The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 51

The bird [N O V E L I G H T] that once brought happiness from within its cage had shattered the bars on her own and spread her wings wide.

Because she had realized—no one would ever reach out to help her.

The more she clung to vague hope, the deeper her heart filled with disappointment and rage.

Then the voices of hatred and resentment whispered in her ears, pointing toward the spectators.

As the despair of one little girl deepened, the audience only grew happier.

Their ugliness was cursed.

Faced with the grotesque nature of people, the goodwill she had clung to all this time suddenly felt laughably pitiful.

She didn’t need to try anymore. She didn’t need to endure.

Her flimsy conscience—so hesitant even at the crucial moment—was ripped to shreds, and she could no longer suppress the swirling emotions inside her.

Finally swallowed by those dark, festering feelings, she gained power—immense and unstoppable, unbound by anything.

The malice of humanity had awakened the Reaper.

Freedom.

She was no longer that girl.

She was no longer weak.

Even if they locked her in a cage far sturdier and gilded in gold than the last one, she could break out with just a flicker of strength.

She hated cages like this. They reminded her of too many things she didn’t want to remember.

It annoyed her that the joy she’d felt during the festival had been painted over by such foul emotions.

She moved her hand, ready to destroy the cage and escape this place—along with the memories.

‘I can’t be late for the play.’

No one’s coming to save me.

That’s the kind of world this is.

Just like that day, when she resolved to burn everything down by her own hand—

‘!!!’

Unlike that day, when no one had reached out, this time—someone came.

She widened her eyes in disbelief, her gaze trembling faintly.

There was only one reason Red would appear in a place like this.

‘......’

She withdrew her gathered power, letting the rising heat dissipate.

Lowering her hand from the bars, she looked down.

Her eyes settled on Red.

It was an unexpected sight—and a surprising one.

Someone had come to rescue her.

Then again... Red had saved her during the Isaac incident, too.

She was the kind of person who would come for any child in danger. She didn’t abandon anyone.

That was who she was.

And since it had come to this, maybe she’d leave it to her this time. She wasn’t supposed to use her powers in front of her anyway.

Like a princess trapped in a tower, waiting for a brave warrior to come rescue her—

She rooted for Red from inside the cage.

To think there would come a day when she leaned on someone, when she held a quiet hope again...

It had been so long that it felt strange.

But in that unfamiliar feeling, she found herself smiling.

*

Red arrived at the location written in the letter.

An old, crumbling building.

She opened the door and stepped inside—and was met with a space far too large to exist within the building’s dimensions.

An arena.

Some special mechanism had transported her to a different location. The place she now stood in was on another plane, far removed from reality.

It was the kind of setup that would be impossible without a mountain of money behind it.

But Red wasn’t surprised.

Because the man who had invited her here was more than capable of this much.

Inside the arena, a familiar face was waiting.

A man in an immaculate, expensive suit.

His hair was a curly shade of green, his features sharp and well-defined. Overall, he had a striking, attractive appearance.

He was likely the type to attract attention from many women thanks to his looks.

But Red didn’t care. Her eyes simmered with quiet hostility.

That man was none other than Midas—the embodiment of Greed among the Seven Deadly Sins.

Golden eyes looked at her, and a smile slowly formed on his face.

“I knew you’d accept my invitation. Welcome. I’ve been dying to see you again, my Garnet.”

“Garnet, my ass... Don’t talk to me like that. I’m pretty sure I smashed your damn face in.”

“Hahaha! Your punches were certainly spicy. But come on, I couldn’t meet you again looking like that. Had to spend a little money, you know. Fixing my face wasn’t easy.”

Despite Red’s cutting tone, Midas showed no sign of fear.

Instead, he smiled back with the ease of an old friend joking around.

But no matter how friendly he acted, there wasn’t even a speck of camaraderie between them.

There was no need for chit-chat between them.

Red got straight to the point.

“Where’s the kid?”

“Up there. In the highest place, safe and sound.”

Midas pointed upward.

At the very top sat a large golden birdcage.

Inside it was a white-haired girl—Lily.

Red narrowed her eyes, glaring fiercely at Midas.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“No need to glare like that. Believe it or not, I actually went to some effort to make sure she wouldn’t get caught up in our little scuffle. It’s probably the safest place in this arena. In other words, until you defeat me, that cage isn’t opening.”

Completely unbothered by Red’s freezing stare, Midas raised his hand.

Clenched his fist.

And shouted confidently, voice booming through the arena.

