The girl lunged toward the dragon at blinding speed. The dragon, sensing an overwhelming threat, recoiled sharply, narrowly avoiding the scythe that materialized in her hand mid-strike. But then, six daggers—three in each hand—appeared in the girl's grip. She leapt into the air, infused the blades with a strange energy, and hurled them at the dragon. The curse-laden daggers tore through the beast's wings, shredding them to ribbons.
The dragon roared in agony, green flames gathering in its maw. The girl hadn't even used her full strength. Though she wanted to complete her mission quickly, after so long in captivity, she thought she might use this dragon for practice. "The fact that it dodged my first attack just shows how rusty I've become."
The dragon unleashed a torrent of emerald fire, but the girl effortlessly deflected it with her curse energy. "I thought you'd make for decent training. But is this all you can do? Pathetic." She began forming an orb of pure curse energy in her palm, her violet eyes gleaming with a cold, merciless light.
The icy glow in her eyes outshone even the dragon's flames. The growing orb distorted the air around it, as if reality itself was tearing apart. The dragon panicked—its wings were destroyed, and there was no escape.
"If you'd put up more of a fight, this might've been fun," she whispered, her voice dripping with mockery. Then, in one swift motion, she hurled the curse orb straight into the dragon's chest.
The moment the dark energy made contact, the beast's scaled hide split open like paper. The dragon let out a final, choked scream as the curse consumed it from within, its body crumbling into blackened dust.
The girl wrinkled her nose. "Hmm… Maybe I overdid it." Standing amid the dissipating ashes, she surveyed the aftermath. The curse's residue had seeped into the surrounding forest—trees withered, leaves turned to rot.
"Well, at least I got a warm-up." She shrugged and scanned the horizon. Then her gaze fell upon Lorian, still lying unconscious on the ground. A cold smile curled on her lips as she strode toward him.
Kneeling beside him, she traced her fingers along his handsome face. "I'll wait patiently for the next time you summon me, Master. When you call upon me again, I'll stay by your side… forever."
"Ah… And hopefully, my next opponent will be more entertaining."
Her violet eyes still burned with that same frigid light. Then, piece by piece, she began to fade. Just before vanishing completely, she glanced at the burning village. "No harm in helping just once." She raised her hand, and a dark radiance engulfed the entire village.
…
Lorian's eyes fluttered open. A group of children stood over him, staring.
—"He's awake!"
—"The hero who slayed the dragon woke up!"
—"Wow! He's so handsome!"
Lorian slowly rose to his feet.
[Good morning, Master.
The System's voice echoed in his mind, and he exhaled in relief. But something confused him—the village should have been in ruins. So why did everything seem… intact?
As he tried to make sense of it, a black-haired girl approached him timidly. "Th-thank you for saving me, sir!" Lorian smiled at her, but before he could respond, another child pointed at the girl and shrieked:
—"Look! That demon is bothering the hero!"
Shouts erupted from the crowd.
—"Stay away from him, devil!"
—"The dragon attacked because of you!"
—"You're cursed!"
The villagers weren't just yelling—they were throwing stones. Lorian subtly cast a spell, making it seem like the rocks struck her when they actually passed harmlessly through. Then, a woman's voice rose above the chaos:
"I hate myself for giving birth to you! I hate you!"
The words struck Lorian like a physical blow. Memories of his own past surged forward—voices he'd tried to forget.
"I hate you, Silas."
"Why did you have to be born?!"
"Mom! Dad! I'm sorry—!"
Sobs and screams echoed in his mind. Lorian froze. The fear of abandonment, no matter how strong he became, had never left him.
The girl trembled, clutching her dress. "Mom… I'm sorry, I—" Lorian suddenly covered her mouth. She flinched back in fear.
Then, something shifted.
Fear. Hatred. Anger. Envy. Love. Sorrow. Emotions swirled around her like a storm. Two elegant black horns sprouted from her forehead, and a sharp, spiked tail curled behind her. The horns were as delicate as the night itself, beautiful and haunting.
—"S-she transformed!"
—"Kill her!"
—"She'll hurt the hero!"
But then, a single voice silenced them all.
"They're beautiful."
It was Lorian. His fear had vanished—shattered by this girl's pain. The irony wasn't lost on him.
The girl stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "W-what…?"
"I said they're beautiful. I've seen many horns in my life. But none as magnificent as yours."
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
A villager stepped forward. "Naisl might look pretty, but she's a demon! Those horns are disgusting!"
—"Yeah, they're vile!"
The crowd roared in agreement.
Lorian pulled Nymera close and turned to face them. His crimson eyes burned with a deadly aura. "So what if she's a demon? I love her horns." A massive orb of curse energy swirled in his palm. "Then I guess I'm a demon too."
The villagers trembled, paralyzed with terror.
Lorian looked down at Nymera. "Their fate is in your hands, little one— No. Your name is Nymera now. And your surname will be Nyx, just like mine."
Her eyes shone with pure joy—then hardened into something colder. She turned to the villagers.
"They tormented me. Tortured me. Blamed me for droughts, plagues, monster attacks… All I wanted was to die. But now… Now, I just want them to die."
Her mother—the woman who had birthed her—screamed, "I raised you! If you're alive, it's because of—"
Her face split in half before she could finish. Blood splattered the crowd. Children screamed.
"She wasn't your daughter," Lorian said calmly. "She's mine now. And I'm no hero—I'm a very bad man."
Dark flames engulfed the village. Poisonous gas filled the air. The villagers choked, clawing at their throats as they collapsed, dying in agony.
Nymera watched, awestruck—a mix of admiration, faint fear, and happiness in her eyes.
Lorian turned to her. "Shall we leave now… my daughter?"
Tears streamed down Nymera's face as her horns and tail vanished.
But these weren't tears of sorrow.
They were tears of happiness.