“Who are you? How could you tell?”
Could Okate be someone from the First Playthrough too? Had he seen through her sword steps because of his knowledge of her? After all, judging by his strength back in the First Playthrough, it was entirely possible for him to detect them.
“You’re not… Haven’t you already figured it out?” Okate stroked his chin, but the fighting spirit had completely drained from him now.
“…You—”
“Mo Ran—no, you’ve abandoned that name by now. Passively speaking… in a way, you’re still yourself, aren’t you?”
“What are you trying to say?”
Xuefei dismissed the Terminus Fire, and her arm reverted to its pale, smooth skin.
On the surface, this was undoubtedly her old friend—the straightforward, earnest Okate. But Xuefei had no recollection of him possessing such keen intuition.
And what was the deal with this Barrier?
It was a power that only those who had cultivated their magic to the highest realm could wield, yet Okate handled it with effortless grace. And that wasn’t the only suspicious detail…
Then, all of a sudden, Okate dropped to one knee with a thud—the ritual gesture of a knight pledging his loyalty. His eyes brimmed with reverence.
“Come with me. Follow me, and let’s save the world once more.”
“What?”
Xuefei’s eyes widened.
She had assumed he was here to subdue her. She never imagined… he was actually extending an invitation!
With that, she decided to test the waters and open a dialogue.
“You do have memories from before, don’t you? Then tell me—who changed this world? Who changed us?”
Xuefei knew full well that Leia was the “culprit” behind it all.
But this was a probe. If she didn’t ask, it would imply she already knew the answers. And the Okate before her would surely pick up on that.
He only seemed reckless on the surface.
“It’s Leia.”
“…I see.”
“The moment I laid eyes on you, I understood. Her past [Obsession] imprisoned the Hero—you—and forced you to submit to evil.” Okate kept his head bowed as he spoke with utmost seriousness, leaving Xuefei unable to glimpse his expression.
“How many others know about this? Who’s the Hero now?” Xuefei pressed on without giving him a moment to breathe.
But Okate saw right through her attempt to shift the topic and hurried to respond.
“…Please, come with me. You’ve endured so much already. Escaping from a place like that must have taken unimaginable hardship, hasn’t it?”
“…”
Xuefei fell silent.
Hardship? What hardship?
Turning into a girl, succumbing to full Evil Corruption, getting implanted with a Dragon Egg…?
That wasn’t hardship. Or… maybe it was!
Xuefei shook her head vigorously, flinging the stray thoughts away.
“You’re incredibly strong—I know it. You haven’t fully submitted to the Evil Dragon. You’ve held on to some of your own awareness, haven’t you?”
Sensing her slight hesitation, Okate seized the moment and pressed his advantage. He was determined not to let this chance slip.
“…”
Evil Corruption was her expression of love for Leia. It hadn’t erased her consciousness entirely, nor was it easy to alter her Soul.
Still, Xuefei let out a sigh.
“I can’t let go of Leia.”
“Is that right? Heh… Hero, why on earth would you develop feelings for the Evil Dragon? It’s still Leia’s Soul at the core, but now she’s a threat to the entire world—possibly even a Calamity that could spill over into other realms! You, of all people, should understand that better than anyone, Mo Ran.” Okate roared.
Xuefei’s heart jolted hard.
“I can’t fathom it—you, trapped by emotions… Damn it, when will you become that decisive, emotionless Hero from before again?”
“Okate, that was my failing.” Xuefei bowed her head. The faces of her fallen comrades flashed before her eyes, like countless blades stabbing into her chest—twisting, suffocating agony.
“No, you did nothing wrong!” Okate countered fiercely. “Xuefei, conquering an S-Rank world is the ultimate challenge. Ordinary Heroes can barely handle B-Rank ones. Even A-Rank is a one-in-a-million feat, you know that?”
“You cleared an S-Rank world because victory’s path was that narrow—only one way through. I know it full well: you never abandoned justice, never yielded to Leia’s [Obsession]. That’s why you’re here now. I’m right, aren’t I?”
Only one path?
Don’t make her laugh…
Xuefei’s hands balled into tight little fists. The fierce resolve from the fight had vanished entirely, replaced by regret and anguish.
It wasn’t just the unbearable memories resurfacing. It was the scolding from a friend of old.
If only she’d pushed a little harder back then… they wouldn’t have died.
Xuefei wanted to refute him, but Okate didn’t give her any time to think. His expression turned eager. She still remembered that when Okate had asked her to take him along to save the world, he had worn the exact same expression.
It was as if everything had returned to the past: that boy who had just transmigrated, the holy sword gripped tightly in his hand, and their simple yet undeniably warm little home. There, Leia was smiling as she prepared dinner, while cheerful laughter and pleasant conversation filled the air without end.
So, how should she choose?
The so-called freedom, or Leia?
The past, or the future?
Or perhaps…
Should she abandon Leia—who had placed her trust in her—once again?
What exactly was Leia’s position in her heart? Just how should she face the current Leia?
Xuefei sank into profound darkness, merging as one with this pitch-black backdrop…
Seeing this, Okate seized the opportunity and continued speaking:
“Join us—no one will notice. My barrier can isolate everything, even time itself cannot penetrate it… Then, we can kill that evil dragon together!”
“Afterward, we’ll do everything in our power to turn you back into your original form. By the way, the evil dragon curse shouldn’t have fully eroded you yet, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have chosen to run away…”
“You’ve met them, haven’t you?”
Xuefei’s sudden icy remark shattered the darkness, throwing Okate slightly off balance.
He lifted his head and saw the smile on Xuefei’s face.
What’s going on with this woman?
Wasn’t she hesitating just a moment ago? Why has she suddenly become so resolute?
“What?”
Okate asked incredulously, wondering if he had seen wrong. But Xuefei’s resolute gaze tore his illusions to shreds like newspaper.
“You’ve met them, haven’t you?”
Her scarlet dragon eyes, like molten lava, resembled a storm of blazing flames. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly, forming a stark contrast with the bewildered evil dragon girl from moments before.
“Who?”
“The gods,” Xuefei sneered. “It’s truly surprising—you know quite a lot. Just how many benefits have those damn gods given you?”
“……”
Xuefei noticed the golden light flickering in his eyes; that was not something a normal person should possess.
“What are you talking about, Mo Ran?”
“Stop pretending. You’re not Okate at all, are you? Or perhaps Okate accepted something else, birthing a brand-new existence.”
Okate was strong, but he absolutely could not have learned barriers.
Turn her back to her previous form?
Could Okate even do that? No—this swordsman never would have even considered such a thing in life. Instead, his lecherous gaze toward Princess Celi on the carriage was far more convincing.
It seemed those so-called gods were nothing special after all.
His mistake was knowing too much.
“I won’t go with you, fake Mr. Okate. Also, there’s something you clearly haven’t figured out yet~” Xuefei said with an evil grin. “The so-called evil dragon curse doesn’t exist at all. I am already the complete evil dragon.”
“I’m no longer the hero you can dispatch at will~”
