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

—Boom—!

A massive mushroom cloud rose from the center of the city. A terrifying shockwave rolled across the tens-of-thousands–square-kilometer giant city of Talin.

“...What happened?”

Jasmine, who had been selecting communication devices at a shop counter, jumped in fright. After a moment of frozen confusion, she followed the shop clerks rushing out to watch the commotion and stepped outside.

A blinding white flash filled her vision—Jasmine’s mind went blank. But in the next second, Elizabeth snapped her fingers and added a filter before Jasmine’s eyes.

Snap!

Black clouds churned in the sky. A horrifying explosion erupted at the city center. The blast’s light burst upward, scattering the high-altitude cloud layers—branching lightning flickered within the torn clouds like cracks in the heavens.

“Wow, this is going to be fun. Make it bigger!” Elizabeth said with excitement. But Jasmine only felt her heart pounding in fear.

She hurriedly stuffed the two newly purchased communicators into a bag, counted the silver coins she earned from commissions, and dumped them all onto the counter.

“Cat-sis, let’s hurry home... Something happened in the city. If ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) we stay outside, Mom will worry.” Jasmine said nervously, gripping the bag.

Helcat agreed. Elizabeth looked a bit dissatisfied, but since it was Jasmine speaking, she refrained from arguing.

“Fine, let’s go... There are way too many fly-monsters around here.”

Elizabeth spread her hands and strolled leisurely down the street bathed in the harsh white blast-light.

The first unlucky ones who stared directly into the flash lay on the ground, clutching their eyes and wailing. The entire street was full of screaming, rolling onlookers.

Soon, those who reacted a moment later—or those lucky enough not to look directly—rushed out to help the victims, or excitedly raised their recording devices, hoping to capture this rare explosion.

“Make way! Make way!”

The city-defense knights emerged to maintain order, though the explosion affected the entire city; they could only block the major access points closest to the blast.

“Huh, it’s Yuelong-sis... She’s outside too!”

Jasmine suddenly spotted a striking red figure in the crowd—the noble red-haired girl who had gifted her a pair of bracelets and had no improper thoughts toward her mom.

Hearing this, Elizabeth glanced over at the white-clad red-haired swordswoman leaning on the railing—but the woman didn’t seem to notice them at all. She was still staring at the explosion’s source in a daze.

“That’s the one who came looking for your mom that day?” Elizabeth frowned.

“She’s Mom’s guest. Elizabeth-sis, be polite.” Jasmine reminded gently, then muttered to herself, “Also, should we go greet them? With the city so chaotic, it’d be safer if we stick together.”

“I think we should return to Master as soon as possible,” Jiele Xiyin murmured softly.

Elizabeth originally didn’t want to approach the red-haired girl who gave her ominous vibes—but hearing her rival say that immediately made her want to do the opposite. She glared and snapped:

“How long will saying hello even take? Aren’t they your mother’s guests? Bringing them along would make your mother happy, right?”

“Besides, Jasmine clearly likes them. Can you stop giving terrible suggestions?”

Elizabeth patted Jasmine’s shoulder. “I support you, little Jasmine! Bring them back with us. Your mom will definitely praise you.”

Jasmine hesitated, then carefully walked toward the red-haired girl leaning on the stone railing.

Just then, the yellow-haired member of the trio spotted her. “Captain Yuelong! Little-Fish-sis! Look, it’s that big white-haired one’s daughter!”

“Mm... Let’s go.”

Yuelong said softly and walked toward Jasmine.

Just like that?

Irena blinked in confusion.

Why does it feel like you two were waiting for me to speak first?

“What are you standing there for?”

Before she could think more, Allison—her blue-haired teammate—turned back and barked, “Don’t waste time! Move!”

“Uh... oh.”

Irena swallowed her confusion and followed her teammates.

Probably Little-Fish-sis and Captain Yuelong are just more reserved...

She convinced herself with that thought, and the two groups finally met.

......

At the explosion’s center—ruins.

Vieya inhaled softly. The heavy stench of burnt smoke pricked at her nerves. Behind her, she sensed an enormous monster—the size and force of a god—its presence blotting out the sky.

Just its appearance had annihilated all defenses inside the Tribunal. The resulting explosion affected the entire city.

“Captain.”

The familiar voice came from behind. Only one person would call her that here, now: Aurora.

But the moment Vieya heard that word, the last of her fragile relief vanished.

Standing in the ruins, breathing the burning smoke and blood, she suddenly felt dizzy—thrown back to that day years ago when Flaviel revealed her true identity before self-detonating. Sudden, dreamlike, devastating.

This isn’t how it should be...

A cold wind swept over the unobstructed ruins, snapping Vieya back into her body. She gulped in breath, wanting to turn around—to see what Aurora had become.

Just a week ago, she had stroked Aurora like a pet dog.

Now...

As she slowly turned—

“Don’t look at me, Captain.”

Aurora’s voice said quietly, “Just stay like this. Talk to me.”

Her voice was hoarse but unmistakably clear.

“...When did you recognize me?” Vieya asked, not turning back.

She struggled desperately to keep her heart steady—but the Holy Sword inside the Golden City trembled faintly, like a furious beast barely restrained.

