The villain's way to tame the protagonist

Marina lowered her eyes slightly and answered softly. In order to delay the riot for longer, she deliberately asked the hunter to take her to a place far away from the Castle of Strife. Although she didn't know how long the hunter could hold out, at least the round trip... should be enough to delay the riot until it was over.

Then there is the follow-up. Mr. Anser and Miss Ming Fuluo should be back in two or three days. The matter in the imperial capital will not be over so quickly... But to be on the safe side, in order to prevent accidents like today, it is better to prepare in advance. Miss Ming Fuluo will not be as easy to fool as Xier. First of all, we need to give an explanation for the alarm, and...

boom!

It was as if the roar of the earth cracking violently interrupted Marina's meditation. The girl looked up stiffly at a place not far away. The most conspicuous thing in the distance was the floating smoke and dust, and then the ground... the cracks spreading across the ground!

The battle site here is at least several hundred meters away, and the cracks in the ground that are visible to the naked eye are spreading from there. Who just now? What kind of terrible power did they unleash? !

Marina stood up subconsciously, looked into the distance nervously, and then... her expression froze.

She saw the tall figure that she was very familiar with, and the red-black wolf shadow behind her that seemed to be able to swallow up the world, and the short snow-white hair stained with scarlet.

It’s only been... less than two minutes!

"Lina...Lina!"

The figure that was walking towards her, like a demon, lost all its momentum when he called out her sister's name.

The girl ran towards Marina like a long-lost dog, only slowing down at the last moment and gently bumping into Marina's arms.

"Are you okay? Did they do anything to you? Are you scared? It's all my fault... It's all my fault for not staying in Strife Castle. It's all my fault..."

The ferocious demon wolf, whose body was covered in blood, kept apologizing with a hint of tears in her tone. She hugged Marina tightly, as if she was afraid that she would be lost again.

"What should I do if something happens to you? How should I explain it to my parents and Ansher... wuwuwu..."

"..."

After a brief silence, Marina gently stroked her sister's bloody hair and said softly, "It's okay, it's okay... They wanted to use me to lure out Mr. Anser, but they didn't do anything to me, don't worry."

As for Hitana, there is naturally another explanation. The Howling Legion, especially the one after being purged, played a huge role to Marina. It was the cornerstone for her to establish an intelligence network in the West. Hitana must not be allowed to develop a huge hostility towards them, otherwise, if Hitana got angry and wanted to fight them to the death, it would be troublesome.

After hugging Marina for a while, Xitana sniffed, slowly let go of her, and whispered: "I will never leave Lina again. Unless you have Ansel with you, I will not go anywhere."

"Is it the same in Hydra Territory? Then I won't be able to work normally."

Marina smiled and pinched Xitana's red nose: "Don't worry too much, I'm fine. Miss Ming Fuluo also gave me a weapon to protect myself. Look--"

She took out the alchemical firearm from her pocket and said, "It's very powerful. Miss Ming Fuluo said that it can kill even a third-level extraordinary person with one shot. All you have to do is pull the trigger."

"It's only level three... It's useless. The guy who captured you is level four."

Xitana muttered, "But the dwarf is pretty nice... I'm going to thank her next time we meet."

Marina stared at Xitana's profile and suddenly said, "Even if it's the fourth level... Xier, you solved it in one go."

"Hmm? That wasn't all at once."

Xitana scratched her head and said, "He threatened me with you, Lina, at first. I was a little undecided. Later, I used the power of the Wind Head to sense that there was no one else around you, so I took action."

"..." Marina's expression froze for a moment, "So... can it be faster?"

"If a fight really breaks out, it will only take about ten seconds."

Miss Wolf pouted: "If you use all your strength and try your best, it will be over in less than a second - that's what happened just now. I beat him into a pulp with one punch."

After a brief silence, Marina looked at the blood on her palm from Xitana and said softly, "I didn't realize... Xier has become so powerful."

"Is it amazing? Anser can kill this kind of bastard with just a glance." Xitana shook her head, "I can't help Anser now, so it's not enough, far from enough."

"Not nearly enough."

Having said this, Xitana's expression gradually became complicated.

"Linna, there's a riot in the downtown area."

Marina's fingertips trembled slightly. She pressed Xitana's shoulders and lowered her head: "Sorry, Xier, it's me--"

"How can it be your fault, Lina?" Xitana shook her head vigorously. "I am too dependent on you. The downtown area is so big... How can you manage it all by yourself? It's because I didn't want to do anything that the riots happened in the downtown area."

Her words silenced Marina, and while the thin girl was silent, Sitana continued to talk to herself:

"In order to save you, I ignored them. I clearly said that I would protect them and not let them be bullied, but I failed to do so."

"Am I a hypocritical liar, Linna?"

"Of course you are not, Xi'er, how could you be——"

"I don't think I am either."

Xitana said: "Because I am a selfish and greedy guy, I can't sacrifice a few people to protect more people, and I can't sacrifice you, Lina."

It was very rare for Shitana to speak to Marina in such a serious manner. What was even rarer was that her eyes and tone were not confused when she said these words.

She wasn't asking Marlena for help, she was explaining her point of view to her, confirming her own path.

After a brief silence, Marina said softly, "Xier is not obligated to save everyone."

"I have."

Sitana stared into Marina's eyes: "Because I said so, because I experienced it, because I saw it-"

I have seen how you, Lina, fell step by step into the abyss from which there is no turning back.

So, I will never let anyone else go through the despair and pain that you have experienced.

This world shouldn't be like this.

Anser...thought so too.

Marina also looked into her sister's eyes, seeing the unquestionable pure determination in those dark red eyes. She opened her mouth, but no words came out for a moment.