“So if you want to rescue her and leave this place—then you’ll have to defeat me!”

Red tugged on her leather gloves.

She never expected this to be resolved with words.

As he’d said—if she wanted Lily back, she just had to take him down.

Simple enough.

“So you kidnapped her just to lure me here. You slipped away last time, but if you think luck’s on your side again, think again.”

“Kuhuhu... This time will be different.”

Midas looked upward.

As if reminiscing on the past, his gaze slowly darkened.

With a distant look on his face, he continued speaking.

“Back then, I had no will to live. I was sick of the world. Everything I wanted came to me too easily. The more I had, the emptier I felt. But!”

And then—those lifeless eyes suddenly sparked, color returning as they glowed like gold.

“After that day, my world began to move again.”

Midas’s gaze, once lost in the past, now turned fully to Red.

“It started with mere curiosity. I thought you were just another gem lying around, nothing special. But I was wrong. You—you're a jewel that shines brighter than any other. So dazzling...”

A grotesque grin stretched across Midas’s lips, curling unnaturally into something monstrous.

Red’s brows furrowed at the sight of it, clearly repulsed.

“If I want something—I take it. That is Greed!”

With a flick of his hand, the air in the arena was instantly drenched in his magical energy.

As if announcing his presence, the entire atmosphere turned chilling and vile.

The air grew heavy.

Red’s eyes widened slightly in shock.

‘This guy...? He’s different from before! He’s way stronger!!’

His magical pressure was on a whole other level compared to their last encounter.

Unleashing his overwhelming black mana, Midas declared with a booming voice:

“After defeating you—I will make you mine! I will claim the jewel that is you! That’s why I’ve grown even stronger!”

His immense energy and burning will flooded the entire arena.

The pressure was so intense it could crush even elite fixers—but Red held her ground.

Without a flicker of fear, she settled into her stance.

Seeing her so composed only made Midas more ecstatic.

The brighter she burned, the more beautiful his jewel became.

“Come—be mine!!”

With a snap of his fingers, a dazzling array of multicolored gems appeared overhead.

They absorbed his mana and began to swell.

Just like unchecked greed wounds others, the summoned gems grew sharper and more jagged—until they resembled vicious spikes.

Midas swept his arm forward, and the gems rained down like a storm.

Red dodged with ease—agile, precise. At times, she even kicked the air, redirecting the gems back toward him.

Boom!

Of course, Midas summoned new gems to shield himself, forming a golden barrier that blocked the attack with ease.

The ground trembled violently, dust and shimmering particles mixing and scattering through the air.

“Haha! Impressive. Then how about this?!”

Midas raised his right hand high and clenched it tight.

Hundreds—maybe thousands—of golden hands appeared in the air.

“Be cursed by Greed’s touch—turn to gold!”

The moment his eyes locked onto Red, the golden hands shot toward her like bullets.

Red’s expression tightened.

Anything they touched turned to solid gold.

She couldn’t let them hit her.

Gathering power into her legs, she launched herself off the ground, tearing through the golden onslaught at breakneck speed.

In a flash, she was right in front of Midas.

Red clenched her fist—and drove it straight toward his chest.

At the same time, Midas clicked his tongue and pulled all the golden-hand mana into his right hand. Then he opened his palm and fired a blast of concentrated black energy.

Fist and dark magic collided.

A massive explosion erupted.

The ground howled from the impact, and thick, suffocating air swept through the arena.

Both fighters leapt back, putting distance between them.

Red landed mostly unscathed.

Midas’s right hand, however, was scorched black and mangled beyond use.

But then—just like time rewinding—his ruined hand healed rapidly, returning to perfect condition.

Red’s eyes narrowed.

“You really have gotten stronger.”

“Why so surprised? You know exactly where my power comes from.”

Midas flexed his fully restored right hand with ease, flashing her a savage grin.

“People who seek wealth come to me. I make contracts with them—and feed off their Greed as my magic.”

All that fighting had only fueled his determination further.

His energy now was rougher, more vicious than when they started.

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Winds howled around him, stirred by his magic.

“I gathered every stray desire. After you crushed the one who tried to take my throne, the people turned to me even more.”

His terrifying magic converged around his right arm.

As the energy took shape, a golden gauntlet materialized around his hand.

“You’re fighting the emotion of Greed—of all humanity! You’ll never defeat me!!”

Midas slammed his foot into the ground.

Red didn’t retreat. She charged.

Two fists collided.