The villain's way to tame the protagonist

"Ms. Valrhona, have you and Mr. Faust... known each other for a long time?"

"A long time... but not too long."

Fafna's dark eyes showed some reminiscence: "It happened three years ago. I just had an intersection with him because of some things."

"Is that so... Was he a good person like he is now?"

"A good man?" Fafnir sneered. "He has nothing to do with the word good. He is a devil who plays with people's hearts. You must not be fooled by him. Even if he saves you, you must not be bewitched by him."

As she spoke, Fafnir's expression unexpectedly became extremely serious.

"devil."

Number Nine tilted his head. If it weren't for his hoarse voice, he would have looked innocent.

Anyway, in Fafna's eyes, this is what purity and innocence look like.

"Mr. Faust, how could it be the devil?"

"I meant it literally - he has the power to seduce people."

"Domination, manipulation, dragging others into the abyss, easily crushing dignity and self, allowing him to play with and drive them... This is such an extremely vicious power."

Fafna gently held No. 9's masked face with her claws: "So, you must be careful."

"Is that so?" Number Nine still looked puzzled. "If Mr. Faust has this kind of power, why is he... still a human being?"

Fafna sneered: "Of course it's because he despises those who were ruined by him and abandons them."

But No. 9 lowered his head slightly and said softly: "But even so, Mr. Faust should be able to drive many people anytime and anywhere to do whatever he wants."

“But along the way…”

The girl murmured, as if she was asking Valrhona, or as if she was asking herself:

"I've never seen him use that kind of power."

"...Ms. Fafner, Mr. Faust, are you really abusing that power?"

Fafna was silent for a moment, as if she was thinking seriously. No matter what questions No. 9 asked, she would answer them patiently.

"When he was fighting with others in the maze and ruins, he liked to use this power to force others to submit. He probably... enjoyed the feeling of crushing other people's dignity and ego. That's why I say he is a devil."

"But apart from fighting, I have never abused this power against others, and..."

Shadow Crow, who was neither human nor beast, whispered, "After the decisive battle with Grand Duke Long Yu, he seemed to have stopped using this power in battle."

"But not long after the battle with the Dragon Speaker, he suddenly disappeared. I'm not sure what happened to him."

Enjoying the pleasure of crushing others' dignity and ego, he changed again after the battle with the Dragon Lord...

Mr. Anser, could it be that...

Some possibilities emerged in No. 9's mind.

Something about her that was engraved in Ansel's mind made his heart closer and closer to the possibility of completion.

The battle with the Dragon Lord, if the cause of this battle is what I thought...

"Ms. Fafner." Number Nine acted like a curious baby, "Why did Mr. Faust fight with the Grand Duke of Dragon Language?"

This question remains an unsolved mystery in the West. There are many different opinions on the answer, but so far there is still no answer that is widely recognized.

"The reason..."

Fafnir pondered for a moment, and suddenly looked at No. 9 a few more times, as if she was hesitant about whether to tell her.

But facing No. 9's expectant gaze, Fafnir sighed helplessly.

"This is my guess, and I can't be sure if it's true."

"From what I know, he seems to have discovered a secret place where the Dragon Lord performed the ritual and saw... the tragic scene there."

It didn't say anything else, but Number Nine already understood what it meant.

"So that's why you say...he hasn't changed, right?"

Number Nine was kneeling on the ground with her hands on her knees. Her hoarse voice contained a kind of sadness that only she could feel and understand.

"Because Mr. Faust wants to save those nine million people, I invite you to help me kill Duke Blood Dust."

After a brief silence, Fafna shook her head: "Maybe. I still can't figure out what he is thinking. He may not even know what he is thinking."

"When I first saw that guy, I just felt that he was wandering aimlessly."

“Salvation or destruction, hope or despair… It is because of that power, and because of this vacillation, that I call him the devil.”

No...it's not.

Not wavering, but——

"You...are in love with him?"

When No. 9 subconsciously refuted in his heart, Fafna suddenly asked this question.

"...I." Number Nine opened his mouth but failed to respond immediately.

"You've been asking about him... Never mind. You were rescued by him, so I can understand."

Fafner didn't seem to want to embarrass Number Nine, so she quickly changed the subject. She smiled, and although her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, one could still hear the cheerfulness in it: "Why, why don't you ask about me... Ah, I haven't asked about you either, and I don't even... know your name. I'm sorry, kid."

It raised its claws and took off the mask. Under the mask... was a terrifying face that was a forcible blend of a human and a crow.

"...Will it scare you?" Fafnir asked softly.

"No." Number Nine smiled sweetly, "I feel very cordial, Miss Fafner."

She was not lying. The part of her body that was integrated with Shadow Crow made Kan No. 9 feel a kinship with Fafner from the bottom of her heart, a kind of warmth and security as a member of the same clan.

It also comes from the same pain and the same price.

The girl untied the shawl on her left arm, and under the shawl that looked like wings, there was a twisted beast claw that looked exactly like Fafner's...

But Fafna did not show any joy when she saw the same parts of Number Nine as herself. Instead, she felt heartbroken and sad.

This is the mark of the long suffering that its fellow tribesmen have gone through, and it would rather there was nothing in No. 9 that was similar to itself.

"Can I...see your face?"

