Chapter 117

"Damn... humans!"

When fear in one's heart amplifies, it naturally breeds anger. Seeing the culprit walking towards her step by step, no matter how scared she was, she forced a tough stance. "How dare you continue to approach me!"

Her appearance of lying on the ground with her mouth wide open looked somewhat comical, but it was the most intimidating thing she could do.

"Are you... a child?"

Upon hearing this voice, Theresa, who was holding a spear, paused for a moment.

"So what?! A human like you can be easily killed if you get too close!"

Ilulu thought that the other party looked down on her because of her age and thought that she was not a threat. In most cases, this would indeed be an opportunity to take the initiative, but it was different in this case.

She could tell that the other party was also putting on a brave face. Since that was the case, she should maximize her threat to deter the other party from attacking easily. That would then be a test of willpower.

Ilulu doesn't think she will lose to humans.

What she feared was that the other party would attack without warning, and given her current condition, she might really die.

"Why attack the town? What good does it do you?"

Theresa didn't respond, but instead asked another question.

"Benefit?"

Ilulu hadn't expected the other party to ask such a question, and without thinking, she replied, "We are dragons of the Chaos Faction, so it's only natural for us to wreak havoc everywhere!"

These words made Theresa frown. "How can this be taken for granted? All that you've done... the lives you've taken, cannot be taken for granted."

"... This is our destiny! Aren't humans the same?! Humans killed my parents, so what's wrong with me killing humans?!"

Ilulu glared angrily at the white-haired girl standing in front of her, her face showing disapproval, her eyes brimming with intense emotions.

That emotion contained more than just hatred.

But... that big red dragon from before wasn't her parents? But it's not uncommon for dragons to travel together in groups, and most of them are related, so it's not surprising that they look alike.

As for humans capable of killing dragons... they don't exist in this town, nor in the eyes of the priest. But if we consider the information Theresa gathered in this world using her clones, they do exist, just not in this country.

In fact, this country can be described as a relatively remote and weak country. According to the intelligence gathered by Theresa, there are many countries in this world, and some of the powerful countries have 'heroes'.

The hero's strength is almost entirely a gift from the gods. Rather than being human, they are more like a new species transformed from humans. The greatest significance of this existence is not to fight against any demon king, but to serve as a symbol to help the gods gain faith.

A nation with brave warriors will believe that it has gained the favor of the gods and will worship the gods who favor them madly.

However... based on the information she knew, even a hero blessed by the gods shouldn't be able to kill two dragons by himself, since even the gods themselves were evenly matched with the dragons.

Of course, individual differences are inevitable. Being evenly matched does not mean that the individuals are at the same level. Perhaps Ilulu's parents are just particularly weak dragons?

Although Theresa had considered this point, she did not point it out.

She didn't have any ill feelings towards Ilulu, but she didn't have any good feelings towards her either.

It's not simply because she played a part in getting herself into this predicament; more so because she basically doesn't like anyone. However... for Theresa, this situation really isn't a good one to make a move on.

Whether it was when she first faced the other clones in the experiment or later when she faced Sirin, it was clear that Theresa was not the type to be very murderous, especially when the other party was a child. Of course, this does not mean that she would not kill her opponent. When there is no way to communicate and the two sides cannot understand each other, Theresa will still take action no matter how much she sympathizes with the other party.

In that case...

After a moment's thought, Theresa decided on the purpose of the dragon before her.

"You can't generalize from individual behavior to the collective; you can't get anything good by just using violence."

As if to prove her words, Theresa threw the spear in her hand to the ground, and the golden gear in the Sky Manipulation gradually stopped turning, and then slowly collapsed and fell.

At the same time, Ilulu could feel the pain in her body gradually lessening.

"... What... does this mean?"

Ilulu couldn't understand why the other party would suddenly let her go.

Theresa stretched out one hand, and several chains emerged from the nearby woods, wrapping around her hand to form the shape of a cross pendant.

