There was no doubt that the woman named Ah Xion was deeply in love with the man named Gedora.

She wanted to loudly confess her feelings to him.

But, words she couldn't say in the past, can she say them now?

She wasn't truly someone with only the sword in her heart; sometimes, she found herself laughably intricate, accumulating everything upon the sword more and more.

Is the sword merely an excuse for her, just a tool?

Does she really hold a sincere reverence for the sword?

Even at this very moment, she had no rebuttal to Doro's words.

This man probably had long seen through her despicable thoughts, having heard that when someone likes another, it cannot be concealed, and since this matter "has not been exposed". Naturally, it is because the one being liked "does not wish to". He certainly knew her feelings; hence from the very start, he did not intend to accept her heart.

She could deceive herself by saying the past A·Gedora was still young and unaware of her feelings, but the Doro now, over thirty years old, should have this experience. After the vicissitudes of life, he should possess this ability to judge.

Therefore, Ah Xion is simply not liked.

As for the reasons not to be liked—they were countless.

She deeply knew her own baseness.

Facing each other in silence, she felt she should sensibly leave, yet her feet seemed nailed to the spot by something, unwilling to move a step.

She thought herself pathetic and shameless.

Her face was thick-skinned to this extent.

Disappointment gradually accumulated in Doro's eyes. He felt such matters meaningless; the former teacher—looked even more pathetic than imagined.

He didn't know if he was disappointed in Ah Xion or himself.

Or perhaps, both.

"Why not decide the outcome with swords?"

Mohe's voice abruptly pierced the silence between them, like a sharp nail striking on smooth glass, producing sounds that made one's heart extremely uncomfortable.

Why not decide the outcome with swords.

Doro and Ah Xion's gazes simultaneously fell on the Demon King Mohe, who merely pretended cutely to stick her tongue out, like the playful cute manner a girl of this age should have—but this remark was not cute at all. Rather, the Demon King's words simply trampled on their hearts.

Since Ah Xion had come to this mansion, after meeting Doro on the first day, she never brought up the topic of swords again, nor would Doro mention it.

Yet at this moment, this was mentioned without hesitation, as if she knew nothing of their past, offering just a friendly suggestion.

Deciding the outcome held no meaning for them both.

If they were two swordsmen, perhaps expressing their feelings with swords would be quite romantic, but after Doro's ordinary iron sword broke, he had never thought to wield a sword again, even if it was just an ordinary one that could be bought in Baixi Town.

This sufficiently illustrated his resolve.

This person certainly knew their thoughts yet still deliberately uttered such words; she remained consistent in her malicious amusement.

Most of the time, Mohe's malicious amusement would seem somewhat cute, but at such moments, she decidedly pricked at both their hearts.

"Perhaps it's a good decision."

However, from Doro's mouth came words of idealism: "Using the sword to decide the outcome, or rather life and death, regardless of how complex emotions between people are, when one side dies, emotions diminish significantly; hatred so, affection so. Just like when the Demon King was alive, the hatred harbored by many intelligent races was indescribable, yet now with the Demon King dead, some found 'perhaps the Demon King's rule wasn't so bad'."

This was by no means Doro's true feelings.

Ah Xion felt certain—but, was it truly not?

She once thought she understood Doro well, but did she truly understand him?

"Alright… using the sword is a good thing."

She didn't know what expression she bore when responding—was it awkwardness? Guilt? Expectation?

The wind swirled past the manor's border walls, blowing through everyone's hair.

"Since we are to decide the outcome by sword, let me prepare for you both a weapon to fight with!" Mohe finally revealed her original intent, "I assure you, this duel will reach a result satisfactory to you both."

She naturally began preparing the weapon known as the "Cursed Sword".

To be fair, this weapon wasn't particularly powerful, merely adding some kind of special curse to an ordinary sword.

Weapons could have all sorts of things added—but generally, few choose curses.

After all, curses, no matter what is said, inevitably cause a certain degree of erosion to the holder. Using a cursed sword is naturally regarded as "scum".

