I Am Really The Best Anti Hero In Another World!-System Of Anti Hero! Chapter 66 - Painful memories

Fusu sat on the front steps of the house. With two swords in hand, he thought, ’Just as I suspected—high-level human-rank artifacts...’ Lost in thought, he stared at the broken sword’s hilt beside him. ’So how on earth did that boy shatter this sword so effortlessly...?’

He set one sword aside and picked up the other. ’And what sort of fla could soone who didn’t even seem to use Qi wield so powerfully that nothing remains of its target, soone near the Golden Core stage...? If he were truly at Nascent Soul, I’d understand. But he’s only at Golden Core, and not even using Qi...’

’The mastery he showed over such a fierce fire... If this boy really has nothing to hide, wherever he goes he’ll be hailed as one of the greatest geniuses. (Sigh) Or perhaps one of the greatest monsters...’

---

Breaking the silence that had hung in the air for minutes, the bird spoke up:

— Since we all agree, why don’t we seal the contract right now?

Noah, still lost in thought, lifted his head and replied:

— Not all of us. She hasn’t agreed yet.

"I won’t agree," the serpent said, resolute. "I still don’t see why you’re trying to bargain with this human. It’s not like they ever honor their pacts."

Noah rose to his feet, offended.

— What do you an by that? Don’t judge soone you barely know. I don’t know—or care—what they did to you years ago. But when it cos to promises, I move heaven and earth to keep them. Especially if I owe soone—because I hate being indebted...

He crossed his arms and averted his gaze.

— And it’s rich hearing you say that after you left your own son in my care...

His words drew from the serpent a look sharp enough to pierce steel.

Lifting her head, she fought to mask her irritation:

— You hate being in debt...

A small, almost mocking smile curved her lips.

— That’s exactly what he told my mother...

"He...? Who?"

"Likely the man who led those who tried to kill us," the bird answered.

After a mont of silence, feeling compelled by their serpent set herself to speak:

— In those days there was a peace treaty. A treaty that stated no human should hunt a beast in our forest. And likewise, no beast should kill a human unless he was trespassing on its territory... But that’s exactly what happened. One day, an ordinary human stumbled into the forest in desperation. His clothes were torn, and his body bore nurous wounds. Other n chased after him, and when my mother—who was passing by with —saw this, she, with a single sweep of her tail (which was at least dozens of tis larger than mine), slew the n pursuing him and made the grave mistake of saving that human...

Noah frowned. "Your mother saved a human...? And why would she do sothing so foolish?" His words startled both creatures—after all, he himself was human.

"I asked her that," the serpent replied. "She looked in the eye and said, ’That human posed no threat to us. Besides, being hunted by your own kind—doesn’t that feel familiar?’"

"Familiar? Have you ever been hunted by your own?" Noah pressed.

"Let’s just say those with dragonblood..." She glanced at the bird. "...or even phoenixblood aren’t exactly welco among the beasts."

The bird fell silent. Encouraged, the serpent continued:

— After my mother helped that man, we tried to move on. But he chased us, crying, ’Please! Help ! Please!!’

She stopped and looked down at him. ’I’ve already saved your life, human. What more do you want?’

His body was battered—clothes torn, wounds everywhere. He sank to his knees, tears flowing, and whispered, ’I’ll do anything you ask. Just tell where to find dragon root.’

My mother only shook her head. Even I didn’t understand why. But I followed her anyway. The man pressed on, despite being so small and weak. He ran up to my mother, weeping, and grabbed at her cloak.

Perhaps my mother felt pity. Out of compassion she said, ’There’s no way to tell you where to find it. Dragon roots grow from the graves or carcasses of dragons—none have been seen or slain for centuries. You’ll never find one.’

At her words, the man collapsed. On his knees he sobbed, ’Thank you... so much... I swear I’ll repay this debt soday.’

As we walked on, she said, ’Instead of making empty promises here, why don’t you spend the ti you have left with soone who matters?’

Noah raised a hand, interrupting.

— Why would she say that? He never said he wanted the root to heal anyone.

"The dragon root is almost impossible to obtain, since dragons have vanished and haven’t been seen for ages. There are very few beings in the world with dragonblood. Its most famous use is in the creation of the Dragonblood Pill—a pill that stabilizes dragonblood in a human host, because their bodies are too weak, and if the blood isn’t stabilized, the person will likely explode or die in excruciating agony all over," the phoenix explained.

Noah instantly recalled the agony of trying to absorb a single drop of the phoenix’s blood—he shuddered.

— Ah, now I understand... So what happened next?

"Ti passed—or rather, a few years, a little over three, I think. After that, the human my mother saved years ago ca back to us. But this ti he wasn’t alone. While we slept in a cave deep in the forest, he and more than five hundred others attacked, instantly bringing the whole entrance down.

My mother and I fled before the first boulder hit the ground. When we erged outside, we were t by that army of humans ready to kill us—and at their head stood the sa man my mother had spared, now leading those hell-bent on our destruction." As she spoke, her eyes flared with pure hatred.

With a fury as if face-to-face with her mortal enemy, the serpent went on:

— Seeing them, my mother scread for them to leave at once.

Paralyzed by their overwhelming numbers, I couldn’t move a muscle. That man leveled his sword at us, never breaking eye contact, and gave the command to charge. They leaped at us in such a mass that the great trees—and even the sky—were swallowed by their ranks. Frozen and trembling, I watched it all unfold, utterly helpless.

Shouting, "Quick, Hadria!" my mother lashed out with her tail, each strike felling dozens of n in a bid to protect . Yet for every one she struck down, another took his place almost instantly. It was as if their numbers were endless... and they feared no death.

Noah interrupted, thoughtful:

— Hmm, I don’t think that’s the point... Humans are greedy. I’d wager soone dangled an offer too tempting to refuse, even at the cost of their lives.

The bird bristled:

— The way you say that... makes it sound like you forget you’re human too—or that you’re desperate to distance yourself from us.

Silence fell, all eyes on Noah. After a beat, the serpent resud:

— ...Realizing brute force wouldn’t suffice, my mother ceased her tail attack and, in an instant, unleashed a blaze as crimson as her scales. The fire swept over every attacker—but even that failed to stop them.

When she turned to , her blue eyes that night glowed like the moon above...

Noah watched, stunned, as tears welled in those vast, furious eyes.

— She snuffed out those flas when she saw they weren’t enough, and... thanked...

Her tears fell, each drop a testant to her fury at that man and the sorrow of her own approaching end.

— While that bastard—and all the rest—drove their swords into her body...