A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Ravenna nodded silently. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Helen say:

"You know very well that everything we are doing now is part of destiny's grand design."

Helen lowered her head, caressing her bracelet, and murmured, "Without us, Ansel could seize this opportunity to wield the power of the sixth stage. With his intellect and disposition, once he masters this empire-crushing force, combined with his foresight... the possibilities of what he could achieve are endless."

"Destiny fears such an Ansel, hence..."

"Hence it has facilitated your seamless transformation into Helen, allowing me to clearly perceive all of this," Ravenna interjected, her expression icy.

"Ultimately, here, it has shaken Ansel's once unwavering resolve."

"A long prelude of concealment and waiting, culminating in this pivotal moment."

"Yet it all seems so reasonable, so... inevitable."

This is... fate.

Ansel must have prepared extensively for this day, his exposure of spiritual essence must have occurred much earlier... that musician was merely one of the catalysts.

Although it's unclear why he chose this moment, it is evident... Ansel has everything under control, including how the Empress would react upon discovering Ansel's spiritual essence, when she would take action, and when Flamelle would decide to end his life and pass on his power to Ansel. All of this must be within Ansel's grasp.

But fate... has effortlessly and naturally pushed Ravenna, who is already fully aligned with Ansel, gently before him.

This time, it is not the bloodthirsty beast king craving evolution, but a friend willing to do anything to help Ansel.

Even if Ansel indeed achieves victory, even if fate indeed loses one of the four heroes, it might gain an even greater outcome—

Not only might Ansel abandon the chance to reach the sixth stage at sixteen, but if he truly chooses to forgo it, then... what if Ravenna fails? What if the power Ravenna provides Ansel is insufficient to resist the Empress?

And if he cannot resist the Empress, Ansel's fate...

Destiny's ultimate move not only has the potential to shatter Ansel's attempt to reverse the situation but might even... completely eliminate this dangerous and unstable factor.

"So, will you give up?" Ravenna asked Helen, "Because of fate's push, do you plan to watch Ansel send himself into a hell of self-destruction and heartlessness?"

"...You already know my answer."

"Heh, indeed, after all, you are me."

Ravenna and Helen exchanged a glance, revealing identical faint smiles.

A mix of helplessness and determination.

Helplessness at the truly invincible power of fate, even when fully aware of its purpose, they can only move forward under its gaze.

Determination that, despite everything, Ravenna could never watch Ansel sink deeper into the abyss.

"Only if we are strong enough," Helen said.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Indeed, and I have prepared for this for three whole years, while you have laid the most crucial foundation, and..."

Ravenna looked up at the sky and softly said, "And, the vital guidance and assistance of the divine species."

Then, she looked down at the ring in her hand and exhaled gently, "All the preparations are complete, now... it's the final step."

"Shall I go first, or you?"

"I'll go first," Ravenna said calmly, "If I succeed, there will be no need for you to continue. Ansel probably prefers you more."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Helen frowned slightly, "Is there any difference between you and me?"

Despite saying this, she handed the bracelet to Ravenna.

"The difference is, I won't call him father."

"..."

Helen was silent for a moment, then said very seriously, "You will, eventually, I promise."

Ravenna put the ring on her wrist, a barely perceptible smile tugging at her lips, "I hope so."

In the next moment, an iron-gray sheen... no, an iron-gray, some kind of... some kind of unknown substance, instantly surged from the bracelet, enveloping Ravenna's body.

"Ugh!"

A pained groan immediately escaped Ravenna's throat. Helen wanted to help, but Ravenna stopped her.

"Don't... mind me... record... record the data!"

After saying this, her cries of pain could no longer be suppressed, for the iron-gray substance was not merely covering Ravenna's skin, but... replacing it!

Bit by bit, inch by inch, it devoured Ravenna's skin, flesh, blood vessels, bones, nerves... and then replaced them with that iron-gray matter. As the substance spread visibly across Ravenna's body, consuming every inch of flesh and nerve, no matter how much she endured, her cries turned into screams.

It was not just the pain, but the fear of her gradual transformation into something inhuman that tormented her will.

She collapsed to the ground, her curled body convulsing, her throat emitting hoarse, agonized howls. Helen stood beside her, unmoved, her glasses reflecting a flicker of light as she murmured to herself, "Stability remains above eighty percent, soon... it will succeed soon, if this continues..."

Ravenna's entire body, below the neck, had been completely replaced by the iron-gray substance, which was slowly advancing up her neck, inch by inch consuming her face, skull, and even... her brain!

"Shatter the shell that protects the soul, and then..."

Continue your journey on empire

Helen stared intently at Ravenna, whose entire body was enveloped in iron-gray matter, her voice hoarse with emotion:

"Embrace the abyss!"

Bang!

In an instant, Ravenna's body, corroded by the iron-gray substance, disintegrated.

First, it dispersed into the finest iron-gray particle cloud, and then even the form of the particle cloud could not be maintained, completely and utterly disintegrating, vanishing into nothingness.

"..."

Helen's breath halted at that moment.

"...Ravenna."

"Me?"

"Did you succeed?"

"Or are you now merely unable to interfere with reality?"

"..."

And then came three days and nights of waiting.

However, nothing happened.

Having reviewed all the data in her glasses countless times, Helen calmly removed her glasses after decoding and specially marking that diary entry.

She meticulously organized all the chaotic items and placed the shadow crystal next to the glasses.

Finally, she picked up the bracelet.

"Before you can make Ansel believe in you—"

Helen, or perhaps Ravenna, whispered softly:

"You must first believe in yourself, Ravenna."

She put the bracelet on her wrist.

*