I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 73 - Crimson Flame (4)

“Move the damn thing carefully~ Remember, if you leave a mark on her, I’ll kill you.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Can’t trust these idiots for anything… I’ll follow along, so get her moving fast.”

“Yes, sir!”

The hound sighed, turning his back.

His expression showed clear dissatisfaction.

He didn’t trust his subordinates as far as he could throw them.

Dusting off his sleeve irritably, he noticed an ache in his wrist.

Seemed he’d twisted it while blocking the fox’s earlier attacks.

“Tch.”

He should’ve hit her more.

Part of him wanted to beat her half to death, but under watchful eyes, he’d restrained himself.

He shot a glare toward the guest standing beside him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“...A real pain in the ass.”

He muttered curses under his breath.

Everything about this situation grated on him.

He wiped off the rainwater with a hand.

Whooosh.

The storm was getting fiercer, and the deck swayed continuously under the turbulent waves.

The hound swept his soaked bangs back in frustration.

Even standing was hard in these conditions, yet he stayed balanced with ease, a result of disciplined training.

“Ugh, this damn weather... It better let up soon.”

As he muttered in irritation and started walking to get out of the rain, a faint voice touched his ear.

“...Burn.”

An alien sound.

Then, a chilling sensation flooded his entire body.

“...?!”

A sharp thrill raced down his spine, banishing the cold he’d felt just moments before. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The hound spun around hastily, and his gaze fell on a dazzling blaze.

“What the…?”

Without realizing it, his brow furrowed.

It wasn’t just the blinding brightness obscuring his view.

A spine-tingling sense of danger gripped him, an instinct honed for survival blaring in alarm.

Danger.

No… Death.

A fear he hadn’t felt in ages seized him, and for the first time, panic appeared on his face.

His trembling eyes locked onto the girl, standing calmly amid the swirling flames.

Whoosh—!

“…”

Under a night sky aglow with fierce heat, the fox stood, staring back at him with a tranquil expression.

Her hair was stained red, and her once-dark eyes glowed with blood-red intensity.

The atmosphere had shifted in an instant.

“Hah…”

The hound let out a hollow laugh.

“What’s with her?”

The girl approached him step by step.

The hound muttered curses, fumbling to draw his sword from his waist, his shoulders trembling like prey in fear.

“Damn it…”

The roles had reversed.

***

What was life?

When looking back on the years that had passed, what was the single line that held the deepest meaning?

Though it was a simple question, it was hard to answer.

Maybe it would take a lifetime.

Or even beyond.

A question that might define even her existence after death.

The fox struggled to find the answer.

Every time.

Relentlessly.

Sssshhhhick—!

A fierce slash cut through the air.

Following the brilliant crimson line it traced, flames burst into the night.

A wondrous light.

“What the hell…?!”

The man’s face twisted in shock.

Barely reacting, the hound brought up his sword to block.

Clang! Screeeech—!

Sparks flew between the colliding blades.

With a painful grinding sound, more force was applied, and the hound was pushed back.

He gritted his teeth, fighting to hold his ground, but it was a desperate struggle, barely enough to delay the inevitable.

With a slight twist of her sword, she sent him flying.

“Guh…?!”

Thud—!

The hound flew backward, crashing into the ship’s wall before managing to stop and steady himself, breathing heavily.

“Ugh, hah…”

He stumbled as he tried to stand, groaning in pain.

Glaring at the fox from his distance, he looked both defiant and afraid.

“You filthy beast… How dare you…?!”

“…”

Irene stood in place, silent.

Unlike the hound’s frantic state, the air around her was deathly calm.

Whooosh.

The wind blew her fiery red hair, and her blood-red eyes blinked slowly within the flames.

A serene sight.

“This… this can’t be happening.”

His voice trembled.

He had every reason to feel incredulous.

Even after all his might had been unleashed, not a single effective blow had landed on her.

All Irene did was stand there quietly.

‘Something’s changed.’

The girl whispered inwardly.

Looking down at her hand, she felt the intense heat radiating from the sword in her grasp, watching the gorgeous flames that covered its blade.

Whoooosh—!

A strange sense of omnipotence flowed within her.

She’d crossed into a new realm of power. Now, it felt as though nothing could withstand her.

The fox settled into a stance.

“You told me I’d never be able to beat you.”

Her lips moved, her calm voice resonating clearly, even amidst the storm.

The hound scowled.

“What?”

“You said it yourself. You called me a beast, told me I’d lost to you twice, that it was my fate to keep losing.”

“What… What’s your point?”

“I’m curious if the same holds true the third time.”

“Are you taunting me? How dare a beast like you…!”

The hound scoffed, outraged.

This was a new experience for him.

Having powerful backers and natural strength, he’d always been the one inflicting suffering.

He’d hardly ever known what it was like to be the weaker one.

But.

“This time, things are different.”

