The entrance to the Demon King’s castle was littered with bloodstained banners and broken spearheads, a clear testament to the fierce battles that had taken place.
The towering iron gates yawned open like the jagged maw of a beast, and beneath them, I saw the familiar back of the hero.
His silver armor was scorched and torn in several places, yet the holy sword in his firm grip still radiated an intense light.
Opposite him, the Demon King’s army commander, clad in lacquered black armor, clashed violently against his blade.
Through the gaps in the commander’s helmet, red eyes gleamed ominously.
The duel between these two powerful warriors was locked in suffocating tension, neither yielding an inch.
Encircling them, both the kingdom’s soldiers and the Demon King’s forces stood still, watching in silence.
A duel.
The meaning was clear.
I hesitated for a moment.
I could take this chance to eliminate the hero as well.
But I wasn’t convinced that the Demon King could be slain without him.
Slowly, I raised my gloved hand.
Dark red mana pulsed violently, and in the next instant, a surge of magical energy exploded with a thunderous roar, striking the commander square in the back.
“Kuhak…!”
He crumpled before he could even react.
His back armor shattered into fragments, and from the cracks, bright red blood gushed like a fountain.
A gaping hole the size of a palm had been blown clean through the center of his back.
The hero’s eyes widened as his gaze slowly turned toward me.
Drops of blood dripped from his sword, falling to the ground.
His expression was a tangled mess of shock, confusion, and something indescribable.
Though his lips remained tightly pressed together, his eyes trembled violently.
The faces of the Demon King’s soldiers, who had been staring blankly at their fallen commander, turned deathly pale.
“C-Commander…!”
“That damn bitch…!”
“Kill that bitch right now!”
Shouts erupted from all directions.
Some were dazed, some burned with fury, and others were frozen in terror.
Yet they all pointed their blades at me in chaotic disbelief.
But in the next moment, a flash of light from the hero’s sword cut through the ranks of the Demon King’s soldiers.
Blood dripped from his sword as he finally spoke.
“…Why did you do this?”
His gaze wavered.
I realized that his question wasn’t one of reproach or anger—it was directed at himself, a desperate search for answers.
And so, I decided to tell him the truth.
“We have to kill the Demon King and end this war.
You are the hero, after all.”
In my words, the tip of his sword trembled.
The hero of the past would have denied me, would have condemned me as evil without hesitation.
But the hero before me now was simply wavering, lost.
Without a word, he turned and swung his sword at the Demon King’s soldiers.
His blade moved like lightning, tearing through flesh and shattering bones, mercilessly cutting down the enemy.
Wherever his sword passed, severed limbs and spilled entrails littered the battlefield.
His movements were desperate—frantic, as if trying to carve away something unseen.
As if trying to prove something, he swung his sword like a madman.
We arrived at the grand hall of the Demon King’s castle, following in the hero’s wake.
Grotesque statues, stained in blood, cast eerie shadows, and the floor was littered with melted fragments of armor and charred chunks of flesh.
The path of blood trailing behind the hero was exactly like the scene I had seen in my dreams.
Then, a lone figure stepped toward us.
Long red hair, left loose instead of tied back as usual.
Purple eyes, sharp as a blade, locked onto me.
Flora.
“Go and slay the Demon King.”
The hero’s eyes widened.
“You’re going to face that witch alone…?”
I smiled at him.
Not the usual empty smile I used to put on for show—this was the same twisted, broken smile I had shown when I finally revealed my true feelings.
And then, I spoke.
“My goal isn’t to kill the Demon King.
I just want to save one woman.”
His blue eyes wavered.
Confusion, shock, and disbelief clashed within them.
Yet there was no anger or hostility.
I could tell—the sword of justice he once held had already been broken.
“Do what you must, hero.”
In my words, the hero turned away in silence.
I watched his broad back and the white gleam of his armor as he walked away.
I already knew how the hero’s story would end.
That was why I had come this far.
And now, to witness my own ending, I fixed my gaze on Flora.
Just by looking into those cold purple eyes, I understood.
The world wasn’t so beautiful that love or mere words could break through her mind’s chains.