However, in such moments, a curse seems quite appropriate.

Mohe wanted to bless the sword with only one curse—

"The curse of becoming part of the Demon Race."

Whoever loses will become part of the Demon Race.

Watching from the side as Mohe cursed the sword, Rose couldn't help but feel conflicted.

She felt that Demon King Mohe had various means of turning people into the Demon Race. She could create a vampire like Lisidorwei out of thin air, use a "dead person" like herself to create a demon, or, as in this case, through the act of cursing.

She seemed to have a deep affection for turning humans into demons.

Even though the Demon Race's situation in this era was really dire.

Why wouldn't she first return to her own demon identity?

She herself knew clearly that a human identity is better for moving around in human society.

"Why did you say such words? Through the sword, they won't truly understand each other's hearts."

This was not the first time Rose made such a presumptuous inquiry. But this time it was different.

She was ready to draw her sword on Mohe— even though such an idea was probably very foolish. The backup Mohe left on her was probably enough to control her— even though Rose didn't know what exactly that backup was. But a Demon King could not be unprepared for their creations, especially after Lisidorwei had already betrayed once.

Mohe was always talking about reflection or some such thing, she couldn't possibly be unprepared.

But Rose was still ready to draw her sword.

"Rose, even though you once acted as a new Hero— I must say, your thinking is still very naive." Mohe continued focusing on cursing the sword without turning her head, "Let me tell you something, when you question someone's decision, you better have an alternative plan."

Rose was taken aback.

"Like when you dueled A·Gedora back then, you'd better have a successor plan— as it turns out, you didn't do a good job."

The pitch-black gas incessantly seeped into the sword's body.

"When you think that my decision to have them duel with swords won't work, you better have a better way to break the stalemate than being ready to draw your sword against me after I propose the sword duel."

She picked up the sword and scrutinized it, looking at the mysterious patterns spreading because of the curse. She only felt her technique was as excellent as ever, finally shifting her gaze from the sword to Rose: "Regardless of whether you can kill me or not, let's assume you kill me; then what? Can you resolve the matter of Gedora and Ah Xion?"

"Do you want him to go back to his teacher's fold?"

"I..."

For a moment, Rose couldn't answer Mohe. She certainly didn't want Doro to return to Ah Xion's fold. Ah Xion was a strange, twisted person, who from the beginning harbored an obsession with A·Gedora. Being with that woman, Doro would never have happiness.

Rose was sure of this.

Moreover, the opponent was indeed the chief culprit for her death— she knew how the opponent thought and considered her to be one of those who harmed A·Gedora, thinking that she betrayed A·Gedora.

This point, Rose could not deny.

That's why she stayed by Doro's side, not hoping for forgiveness but only hoping to give him everything to repay past sins.

The duel— the real duel should be between her, Rose, and Ah Xion.

"To speak of it, none of you are as formidable as Lisidorwei, who inherently shouldn't possess feelings called love— at least Lisidorwei abandoned everything for the one she loved. If Ah Xion could have done that, Doro wouldn't be here now."

Mohe sighed: "If you could achieve that, Rose, you wouldn't be questioning me here."

"I..."

It's not like that, I've long been ready to give everything for Doro, this life was picked up because of Doro in the first place, the worst outcome is just returning it to him— I have that determination.

Demon King Mohe clearly hadn't regained her eyes, but they seemed to still pierce through truth and falsehood.

"It's not just offering one's life that means giving everything. Many times, death is just a form of escape. Just like before, many humans came to me and then drew their swords to commit suicide. Humans, to avoid some things they fear, will choose to abandon their lives. What are you afraid of?"

What am I afraid of?

Mohe didn't give Rose more space to think. She just handed the sword to Rose: "There are two swords in total, but I only added the curse that can turn people into demons on one— They look the same on the surface and have the same aura, but now, as part of the Demon Race, you can more or less sense the difference between the two swords, right? I'll leave the choice of who should wield such a sword to you."

The girl's smile was unfathomably profound.

Rose only felt terror.

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