"I'm saying, Your Majesty, right now there's a red devil chasing our entire family. How about we think about teaming up to bring her down first?"
Leon was starting to understand how those Dragon Kings he once defeated must've felt back then.
This kind of last-moment, deep, powerless feeling.
Isa's cleverness combined with her role as [Doctor] allowed her to swim through this game like a dragon in water.
To the point where even General Leon could only flee with his wife for now, temporarily staying out of Isa's killing range.
"My sister is probably using those antidotes given to us in combination with [Meeting End] to perform remote killings."
"And since her role is [Doctor], the kill-item cards she got must've been designed to be used alongside the antidotes."
"In other words… everyone who took the antidotes at the start will, without exception, fall to my sister's pursuit. It's only a matter of time before we're killed."
Rossweise's tone grew slightly heavy. Even if it was just a game, being pushed to such a point still left one unwilling.
"Actually, I didn't take that antidote."
"What?"
Leon took out a small transparent box from his pocket, inside was an orange-flavored candy.
Rossweise looked at the candy, "If you didn't take it, how did you avoid being infected?"
"I used the [Mint Herbal Tea] you gave me."
Leon tossed the candy aside, "Good thing I had a little foresight. Otherwise, I might have been killed during that [Meeting End Kill] just now."
"But Noah and I both took the antidote. We can't even get close to my sister, her kill cards will directly strike us down."
Rossweise said, "So... the only one who can attack my sister now is you."
What the queen said was true.
At this point, the only one who could kill the lone wolf... was the other lone wolf.
"But neither of us has a kill card in hand. How are we supposed to fight Big Sis with nothing?"
The problem looped back to square one.
Even if you want to fight desperately, you need the tools to do so.
But right now, General Leon was 'barehanded,' and couldn't even call a [Temporary Meeting] to vote Isa out.
Going in circles, were they still going to face slow death?
"Wow, Mr. Lone Wolf, as an independent faction, how have you gone the whole game without finding a single kill card? So lame," Rossweise couldn't help but complain.
Speaking of which, Leon really had abysmal luck.
Thirty to forty hours, and not a single kill card encountered.
"When misfortune strikes, it really hits hard," Leon had to accept this fact.
The couple fell into silence.
They had to think of a way to deal with Isa, fast, or it'd all be over.
The [Princess]'s life would be in danger. The [Old Friend] wouldn't be able to escape with the Black Holy Stone.
Everything would fall into the hands of that red devil [Doctor].
Drip! Drip!
Water dripped from the corner of the cellar, the only crisp and audible sound in the place.
The poisonous cake that could instantly kill a player lay on the ground between Leon and Rossweise.
The queen's gaze slowly dropped onto it.
Suddenly, Rossweise's pupils slightly widened.
"Actually... I don't care if I win or not."
As she spoke, Rossweise took out her main storyline task card from her pocket.
"My mission is a lot like Senior Claudia's, help the [Princess] retrieve the Black Holy Stone. But I also have a hidden mission, and that's to take the [Black Holy Stone] and leave the castle. That would be my true victory."
"Which ending to choose, it all comes down to a player's decision."
"But from the very start... I never thought of doing that hidden mission, because—"
"Because you wanted our precious daughter to win, right?", Leon smiled, finishing the second half of her sentence.
Rossweise gave a soft chuckle and nodded, "Right. That child finally got the chance to play happily with her sister and good friends. I wanted her to win. After all, Noah is really competitive."
"But now, both her sister and friends have been killed. All the pressure is on Noah," Leon said.
"That makes me want her to win even more."
Rossweise said, "This isn't just a game, Leon."
"Think about it. Years, even decades from now, when Noah looks back on this castle trip, she'll proudly say that she was the one who saved us all in the end."
"What she gains isn't just a win, it's a priceless memory."
"I get what you mean, Rossweise," Leon also smiled, then looked at the silver-haired beauty beside him, "You're not much like a mother anymore."
"Hm?"
"You're more like... a Mommy."
"Is there a difference between mother and Mommy?"
"Of course there is. Remember at the start, when you told Noah and Luna to call you Mommy instead of mother? How happy they were?"
Rossweise paused slightly, her thoughts pulled back to the past.
