Chapter 79

I ran and ran again. Not to waste the time Camilla had bought for me.

There were no signposts, but I knew the path I had to take. All I had to do was follow the sound of that hateful dragon’s heartbeat.

After running at full speed for about 20 minutes, a lethally beautiful figure appeared.

A body of proportions so perfect it evoked ancient mystique, snow-white hair reminiscent of a first snowfall, and clear silver eyes without a trace of impurity. Most men would see her and worship her as the most beautiful creature in the world.

And I wouldn’t blame them. Even I couldn’t deny that mysterious beauty.

“How pitiful. That beauty, and the fact that I can’t deny it.”

Even as cold rain fell, she danced. A level of grace no human, who lives a mere 100 years, could ever achieve. Come to think of it, it was raining when we first met too.

Back in my foolish days, she was beautiful enough to steal my heart in an instant.

And now,

“Long time no see, Dragon Queen.”

She was nothing more than the ugliest woman in the world to me.

“…Ah.”

Distracted by her dance, she turned and saw my pitiful face.

“Aah…”

“If you’re going to spout nonsense, keep it to yourself. Listening to your drivel makes my eardrums rot.”

“Finally, we meet. To allow such a dramatic reunion… Ancestors, I thank you.”

“You’ll be joining them soon, so save your thanks. Though I doubt you’ll hear their voices in hell.”

“You’re happy to see me too, aren’t you? Yes, I am as well. This joy, this delight, this ecstasy—what words could possibly describe it?”

“You’re not listening. The basics of conversation are to listen and respond accordingly.”

The Queen was my sworn enemy. She was one of the culprits behind Layla’s death and even mocked her demise.

She killed my subordinates, used their corpses as fodder, and laughed at their weakness.

No matter what, I couldn’t let this woman live.

“One question. I’m sure I tore off that arm. How did you regenerate it?”

“This miraculous reunion with you… I am endlessly grateful for this treasure-like miracle… How about you?”

“There are two possibilities. A prosthetic made with unknown technology—unlikely, since I felt warmth from your hand that no prosthetic could produce. Even if it were made of special minerals, it’s too intricate.”

“I am truly happy. A reunion so dramatic it could only exist in legends… Aren’t you happy? Doesn’t this feel like fate?”

“The most plausible method is sorcery. You’re skilled in that area, so it’s the most realistic option. But what bothers me is the cost of regenerating an arm. Regenerating a body demands a steep price. I wonder what you sacrificed just for this show. What did you offer?”

“…You.”

“…You.”

I unleashed a Hand Blade Imbued with Resonance, and she countered with a kick infused with monstrous strength. My resonance and her strength were the ultimate spears, capable of piercing most defenses.

“You’re not listening to me.”

“You’re not listening to me.”

The attack was easily blocked. My palm, imbued with deflecting resonance, and her slender arm covered in scales. They were the ultimate shields, capable of blocking any attack.

We both possessed the ultimate spear and shield, with the shield being slightly superior.

That’s why I felt displeasure, and that’s why she felt joy.

“Aren’t we alike?”

“Looking at you fills me with nothing but disgust. Shut up and die.”

“We’re both ranked third, aren’t we? Aren’t we like two halves of the same existence?”

“Hearing your voice makes me want to vomit.”

“This is truly what our ancestors have ordained…!”

I silenced her noisy mouth by slamming her face with my knee.

“Wait a minute…!”

I grabbed her long hair and punched her lips to shut her up.

“The conversation isn’t over…!”

I grabbed the back of her head and slammed her into the cliff wall, then charged forward to grind her face and silence that annoying mouth.

“Can’t we talk calmly for a moment…!”

I grabbed her hair again and smashed her irritating voice-box into the ground.

“…Ah, you really are.”

Even after such violence, the Queen didn’t care at all. She spread her single wing and soared into the sky with elegance.

Her arrogant posture, as if my attacks had never landed, was utterly detestable.

The way she masked her arrogance with the face of a love-struck girl was equally irritating.

Was it her arrogance that bothered me? Or was it every single thing about her?

As someone who couldn’t even understand my own emotions, it was an unsolvable riddle.

“Magnificent…! The way you ignore my words so carelessly… The mercilessness with which you strike without hesitation… Your lovable traits grow by the day…!”

“…You’re insane. You’re crazier than the Demon King.”

It was chilling.

Honestly, it was a little scary. While I could easily suppress most emotions, fear was hard to kill.

If other emotions stemmed from sentiment or reaction, fear was rooted in pure instinct.

A signal from instinct when life—or something equivalent—is in danger. I felt that from this woman now.

“Call me crazy if you like. No amount of criticism will shake my love for you.”

“……”

It was so absurd that I couldn’t even think of an insult to throw back.

“Words are lighter than actions or feelings. No matter how light your words are, they won’t shake my heart or stop my pursuit of you.”

“It’s a bit funny for me to say this to someone else, but…”

I adjusted my cane and glared at the Queen.

“You need to learn how to consider the other person’s feelings in a conversation.”

“What matters is that your heart and mine are connected. If we’re connected, isn’t consideration unnecessary?”

I’m not great at conversation either, but talking to the Queen made me feel like I was losing my mind.

“Sorry, but I don’t have the hobby of connecting with lunatics…”

“Ah, right. I should return the heart you gave me too.”

In an instant, faster than my senses could detect, the Queen grabbed my face and slammed me into a tree.

It felt like the back of my head would shatter, but the Queen didn’t care about my pain.

“Raul Berze. The only man I’ve ever acknowledged.”

The Queen’s fist struck my abdomen.

“I love you. I swear I love only you.”

Her knee flew toward my nose, colliding with a loud crash.

“How do you feel about that?”

Even though I barely blocked the attack, my delayed defense meant I took some damage.

“No matter how many times you ask, the answer will be the same. I’ll say it as many times as it takes. I hate you.”

“That’s a shame. My love is so pure, yet you refuse to acknowledge it.”

That’s what I wanted to say.

“Do you really think a woman who claims to love someone after just one meeting is normal?”

The Queen’s obsession with me began right after our first encounter.

“After just one fight, you whispered love to me. Do you think love is that trivial?”

It was burdensome and disgusting. Even if it weren’t the Queen, it would’ve been repulsive.

“Did you know my conditions before you whispered your love to me?”

“…You’re the one spouting nonsense I can’t understand.”

The Queen treated me like a madman, wearing an expression of disbelief.

“You said the same to the Demon King.”

“What are you talking about now…?”

“Love is the resonance of souls.”

At the mention of “resonance of souls,” the hand aiming to pierce his heart stopped.

“If your heart beats and your soul resonates, isn’t that love?”

“…..”

“Love is confirmed through the heart. What fool would listen to the superiority of conditions over the beating of their heart?”

“……”

“Otherwise, wouldn’t beasts, whose sole purpose is mating, be purer and more beautiful?”

The Queen was insane.

But perhaps it was her insanity that made her sane.

“…I admit it.”

I pointed my cane, imbued with resonance, at her.

“In matters of love, you demons are far purer.”

“Oh, how delightful.”

“And now, die for that pure love, Dragon Queen.”