A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

That was the greatest despair in Ansel'life.

Merely a single utterance was sufficient to shatter Ansel's heart, allowing Seraphina to emerge from the brink of self-destruction.

When Ansel finally mustered the courage to revisit his thoughts and emotions from that time, he found them utterly… ludicrous.

His younger self resembled a puppet, whimsically manipulated by fate. A mere flick of the fingers from those exalted beings would pull his limbs and torso into motion; any slight movement, and he would advance forward, aligning with Their will, without harboring the slightest doubt.

Indeed, that day nearly witnessed the empire's downfall.

Flamelle, in a frenzy, almost engaged in a death match with the Empress in the capital. Had the Empress not preemptively shifted the battlefield into the Zero Realm Enigma, the capital would have ceased to exist.

It proved that Ansel's gravest mistake… was believing the Empress could be the mastermind behind it all.

Upon deeper reflection, one could conclude that Ephesande, no matter how deranged, could not possibly commit such an absurd act. Annelisa's death brought her no benefit; on the contrary, she was the second greatest victim.

To prevent any unforeseen incidents, the Empress even placed the Annelisa "created" by Flamelle within the capital, under her watchful eye, as a precaution.

Yet, in that moment, a young Ansel failed to reach this conclusion. It wasn't just the overwhelming panic that seized his mind, nor was it solely because his mental faculties were too immature at the time. More importantly, it was… the twist of fate.

With a reasonable starting point, whether it be thoughts or worldly affairs, everything would inevitably be steered by that supreme existence towards where Its gaze fell.

Such is the power of fate.

The moment Ansel harbored that thought, everything from that instant began to be re-planned, adjusted, and ultimately redirected towards the desired outcome.

Any anomalies, mistakes, not just those occurring to Ansel but also any doubts and contemplations that Annelisa might have, would be "corrected" in a manner "consistent with her thought process." Any external factor that could cause disturbance would naturally align and return to the origin.

Ansel's supposed act of salvation led him to greater despair.

Driven by this despair, he no longer acted merely to alter his tragic fate but to launch… a desperate rebellion against destiny itself, even to the extent of toppling, killing, and annihilating that ineffable existence!

He recognized his weakness in the face of fate and realized how frail his resolve to "be strong" truly was.

How could one merely strive to… "be strong"?

One must become cruel, utterly wicked, willing to sacrifice everything and pay any price to overcome fate, exhausting every last bit of oneself to grasp that fleeting, elusive chance.

Without this resolve, defeating fate would be impossible.

In truth, at the tender age of ten, Ansel nearly grasped success.

Had he been afforded more time to master the manipulation of his spiritual essence, had he not succumbed to a rampage after annihilating the assassin, had there been... numerous possibilities, none of which were beyond the realm of feasibility.

Fate orchestrates the inevitable, yet it does not hesitate to introduce variables into the outcome, nor does it mind… when those variables indeed transpire.

Such is its lofty arrogance—or perhaps, to it, this is not arrogance but merely routine.

For how many in this world can truly create such variables? If one does not deliberately oppose it, who can say whether these variables are not seeds sown by Fate for a distant future?

At ten, Ansel missed his greatest opportunity, yet in dire straits, he discovered a path laden with variables… though he did not succeed.

— Even endowed with the stature of a divine species, how much could a ten-year-old, fully immersed in the abyss, possibly preserve the integrity of his soul?

In the eyes of Fate, such variables might as well be equated with the impossible, and this impossibility deemed by Fate… is but one of the slim chances to triumph over it.

Just one of many, this method had long been abandoned by Ansel; he would hardly gamble so recklessly again. Even though entrusting his deepest secret to Seraphina at that time was the most reckless of gambles, Ansel was acutely aware that Seraphina needed just one reason.

He no longer gambles; he learns from Fate and begins to control.

Control is perilous, yet it proves useful—for through repeated trials, Ansel has confirmed that Fate pursues what is "reasonable."

The Sky Wolf Emperor must grow nurtured by the blood of kin, and the awakening of the Source of Truth requires hardships in the human world.

Stay connected with empire

Fate would rather forfeit this game to plan for the future than allow a proud young wolf to consume some miraculous treasure and rapidly ascend in power, sweeping across the world; nor would it allow a mechanical puppet to suddenly realize its true path.

By confining everything within the bounds of absolute reason, Ansel then cuts the threads of Fate.

Just as he did in the Red Frost Territory, albeit... his efforts were nearly successful.

Because of Seraphina's love, his hesitation, and ultimately his breakdown, all were within the bounds of reason.

This is the path he now treads, and like the gamble from a place of endless despair seeking a glimmer of hope, it too requires a certain enlightenment.

The enlightenment of sacrificing everything.

Even then, to achieve absolute control over everything, the height of this enlightenment must surpass that of reckless gambling.

For Ansel needs to be like Fate—aloof, merciless, supremely dominating all, to replace its original position and sever the invisible threads manipulating all beings.

Crafting a favorable image is merely convenient for action; even if he despises the decay of the empire, he maintains good relations with many nobles. The noble deeds he performs may just be a prelude to some massacre, and the sins and deep-seated hatreds may merely be for an insignificant change, indifferently executed.

No warmth, no emotion, no... ideals.

Ansel of Hydral, ultimately, could not fulfill his mother's wish for him to be a kind person.

Ansel of Hydral became the empire's greatest and most malevolent villain.

Unwilling to err again or endure the despair that once devastated the Hydral family, he resolved to be ruthless and absolute… manipulating anything that could potentially help him conquer fate.

The boy died, and a monster was reborn.

Annelisa exhausted everything to save her child, plunging him into an unfathomable darkness of despair.

For six years, there was no relief.

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