I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 7 - The Fox (3)

There’s a memory that can’t be forgotten.

A scene whose fresh fragrance lingers even after all this time.

-Always remember this, Irene.

A warm hand gently patted her head.

Her teacher smiled softly.

Back then, Irene had turned her head away, annoyed by the constant nagging, but now even those moments were cherished memories.

-There will come a time in your life when you’ll want to give up.

A voice that rippled gently, carrying the remnants of an old fox’s childhood.

-Irene.

-The world is a stormy dawn.

-No matter how hard you run away, misfortune will find you one day.

The old man’s wrinkled eyes filled with affection.

Struggling to sit up from his sickbed, he continued speaking.

-It’ll hurt. It’ll be scary, sad, lonely… You might even want to give in.

-You might find yourself kneeling before the storm.

-That’s life.

But, Irene…

-This old teacher of yours hopes you won’t surrender.

Become someone who doesn’t bow.

Someone who keeps their head high and swings their sword, even in the face of a raging storm.

-Even if you’re blocked by an unfair force.

-Even if everything about you is denied, leaving nothing but miserable trembling.

Just don’t bend what you believe is right.

Become a pine tree that fights against the wind rather than a reed that sways with it.

-This is the sword I taught you.

-Swing your sword at the storm.

-Leave behind the cowardly comfort and become the first tree to break.

This is your teacher’s final lesson.

The most important things are invisible. You must always see with your heart.

Life continues, even in the waves of the dawn.

-Like the old navigators who found their way by the stars, life needs direction.

-So, Irene…

Her teacher had said those words.

His voice remained intact in a corner of her memory.

It served as a signpost on a path full of confusion, propping up her weak self.

-Find your star.

It was always like that.

I wanted to be like you.

***

It’s quiet.

“……”

Nothing can be heard.

In a world where death-like silence has settled, the fox stands alone in the darkness.

Her body is literally in tatters.

Irene stumbled.

Her legs were already giving out, but she barely managed to steady herself.

Only a sense of exhaustion lingered in her fingertips.

She desperately clinged to her fading consciousness.

“Hah… Hah…”

Her breathing grew ragged.

As she gasped for air, a voice broke the silence.

“You seem to be struggling.”

Her blurry vision caught sight of the enemy.

A force overwhelming enough to embody all the unfairness in the world.

A taunting whisper brushed her ears.

“Just a moment ago, you were saying you wanted to see this through… but now it seems even holding your sword is too much for you.”

The shadow’s lips curled into a smirk.

It was an obvious sneer, but Irene didn’t react.

She didn’t feel the need to.

It was a strange feeling.

Irene’s heart was at peace.

Normally, such provocation would have made her blood boil, but now, only calm ripples spread within her.

The girl simply breathed.

“……”

Is it acceptance that comes from facing death?

An inexplicable sense of comfort lingered.

Her heartbeat rang clear and loud in her ears.

Click.

She readjusted her grip on the sword she’d been using as a cane.

Her palm wrapped around the hilt, and for a moment, a tingling sensation ran through her arm.

‘This is a strange feeling.’

Something felt just out of reach.

Irene pushed aside her scattered thoughts and raised her head.

There, fate awaited her.

‘Death.’

For a brief moment, her shoulders trembled.

She was still afraid. But there’s a reason why her steps don’t falter, despite that fear.

-This teacher of yours hopes you won’t surrender.

The nagging voice lingered in her ears.

Irene chuckled faintly.

Of all the things to remember in a moment like this.

‘Of all times.’

Back then, she didn’t understand those words, but now, she thought she understood.

The important things are invisible.

You must always see with your heart.

It’s okay to be blocked by unjust waves. It’s okay if all your steps are denied.

-Just don’t bend what you believe is right.

-Leave behind the cowardly comfort and become the first tree to break.

Life continues, even in the dawn.

As long as the star in your heart doesn’t waver, the world won’t shatter.

All that’s left is to press forward with sheer will.

“I’m…”

A pitiful courage.

It may seem like nothing more than a worthless scrap to others, but to the girl, it was the compass of her life.

A lone light flickered.

“I’m still alive.”

The moment of realization.

Crackle!

A spark flickered at her fingertips.

Following the sharp tingle, a faint glow enveloped her sword.

The light became clearer, stronger.

“Oh?”

The snake watching her let out a gasp.

A dazzling scene unfolded.

The radiant light covered the rusty sword, brightly illuminating the surrounding darkness.

White fragments scattered around her.

What is this unfamiliar power?

For the first time, she felt omnipotent, as if she could cut through anything.

Awakening comes suddenly.

Whoosh!

In the howling noise, the fox raised her sword.

Her focus was solely on the blade.

She unleashed every ounce of her remaining energy into this final strike.

-Find your star.

This was the star the girl had chosen.

Resolute in her final act, Irene spoke to the figure before her.

“Welcome to my star.”

The brief words echoed.

The girl swiftly assumed her stance and swung her sword. In an instant, the entire corridor was bathed in light.

It was a brilliantly flashing strike.

Boom!

A golden line sliced through the darkness.

