“…You really are making a misguided judgment.”
Upon rejecting the proposal, Abigail’s attitude and atmosphere shifted.
From respect to contempt.
From reverence to disgust.
The emotions that had been on her face until now flipped completely. It was such a drastic change that she looked like an entirely different person.
“What can you do?”
With a light click of her tongue, Abigail glanced at me, placing a hand on her hip.
“Then just go ahead and die. A fool like you, trying to protect the evil, has no place in the utopia I’m trying to build.”
“…….”
“Just keep being that stupid jerk and you can uphold your faith. Congratulations.”
Did she never intend to actively persuade me from the start?
After the quick change in attitude, she immediately began to hurl accusations, as if she had been waiting for this moment all along.
I quietly stared at the cat beastperson with a vicious glare before speaking.
“Is that ‘utopia’ a world where only you can live? That sounds lonely.”
“Shut up. I have no respect left to show you.”
Flame flared up.
The crimson flame blossomed in Abigail’s hand as she glared at me. It suddenly shot towards me.
The divine wrath that seemed it would turn me to ashes in an instant.
It was dangerous, but I didn’t dodge.
There was no need.
“You’re a cheeky cat.”
Just before the red flame reached me, a woman with short hair landed in front of me, casting a black defense shield. The raging fire extinguished as soon as it touched the shield.
I smiled as I looked at the sturdy back of the woman standing in front of me.
“Thank you, Guardian Dragon.”
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
Turning slightly, Hekatrith offered me a charming smile before growling at Abigail.
“Do you dare lay a hand on the beautiful, noble, intelligent, young, and voluptuous Pope ‘Clitia Eluke’?!”
“……”
Saying things like that even in this situation?
My face flushed as I slapped the back of Young Dragon’s neck, but the haughty voice continued.
“I’ve seen plenty of scumbags like you in the world I originally came from. They all loved to steal, but when caught, they shamelessly claimed it was theirs all along. You seem no different from them.”
It was an incorrect generalization, but I didn’t bother to point it out. This wasn’t the time to focus on trivial details.
“…Evil Dragon.”
Abigail’s face turned grim as she faced Hekatrith.
Considering her thoughts and opinions that she had babbled before, it was a natural response.
“Pope, one of the scum you dragged into the order is right here. Do you know what that lizard did in Quick Eagle’s world?”
“I do.”
Aside from Quick Eagle’s testimony, I had also looked up the green wiki document for the drama titled Dread Dragon, which featured Hekatrith.
It was true that ‘Evil Dragon Hekatrith’ was a cruel villain. I had even decided not to show that document to my daughters.
But that was all.
I never thought I needed to eradicate Young Dragon from this world. It was the obvious thing to feel.
“Guardian Dragon has changed. Though her tone is still rough and her personality youthful, compared to her days as an Evil Dragon, she has become a docile dragon.”
“The Pope speaks correctly.”
Hekatrith, with bitterness in her voice, continued my words.
“I regret the sins of my past where I committed massacres. But of course, that won’t erase the evil I’ve committed. So I’ve decided to serve faithfully as a loyal Guardian Dragon under the Pope, to atone for those whose lives I took.”
So that’s why she threw compliments at me unasked.
Though her methods might have been a bit misguided, it was a commendable growth.
No, thinking back there, she hadn’t become good; she had simply returned to her previous self.
Hekatrith, who possessed the ability to glimpse into the future, chose the path of ruin to prevent the world’s destruction.
Corruption.
Choosing a future tainted by darkness, one that wouldn’t lead to everyone’s ruin, she fell to become an Evil Dragon. A sacrifice only the noblest of souls could accept.
Hekatrith’s nature wasn’t wicked.
Thus, she had to show a righteous figure now that Abigail’s schemes had drained all evil from her.
“Thank you, Sister Cat. Thanks to your scheme, the Guardian Dragon’s righteous heart has been restored.”
The Pope’s arts, politely teasing.
It was a rhetoric developed to curse while bypassing automatic language correction.
This time, perhaps because I had hit a nerve, Abigail’s gaze was filled with burning rage.
“…You’re making me laugh. You claim to regret the past? Go say that in front of Quick Eagle.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ve been too scared to say it until now, but thanks to you, I feel bold. You’re quite the wise cat.”
“…….”
Hekatrith, once an Evil Dragon, was hard to withstand as she sniped back, and now Abigail was trembling all over. Her face was flushed red.
I wondered if she might blow up.