Before Ilulu could ask any more questions, Theresa tossed the pendant aside. The sound of chains continued to ring out. Before the pendant hit the ground, the cross, having recovered all its mass, had returned to its original two-meter size and stood quietly beside Theresa.

"I won't kill you, but... I can't let you go either."

Theresa said.

"Ha! Who needs your permission!"

Having regained some strength, Ilulu immediately decided to take flight.

Seeing that the other party had no intention of taking advantage of her vulnerability, Ilulu would not continue to attack, but it was impossible to capture her.

The response she received was not Theresa's voice, but chains that shot out from the cross.

In an instant, the golden chains Binding Vow Ilulu's hands, feet, and wings, pulling her off balance and causing her to fall to the ground without any resistance.

This red, slightly chubby body, combined with this pose, inexplicably gives people the feeling of a roast suckling pig.

"You despicable human! You actually plotted against me!?"

Ilulu felt a surge of anger rising in her chest, but there was another emotion on par with it—fear.

From her perspective, Theresa's actions were entirely due to the excessive energy she expended after setting up the Barrier, which led her to gain Theresa's trust. She then launched a surprise attack when Theresa was most relaxed after the Barrier was removed. As for her purpose in doing so, it's even easier to guess.

What value is there in capturing a dead dragon?

The saying "a dragon is a treasure from head to toe" is known even to ordinary people. Even a dragon's saliva has great value. The thought that she might be turned into a mindless puppet, used as material by others at will, Ilulu with horror.

"I've said it before, I won't hurt you anymore, but I can't let you go until your hatred for humanity is completely gone. Otherwise, if you go and hurt other people, that would be my sin."

Theresa reached out and stroked the chains Judas had shot out, saying in a heavy tone, "You are too strong. I must limit you."

Chapter Thirty-One: Lofty Slogans.

"Humans only know how to lie! You must be trying to arrest me!"

Of course, Ilulu wouldn't admit to such a thing, but no matter how much she wanted to struggle violently, the feeling of having no strength all over her body prevented her from moving around, and she could only roll around on the ground a couple of times.

"I'm sorry, this is the only solution I can think of."

Theresa said, taking another deep breath.

She wasn't feeling well either. Although the Divine Grace Barrier had been lifted, it didn't mean there were no aftereffects. The blood that felt like it was about to congeal was still making it difficult for her to breathe.

"You are too big and will frighten people, so I can't keep you with me all the time. You can stay here with Judas for now."

Theresa still needed to let the others know she was safe so as not to cause them to panic.

Of course, to ensure those pigs wouldn't escape American-style iaido, she couldn't just go back so easily. She would pretend to faint halfway there and wait for the Valkyrie to carry her back.

"Wait!? Where are you going?"

Seeing that the white-haired girl who had subdued her was about to abandon her, Ilulu should have been happy.

But at that moment, she suddenly felt a sense of panic for no apparent reason.

"I need to meet up with the others, otherwise they will worry."

Theresa had no intention of hiding anything.

"You're going to leave me here alone? Left here unable to move like this?!"

Ilulu couldn't believe it.

"After all, I can't guarantee... that you won't continue to cause trouble."

Theresa nodded. "I'll come to see you often. As for food, Demon Beast should be enough. If you have to go on a long trip, I'll come pick you up."

"No! I don't want to stay here alone! You might as well just kill me! Rather than being sealed here by you, I'd rather be killed and freed from this!"

Although she spoke with great conviction, Theresa knew very well that her conviction stemmed from a subconscious belief that she wouldn't kill her.

This was indeed the first time Theresa had encountered a type whose subconscious mind was the opposite of their outward personality, and the trouble it caused was, as expected, incredibly frustrating.

"Then... do you have a way to shrink? To become as big as my palm."

She stretched out her hand and gestured.

"I don't know that kind of True Magic..."

Ilulu knew why the other person didn't keep her by their side, but she didn't want to be alone...

"That's right! Although I don't have True Magic to shrink, I can use True Magic to transform into a human!"