Marina Lancemalos understood something, and at the same time... she also realized something very bad.

"Not everyone is expecting you to save them, Xier."

Her voice was no longer gentle, no longer the whisper of an elder sister to her younger sister. It was clear, calm, and even a little... cold:

“If everyone in the world needs to rely on someone to save them in order to survive, then this world would be a sad place.”

"I know what you mean, Lina... You said that you want them to survive on their own."

"Yes, that's correct—"

"But does everyone say that if we rely on our own strength to survive, we can survive well?"

Xitana looked at Marina calmly and said, "If that's the case, Lina, can we survive on our own without meeting Anser?"

This was the first time Marina was refuted by Sitana.

After a moment of silence, she responded calmly: "We are not talking about the same thing, Xier. I mean to survive on the spiritual and dignity level -"

"...Why are you the same as the Revolutionary Army, Lina?"

Xitana asked in confusion, "If people are going to die, who would care about those things? I used to have such a bad personality. I was so stubborn and wanted to save face. I had to bow to the tax collector like an idiot... Do most people really care about these things?"

Her words, like Cliff's "scum", touched the untouchable corner of Marina's heart.

"So...Xitana, what you mean is."

Marina's voice became increasingly lonely and cold: "As long as I can survive, it doesn't matter if I beg for food like a dog, trample on myself as worthless, or even take my own humbleness for granted, even if I twist in a dark corner like a maggot, right?"

Sitana was stunned.

She looked at her sister's indifferent expression, opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.

The sisters just stared at each other for a long time before Xitana answered with some difficulty: "Lina... why do you think so?"

"Because that's what you mean."

"That's exactly what I meant!"

Sitana, who was also offended, raised her voice: "I never said that!"

"To live is more important than anything else...isn't that what you said?"

"Did I let them beg for food from me like a dog?" the angry wolf roared, "Marina! Am I such a vicious bastard in your eyes?"

"Just because you won't, others won't either? Are all people in this world like you? If so, why haven't we been treated like you since we were little?"

"It is because there are so many bastards in this world that we cannot let them continue to act so recklessly!"

"Why do you think you can save everyone!" "It's because we can't save everyone right now, so we have to save the people we can see right in front of us!"

"Shitana!"

"Marina!"

The two girls' voices became louder and hoarser, until they shouted each other's names angrily, and then slowly fell into a strange silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Sitana's voice rang out weakly.

"…I'm sorry, Lina, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Marina's fingers trembled slightly, unable to suppress the guilt in her heart, and she whispered, "I should be the one to say sorry, Xier, I shouldn't have underestimated your thoughts."

Sitana carefully touched Marina's hand, and only after she was not rejected did she feel at ease to hold her sister's hand. She sat next to Marina and said in a very soft but firm voice:

"That's why I said...I'm not enough, Linna."

The girl looked up at the sky. During the argument with Marina, she had clearly been firm enough, but there was still a trace of confusion in her.

"I know I can only save those I can see now...but I don't want to be limited to this."

"I know it's not good to just protect them. Lina, what you said makes sense. Even...even the Revolutionary Army--"

——There is always a time to make sacrifices, and there is always a choice to make.

Hitana is extremely confident and believes that Anther will definitely make the best choice, but thinking back, can Anther really do it?

It was so difficult and hard for Anser to face his fate... It was not that Anser was not capable enough, but the situation was really completely unsolvable?

Shitana Lancemalos knew that her sister's persistence was correct, and she also knew that the Revolutionary Army might indeed be forced into some situation. She was also aware that she was unable to save all the suffering people at the moment.

But she still wants to save everyone in the most perfect way. Is this... wrong and hypocritical?

"This time..." Sitana leaned her head on Marina's shoulder, "Just this time, I'll listen to you, Marina. Let's wait one more day... and then go back to Strife Castle."

"……what?"

"Doug, he said, believe in their power."

Xitana blinked her eyes: "Lina, you said so too, and if it was Anser... he would say the same thing."

"This is... their struggle. We must respect the consciousness of the fighters."

The girl's face once again showed a wanton and confident smile: "One day, I will find a way to solve all problems. Until then, just believe that they can hold on a little longer!"

She turned to look at Marina, her smile growing even brighter:

"Just like trusting Ansel, trusting Lina and you guys!"

Marina looked at her for a long time, and finally sighed helplessly: "So, you still plan to hold everyone in your hands like protecting a baby?"

"I may change my mind in the future... but that is a matter for the future."

Xitana waved her hand nonchalantly: "I am only sixteen years old now! Anser said that I should dream now, so what does it matter?"

Is it time to dream...?

Gently holding Sitana's hand, Marina murmured in her heart.

I don't have that kind of luxury of time, Xier.

*

When Anser returned to the lower city of Strife Castle, neither Xitana nor Marina had returned yet.

"This is really... a tragic situation that even I didn't expect." The young Hydra shook his head.

"That stupid dog...what on earth is he doing!?"

Ming Fuluo's usually indifferent face was filled with uncontrollable anger: "Where's Marina? Where's my alarm? What is she doing! Damn it..."

"Calm down, A'Luo. You've seen bigger things before. You don't have to be so angry." Anser comforted Ming Fuluo in a gentle voice, "Don't lose your composure."

"It's because... it's because I realize how stupid and vicious that behavior is, so I can't accept a similar situation happening again."

Ming Fuluo's emotions did ease a little, but her tone was still cold: "Why did they let something that shouldn't have happened happen... Without an answer, this matter will not end like this."

Her words made Anser sigh softly in his heart.

Marina... Marina.

Should I be worried that you went against my wishes and caused so much trouble?

Or should I be happy...that you can make such a choice?