The villain's way to tame the protagonist

"You need... leverage to impress me."

Strictly speaking, Xin was not really qualified to gamble with Anser, because she could not come up with the chips that would force Anser to go to the gambling table, unless -

"I have the chips, Mr. Devil."

Xin held Anser's hand and pressed it to his chest, his voice still as calm as ever:

"I'm betting on myself."

To Anser, there is nothing in Xin that is worth his covetousness. Only Xin himself... is the treasure that he cannot resist no matter what.

If she wanted to gamble with Ansher, she could only bet on herself and everything she had as a saint.

But why did she do this?

The feeling in the dream was still delicate and real, but the palm of his hand only felt soft and silky, without the vibration from his heartbeat, which made Anser feel like he was touching a flesh doll.

He couldn't help but think of the conversation he had just had with Xin - only people who are at the end of their rope will hurt themselves.

Anser had already guessed what she wanted to bet on.

"If I lose—"

"If you lose, you will no longer use me as an excuse to escape reality and will be willing to face the truth about the church, right?"

"...To be precise, I will follow Mr. Devil's words and take the initiative to get a clear understanding of the situation from the bishops. Since Mr. Devil is so confident in his words, I will do so."

Xin emphasized: "I am not running away from anything, Mr. Devil, you just think so."

"Okay, okay, if you insist on using that term, I don't mind."

Anser smiled and kneaded Xin's cheeks: "You are quite cute when you are serious and stubborn, Miss Xin."

Xin let Anser ravage her cheeks in silence.

However, the devil who showed such an intimate gesture, his thoughts at this moment were not as gentle as his actions and expression.

Of course, Xin could only take this condition as a gamble. The so-called "betting on herself" would ultimately mean completely sinking into the devil's temptation. For Xin, the only possibility that could make her betray God's grace and throw herself into the devil's arms was to let the world built by God, the Assistant, and the Church completely collapse.

Anser will only truly accept her after her life has become a ruin, so... this condition, this entire bet, is the last gamble that Xin can make.

Of course, there is another possibility.

Anser narrowed his eyes slightly, hiding his indifferent and cold look in the deepest part.

Do you think... you can definitely win, dear Miss Saint?

This could be a last-ditch effort or an all-in bet with the belief that you will win.

"So, what do you want me to bet?" Ansher withdrew his hand and looked at the Saint Lady who was ready to bet everything with a smile. Compared to her who had no way out, the devil had countless chips. Even if Xin planned to bet everything, he could still choose not to accept the gamble and let Xin slowly perish in the reality that Ansher revealed to him step by step.

However...if the conditions offered by Xin are suitable, Anser doesn't mind using this gambling game to give her the most perfect ending.

However, the conditions proposed by Xin were completely beyond Anser's expectations.

"I just need you to temporarily... forget what happened in this dream. That's enough."

It is not about letting Anser open his heart to her, nor about letting Anser accept her power. It has nothing to do with the so-called redemption. Instead, it is about letting Anser advance the chips and let him forget the content of this dream.

This condition was so jumpy that even Anser couldn't figure out Xin's intention within ten seconds.

About half a minute later, Anser spoke up: "Let me temporarily forget the memory of this dream... is it the gambling game itself?"

"me too."

Xin's expression was still very calm. "The condition of my failure is the price I have to pay. From now on, I will take every word Mr. Devil says seriously. As long as Mr. Devil can completely... no, even if it only makes me waver in my faith in God and the Associate, then this memory will be restored, and I will take the initiative to seek answers from the church."

"And if Mr. Devil is shaken by me during the time he lost his memory, then that will be my victory, and it will be the only thing I want..."

This so-called gambling game was essentially the back-and-forth attack and defense that both sides had repeated countless times, except that Xin had added some conditions to it.

Anser wanted to forget the content of the dream, and Xin also said that he would not continue to escape.

On the surface, this bet is not fair to Anser, because after losing this memory, what Xin does and thinks can only rely on her own consciousness, and Anser cannot counterattack, but in fact... this is not the case.

Because Xin's victory condition is to shake Ansher, and the difficulty of this matter is obviously much greater than the former.

