“Besides showing off, what else can you do?” Samimi sneered coldly.
However, The Hero of the Gale was still slowly descending through the air and probably didn’t hear this.
She maintained the demeanor of a peerless master, landing beside Bemore, standing with her hands behind her back like a savior, clearly thinking she looked very cool.
“Little Bei, are you okay?” The Hero of the Gale didn’t look at her opponent, first showing concern for her teammate, displaying her gentle protagonist persona.
“She’s about to be beaten to death by me. What do you think?” Samimi had heard this kind of clichéd line so often her ears were calloused; she could even recite it in advance. Hearing it now made her feel a bit nauseous.
“I’m about to be beaten to death by Miworm. What do you think?” Bemore said with a bitter smile.
Seeing The Hero of the Gale appear, Bemore’s cold aura softened slightly, revealing a bit of trust and relief.
Only then did The Hero of the Gale properly look at Samimi and Serina. Her eyes were filled with righteousness, even carrying a kind of lofty, divine quality.
From this moment on, The Hero of the Gale officially possessed the “Protagonist Status.”
Samimi’s heart sank.
Even when facing the Female Vampire Queen, she hadn’t felt such pressure.
This was the [Protagonist Halo].
It practically stacked every bonus for turning adversity around to the max, as if the World Will itself was watching over her. And they, these “villains,” were inherently destined to pave the way for the protagonist here.
As if everything was already predetermined.
“Shalum, compared to our last meeting, we’ve both changed a lot,” The Hero of the Gale said in a calm tone.
“Thanks to you,” Samimi sneered.
Knowing her real name but still using the fake one—this kind of pretentiousness was even more annoying.
“Do you remember the days when we became famous for hunting dragons? Looking back now, enemies of that level are nothing. Time flies,” The Hero of the Gale said, as if reminiscing with an old friend.
“Pah!” Samimi spat directly.
“Ahem, have some elegance. You’re a Pastoralist now,” Serina couldn’t help but interject.
Samimi completely ignored her and continued cursing. “Don’t act like you and I are close. You’re a selfish ‘Honorary Royal City Person.’ You were eager to stomp on me when I was down, and now that I’m rising, you want to get chummy? Stop talking. You’re not worthy. Shut up.”
The Hero of the Gale’s smile finally slowly faded.
“Oh? You stop smiling as soon as ‘Honorary Royal City Person’ is mentioned?” Samimi sneered.
The so-called “Honorary Royal City Person” was actually a mockery of outsiders.
The Hero of the Gale was originally just an ordinary girl from a mountain village, later brought to the Royal City, desperately trying to fit in. The Royal City was incredibly expensive; it wasn’t easy for outsiders to stay.
Many people desperately imitated the locals just to blend into the environment.
But some things couldn’t be faked.
“Dress as beautifully as you want, pretend to be as human as you can, you can’t change that wild scent on you,” Samimi continued the attack on her origins, extremely vicious.
“Why say these things?” The Hero of the Gale suddenly became calm.
“I’ve always been like this. Back when we were in a Team, I cursed you all out for more than a day or two. You’re only realizing it now? Fighting your own battles, harboring ulterior motives, utterly clueless—you fell apart right after kicking me out. Now, each of you gets beaten by me one by one, and you still have the face to stand before me?”
“Then why didn’t you say it back then?” The Hero of the Gale pressed.
“Back then?” Samimi was taken aback.
“During that meal we had together. If you had a problem, you could have spoken up, communicated properly,” The Hero of the Gale said seriously.
This sentence made Samimi fall silent for a moment, then she directly laughed in anger.
This person’s biggest problem was—she hadn’t read any books, yet she thought she was being reasonable.
That “meal” she mentioned was the very banquet that had driven the original owner to the brink of collapse.
In that situation, being besieged and accused by four people—and you want her to “communicate properly”?
Besides the original owner, that emotionless “Zombie,” who could withstand that?
Samimi sneered.
She wasn’t that kind of mentally stable person.
She was just a Transmigrator who could avoid risks in advance.
The Hero of the Gale used to be the “rational type,” but now she had become the “gentle type protagonist.”
To put it bluntly—assimilated by the Protagonist Halo.
“Enough nonsense. Don’t waste my magic. Let’s fight.” Samimi loosened her collar, already disgusted beyond belief.
“We could sit down and talk first. We don’t necessarily have to fight to the death,” The Hero of the Gale remained gentle.
“You’re so annoyingly fussy it makes me want to vomit,” Samimi showed no mercy.
She had seen it clearly now—
The Hero of the Gale was no longer her original self.
She was a protagonist vessel controlled by the “World Will.”
Just like Serina—she was just a carrier holding the Divine Artifact; essentially, the weapon was in charge.
The Hero of the Gale was an existence occupied by the [Protagonist Halo].
Now the problem arose—
If she defeated her, it would mean opposing the World Will, making the future more difficult.
But if she didn’t fight, she’d be unbearably frustrated.
A dilemma.
“Tsk…”
The next second, Samimi’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Serina.”
“Huh?” Serina was startled.
“You go.”
“???”
“You will defeat The Hero of the Gale,” Samimi said with a serious face.
“Me?” Serina pointed at herself, utterly confused.
“I’ll help you. Remember who you are.”
Samimi patted her shoulder.
Serina was stunned for a moment, then suddenly perked up. “Right… I’m a Hero too!”
“Good,” Samimi nodded in satisfaction.
Her move—using someone else to do the deed.
As long as she didn’t personally take action, it wouldn’t count as defying the World Will.
Perfect.
Across from them, The Hero of the Gale’s expression finally changed.
That gentle expression instantly crumbled, her gaze locking tightly onto Serina.
The “Protagonist Halo” within her and her true self seemed to be in conflict.
Her head began to ache faintly.
But she still remembered her goal—
To bring Samimi back to the Team.
“If I win—” The Hero of the Gale raised her hand, pointing at them, her voice low and firm.
“You come back to my side.”