A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

“Save another… Save one more! Ravenna! Catch her!”

Seraphina, her body nearly engulfed in blood flames, without an inch of unscathed flesh, roared with all her might. She hurled the small, trembling form in her arms skyward. Fine, iron-gray particles swiftly enveloped the child, who appeared no older than six or seven, gently depositing her onto the massive airborne vessel hovering above.

“Seraphina, are you alright? You should rest. There are… no survivors left here.”

Seraphina, devoid of any unblemished skin, stood silently amidst the inferno, gazing out at the crimson purgatory. At last, she nodded to Ravenna and sprinted towards the periphery of the sea of flames.

An hour later, by the forest lake, Seraphina donned the garment Ravenna offered. She ran her fingers through her snow-white hair, now cropped short, and muttered, “I wonder if my hair looks awful now.”

“…You’ve been roasted by the feasting flame for three or four hours straight, and that’s your concern?”

“Ha, I suppose I’m now used to it,” Seraphina grinned, plopping down carelessly by the lakeside. She gazed at the distant refugees they had rescued, huddled together.

Ravenna sat beside her, scrutinizing her with perplexity. “Why hasn’t your spiritual essence taken effect? Theoretically, shouldn’t you be able to completely ignore the feasting flame?”

“I have no idea,” Seraphina fretted, scratching her head.

“This fire is far inferior to the Empress’s, yet I can’t immunize myself against it. Perhaps I never could, and it was Mr. Flamelel’s charm that helped me?”

“It’s possible… That is, after all, the power of a divine species. If you could easily immunize against it, wouldn’t that make you a divine species yourself?”

“Hehe, if that were true, it’d be fantastic!” The girl pumped her fists enthusiastically. “Then I could help Ansel achieve anything he sets his mind to!”

Ravenna fell silent for a moment, her voice softening considerably. “At the very least, you’ve already accomplished something remarkable, far beyond my capabilities.”

Seraphina shuddered, eyeing Ravenna peculiarly. “Don’t be like that, Ravenna. You’re giving me goosebumps.”

“…”

Considering Seraphina’s reckless rescue efforts, Ravenna, who had intended to praise her properly, chose to hold her tongue.

This stupid dog truly possessed an extraordinary talent for irritating others. How on earth did Ansel and Marlina manage to tolerate her?

Though slightly annoyed, Ravenna’s irritation was minimal.

After all… Seraphina’s performance could only be described as manic.

While unable to fully immunize against the feast flame, she could, to a certain extent, further diminish its potency, allowing the blood flames to merely sear her skin without consuming her flesh entirely.

Seraphina could forcibly enhance her regeneration, accelerating the depletion of the blood flame’s incinerating energy. This ensured that when rescuing others, the parts of her body in contact with them wouldn’t be consumed by the blood flames, preventing harm to those she saved.

Though irritating, her unwavering commitment to her convictions is undeniable.

Were she to shed those vexing habits, she would indeed be difficult to dislike.

“Ah… I wonder how Ansel is,” Seraphina sighed, hugging her knees to her chest.

“I sensed him seriously using the power of the Hydral projection, and he encountered someone formidable… possibly Evora. He’s not reaching out to us. What should we do?”

“Trust him,” Ravenna replied calmly. “Believe that Ansel will handle everything. That’s all we can do.”

“I know! But I just want to help him… I want to help him and save more people… It’s so frustrating! Ah, I’m still not strong enough!”

The girl rose, striking the lake’s surface in exasperation. The impact sent enormous waves surging skyward from the once-placid waters.

“Still… not strong enough,” she murmured dejectedly, lowering her arm.

Ravenna was at a loss for words. “If you still think you’re not strong enough, then—”

Her words abruptly ceased as Seraphina’s gaze instantly turned cold and fierce. Both girls simultaneously directed their attention towards the refugees’ location.

An intruder… had appeared!

In mere moments, Seraphina and Ravenna materialized before the bewildered refugees.

They warily eyed the forest’s depths. Within seconds, a slender, pitch-black figure emerged.

“Is it… here?”

A cold, raspy voice emanated from behind the black mask.

Seraphina’s pupils constricted to pinpoints.

Before them stood a girl in a black full-length dress, wearing a dark mask. Her most striking feature was her jet-black hair, seemingly capable of devouring light itself, and an odd, wing-like shawl completely concealing her left arm.

“Miss Ravenna, Miss Seraphina.”

Facing the two stunned and silent women, the ebony-clad girl curtsied, lifting her skirt with her right hand.

“In accordance with Mr. Ansel’s will, I greet you both.”

“I am Crow the Ninth,” she said softly.

“From Shadewell.”

*