That's why you proposed this bet. You know that I will be extremely confident that you can't do it, but you also think that my confidence is not solid.

After witnessing this dream, witnessing the accumulated pain and weakness of being abused, you now want to save me more than anyone else. You think I need help from others, others'... love, right, Miss Saint?

I was so eager to force the dream to collapse and prevent you from protecting that fake, weak Hydra. In your eyes, am I just like a stubborn boy who doesn't want anyone to touch his wounds?

But Miss Saint, he has never been me. I have never and will never experience his life. Maybe that Hydra needs your moving redemption and love, but I don’t.

What a shame, my life is much more perfect than his.

The devil who had tempted Xin and led her into the wrong direction stretched out his hand contentedly with a bright smile:

"Okay, I agree."

In this way, there would be no possibility for Xin, who was in the wrong direction, to shake him, and even if he lost this memory, he would be able to quickly infer the most crucial information from Xin's attitude and reaction.

Although it would be difficult to make Ansir Hydra realize that Xin should fulfill the bet, it didn't matter. No matter whether Xin would honestly fulfill the agreement or not, as long as he deepened her dependence on himself in this way and then exposed the nature of God and the church, the lost lamb would definitely choose the most correct destination for her.

Choose to sink into the arms of the devil.

"Mr. Devil, let's meet in reality then."

Xin lowered his head slightly, and his figure turned into a point of light and slowly dissipated.

But before she completely disappeared, tentacles suddenly emerged from the boundless darkness and wrapped around Xin's body.

"...Mr. Devil?"

"Memory." Anser tapped his temple, "You haven't blocked it yet."

Xin was obviously stunned for a moment, and then asked in confusion: "Mr. Devil means... let me come?"

"if not?"

"..."

As the tentacles dissipated, Xin's body condensed again. She came in front of Anser and gently stroked Anser's cheek. This time Anser did not dodge.

"Mr. Devil... do you want me to do it?" Those holy and ethereal eyes contained a faint expectation and hope, "Aren't you worried that I might not be able to do it well?"

Anser laughed dumbly: "You don't have the ability to trick me silently. I reacted immediately to your control of my dream through two-way infiltration just now. Do you think your formal interference at the soul level can pass my perception? Besides..."

He paused for a moment, covered Xin's hand, and revealed to the pure saint the temptation she could not refuse:

"You said you would save me, Miss Xin. You know... that's not the kind of rescue I need, right?"

This is a malicious pun from the devil, seemingly gently acknowledging Xin's will, entrusting her with trust, and believing that she will not use the power to directly change her soul; but in fact it is mocking Xin for not knowing that he does not need the so-called salvation.

But it's okay this way. If this is how you see me, and if you need a weak me as a new pillar, I don't mind being your god, Miss Xin.

Ansher closed his eyes and obediently accepted the caress from the strange soul, allowing this memory to be blocked and hidden bit by bit.

Ah, there is also a little gift. Since you have endured so many sins, one more gift from me wouldn’t hurt, right?

At the moment when their souls touched, just as Xin was invading Anther's dream by feeling the pain, in the process of Xin carefully hiding Anther's memory, a barely noticeable black spot appeared on the thorns on the chest of her white robe.

It was a snake entangled in the thorns, which was completely invisible to the naked eye.

"The erosion of the abyss...seems to be flowing in reverse to your soul, Miss Xin."

Anser suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes were so sincere: "Is it okay?"

"it does not matter."

Xin looked at Anser tenderly.

"Whether Mr. Devil did it intentionally or unintentionally, it doesn't matter even if it's more."

"..."

Anser remained silent and sighed in his heart.

Although I'm ready to protect this beautiful dream for you...but I still don't like the look of your eyes at all, Miss Xin.

*

The contents of the memory were complex, but for Anser, it emerged and he understood it in an instant.

Why did Xin think like this, and why did he agree to the bet... basically they all matched up, just as Anser said to Xin - whether he lost his memory or not, Anser Hydra was always Anser Hydra. Even if there was a gap in memory in the middle, the Anser before and after had completed the foreshadowing and handover of each other.

only……

Looking at Xin who was staggering in front of him, Anser still felt a little puzzled.

