national apology.

A Polished Performance

Her smooth delivery left me genuinely impressed.
‘No way I’m letting her take all the credit.’

I stepped forward, inserting myself into the limelight.

“It was I who requested the Chairwoman to stay hidden. If there’s anyone to blame, please direct it at me.”

The Chairwoman was about to look like the mastermind behind everything.
I couldn’t allow that—it was my operation.

The Unexpected Toss

“…Hmph. Yes, Seo Yujin did indeed take on the responsibilities of the Association President in my stead these past days. If anyone deserves blame, it’s him.”
“...Huh?”

She threw it all back at me without hesitation.

This wasn’t a situation where anything had gone wrong—it had been a complete success.
Being the President meant basking in glory without bearing any real responsibility, so why was she passing the credit to me?

‘Does this old lady actually have a conscience? I mean, she’s right—I did do everything.’

A satisfied smile crept across my face.

“With the Chairwoman entrusting me with full authority, it’s only fair that I take responsibility.”

Reading Between the Lines

It wasn’t hard to guess her motives.

Who was I?
The one who defeated my master in an official duel.
The man expected to soon claim the S-Class Rank 1 title.

Placing the spotlight on me was a strategic move. It was better for her to pass the glory to someone with a bright future than cling to it herself.

In short, it was her way of showing goodwill.

And it genuinely warmed my heart.

“Yes, as the acting Association President, you handled everything flawlessly. Responsibility suits you.”
“Well, I do my best. Ahem.”
“I trust Korea’s future in your hands.”
“Of course…”

A Sudden Chill

Shiver.
“…?”

For some reason, the mood turned icy midway.

I looked around, confused, only to meet the tearful gazes of the audience.

Public Reactions

“An official declaration of succession…!”
“The legend of Korea passing the crown to the next great one. Incredible!”
“This will go down in Awakened history!”

‘What’s with everyone? Why are you crying?’

I couldn’t understand their overly emotional reactions.
Were they simply moved that the supposedly attacked Chairwoman had survived unscathed?

“Well, anyway, I’m glad everything turned out well,” I said, trying to shake off the strange vibe.
“Indeed. Everything worked out perfectly,” the Chairwoman replied with a knowing smile.
“……”
‘Why do I feel like I should run for it?’

Her expression only added to my unease, but I couldn’t figure out why.

What had just happened?

***

The First Day of the Academy Festival Ends

The first day of the Academy Festival concluded successfully.
The Awakened and students alike could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Though the second day was still ahead, most of the major events were wrapped up, leaving the students free to relax and enjoy the remaining festivities.
The Awakened, relieved from terror concerns, could do the same.

Everyone could finally enjoy the peace.

Except for Me.

“Uh, Sia? Alice? So, uh… about earlier…”
“Oh, so this was what you were planning all along, you sneaky thing~.”
“Yujin, you were amazing! Beating Ninomiya and even taking down that dangerous demon Paimon!”

Sia and Alice clung to me, each holding onto one of my arms, their praise pouring endlessly.

Meanwhile…

[Disciple. Are you getting too close to your friends? We were the ones who subdued Paimon—so why are you celebrating with them? Do you prefer them over your master? Answer. Immediately.]
[Hiii!!]

My master’s silent glare was drilling holes into me, her furious tone so relentless I couldn’t breathe.

My Original Plan

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

I was supposed to defeat my master in the duel, then triumphantly subjugate Paimon with style.
From there, I’d confess to my master, then call Sia and Alice to apologize in front of all four.

That was supposed to be the grand finale of my harem plan.

But now?

The duel went sideways, Sia and Alice barged in before the confession.
Paimon’s antics turned everything into chaos.
And after the Chairwoman arrived, I even ended up gagging publicly.

Now, instead of a confession, my two girlfriends clung to me, showering me with admiration, while my master’s nonexistent romantic interest in me continued to plummet.
Confession? Not happening.

It was a disaster.

