A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Chapter 69  The Abyss of Despair - Four (I)

Infernos that scorched the heavens engulfed the imperial capital in an apocalyptic scene.

Countless people prostrated themselves on the ground, beseeching the two deities for mercy, praying for a sliver of insignificant compassion amidst the fierce carnage.

Whether they were commoners akin to ants, self-proclaimed nobles of ancient bloodlines, or extraordinary beings who scorned the mortal realm, all could only tremble and kneel in submission under such devastation, entrusting their lives and deaths to the mercy of those two individuals—or rather, those two divine beings.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

The unrestrained laughter shattered the flames that incinerated everything. Amidst the all-consuming crimson, a tall and robust figure trampled upon the flames of annihilation, standing proudly.

Her physique was slender yet powerful, not only embodying the pinnacle of feminine allure but also displaying the beauty of absolute strength to its fullest. Be it her long, explosive legs or her slender yet incredibly firm waist, or even the perfect contours of her arm muscles—her existence was the ultimate embodiment of physical beauty.

And such a body, peculiarly… bore a pair of large, fluffy wolf ears and a voluminous wolf tail.

This peerless powerhouse, with a form neither beast nor human and an aura that was both, stood arrogantly in midair, lifting her chin disdainfully:

"Suellen, you're far inferior to your goddamn jinx mother!"

"I only agree with one word in that sentence, mad dog."

Amidst the raging flames, the empress clad in a crimson gold gown and crowned with a blood flame diadem emerged.

The endless blood flames that seemed to burn away even the concept of the sky itself submitted to the empress's control, beneath her feet and in her palm. She gazed calmly at the woman before her, who already possessed an air of dominance that defied all:

"Indeed, my mother's actions at the end of her great life were unsightly, and I cannot refute that."

"But that does not mean—"

The eternal ruler of the empire raised her index finger, declaring indifferently:

"That you have the right to judge her."

The woman who had yet to claim the title of Wolf Emperor erupted in a pillar of skyward blood flames. If it were merely fire, it would have been no different from air to her.

But the flames of the feast were never just fire.

It was a force that traced back to the roots of countless ancient and great powers. In that instant, as the blood flames ignited the woman—

Time was sealed, space shattered, souls extinguished, and ether consumed… The destruction was as if the burning existence had been transformed into a book that recorded every aspect of her life, and then that book was cast into the fire, annihilated by an absolute power that seemed to originate from a higher dimension….!

In that brief moment, the extraordinarily beautiful and defiant woman seemed to have been utterly incinerated.

Yet… it appeared as if she had always been within those blood flames.

Her flesh and bones were destroyed in an instant, only to be restored in the next. As time passed, it seemed as if she had never been injured at all!

"Is this your spirit?"

The empress's eyebrows raised slightly: "How interesting. The earth, the ocean, the sky... Perhaps this world has not seen such a unique spirit in ten thousand years."

"Mad dog, you truly are a remarkable fortunate one."

"Heh, fortunate one."

The woman engulfed in blood flames sneered coldly. She clenched her fist, and without any feints or deceptive moves, she simply swung a straightforward punch forward while still enveloped in the blood flames. She couldn't even manipulate ether in her current state.

And then... the heavens shattered!

Under the force of that punch, the blood flames that filled the sky were torn apart, creating a gap hundreds of meters long! The surging shockwave was strikingly similar… in power to the flames of the feast!

It was an ability that utterly "overwhelmed" everything in existence—wind, clouds, earth, ocean, sky, resistance, space, time... All concepts had to yield before this punch!

That is to say, before the results of all things in motion and the operation of rules could manifest, the fist of the overlord had already brought forth destruction!

That domineering ambition, which devoured and defied everything, even surprised the empress.

"With such resolve, it's surprising that you have no interest in that crown."

"I'm not like you lunatics. I have no interest in playing house."

The woman, still burning in blood flames, rubbed her neck and began to stretch her limbs, as if only now truly getting serious.

"Once this nation that shouldn't exist is utterly destroyed, I'll go to even higher and farther places, witnessing even more extreme sights."

"...As for you, the last empress."

Seraphina Marlowe, who had already transformed into the most powerful being of her time, laughed heartily:

"Perish under my fist, along with this rotten empire!"

The scene abruptly ended.

Seraphina awoke from her dream, drenched in cold sweat.

The intense pain in her body and the lingering agony in her mind couldn't stop her from thinking about everything that had happened in the dream.

"That person..."

The girl propped up her face, murmuring in disbelief:

"Was that... me?"

Why did the dream feel so real? Why did it give her an uncontrollable sense of… longing?

— As if it were the future she yearned for.

"I... ugh!"

The intense pain of leveling up forced Seraphina to clutch her head, temporarily halting her thoughts about the dream.

She squinted her eyes, looking around. The familiar furniture and decorations made her realize that she had returned to Ansel's mansion, to the room she had been staying in for some time.

"I'm back, huh..."

The girl forced herself to sit up, curling up on the bed, looking exhausted.

"Is it all over?" She buried her head in her knees, whispering weakly, "Is it really... all over?"

Seraphina recalled everything she had seen and felt just before she had lost consciousness. She was glad that she had finally taken responsibility and that she hadn't brought shame to Ansel. But the corners of her mouth only twitched, unable to form a smile.

The malice she had felt then, the overwhelming, all-encompassing malice directed at her, intent on tearing her apart, made it impossible for Seraphina to smile.

Only now did Seraphina realize how terrifying those "ordinary people" she had considered her companions could be.

Terrifying enough to make her afraid.

"...It seems I can't show my face in public so casually anymore."

The girl laughed at herself: "If I went out on the streets, I'd probably get pelted with stones, right?"

"I hope Ansel doesn't do anything foolish again... I hope he doesn't foolishly say it's his fault again." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"His... fault, huh."

Seraphina suddenly fell silent.

The question in her heart remained unanswered.

Why hadn't Marlina and Ansel stopped her, knowing full well the consequences of her stubborn actions?