A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

The selection tournament, ranked by points, had reached the final sixteen participants in the arena showdown.

After extensive buildup and hype, Dispute Fortress was once again teeming with outsiders, and it was clear that this iteration of the tournament had reached unprecedented levels of excitement.

Of course, discerning individuals knew exactly how much of this fervor was due to Faust, who, for reasons unknown, remained in Dispute Fortress.

Some even began to suspect that this seemingly legitimate Faust was merely a gimmick orchestrated by the money-minded Duke of Azuregold. Betting activities had reached fever pitch, with wagers on whether any contestant would challenge Faust, whether Faust would accept, how long the fight would last... there were even bets on whether Faust would end up fighting the Duke of Azuregold himself.

In addition to these, another hotly contested wager involved someone unrelated to Faust:

The Wicked Wolf…Fenrir.

Faust had issued her an invitation on the condition that she became "the last one standing in the arena." This meant that Fenrir, notorious for causing trouble and playing games with mortals, would have to storm the battlefield as a non-contestant, defeat all opponents, and earn the right to face Faust.

This clichéd storyline of overcoming numerous obstacles to finally meet the king certainly made many believe it was a deliberate arrangement by the Duke of Azuregold.

Regardless of the truth, Dispute Fortress was far from tranquil today.

"So lively..."

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Seraphina crouched on a high building, overlooking the bustling arena in the distance.

In her idle moments, she enjoyed listening to Ansel's stories or reading picture books. She had envisioned striking a cool pose on the rooftop, her coat billowing in the wind, and interrupting the contestants' entrance with a high-profile leap onto the stage, then swiftly knocking them out and coldly declaring, "Next."

Although she had meticulously planned her entrance, Seraphina no longer seemed interested in showing off. She now propped her face against her thigh with one hand, while the other rested limply on her leg, resembling a street loafer with nothing better to do.

"Many extraordinary beings arrived yesterday, yet not a single one addressed the riots in the lower district."

Her dark red eyes, reflecting the crowd, did not display the usual rage and resentment.

The girl who used to voice her grievances, questioning "Why don't you help them?" "Why do you just watch?" "You're just as bad," had realized that placing hope in most extraordinary beings was unrealistic.

Even the Revolutionary Army, which claimed to liberate the common people and overthrow the empire, engaged in actions she found intolerable.

This only reinforced her belief in the necessity of her existence and the correctness of her path.

Someone had to rescue those most powerless; if no one else would, she would.

"Expecting anything from them is… pointless."

Seraphina shook her head, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "If they can avoid just being bystanders, it would already be nice enough."

The cheers from the arena suddenly became extremely enthusiastic, signaling that the contestants were about to enter.

Meanwhile, Seraphina was still tilting her head, lost in thoughts about the lower district.

The Revolutionary Army... what exactly did they want to achieve?

Their readiness to sacrifice their lives was not false. Boneblade had clearly tried to escape Dispute Fortress but still wanted to sneak back in to help his comrades, showing that there were indeed… true warriors among them.

Seraphina used to think that those who pontificated about "necessity" were merely speaking because they hadn't been directly affected. When these people became the necessary sacrifice, they would surely reveal their hideous true selves.

Although this was true in most cases, it didn't stop the existence of those who saw themselves as a willing sacrifice without hesitation—just like her, who was far from normal.

Why must others be hurt to achieve something? Why must some die for others to live? How could anyone maturely rationalize such logic?

To this day, Seraphina couldn't accept these troubling ideologies and logic, but not accepting them didn't mean she couldn't understand.

There wasn't a deep reason; it was just... a necessity.

She reached this juncture, feeling troubled by such unavoidable necessities.

She asked herself, when faced with a choice she had to make, what would she do?

In the predetermined future, the Sky Wolf Emperor chose to personally kill the only relative who had committed heinous crimes.

If it were me now, could I make the same decision as that future me?

Could I be resolute enough to kill Marli?

No, no, no... not right, not right. At least, the current me would never fall into such a situation.

Seraphina slapped her face hard to drive away the terrible thoughts.

"That me had nothing left, but the current me has Ansel!"

The image and voice of her beloved surfaced in her mind. Just thinking of Ansel filled her with strength, no matter the situation.

Not knowing how to choose, not knowing how to change the current state... it didn't matter! I might not be able to do it, but Ansel certainly can. He will do it better than anyone!

Even if… even if Ansel had his moments of helplessness, even if fighting against fate was always tough for him, with me, Marli, and... well, even if we count the shorty, and with more people in the future, Ansel would definitely become someone who could defeat fate itself, a hero among heroes!

"Dispute Selection Tournament, Arena Battle, First Match, now, ready, set—!"

The high-pitched voice of the announcer interrupted Seraphina's thoughts.

"Oh, is it starting?"

The girl slowly stood up, leisurely stretching her body. Her graceful figure was hidden under a stylish coat, but the surging power within her frame couldn't be concealed by mere clothing.

"Mmm~" She half-closed her eyes, a lazy, languid moan escaping her nose. "I'll put these messy thoughts aside for now; Ansel is still waiting for me."

After a fleeting moment of showing her girlish side for her beloved, Seraphina Marlowe opened her eyes, transforming into a beast ready to feast.

She cast aside her distractions and returned to her primal essence.

The restless beast king, long confined by the sturdy barriers, yearned for a fierce battle and the possibility of further progress.

"Begin!"

Boom!

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