Rather than becoming human, it's more accurate to say they've become bipedal and have a human-like appearance, since this form originated with the gods, and humans are the later ones.

It is because humans look and think completely differently from wild beasts, but are similar to themselves, that God favors humans more.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ilulu's eyes fell on Theresa.

Both of them knew her current state; she couldn't even refine magic or breathe fire, let alone use True Magic.

This is a bit tricky... Ilulu still has the awareness of being a prisoner. She doesn't think the other party will release her so easily. No one would believe that an enemy can fly away immediately after being Binding Vow, right?

However, the next moment, she felt the chains binding her loosen rapidly, and the previously stagnant flow of magic began to flow smoothly.

"You...?"

This situation made Ilulu's eyes widen.

"It's only temporary."

Theresa said, "I will still limit your magic power after you use True Magic."

"Aren't you... afraid I'll fly away?"

"Using violence will Limitless increase the gap between us. If neither side is willing to take the first step, we will never be able to understand each other."

Theresa placed her hand on the cross again. "Under the influence of power, I am willing to trust you. If it is just the two of us alone, I can release you from my Binding Vow, but when there are other people around, I must ensure their safety until you and I establish true trust."

"..."

Ilulu had never heard such words before.

"Humans... are the race most adept at speaking sweet words..."

"Perhaps that's true..."

Theresa's blood pressure hadn't come down yet after what had just happened, but thinking about her persona, she continued to say nice things, "But if nice things could come true, I think that would be a wonderful thing, and that's what we're fighting for."

"Fighting for a better future?"

The unfamiliar words and phrases once again made Ilulu's eyes widen.

Beautiful? Fighting for beauty? She never imagined these words could be combined into such a phrase.

"I don't know anything about that... I don't understand what you're saying..."

"No one can understand these things from the beginning. Whether it is the ability to love others or the ability to be loved by others, these are things that need to be learned. When you sincerely want to do something for others, you will understand what beauty is."

A lofty and idealistic slogan can easily attract a group of people who are selfless and have firm beliefs. Whether in the duel or here, she started her career with this kind of slogan, so Theresa is naturally no stranger to it.

This kind of slogan is especially effective for children.

Ilulu staring at him with wide eyes is yet another proof; no wonder Otto could trick so many Valkyrie into working for him.

However, Theresa wasn't in the mood for verbal reprimands right now, so she said, "Hurry up and transform. The longer you delay, the more worried my companions will become."

Interrupted from her thoughts, Ilulu didn't say much. A red light quickly enveloped her, and when the light dissipated, a girl with long magenta hair and wearing a tattered animal skin outfit full of wildness appeared in front of Theresa.

Theresa is already quite short, only an astonishing 1.45 meters tall, but Ilulu is even shorter. With an extra 15 centimeters in height, Theresa can easily consider herself an elder.

"Please be patient."

Seeing that she had completed her transformation, Theresa manipulated Judas to extend chains. As a type of nanometal, Theresa cut the chains and then shaped them into a cross pendant, which she personally placed around the red-haired girl's neck.

The pendant quickly adjusted its size, eventually fitting snugly around Ilulu's neck, transforming into a choker-like style that allowed Ilulu to feel her presence without feeling too Binding Vow.

Ilulu sensed the flow of magic and found that it had become stagnant again, just like when she was surrounded by chains. But at least it wasn't like before, when her blood seemed to stop flowing.

As for the ability to seal her back into dragon form, there's no need to worry. After all, shapeshifting True Magic isn't just a trick; it's True Magic that truly changes the form and won't become ineffective just because the magic power is gone.

"Let's go, Judas. The move is in your hands."

Theresa, who didn't want to move, simply pulled Ilulu to sit on the cross.

Next, we just need to confuse this little dragon cub.

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Demon?

Theresa originally planned to have Judas increase the pressure to Ilulu until she passed out, but before she could do so, she saw that Ilulu had already fainted first.