"Are you okay, Miss Xin?" He gently supported Xin, who seemed like she could collapse at any time. His eyes were not ostentatious, but only compassion.

"I'm sorry, I won."

As long as Xin's faith is shaken, Anser's memory will come back. Although it is not known whether Xin's faith has completely collapsed or is just severely shaken, it doesn't matter.

Because Ansher had used sufficiently gentle means to expose the "truth" of the church - he did not make her witness hell like he did to Sitana, nor did he force Helen out alive like he did to Ming Furo. Although Ming Furo's words were weighty, they were just words.

Her final collapse was inseparable from the devil's tireless instigation, but on the other hand... Xin had not experienced a major event like Ming Frositana that was enough to destroy herself. She fell into such a hell just through the accumulation of small things and words. This shows that her belief in God might not be that firm.

Although Xin's collapse was inevitable after hearing those words, looking at the appearance of the Saint Lady, Xitana and Ming Furo both recalled some not-so-good memories.

"I've said what I need to say, and I've done what I need to do. I'm leaving now, and I'll leave this to you."

Ming Furo glanced at the dazed Xitana, then went back into Ansel's bracelet and disappeared.

Xitana came back to her senses and looked at Xin again. She shivered involuntarily and scratched her head awkwardly: "Then...then I will leave too? Ming Fuluo gave me the things."

"Wait, Lord Lance."

This sudden change of title made Xitana, who was about to run away, stumble. She turned her head to look at Anser who was still holding Xin, and curled her lips unhappily:

"What?" Miss Wolf snorted, "I'm busy!"

"Lord Zeg hopes that you can give this thing to someone high enough in the church to expose the church's conspiracy, right?"

The righteous man chosen by God, the hero destined by heaven, the young man named Hercules spoke in a low voice, but his gloomy and angry eyes revealed an unshakable determination.

"There should be no one more suitable than me in the church right now."

"..."

Sitana really wanted to ride on Ansel's neck and bite him hard.

Then you can just ask Ming Fuluo to give you the thing. Do you like playing this kind of weird game so much?

As the angry Xitana was thinking this, she caught a glimpse of Xin's fragmented and trance-like expression, and then understood the meaning of Anser's actions.

...Really, Ming Fuluo is really right sometimes, Anser is such a bad guy, he broke another one... No! Ming Fuluo and I were not broken...Lina was not broken either!

The girl had a lot of thoughts in her mind, but in the end she reluctantly went through the motions and handed the ring that Ming Furo had given her to Ansel.

"You...you decide for yourself."

Sitana tried her best not to look at Xin, so as not to get a sense of déjà vu from the miserable state of the Saint Lady. "But this way, I also know who the culprit is... Ahhhh but I can't find where they are, so annoying! Forget it, let's deal with those two idiot archdukes first. I'm leaving, An... Hercules."

The great Beast King has set out on her conquest again, and now only the devil and the saint are left... Oh no, it's the saint and the righteous people she has chosen.

"Miss Saint, I think the bishops should give us an explanation." Hercules held the Saint's hand tightly.

His suppressed whisper was so angry and so solemn.

"They betrayed you, didn't they?"

The figure on the verge of disillusionment trembled violently, but gradually stabilized after the trembling.

"But it doesn't matter. Even if they betray you, I won't."

Who said this, Anther or Hercules? A devil or a hero? Anther didn't care what Xin thought, because he could feel that the hand he held tightly was now tightly holding him tightly, as if he was afraid that the only reality around her was also just an illusion.

I'll take this opportunity to let you fulfill your bet. After all, you said you would take my words seriously, but after I lost that memory, you are still avoiding the truth. This won't do, Miss Saint.

The devil was so gentle and so determined in providing the saint with the meaning of her existence.

"Because it was not God who chose me, it was you."

Chapter 6: Him and Me (K)

Lulis fell against the city wall, slid down little by little and sat down. His blood-soaked robe left a bloody mark on the wall.

The hand holding the staff was numb, and his fingers were trembling and could hardly close. Even so, he still wanted to stand up and squeeze out the last bit of ether to release the magic.

"Reverend Lulis...that's enough."

A priest in armor sat down next to him and pressed his shoulders: "It's over. Have a good rest."