The streak of light rushed forward at breakneck speed.

The snake tried to dodge, looking startled, but the fox was faster.

She reached the boy.

‘I got him.’

That thought crossed her mind.

In the moment she was about to cut him down without hesitation…

“Let’s stop here.”

The snake’s lips moved.

As if he had never been flustered, he gazed at the fox with a calm expression.

For a brief moment, his eyes opened slightly.

“Congratulations, you pass.”

His eyes were pure white.

As the boy and the girl’s gazes met, a huge crack formed in the air.

Crack, crack…!

Like a shattering mirror.

The background surrounding the two broke into pieces. An unbelievable sight.

As the girl stood there, stunned, the boy whispered to her.

“It’s time to wake up from the dream.”

Snap!

The world flipped back to normal.

***

Snap!

When Irene’s consciousness returned, she found herself standing in the corridor.

Her flickering vision blinked in and out.

The girl stood there, dazed, a question mark in her expression.

“…Huh?”

She clearly couldn’t grasp what was happening.

Watching the fox, who was full of confusion, I couldn’t help but smirk.

‘It’s understandable to be disoriented.’

Just moments ago, Irene had been trapped in an artificially created world.

She had been fighting a fierce life-and-death battle inside an illusion I had crafted to feel like reality.

In short, she was fooled by a “Lie.”

I had never actually moved.

To be precise, from the moment Irene told the young foxes to run and charged at me, she had been trapped in her own mind.

“Did you enjoy that brief dream?”

I greeted her with a cheery good morning.

In reality, almost no time had passed, so it was still dawn.

“What the hell…?”

The frozen fox muttered under her breath.

It didn’t take long for her to realize the situation and turn pale.

Her black eyes focused on me.

“...An illusion spell?”

“Correct.”

“No way… I didn’t feel any sense of wrongness at all.”

“Haha, I’m a bit special that way.”

I’m capable of destroying the world single-handedly—at least by the original game’s standards.

I leisurely scanned the girl with my gaze.

Her pupils were unfocused.

It seemed the effects of the hypnosis still lingered.

As I waited for Irene to fully recover her senses, I recalled the scene from a moment ago.

“Welcome to my star.”

A simple line followed by a graceful strike.

Just thinking about that swift burst of light sent a shiver of exhilaration through me.

I couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’m impressed.”

=Wow, holy crap. Queen, I’m in awe.

I had witnessed something more precious than I had expected.

To think I’d get a glimpse of her awakening already.

It was a bit disappointing that it was in an illusion rather than reality, but still, it was a truly thrilling moment.

Ding!

[The target’s emotions have dramatically fluctuated.]

(Despair → Resolve)

[Due to the drastic emotional change, a large amount of lies has been restored.]

[Current lie output remaining: 100.0%]

Thanks to that, my energy was fully restored.

It’s been a while since I maxed it out—this is kind of nostalgic.

It must have been an incredibly intense emotion.

As I stood there savoring the lingering thrill, a sharp scream pierced my ears.

“Hey, guys?! Snap out of it…!”

It seemed she had noticed the young foxes behind her.

The children were lying unconscious on the floor.

Irene, momentarily flustered, quickly turned her fierce gaze back to me.

“Damn it! What did you do to the kids?!”

“Oh dear, calm down.”

“To think you’d go so far as to target children...!”

“They’re just asleep.”

“......”

The girl hurriedly checked the condition of the foxes.

Only after confirming that all ten of the children were unharmed did she retract the venom from her eyes.

Of course, her vigilance remained.

“...What do you want?”

Irene asked with a trembling voice.

Judging from the fact that the defenseless children were unharmed, it seemed she decided that I had no intention of killing her at this moment.

Survival was now in question.

I wore the kindest smile and spoke.

“First, please put down your sword.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Hm~ If a fight breaks out here, the children might get caught up in it, you know?”

“...Damn it.”

Clang-!

Irene hesitated for a moment but ultimately disarmed herself.

“Good. It seems we’re ready for a conversation.”

“...”

“There’s no need to be too tense. I do harbor some goodwill toward you.”

“Goodwill...?”

“Yes, I promise not to harm you.”

I raised both hands.

A timid gesture of peace.

In truth, if I had intended to kill the foxes, I could have wiped them all out with a mere gesture.

Irene had no choice.

“...What kind of conversation are you proposing?”

“That’s a good question.”

I looked at the fox with a sinister gaze.

In the flickering vision, the traces of awakening still remained vividly.

The girl hadn’t lost her nobility even at the edge of the cliff.

‘How admirable.’

An unbending warrior of the heart.

A cliche and childish story.

These kinds of stories... I’m absolutely crazy about them.

-Welcome to my star.

Star, such a splendid term.

It was even more so because the one who uttered that line was the girl.

She was a person who sparkled like a star.

Human beings are naturally inclined to desire what they do not possess when they see a light they lack.

I was no exception.

“I will purchase your star.”

I decided to claim the girl.

“Will you not be tamed by me?”

A vague question. I extended my hand with courtesy.

Like the Little Prince taming the Fox for the first time, I smiled innocently.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]