Avira didn’t understand.
Was it years of mental by the Demon King, or had it seared itself into her bones? She thought it might just be psychological trauma from the Demon King’s “tuning.”
“Alright…” In the end, though, Avira agreed to the Demon King’s invitation.
If the Demon King wanted to harm her, she wouldn’t need to go to such lengths.
She could simply imprint the Moon Mark right there, infuse it with magic, and drag her away, capturing Avira’s Saintess Bloodline in the process. And Avira herself would become one of humanity’s greatest threats.
So, the Demon King wasn’t lying.
“Mm, I’ll take you back~”
As the Demon King scooped her up and flew toward the Royal Palace, Avira clutched the Holy Sword, lost in thought for a moment.
She had no idea why the other three Silver Feathers had shattered.
And that red aura within the Holy Sword… and its voice…
What was the “Blood Moon”?
Why had she died that day?
Who was communicating with her?
Even so, harboring these questions, Avira had her own answers.
She clearly remembered that before her death, under the setting sun, the entire land had been dyed blood-red. Every corner and shadow had become part of the deep crimson, an eerie sight.
Curiously, Avira recalled that when humans had framed her, the land had also been stained scarlet.
And that scene seemed tied to the curse she bore.
If she followed the original timeline, she only had two years left.
With the dragon’s soft cry, Ophitia retracted her wings.
They had arrived at the Royal Palace.
The familiar floors, familiar stone pillars, familiar chandeliers.
Ophitia carried her to the bed in the bedroom—this had originally been Avira’s own room.
After all that circling around, she was back here.
Ophitia removed her shoes, tucked her under the covers, and then sat in a nearby chair.
“Human, your name is Avira, isn’t it? I know you—the princess who inherited the bloodline.”
“Mm… yes.”
Avira began to feel relieved that the Demon King hadn’t recognized her.
At the critical moment, she’d changed her eyes to an ordinary sky blue, and Ophitia seemed not to have noticed?
Besides, this was a rare display of her good temper.
Especially since whenever Avira messed up or hid something from her by accident, Ophitia would get angry. And the result of that anger was often waiting in bed, ready to be chained up and forced into something—memories that made her blush and her heart race even now, but they were also humiliating.
Still, thinking it over, the Demon King was actually quite pitiful.
Avira understood why Ophitia was so moody and coldly distant.
Her sister, the previous being known as the Crystal Dragon King, had been besieged and killed by the Great Sage and a human called the “Battle King.” Later, that poor dragon had even been summoned by the Great Sage’s undead spells to become a weapon against the demon race.
Of course, those two human heroes had ultimately been slain by Avira’s own hand in the end—a fitting revenge.
“Avira.” Ophitia’s voice pulled her back to reality.
“Want something to eat?”
Avira noticed that on the table was a wrapped slice of cake and a pork cutlet—both things she liked.
She hadn’t eaten a bite since transmigrating, so she was indeed hungry.
Man could not live by bread alone, after all.
Her bloodline wouldn’t be poisoned by anything, except for special curses like the Moon Mark—Avira was utterly immune to poisons.
She picked up the pork cutlet and started eating, her nose suddenly tingling.
Not long ago, she’d experienced death once because of the war, with no time to cook.
In her eyes, her own death felt like it had happened yesterday.
From urgency to despair, and now to this stable world, where she could enjoy a normal meal.
…Damn Ophitia was surprisingly considerate!
“Thanks.” As she hugged the food and dug in, Avira squeezed out the two words from the corner of her mouth.
“Hehe~”
“But, Avira, have you ever considered joining me?” The Demon King’s voice was full of probing.
“…”
Avira looked up abruptly and saw Ophitia sitting straight, hands obediently on her lap, watching her.
She’d meant to refuse coldly, but the Demon King spoke first:
“Before, there was someone very important to me. She loved cake and beef, so I know where to get them.”
Avira jolted. Had she recognized her?
But she quickly realized that the person so important to the Demon King must be her sister.
According to the story’s plot, Ophis Acaros had been a very gentle older sister to her little sister. Her death ignited the Demon King’s arc of vengeance, leaving Ophitia obsessed with conquering humanity, gathering the Seals, and reviving her sister. In the end, her flames of hatred burned brighter, turning her into a devilish existence.
And one of those Seals, the Mercy Lighthouse, held the power of revival.
Unfortunately, only Avira knew its hidden location. And back then, to control Avira as a familiar, they’d conveniently wiped her memories.
A case of reaping what she sowed.
“If you cared about her so much, why didn’t you protect her properly?” Avira laughed, wanting to prod the Demon King.
As long as she stirred up some resentment in Ophitia’s heart, she’d instinctively pull away from her.
That way, there’d be no more lewd nonsense in her head, no such intense obsession.
Sure enough, after hearing that, the Demon King lowered her head dejectedly, legs pressed together, fists lightly clenched, body trembling slightly… as if struggling in painful memories.
A few minutes later, Ophitia’s mood stabilized:
“She was good to me, but I didn’t know how to cherish her. Only after losing her did I realize how important she was to me. Ironic, isn’t it?”
Ophitia looked into Avira’s eyes and continued:
“So now I understand—in our long lives, there are many precious treasures, but no amount of gold, silver, or power can compare to someone who truly loves you.”
“Mm, I agree with that.”
Avira smiled. In her view, the Demon King’s stubbornness was actually kind of cute.
That was precisely why it was possible for her to take her place.
Besides, Avira really hated the Great Sage.
The Great Sage had prophesied her death, like a nightmare haunting her.
Bearing the label of the strongest fighter, she’d harmed her too—whether through human betrayal or her own injuries, the Great Sage had “played no small part.”
Moreover, Avira firmly believed there was some connection between the Great Sage and the bloodline curse.
If the Demon King’s goal was to deal with the Great Sage, Avira was even interested in lending a hand.
It would boost the Demon King’s confidence, too.
“Demon King, I don’t like you, but… if you want to solve this problem together, I’m willing to help you.”
“Really?” Ophitia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Can I really start over?”
“Of course.”
Breaking the curse, sidelining the Demon King while using her.
It sounded like good news~
But at that point, the Demon King choked up, wiping away tears nonstop.
“Then we’ve made a promise.”
What a silly little fool—such a sensitive tear duct.