Paimon’s Misery

“Ughhh… my mana… my chest… it’s gone…!!!”

I glanced over at Paimon.

‘As bad as this is, at least I’m not her.’

Paimon was in deeper despair, clutching her chest and sobbing miserably.

Honestly, I couldn’t blame her.
To her, mana was everything—power, authority, pride.

Even her famously massive chest had been a blatant manifestation of that pride.
And now?

Reduced to a size only slightly larger than Winterer’s, which, as Sia put it, was “perfectly reasonable.”

For someone like Paimon, it was utterly devastating.
If my Yujindo blade were suddenly reduced to a training stick, I’d feel the same.

Sympathy? Not a Chance.

“Hey, Paimon. Why are you crying so loudly? It’s annoying.”
“Sniff… I-I just…”
“From now on, follow me with bunny hops. Your chant is ‘Bang, Boom.’ Start: one, two. One, two.”

Boing, boing.

“…Bang, boom. Bang… boohoom…”
“Good girl.”

Sympathy? Absolutely none.
Tormenting her was genuinely satisfying. Every moment brought new levels of catharsis.

Reactions from Others

“Yujin, isn’t this a bit much? She’s still a demon, but…”
“Yeah, she seems submissive now. No need to overdo it.”
“She’s the one who proposed the Awakened Breeding Plan.”
“…Oh, what a terrible woman.”
“A total scumbag!”

No one had any sympathy for her, either.
The crimes she had committed were beyond redemption.

The Chairwoman’s Interference

“Stop tormenting her, Yujin.”
“…Excuse me?”

I squinted at the Chairwoman, wondering if she had finally lost it.

“Chairwoman, you heard the reports. She’s the reason Winterer and Haru—”
“Paimon still has valuable information. Handle her carefully.”
“I could get her to confess down to the number of moles on her body with a single hypnosis session.”
“That doesn’t justify needless cruelty. I understand your anger, but let the law handle it.”
“…Tch.”

The Chairwoman’s Rationality

Calling her a villain instead of a mindless monster was a low blow.
And I couldn’t argue.

Talking monsters were inherently better than mindless ones.
She wasn’t wrong, just annoyingly reasonable.

Reluctantly, I gave up.

[Instead, I’ll help you.]
[What? Out of nowhere?]

Her Unexpected Move

The Chairwoman suddenly turned to Sia and Alice.

“Ahem. Sia and Alice, please return to your dorms.”
“…Excuse me?”

Her sudden command caught them off guard, and they protested.

“Why? What we do with Yujin is none of your business, Chairwoman Seol Hayeon.”
“Sia is right! Yujin worked hard. He should relax with us—”
“Excessive physical contact between students is against the Academy’s rules.”
“…What? We’re just linking arms!”
“And arm-linking leads to kissing, then fondling, then sex.”
“Pfffft!!!”

Her blunt, unfiltered words left them floundering.

“No! We’d never—we weren’t even thinking—n-not that! Never!!!”

Their faces turned scarlet as they backed away from me, their flustered expressions almost unbearably cute.

“Furthermore, Yujin and Ninomiya are still on official duty. Don’t interfere and return to your dorms.”
“But the mission is done! We caught Paimon—”
“It’s far from over. There are dozens of reports to write.”
“We could help—”
“Are you suggesting I disclose classified documents to students who don’t even have their Awakening licenses yet?”
“……”

A Tactical Retreat

The Chairwoman’s ironclad logic left no room for argument.

Reluctantly, Sia and Alice had no choice but to comply.

“…Fine. We’ll go.”
[“Yujin, come straight to us after you’re done. If you mess around, I’ll know.”]
“See you later, Yujin!”
[“I’ll have fish and chips ready. If you’re late because of… something, I’ll be really sad as your girlfriend.”]

Their parting telepathic threats sent shivers down my spine, but at least they were gone.

Now, it was just me, the Chairwoman, Paimon…

…and my master.

The Moment of Truth

“Hmph. Finally, some peace and quiet. Now, disciple, let’s go~?.”
“……”

Gulp.