After a moment, she smiled with understanding, "I see now."
"So... you're trying to recruit me, the lone wolf, to buy time for you and our daughter, and delay things until the meeting starts?"
Rossweise shook her head, "No no no, that's too risky. Besides..."
"Besides?"
She looked straight ahead, her cheeks turning red quietly.
Rossweise buried half her face into her arms. A muffled voice came from her chest, speaking very fast.
"Besides, I wouldn't let my child's father do something like that."
"Can't you just call 'child's father' by a one-word title instead?", Leon teased with a sly grin.
"No, shut up."
Rossweise rolled her eyes at him, then continued, "As long as you promise me you'll let Noah win in the end, I'll..."
"You'll what?"
Rossweise looked slightly embarrassed. She beckoned Leon with a finger.
Leon obediently leaned in.
"I'll—"
After hearing it, General Leon jumped up from the ground, "For real?"
"For real."
"Well then, honestly, I already planned to help Noah win, but I wasn't super motivated. But with this new condition, let me just say—"
"Your sister's not walking away today! I swear, not even the Dragon God can stop me!"
Rossweise chuckled, "Alright, alright, stop shouting or you'll attract my sister here."
Leon sat back down, "So based on what you said earlier, you've thought of a way?"
"Mm."
Rossweise picked up the poisonous cake from the ground.
"Your sister won't eat it, right?", Leon said.
"No, it's not for her. It's... for me."
———
Top floor of the castle, corridor.
Noah had been forced to a wooden door by the "Red Devil" aunt.
The wooden door was locked from the other side, no escape.
"Aiya aiya~ Miss [Princess], there's no way forward from here."
Isa held a kill card in her hand. Its effect: It could kill players within five meters who had taken the [Doctor]'s specially made antidote.
She flicked the card gently, creating tiny gusts, slowly approaching the cornered Noah.
Noah had never found her aunt so "terrifying" before.
'Dear goodness, Little Light, you must never go to Auntie's Red Dragon Shrine to become the next Red Dragon Queen!'
'You'll turn into something like this too!'
"Auntie... l-let's talk this out nicely," Noah tried to appeal to Isa's 'conscience.'
"Tsk, darling Noah, whatever secrets you want to share, let's save them for after the game. For now, I need to deal with you quickly, then go find your Mommy and Daddy. Be good, come over here, don't make Auntie feel bad."
'Don't say such scary things in such a gentle tone!'
'You'll traumatize the kids!'
Noah pressed tightly against the door. She only had one usable item card, [Desperate Reincarnation].
But the duel mechanism of [Desperate Reincarnation] could only be activated when there were just two players left.
Judging from Isa's words, Mommy and Daddy were still "alive," so the card couldn't be used yet.
'What to do... what to do...'
Noah bit her lip hard. Even knowing this was just a game, the pressure was overwhelming.
———
At the same time, in the God's Observation Room, the three little dragon girls stood in front of a giant projection stone, watching Noah and Isa's standoff.
"It's over. Big Sis can't escape," Luna's voice was full of gloom.
"I thought Uncle Leon and Auntie Rossweise were already strong enough, but Auntie Isa... is even stronger," Helena said.
Even Pink-Haired Dragon of Fun nervously clenched her fists for Big Sis, "Big Sis, hold on a little longer! The meeting's starting soon, and we can vote out Auntie!"
"It's useless," Claudia, already drinking tea in the observation room, slowly said, "There's still more than forty minutes until eight o'clock. Even Leon and Rossweise won't be able to hold out that long. This game... the Red Dragon Queen is destined to win."
The little dragon girls still stood in front of the projection stone, silently praying for that figure still struggling on the screen.
———
"Noah, come here. It's okay. Auntie will carry you to the God's Observation Room."
Isa slowly approached. Soon she'd be within the item card's attack range.
Noah's heartbeat quickened.
She knew very well, there was no way to escape Auntie's 'hunt' now.
But even so, she wouldn't surrender without a fight.
'If it was Daddy, he would have definitely—'
["Player—"]
In the silent corridor, a staff member's voice suddenly rang out.
Noah quickly looked down at the projection stone in her pocket, 'Is this my elimination announcement?'
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