“Actually, Lilian never came to me. The moment I saw you use the Holy Sword, I started doubting. As an assassin, you must learn to find anomalies in tiny clues—something you taught me. Once suspicion takes root, the truth naturally unfolds.”

“When you heard me mention ‘Lilian,’ your reaction was strange. You hid it well, but nothing in the world is a perfect disguise. And, Captain... you’re still terrible at masking emotion. Cold face before, cold face now. No change at all.”

Aurora’s voice softened.

“Sorry, Captain. I deceived you. But... you deceived me too, didn’t you? You’ve been lying to me since the first time we met. So we’re even now.”

“Aurora, come back. We can talk about everything later.” Vieya closed her eyes, breathing deeply, keeping her tone calm. “Help me resolve this first. Let those people recover.”

“Can’t go back.”

Aurora’s reply was slow, thoughtful. “The one who released this plague never planned a cure. Humans are just breeding pods for sin. If not here, then elsewhere. As long as people exist...”

“How are you connected to them?”

“I said it before. That person is my superior. But they wear a mask—I don’t really know who they are, Captain.”

“Then... can I still trust your promise? Are you truly the Aurora I knew?”

The question hung for a long time.

Finally Aurora spoke, sounding wounded.

“I wish we could have stayed like before... When we first met. Back when everyone had dreams. When you were still that awe-inspiring Captain.”

“But, Captain... this world changes fast. You vanished for so many years. Even if you hold the Holy Sword again, I can barely recognize you. Even if every part of me knows it’s you—I don’t dare accept it. I don’t dare accept that my respected Captain became... like this.”

Vieya’s eyelid twitched. She wanted to speak, but remained silent instead, lowering her head and closing her eyes.

“......”

“Captain, look at you... You’ve become so indecisive.” Aurora let out a small, helpless laugh. “The old you would never waste words on an enemy. Tell me—what changed you?”

“Enough. We still have time.” Vieya said through tight breath.

Aurora cut her off.

“Captain, I know what you’re thinking—you want to save me like before. But it’s too late. I ruined everything.”

Her voice softened. “Can you see it? The center of the city. Over where the Cloud Pool is.”

Vieya lifted her head. The Tribunal sat near the middle of Talin. The Cloud Pool—the enormous inland lake—was not far.

Usually calm and clear.

Now it glowed with ominous purple light.

“What is it?” Vieya asked quietly.

“The angel beneath the underground city... It is returning to the world.”

Aurora’s voice shook. “When I learned of their plan, I wanted to warn you early. But they grew suspicious. They kept me close as an assistant... and monitored me with flies.”

“I couldn’t find you. Couldn’t move freely. They struck a deal with the thing in the underground city. Soon, everyone infected by the mosquito-fly plague will become fertilizer bags to feed It.”

Vieya stared at the glowing lake. Reviving an angel dead for tens of thousands of years... was that even possible?

And “fertilizer bags”—likely the people vomiting flies, the ones bitten by the plague insects.

“Captain, I never meant to break my promise.” Aurora spoke softly. “Before you destroyed their plague source inside the gem, I couldn’t speak. Otherwise our entire conversation now would be known to them.”

“But now it’s fine. I destroyed the Tribunal. Even if you flee right now, no one else will know what we discussed.”

“I won’t run.” Vieya didn’t know what emotion she felt when she said it—but she said it anyway.

“Heh...”

Captain, even if your body is strange now, in other ways you’re still the same.

Aurora laughed—so softly Vieya almost thought she imagined it.

“Captain, the incident with you and Flaviel-sis years ago—Ghosts were behind it. And... beware the Human Alliance’s Empress. Don’t trust her. I investigated them for years. I left all the documents with my sister. She doesn’t know what they are.”

Aurora’s voice lightened, carrying hope and encouragement.

“So, Captain. I leave the rest to you. And... don’t tell my sister what I did.”

“I...” Vieya’s heart thundered. Only now did she realize why Aurora, after Vieya’s death back then, abandoned her chance at a peaceful life to return to the darkness as an assassin.

“Aurora, wait. We still have time—”

“Captain, please. I’ve waited too long. Heh... I thought I’d die by Lilian’s hand one day.” Aurora’s voice was calm. “But dying by your hand... that’s a good ending. Captain, I believe in you.”

As her words ended, a heavy beast-like roar sounded behind her—followed by a raging storm.

Vieya turned in an instant.

And froze.

Standing behind her was not the old teammate she remembered—but a serpent-shaped monster, coiled over the ruins, massive and terrifying.

It reared like a world-devouring mythic python beneath the clouds.

But its body was incomplete—covered in wounds large and small, horrifying to behold.

In that moment, Vieya recalled the rumors of monster-fusion surgery among humans—

Abandoning the human body to become a monster for power.

But the failure rate was high. Even success required constant anti-mutation drugs.

Vieya closed her eyes.

In the dark, she seemed to see their old hunting days—Aurora at sixteen or seventeen, hiding in the shadows, waiting for a monster’s weakness to appear so she could strike. Or standing behind Vieya, patting her shoulder, urging:

“Do it, Captain.”

...

......

“Sorry.”