I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 859

Chapter 72: The Heartfire Blossoms

Roy couldn’t even be surprised by the Shard King’s fatherly remarks; his scalp prickled, and his heart raced as if it would explode.

The moment Krolain stepped out, a wave of eerie green acid surged forth like a tide, and a terrifying pressure coalesced into a vortex of corrosive winds.

Having witnessed the Dragon Cult and the dragon transformation more than once, Roy knew exactly what to do.

Faced with the pressure from the Shard King, Roy suppressed the mortal fear instinctively instilled by the colossal dragon and charged forward instead of retreating.

It wasn’t wise to engage the seven great celestial dragons in their true forms; the best chance was to strike while Krolain remained in his more sluggish state before fully transforming!

【Dragon King’s Might】!

Thunderclaps roared.

A rain of dark golden lightning descended like a deluge, the deafening winds crashing—this was a fury entirely different from the【Dragon Might】, it was the pure wrath of the Dragon King, belonging to a demigod.

Krolain’s roar choked in his throat before he could utter a sound.

In that instant, the boy with black hair vanished from his vision, replaced by the shadow of a king who once commanded countless dragons.

Despite knowing it was impossible, acknowledging it probably was just a power of the False King’s blood, the awe etched deep within his veins and soul froze him in place, making him forget to breathe.

【Confirming consumption of 1 Reverse Command Point, projecting the Blade of the Former King!】

The chance to confine the seven celestial dragons was unprecedented; Roy unleashed all his power without reservation.

【False Dragon Breath: Celestial Dome】.

The ethereal image of the Dragon Slayer sword reappeared in the world as Roy raised the sword high, pouring every ounce of his flesh and blood into it, slashing down.

“Oh no…!”

Krolain’s cry was drowned out by the thunder’s roar, a lengthy dragon’s roar overshadowing the cries of the wyvern, revealing just how insignificant the once-dominant Shard King appeared before the Dragon King.

The dark golden blade light resembled the sharp claws extending before the Dragon King.

Whether it be the acid or the dragon scales, Krolain’s defenses were utterly useless; his dragon form was still emerging when he was pushed back over a thousand meters, losing substantial flesh in the process—tragically so.

The flying dragons in mid-air flailed in a panic, while the griffin knights stood stunned, hardly believing that the mighty seven celestial dragons, the mythical beings from the First Era, could be brought to such a desperate state.

The Golden-Winged Griffin flew over, chirping excitedly, “Great job, big brother!”

However, Roy, who accomplished all this, wore a solemn expression, loosening his hands, stained with blood, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cavern.

“No, now isn’t the time to celebrate.”

“Ah?”

【Cheese】gasped with wide eyes, watching Krolain leap from the clouds of smoke in the distance.

The slender dragon body oozed streams of blood, an ugly sword mark carved down from its left shoulder, and endowed with the power of the Dragon King, that was a blow capable of annihilating high-tier projections—undeniably powerful.

In fact, Krolain was indeed seriously injured, his face twisted in agony.

But he continued laughing.

“Ha, hahahahaha!”

“Truly the power of my father!”

“But a mere Sequence 5 can only manifest such power at this level, right? Truly an impressive yet wasteful talent… This great power should belong to me instead!”

Roy instinctively stood, but his figure flickered, nearly stumbling.

“Big brother?!”

“Not good…”

His vision swayed, limbs weak.

His blood was about to run dry.

Forget about the continuous【Blood Regeneration】and【Blood Recovery】; what was more critical was the side effect brought by the Blade of the Former King, which instantly destroyed half of the blood vessels and muscles within him.

Even if he had advanced to Sequence 5, significantly stronger than when he defeated the Crimson Blood Fire Dragon, he could only muster one more strike at most.

Even that wouldn’t suffice to completely kill the Shard King.

Tsk, can it be said that true high-tier beings are indeed beyond hope without taking risks? Unlike the angelified Alice, there were no shortcuts this time.

However, along the way, Roy had long accustomed himself to the deadly struggle of putting everything on the line to grasp that sliver of hope.

What worried him was something else.

“【Cheese】, help me with something.”

“Take Charlotte and run first…”

Just as Roy was about to give the order, gentle arms supported his faltering body, and the resolute expression of the girl entered his sight.

“I’ll make it clear; this time I’m not running.”

Roy frowned: “Charlotte…”

“I don’t want to witness you bravely pushing forward again while I stand by and do nothing.”

Roy barely opened his mouth when Charlotte glared at him: “No more sweet talk, whether as the Lionheart Princess or your… partner, now is not the time to back down, right?”

The acid dragon had begun to flex its claws, preparing its next attack, and in this critical moment, Roy couldn’t afford to consider her feelings.

“But what can you accomplish by staying?”

Not angered by Roy’s reprimand, Charlotte merely smiled gently, intertwining her fingers with his, determination and resolve burning in her crimson eyes.

“Do you believe in me?”

Roy froze.

Once upon a time, faced with the pursuit of cultists, amidst life-and-death escapes, he had asked her the same question when she felt anxious.

No explanation needed.

The threats from the cultists and the Shard King of the acid dragon clan were not of the same caliber; even if he used【Blood Resonance】to enhance Charlotte’s power, Sequence 5’s limit could never defeat Krolain.

Yet Roy still grasped her hand, granting her the power she desired.

Just as Charlotte had done for him that one day.

Their breaths, pulses, and the flow of blood synchronized at that moment.

This familiar feeling gave Charlotte immense comfort, not merely due to【Blood Resonance】, but because Roy choosing to trust her imbued her with an indescribable strength.

The shackles that had troubled her for so long melted away into nothingness, and she felt her chest heat up, her heartbeat quickening, almost bursting forth with scorching intensity, igniting the kindle deep within her heart.

If the responsibilities of royalty, the sentiment for her country, the unyielding fighting spirit, every sadness, anger, and unwillingness were the kindling she had accumulated up to now.

The flame that would guide her forward and ignite all that was, was simple yet brilliant, a feeling so small yet radiant.

The vague answer had never felt as certain as this moment; Charlotte finally understood what her heartfire truly was.

The kiss at sunset in the Red Fortress was the essence of her heartfire.

To once again step into such a future with the young boy, she would turn everything into kindling, blooming the grandest of flames.

The dazzling flames shot towards the sky, and the so-called insurmountable barrier between high-tier and mid-tier was utterly burned away at this moment.

The blazing fire cheered and danced; the red lotus twirled for her; the crimson flame traced delicate fiery tails and rose-red cat ears, crowning the Lion of the Flame Abyss, also truly embodying the master of the flames.

As he gazed at the girl exhibiting the form of a mythical being, Roy could not help but murmur, “Sequence 4…”

In the stunned gaze of the boy, the Flame Princess smiled brilliantly: “Let me take the lead for a bit, okay?”

“Knight, let us slay the dragon.”

After a brief moment of distraction, Roy returned the smile: “At your command.”