A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Ansel understood better than anyone the most terrifying aspect of fate.

The world generates infinite possibilities with each passing moment. Fate adheres to the logical progression of all things, yet can diverge from one reasonable outcome to create another plausible alternative.

When countless rational possibilities required by fate accumulate, it can ensure everything unfolds logically while simultaneously bending all to its will.

In his struggle against fate, Ansel could never hope to master the rationality of all things as fate does. His sole, most effective strategy was to narrow the rationality of involved elements to an absolutely favorable, unshakeable thread.

To successfully tame Seraphina, he had to eliminate all other possibilities that might sway her - remove Marlina, her family, her friends, everything she depended on, leaving only himself in her life.

To successfully tame Ravenna, he had to shatter her ideals, destroy her sense of self, strip away what little remained in her twisted life, compelling her to live solely for her "father" henceforth.

The method of taming them was essentially the same: converging countless influential possibilities into those Ansel could control.

Thus, if Ansel wished to avoid fate's manipulation, he had to confine his own rationality to a realm entirely within his control.

Unaffected by unnecessary matters, free from superfluous constraints, able to disregard all societal rules, both written and unspoken.

In other words, to become the purest villain, unbound by law or morality.

Only then could fate not exploit other elements to interfere with Ansel, for in his mind, nothing was "imperative" save for defeating fate.

Reverence for death, remorse for sins, compassion for suffering... stripping away all these, ensuring that no loss of life, no external plea, no responsibility he should bear could affect him.@@novelbin@@

It was by gradually learning to embody such absolute evil that Ansel reclaimed his freedom from fate's grasp, piece by piece.

Now, he could no longer do so.

Seraphina and Ravenna's expectations caused him to retreat repeatedly. From initially refraining from frenzied sacrifices to defeat fate, to later disregarding minor interferences with his plans, to tacitly accepting actions not entirely aligned with his true intentions, and now... actively choosing to abandon the optimal solution for opposing fate.

Ansel of Hydral truly cared for others now, genuinely wanted to save them, felt remorse for his sins, and found his continued desire to oppose fate hypocritical due to this remorse.

He had become what his mother, his father, those who loved him, and those he loved had hoped for. From the once bloodless, tearless demon and monster, he had reclaimed much of what he had discarded in his quest to defeat fate.

Yet fate would not applaud his transformation. It would only dispassionately tear open the most fatal rift from this rationality Ansel could no longer control.

"Ansel..." Ravenna sensed Ansel's mood and felt an ominous premonition rise within her. "Why would you think that? How could you have erred..."

"I should have realized it sooner," Hydral murmured expressionlessly.

"The Dragon King's hunt has always been impartial. It disdains ravaging the continent personally, content to let its kin sate that hunger. Impartiality means not crushing the weak, but it also means... bringing forth power commensurate with the strong when faced with them."

...Commensurate power.

In that moment, Ravenna instantly understood Ansel's meaning.

"You mean to say..."

The usually composed scholar couldn't control her emotions, unconsciously grasping Ansel's hand. "Because of the multitude of extraordinary beings hunting dragons, and our slaying several fifth-stage dragons in such a short time... we've instead invited... a greater dragon calamity?"

Ansel didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes.

Bringing in adventurers from various Imperial realms to participate in this hunt, personally overseeing everything, immediately summoning the God from the Machine to slay any powerful dragon species that might cause catastrophic disaster - all of this was to minimize the damage the dragon calamity would inflict on the Western Lands, to protect the innocent who had already endured too much suffering on this land.

Ravenna should have said something like "It's alright, even so, we can overcome this," but she couldn't utter those words.

The world fissure behind her, exuding an aura of intensity and madness, made her realize this was far more than just inviting a greater dragon calamity.

Ansel had long ago told them about the events in the Realm Enigma, unreservedly informing Ravenna and Seraphina about Evora's transformation and the hidden mysterious forces. Thus, Ravenna now understood that the "chance for re-creation" Evora spoke of might be at hand.

— At the very moment when Ansel absolutely could not extricate himself as this endless dragon tide surged from the other end of the sky.

The "It" Ansel had just mentioned could only refer to Fate.

The instant he discovered this shocking development, he understood that Fate had regained the initiative.

In the matters concerning Ravenna and Seraphina, Fate had been left with almost no choice due to Ansel constraining rationality to its limit, only able to influence Ansel through their very existence. It had been forced into a position of no alternatives step by step, twice nearly becoming the loser.

But this time, Fate had reclaimed that suffocating composure.

How long could the opportunity created by Evora last? Undoubtedly, even if not fleeting, it certainly wouldn't endure until after Ansel dealt with the dragon calamity.

The effort and time required to wrest Evora from that mysterious force remained unknown. During that time, the devastation wrought by the overwhelming dragon horde was an even greater unknown.

What if the dragon calamity continued endlessly? What if that rift opened while Ansel was locked in battle with high-tier dragons? What if by then Ravenna was exhausted, unable to maintain God from the Machine? Could he abandon Ravenna and the civilians to seek out Evora?

In this round, Fate had reclaimed its lofty, indomitable position.

Choose, Hydral.

— Between the countless Western Lands civilians you care for due to your reclaimed goodness, and the intelligence you need because of the hatred you refuse to abandon. Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Will you lose this chance to further defeat me?

Or will you let the dragon horde devour the conscience you've regained?

Or rather...

Do you have a choice now?

Do you even have a choice now, after making so many concessions?

-->