The Hero Who Became a Monster Girl Will Never Fall to Evil

Things seemed to be getting more and more complicated.

Vieya sank into thought for a long time before speaking again: “So then, leaving the Starbell Lily stranded forever in these waters—that’s part of your plan to overthrow the Human Alliance?”

“You could put it that way.” Aurora glanced regretfully at Vieya. “They’ve been preparing for this operation a long time. You’re strong, they might not be able to beat you. But you alone can’t stop it. Everyone on that ship... will die. You can’t save that many people.”

“Why do you think I want to save them?” Vieya countered, lifting her gaze to the cracks spreading across the ceiling of the ice cavern. Her voice grew low: “I’m not a Hero. I don’t have that so-called righteousness.”

That so-called righteousness—justice above the individual, absolute justice. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

For such justice, one could kill, deceive, even betray.

But unfortunately, there was no justice in this world that could truly transcend the individual.

For some, protecting their loved ones was justice. For others, burning everything down for vengeance was justice. But now, in Vieya’s eyes, finding her daughter was what mattered most. Her daughter was her justice. Even if she had to stand against the entire world, she would do it willingly.

When Aurora looked back into Vieya’s eyes, she froze. It was as if she were seeing the first sunlight frozen atop a snowy peak—both the sharpness of ice and the lonely courage of fire, a monument carved deep in the pupils that would never turn back.

Aurora didn’t understand anymore. She hurriedly asked, “Then why did you appear here...”

“Because you were in my way.” Vieya said softly.

Boom!

The cracked dome suddenly collapsed. Millions of tons of icy water poured down, carrying colossal blocks of ice.

The stone stele engraved with Lampard’s deeds was instantly swallowed as the endless flood of ice and water roared in.

Above the ice layer, the battle had reached its fever pitch. The twelve main magic cannons of the Starbell Lily roared in unison, spewing forth their boundless fury.

The elf maiden turned white stag tore open the belly of a monstrous whale, running as if upon a song—only to crash headlong into another colossal monster shaped like an octopus!

The hidden enemies now surged forth in full force, rushing to besiege the Starbell Lily.

Knights in golden armor and sailors on deck breathed raggedly, roaring hoarse with desperation—fire the cannons, fight in melee—every face lit with the madness of a last stand.

Deep down they knew: if they fell into the hands of these enemies who colluded with monsters, their fate would not be any better than dying on the battlefield.

The humans aboard the Starbell Lily had mostly come here with grudges against monsters. They were fighting for revenge, but also for their own lives and hopes.

“Fire! Fire!” the turret commander bellowed, while the spotters locked targets one by one with the aid of the strongest echo-location magic.

Azure magic shells landed with precision upon those mountain-sized monsters—on their heads, their eyes, their mouths and noses... Experienced spotters always found the most vulnerable parts and aimed their strikes!

“Oh, honorable Hero. Please lay down your weapon and surrender, so that needless casualties may be avoided.”

“All this chaos behind us—is it your doing?” Rotisha had no intention of trusting the words of those who colluded with monsters. Holding her black spear, she eyed the enemies slowly encircling them, and sneered:

“You think if you trap us here, the Royal Capital won’t trouble you?”

“Hero, you are mistaken.”

The speaker wore a pitch-black metal mask. His ancient military uniform was strung with golden medals connected by a silver chain from shoulder to waist. His posture was straight, like a pine that had withstood a thousand storms without bending.

He inclined himself slightly before the tense Hero, performing an ancient courtesy:

“The Dark Age drags along everyone’s fate—yours, and ours as lowly folk. True hope does not lie in the Royal Capital. It slumbers in the souls of every rebel, extinguished and reborn again. It is an inheritance older than this land itself, an unyielding code written in our blood.”

“Such grand words. Then why don’t you dare march directly on the Royal Capital? Why scuttle in the sewers like rats?” Rotisha said with contempt.

The black-masked man was not angered. He sighed as he looked at Rotisha. “All these years of struggle—only to defend that tottering Royal Capital? You are a Hero, one of the few in this world with the power to enforce justice. It is a pity you’re merely a loyal guard of the Capital. If you were not such a guard, perhaps we could sit and talk.”

“Too bad for you then. I never intended to have anything to do with monsters. Even if you were once human, now in my eyes you’re nothing but human-shaped monsters.” Rotisha’s tone was calm. “With your intelligence network, tallying how many of my companions {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} and friends died at your hands and the monsters’ shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?”

The black mask nodded. “We know your entire life. Every person and event connected to you is recorded in our archives.”

“If ordinary lives are like the tide rising and falling, then mine has only waves and abyss. Either thrown to the froth at fate’s crest, or sunk into a trench that never sees light. Even breathing feels like shards crusted with salt.” Rotisha spoke softly.

“Being a Hero is a dull, tedious job. After my mentor died, I had no kin left. I only wanted this work as a Hero to rid me of loneliness and the winter of my life.

But later, as a Hero, I met a very remarkable colleague. My life entered summer, full of sunlight. For that time I had many good friends, and a goal to strive for.

But you and the monsters destroyed it all. You didn’t just destroy my dream—you destroyed the one chance this world had to recover.”

“This is fate. We cannot control it.” The black mask spoke quietly. “That Chief Hero indeed had the chance to change everything. But he missed it, disappeared from this land completely, leaving nothing behind.”

“To him, surrounded by so many gifted people, you were nothing more than an ordinary friend. Even if you once gave him chocolate, he might not have remembered. Perhaps he confused you with someone else.” The voice under the mask was calm. “And as for you, Hero—you’ve never moved past it. No matter how strong your power, your heart remains weak.”

Rotisha’s expression carried no sorrow, no joy. That sharp voice seemed to leave no mark on her:

“Life is too short to possess too much. I am a Hero, but I am also human. I like having friends and warmth. If I have friends and warmth, I don’t mind staying in this world a while longer.”

“...” The black mask fell silent. He suddenly realized that this human Hero might have long since discarded her past, along with her humanity, transforming into a blazing Asura.

Lightning split the clouds. A magic shell exploded three meters above the ground, casting white light across Rotisha’s face.

They no longer spoke, standing still as statues.

“...What a terrible shame.” The black mask sighed softly. His right hand lifted, palm slowly pressing down. He said:

“Do it!”