That was why I drank the potion.
The scene before me twisted into a deep, bleeding red.
The towering pillars of the hall melted, warping and distorting, while the bloodstains on the floor slithered like living creatures.
A sharp ringing filled my ears, accompanied by the sound of something breaking, tearing apart, and then forcefully knitting itself back together.
It was as if I could hear the transformation happening inside my body.
Yet, strangely, there was no pain.
Had even my nerves been shattered?
I didn’t know.
But one thing was certain—I could move.
“I’m coming now.”
Gripping my staff, I rushed forward.
My once-motionless legs moved effortlessly, and every sensation in my body felt painfully vivid.
From behind Flora, vines burst forth, launching dozens of thorned projectiles in an instant.
Even without being struck, I could tell—
Each one carried the force of an archer’s arrow.
I drew my dagger and swung.
Strangely, the thorns seemed slow.
It should have been impossible to cut down dozens of them all at once, yet my body moved faster than I had expected.
But in the next moment, something entered my limited field of vision—a mass of vines hurtling toward me.
There were at least forty, too fast to dodge.
Judging it impossible to cut them all with my dagger, I reached out my hand.
A flash of light burst forth, obliterating every vine in sight.
Then, another flash came flying toward me.
It was the same spell she had used when fighting the Demon King.
A spell so powerful that merely triggering it could make the earth tremble.
If it hit me directly, I wouldn’t survive.
So, once again, I reached out and released my mana.
In the next instant, the entire world was consumed by blinding light.
The deafening explosion rendered my ears useless, leaving me in a silence broken only by the red, glowing rose sigil that flickered in response to my mana.
Then, blue cracks spread across the gloves wrapped around my wrists.
The more mana I unleashed, the further the cracks expanded, until finally, with a sharp shattering sound, the gloves fractured and tore apart.
But my mana did not stop.
Amidst the shattered remnants of my gloves, my hand was exposed—faintly tinged with a crimson aura.
I could still control the power of the dragon.
As the light subsided, I saw Flora.
Her eyes held unmistakable shock.
“…How can you wield that power?”
I didn’t have an answer.
But it didn’t matter now.
I stepped toward her.
And then, I ran.
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst, and my lungs burned as if set aflame, but I couldn’t stop.
Vines lashed out toward me, sharp and swift.
Yet the dragon’s mana, surging from my very core, shredded them all to pieces.
At last, my hand reached Flora.
“I’ve got you. I’ll never let go again.”
Her violet eyes wavered for a brief moment.
Without hesitation, I pressed my lips to hers.
I didn’t stop—through our joined lips, I poured my mana into her.
The moment I did, a crimson sigil surfaced on her forehead, glowing brilliantly.
But unable to withstand the dragon’s mana, the sigil cracked—
And then shattered completely.
Flora’s eyes widened in shock, and then—
She slowly closed them, accepting the kiss.
Our lips remained locked, deep and fervent, for what felt like an eternity.
As the kiss ended, Flora’s legs gave out beneath her.
I caught her, holding her close, my fingers intertwining with hers as if to ensure she would never slip away.
“…Peridot… What in the world happened to you…?”
Her voice trembled.
I felt her gaze scanning me—
My tattered cloak, my disheveled hair, my bloodstained clothes.
I no longer looked anything like a noble lady.
But none of that mattered.
Overwhelmed with joy, I smiled.
“But I saved you.”
As if I would never let her be taken by anyone ever again, I tightened my grip on her hand and asked, my voice filled with longing—
“So… will you stay with me? Forever?”
Flora’s eyes widened.
I knew my love wasn’t normal.
Peridot, a powerless bastard child, had only made it this far through sheer obsession and love for her.
And now, I couldn’t bear the thought of not having all of her.
Flora was just as broken as I was.
She knew me too well—not just who I was, but exactly what I was asking for.
Even so, she didn’t let go of my hand.
Instead, she smiled, fingers brushing the ring on my collar, before parting her lips to speak.
“Yes. I won’t let you go either. Never.”
Her answer was laced with possessiveness, with love just as fierce as mine.