A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines-Chapter 767 Till the Very End - V

"Because that was a facade, and now I no longer need it," Hydral looked down upon the earth below, speaking with utter nonchalance.

"Tolerance and benevolence, order and peace—those were all disguises I adopted to overcome my enemies. Now, there's no longer any need for such pretense."

In this plane, no force or power could hinder Ansel, no individual could defy his will. He no longer needed to maintain a facade for self-preservation or balance. He could now reign over the Empire as the purest embodiment of a sovereign!

"But it wasn't all a facade, you truly—"

You truly were such a kind person.

Marlina wanted to say this, but fell silent upon meeting Ansel's deep sea-blue eyes.

"Clement was right."

"I am a hypocritical monster, a malevolent devil."

To conquer fate, one must become such a monster and devil.

Fate had made him weak through Ravenna and Seraphina. He would no longer sacrifice everything to overcome fate, but did this mean the desire in his heart had also waned?

No, upon realizing this, upon recognizing that fate was attempting to use their love to make him surrender, the hatred and fury in Ansel's heart instead soared to unprecedented heights.

"Marlina, the kind-hearted version of me that you, Seri, and Venna once knew is now a thing of the past."

Does a person who was once kind necessarily remain so?

Must one who harbors secret hopes and desires for goodness inevitably incline towards the light?

Ansel had no interest in debating the question of good and evil; it was too vast. Perhaps when all was settled, he might be inclined to analyze his own psyche, but now it seemed utterly pointless.

In truth, from beginning to end, he had simply needed someone to give him a push.

If destruction is your wish, then please destroy. If you must take lives, then do so. If you must shatter fate, then I implore you to do so without hesitation.

I will stand by your side, forever and always.

Marlina might not even know of fate's existence, but she would undoubtedly support Ansel thus, encouraging him to forge ahead.

Thus, under Marlina's influence, Ansel realized something glaringly obvious—

He had already committed countless, unforgivable sins in his quest to conquer fate, yet now he was supposed to bow to fate because of those very sins?

What, was Ansel of Hydral's life for the past six years merely a ridiculous joke?

It had nothing to do with good or evil, right or wrong; this was the simplest, most primordial logic.

—Would you deny your former self? Would you deny the blood debt and despair that must be repaid?

If you do not deny it, if you are unwilling to deny it, then why should you feel remorse for so-called sins?

Even if there were to be remorse, now was not the time. If there were to be any, it should be... when fate lies shattered!

Yes, this was merely a postponement, a disregard no different from what he had done before. He still hadn't confronted the contradiction between good and evil, merit and sin.

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Must the resolve to conquer fate be unable to shake off even these entangled contradictions? Must one be foolishly weak, wallowing in self-pity and inner turmoil to the point of being unable to make any decisions? Must one be so hesitant and indecisive that they need a woman who loves them deeply enough to fully understand their thoughts, waiting like a baby for her to make decisions for them before they can move forward?

Don't be so pathetic, Ansel.

Hydral withdrew his gaze from the earth below and turned to Marlina, this woman whose foolishness left him at a loss for words.

Had she truly never considered the possibility that he might not love her at all?

But... it no longer mattered.

"To need someone's push to move forward in such matters is already weak enough."

"I'm not so incompetent that I need to burden others with my sins."

The goodness and evil of the past would ultimately face judgment, but that wasn't for the current Ansel to consider.

"I'm not interested in becoming a sun right now. Are you disappointed, Marlina?"

His revenge wasn't complete, so how could the beginning of change be discussed? Even Ansel didn't know how far in the future that brilliant light Marlina saw in him truly lay.

"How could I... be disappointed?"

Marlina said softly. "No matter what kind of person you become, you'll always be the most remarkable Mr. Ansel in my eyes."

"Is that so? That's good then," Ansel laughed heartily. "Now I can rest easy."

"...Rest easy?"

"Yes, because you'll continue this journey with me, right?"

Marlina froze, staring at the hand extended towards her.

"Whether it's evil deeds or sins, before I complete my revenge, these are all irrelevant. Even facing the abyss, I will continue to advance," Ansel said frankly, looking directly into her increasingly trembling dark eyes.

"It's just that I indeed can't bear to have Seri and Venna accompany me on this path, so..."

He paused slightly, raising an eyebrow amusedly:

"So, I need a self-destructive yet obedient and useful foolish woman to accompany me to the end of this road. Will you come?"

Marlina extended her trembling slender fingers, lightly touching Ansel's fingertips.

"Let me be clear," the devil warned, "The end of this road may not be my end, but it could be yours."

"Even so, will you accompany me to the very end, Marlina?"

In an instant, the woman firmly grasped that hand, never wanting to let go again.

"Yes, Mr. Ansel."

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The ebony witch, tears streaming down her face, whispered with such happiness:

"Please let me accompany you to the end of everything."

The sun told her: I don't need your little kindling. Burning yourself up completely like this seems too wasteful. Although foolish, you're still useful. Surely you have other uses... Why not become my shadow instead?

Marlina Marlowe would never be content with being merely a shadow, but this invitation alone made her feel that everything was worthwhile.

I will never easily burn myself out. Before realizing your vision, I will always be your shadow, Mr. Ansel.

From sunrise to sunset, until the very end.

*

End of Volume Three: Íkaros The Sun Chaser

Thank you for reading! (bow and tears)