‘Wait… did the Chairwoman set this up to give me the perfect confession opportunity?’

The seemingly doomed confession plan had entered Phase 3.

***

The Chairwoman’s Office

The four of us made our way to the Chairwoman’s office, each lost in our own thoughts.

A Master and Disciple’s Dilemma

‘I managed to get rid of his friends, but… ugh, how do I recreate the mood for a confession? At this rate, he’ll never confess!’
‘This is my last chance, thanks to Chairwoman… no, thanks to Hayeon-noona. I have to turn this into the perfect confession moment somehow…!!’

Aika and I were surprisingly in sync.
One desperate to receive a confession, the other desperate to give one.
The tension was palpable, and neither of us could figure out how to take the next step.

Paimon’s Despair

Squish, squish.
“How did I fall so low…? It’s no different from 200 years ago, when I was mocked at my coming-of-age ceremony…”

Paimon sat silently, her hands pressing against her diminished chest.
What once required two hands to contain now fit neatly into one palm.

Her utterly miserable expression almost made me feel sorry for her.

The Chairwoman’s Hidden Agenda

Glance.
‘Seo Yujin will be easy to manipulate later… but Paimon is the real issue.’

The Chairwoman kept her gaze fixed on Paimon, her eyes gleaming with barely veiled greed.

‘The elixir of youth… How do I extract it from her?’

Paimon’s earlier proposition about reversing age was weighing heavily on her mind.

She wanted to press for details immediately—how it worked, what the process was—but her instincts warned her against it.

The Chairwoman’s Instincts

‘Killing her after obtaining the method isn’t an option… nor can I force Yujin to extract the truth.’

Her intuition, which had saved her countless times before, was screaming that these paths would lead to disaster.
It told her only one thing:

— Gaining Paimon’s genuine cooperation is the only way.

Dealing with Yujin and Aika

Tap, tap.
“Let’s start by rewarding your efforts.”
“Huh?”
“The mission is complete, so it’s only fair you’re compensated.”

Deciding to prioritize the lovesick duo, the Chairwoman made her move, irritated by their awkward tension.

‘If they’re left alone, they’ll probably figure things out… eventually.’

“Ninomiya Aika, Seo Yujin will give you a massage. Change into a swimsuit.”
“…!!!? Thank you, Hayeon-unni!!”

Zoom!

Before I could even protest, Aika had bolted out of the room with a cheer.

Paimon’s Outburst

“What… what did you say? You’re making that pure man touch a woman’s body?! How could you enslave his innocent soul for such… such indecency?!”

“…Oh?”

The Chairwoman turned toward Paimon, intrigued by her sudden reaction.

A New Plan

‘So, she takes pride in her chest? She must find her current state unbearable.’
‘She’ll want her mana back desperately. She’s not the only one under pressure—I can use this to my advantage.’

“Paimon, come with me.”

After quickly formulating a plan, the Chairwoman grabbed Paimon and left the office.

Their destination? Her private quarters near the Academy’s bathhouse, where Yujin and Aika were likely "enjoying" their reward.

The Chairwoman’s Scheme

‘If she sees Yujin massaging that gorilla, she’ll feel envious. I’ll use that to persuade her—tell her cooperation with humanity could restore her mana. Perfect…!!!’

The Bathhouse

The two arrived at the bathhouse and peeked inside, careful not to interrupt prematurely.

‘They shouldn’t have progressed too far yet. I’ll observe a bit before stepping in—’

Creaaak.

“Disciple, if you… want to touch somewhere, or if your hand slips by accident, I won’t mind, you know~?”
“…!!!?”
‘Where on earth did she get that vulgar swimsuit?!’

The Chairwoman froze, wide-eyed, as she witnessed Aika’s shameless antics in a shockingly revealing swimsuit.

Paimon, equally stunned, muttered under her breath:
“This… this world is beyond salvation…”

Both women had no words for the spectacle unfolding before them.