After hesitating for a moment, Fafnir asked in a very soft voice, as if she was afraid of hurting Number Nine.

"It's okay." No. 9 answered without hesitation, smiling and cheerfully, "If it's Miss Fafner, I wouldn't mind."

——As long as she can get closer to Fafner, as long as she can make her trust her more, even just a little bit, she will do it.

The girl took off her mask, and surprisingly... her face was actually much better than Fafner's. There was almost no trace of bestiality, but it had become very... very evil.

The area around her eyes was covered with a layer of natural black eyeshadow, and her facial features, which were originally a little green and lovely, became more three-dimensional, with a sense of charm that was completely different from her sister. The completely black eyeballs and the deep sunken eye sockets made it easy for people who looked at her to shudder.

The only animal-like feature is the short black feathers on both sides of his temples that have not yet grown out and can be covered by the mask. They look more like decorations.

Seeing her face, Fafnir was stunned for a long time, and finally suddenly stretched out her claws and hugged No. 9 tightly.

"Very good……"

It hugged the last of its kind tightly, and black tears slowly flowed down the fur on its face.

"You still have a chance to live a happy life, it's... great."

Number Nine was stunned by being hugged so tightly. She should have seized this opportunity to express her feelings to Fafner, but she failed to respond.

The peace and joy of the inhuman creature that embraced her, as well as the determination to protect this joy, were transmitted so clearly and passionately to No. 9's heart, which made her... a little puzzled.

That kind of care and love was what Number Nine had only felt from his mother. No... the emotions exuded by Fafnir might have surpassed that of his mother.

——It can really do everything for itself.

Can I really believe it?

Even if they are of the same clan, the last clan of the same clan, before this, they had never known each other, and didn't even know each other existed. Could such deep feelings be generated just by meeting and exchanging a few words?

Such blind feelings are really reasonable——

Ah...I understand.

This is indeed reasonable.

Number Nine also gently hugged Fafner, like a child in his mother's arms, and buried his head in Fafner's chest.

Because I am the proof.

I am also... such a blind and ridiculous person.

Afterwards, Fafnir chatted with No. 9 about many things, including its interesting stories as an adventurer and its vision and plans for the future.

No. 9 hasn't felt such warmth for a long, long time. She left the happiness she once had and abandoned almost everything she could abandon. She never thought... that there would be a day when she would be treated so gently by someone other than that person.

The part about Shadow Crow made Nine feel a very brief but real warmth and happiness.

Driven by this warmth and happiness, she couldn't help but say:

"It seems... I'm continuing to chat with Miss Fafner like this."

The fragile, helpless, pitiful girl had tears in her eyes.

"Ms. Fafner, will I be caught again? Will I... die?"

Those sparkling tears shattered everything that Farner had.

It hugged Number Nine's shoulders tightly, and its hoarse voice contained the most unshakable determination in its life.

"I won't let you get caught, and I won't let you die, kid."

"I promise."

Thank you for your love and care for me, Miss Valrhona.

The dark girl, who had just been enjoying the warmth and happiness, lowered her head and wiped her tears with emotion, but there was no expression on her face.

Since you care about me so much, please become Mr. Anser's sword and die for him on my behalf.

*

On the roof of the Crow's Nest, Fafnir appeared behind Ansher.

"When do we set off?" it asked very calmly.

"Now, immediately."

Anser turned his head and took a look at it: "Odumbra should act soon. We can't miss this opportunity."

News came from Shadow Marsh that some harmless accidents had occurred. Odumbra tried to pull Shitana into the water, but was rejected.

Although the matter of the nine million people was known by Xitana and Ming Furo, it would not be a problem if I could solve it myself.

Now Crow is personally monitoring Odumbra's whereabouts, so Anser knows when she is about to take action.

"Where are your people?"

Lord Faust, who was acting to the end, asked this question.

Fafnir said calmly, "Placing her in the Crow's Nest is the best choice. If... you can come back alive, help me protect her. I will give her half of my treasure, and you can take the rest."

The black-haired young man laughed: "You don't plan to come back alive?"

"I won't die easily, but the premise is that that bastard Bracher must die... Let's go, you said, now, immediately."

Fafnir turned into a shadow and disappeared without a trace, while Ansher took a last look at the room where No. 9 stayed, and then disappeared on the spot.

The reason why she was able to motivate Fafner so smoothly was all due to Number Nine's special identity as Shadow Crow, and... her acting skills.

Fafna, who has such rich adventure experience and escaped death from the hands of the Grand Duke of Blood and Dust, is not a fool who can be easily fooled.

If it were any other member of Shadow Swamp who had merged with Shadow Crow, it would be impossible for them to trick Fafnir into being completely devoted to her so easily.

If it wasn't for Number Nine, if Number Nine hadn't merged with Shadow Crow, he wouldn't have been able to motivate Fafner, and this assassination would have had one less helper and one more variable.

Ansher certainly knew who was behind this. This method of foreseeing the results ten steps ahead... could only be Him who was high above.

And His purpose couldn't be clearer.

—Look at it, Ansir Hydra, look at all she has done for you, look at all she is willing to sacrifice for you, look carefully at her heart, her wishes, her love for you.

Can you really have the heart to push her into such an abyss?

can.

Because I was obeying Marina's ideas, because I was actually fulfilling her wishes.