And there are times when even the strongest are forced to yield.

The fox raised her sword, pointing it at him.

“I’m coming.”

“Enough of your nonsense. I’ll tear your mouth open so you can never talk again…!”

Still clinging to his role as the stronger one, the hound clenched his sword tightly, muttering curses.

Green mana flared around him, intensifying the storm as his unique power manifested—wind magic woven into his swordsmanship.

In stormy weather like this, it was deadlier than ever.

The man charged, his eyes locked in a ferocious glare.

“Die!!”

To the fox, it all seemed to move in slow motion.

His gleaming sword, the gusts of wind swirling around the ship, the cyclone’s gnashing teeth—she felt she could see every grain of dust in the air.

‘It’s… calm.’

The girl raised her blade.

Crack—!

Sparks burst from her hand. A gentle glow spread, engulfing her sword entirely.

‘Me.’

What is life?

To bloom as a humble flower, only to wither in shabby disarray…

What meaning lay in such a life?

Find your star.

She looked back on the path she’d walked.

She had mourned what was lost, grieved her own foolishness, and trod an unbending road, braving the loneliness.

Countless words lined up to form a path: Sorrow, Regret, Rage, Weakness, Malice, Despair.

Yet even so,

Defiance.

In the fox’s unblinking gaze, her life’s footprints converged into one and ignited, burning hot enough to drive away the storm’s icy chill.

Whooosh—!

‘My name is…’

If asked what life was, she would answer without hesitation.

Life is—a single spark,

fiercely burning, only to fade like the petals of a flame.

A beautiful blade.

A single breath exhaled.

A heart held tight.

Giving that life a name.

“Crimson Flame.”

A flame, blooming red.

The girl murmured softly.

In the next moment, a red light poured from her sword.

It was a strike carrying the entirety of her life.

She lifted her sword, breathed, and steadied herself, before swinging it with everything she had.

Slice—

A single, effortless slash.

It cleaved through the hound’s body and continued upward, slicing the storm-torn sky in half.

The scarlet flame lingered briefly, marking the space as if dividing it.

Then—

Boom—!

The flames surged, swallowing everything in their path.

The hound toppled over.

His upper body separated, and without a scream, his life ended, scattering as black ash into the air.

“…”

The stormy sky grew calm as well.

The fox looked up at the clear-cut mark lingering in the heavens.

Between the clouds she had cleaved in two, there was a smooth backdrop.

Not a single gust blew across the sea.

The scene made one thing abundantly clear.

“It’s… done…”

She had cut down the towering sky.

***

“Hah…”

Irene staggered, struggling to stay upright, her breaths labored.

Leaning on her sword like a cane, she glanced at the deck.

Despite the monstrous power she’d unleashed, the ship was unharmed, only slightly charred.

In that fleeting moment, she’d adjusted her strike’s trajectory with precise control.

The open deck had helped.

Had they fought indoors, her final blow might have sunk the entire ship, dragging hundreds of enslaved people down with it.

‘Seems I was lucky.’

She pressed her fingertips to her brow as a headache blurred her vision.

As she swayed, soldiers began emerging one by one, watching for an opportunity.

“…”

But at her gaze, they backed away, visibly shaken.

After what they had just witnessed, they dared not approach, even though she was clearly exhausted.

Irene stood silently, regaining her breath.

‘What now?’

She’d long since run out of stamina.

Though she’d reached her goal, even breathing now felt like a struggle.

Sssss—

Her once crimson-stained hair slowly returned to its natural color.

Like the tide receding, the feeling of invincibility faded away.

The fox bit her lip to stave off the weakness creeping into her body.

‘It’s not over yet.’

The hound was dead, but that wasn’t the end.

Soldiers still waited, eyeing her from a distance.

The “guest” was also watching her from afar.

And at the lowest level of the ship, people who needed her help were still imprisoned.

There was no clear solution to her predicament.

Could she break through?

Whether she could or not, she had no choice but to try.

Resolved to push herself a bit further, she tightened her grip on her sword.

Just as she did so—

Clap.

A sudden, slow clap echoed in her ears.

The sound was both familiar and deeply unsettling.

“…”

In the next instant, someone was standing behind her, wrapping their arms around her body.

A comforting warmth melted away the coldness that had seeped into her.

It was a gentle embrace.

The fox grasped the arms around her, clutching them tightly, as her trembling lips uttered soft words.

“You… You’ve been watching all this time, haven’t you?”

A playful response came back.

“Seems the fox I raised decided to leave home.”

The voice was kind.

The serpent rested his chin on her shoulder, a faint smile crossing his face.

“You did well, Miss Irene.”

“…”

“For now, just rest and lean on me. I know you have a lot to say, but let’s save it for later.”

“...Yes.”

The fox nodded quietly.

With a warm smile, the young man held the exhausted girl gently in his arms.

And for a while, Irene sank into the warmth of his embrace.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]