The thought came to mind as blood rushed to my head. That wasn’t a good sign.
“I suppose I should explain now.”
While the opponent was too furious to say anything, Hekatrith seized the moment to speak.
“Pope, that spell that stained the sun black and created cracks in the sky will fully activate in about ten minutes.”
“…Wasn’t that something you should have told me earlier?”
“I can’t help it. The most I can do over here is delay the activation time. The humans who entered the void must eliminate the source or power of the spell to nullify it.”
So, the void was the real deal, and the commotion in Incheon was just a distraction to draw attention.
That wasn’t exactly hopeful news, but there was still something positive to consider.
“Well, it seems the heroes and humans are doing well. The incantations and magic linked to the spell are manifesting unstably. If we intervene over here, we can definitely foil the cat’s plan.”
Now I understood why Abigail had appeared before me.
“You came here to interfere, didn’t you?”
“That seems likely.”
Now that I knew how to respond, I couldn’t just sit around chatting anymore. I immediately directed Hekatrith.
“Quickly go and delay the spell’s activation!”
“Got it!”
She answered bravely and then transformed back into a dragon, soaring into the sky toward the darkened sun.
“…Where do you think you’re going?”
Clenching her teeth, Sister Cat shot crimson beams with both hands.
Even for sturdy Hekatrith, being hit would cause serious injury—a straight line that darkened my heart just by looking at it.
I hurriedly tried to cast a sacred spell to protect her, but it was too late. The crimson light pierced through the massive red body of the Guardian Dragon.
…At least it looked that way.
“What the…?”
In the next moment, Hekatrith flapped her wings, soaring gracefully into the sky, appearing as unharmed as before.
“Where are you aiming? Are your eyes bad?”
On the rooftop of a nearby low building, Yao, using her camouflage and concealment skills, jeered while aiming a spear at the green-tinted Abigail.
Just behind her.
Abigail’s shadow writhed, and suddenly, a white tiger leaped out, slashing with its claws.
“Gah!”
Despite reacting quickly and adeptly like a monk handling exceptional spells, Abigail still faced another surprise attack.
Swoosh.
Thick pink powder fell from the air like snow.
Startled, Abigail extended the crimson flames upward and blew away the powder. Then she hurriedly distanced herself.
“What a shame. I could have put you to sleep.”
“True.”
Shortly after, a woman wearing a Taegukgi mask descended gracefully from the sky. The succubus, dressed in revealing clothing, accompanied her.
“You once said, Pope? That no matter the background, the noble should be respected.”
While extending a hand imbued with sinister lightning, Psycheless didn’t look at me and instead stared straight ahead.
“However, I doubt that person would be accepted even by the Goddess, right?”
It was a question that didn’t need an answer. The questioner and respondent both clearly knew the answer.
“Members of the order, thank you for gathering.”
I grinned confidently as I stared directly at the puffed-up tail of the cat beastperson.
In times like this, there was something I always wanted to say.
“Elite members of the Nuset Order… Assemble!”
Muttering a famous line from a movie I had watched on OTT, Abigail’s face twisted. Then, grinding her teeth, she revealed her crimson aura throughout her body.
“How dare you utter that line? The Captain America is a hero with a heart far more righteous than yours. Don’t you dare imitate him.”
It seemed ‘Captain America’ was her favorite hero.
Given her tendencies, that was to be expected. I was undeniably a person whose character was hard to rival.
In any case.
I had gathered good information.
“Witness.”
As I smiled and called the name, the translucent humanoid grinned back, seemingly understanding my intent.
Soon, Witness conveyed what I wanted her to do.
Transmitting the opinions of the chatroom’s piranha swarm that loved to bite.
“—‘Captain America’? Isn’t he total trash?”
“—Honestly, Iron Man is more noble.”
“—For real LOL.”
“—Info: Captain America beat up Iron Man to protect his friend.”
“He sure likes to hang out with someone who’s personality level is similar to his LOL.”
A feast of indiscriminate slander and mockery.
I didn’t necessarily agree with the viewers’ opinions, but I had Witness keep converting the chat into speech. That way, she would lose her composure and flare up.
“……”
Whether the psychological bombardment using the chatroom had an effect, Abigail’s expression grew colder than before.
Looking closely, her fingertips began to tremble. It was a good opportunity for us.
“We just need to hold out until the attack team in the void destroys Sister Cat’s spell. Everyone, let’s keep pushing through.”
Victory was almost within reach.
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