Obsession of the Neglected 6-Star Heroes-Chapter 33

"Heh."

Yohō's eyes narrow. Slowly, she bends her legs and closes the distance with Rivera.

"Did you think, just because your tails were fewer, that you could stay back and shoot magic from a distance and somehow win~?"

Her magic flows, sweeping over Rivera like a wave.

"You did well targeting the tail~."

Yohō’s finger spins through the air.

And then—

*Pyo-ro-rong!*

"...."

The previously vanished white fur appears again, accompanied by a small trigger.

Rivera’s face darkens.

"...Were you hiding this?"

"Yep~. Trickery is the fox’s specialty, right?"

The arrogant fox sways its nine tails. The white fur moves, dancing alongside the fox.

"You’ve covered your domain, but... how?"

"Mm? Oh~ How did I manage it, you ask?"

Yohō’s eyes narrow slightly. She gently touches her cheek with her finger, pretending to contemplate, then flashes a suspicious smile.

"It’s thanks to you."

The corners of the fox’s mouth rise.

"Me? Thanks to me?" Rivera looks at her in confusion, her tone a question.

"You did it, didn’t you? What was it again...?"

Yohō’s finger traces several straight lines in the air.

"Like this beam? Anyway, those."

A slight tremor runs through Rivera’s body. Her pupils dilate as if realizing something.

"They collided with the sphere I threw, remember? And then there was an explosion."

"Could it be..."

Yohō nods. Rivera, stunned, lets out a hollow laugh.

"Yes. That’s when I recovered. Your wild magic barrage in the air shattered the domain, which helped."

The short scuffle from earlier.

The path to victory. The naive mistake of the young dragon.

As Yohō’s fingers split, she demonstrates a technique.

"Thanks to that, the curse threads that were consuming my energy were severed. To put it simply..."

Yohō’s smile widens. She sneers at Rivera, the loser before her.

"You're a fool, and that's why I won."

---

**The Defeat. The End of Everything.** Especially losing to an enemy as vile as this one—it marks a clear, inevitable conclusion.

The end.

The finale of the Golden Dragon.

The Golden Dragon’s final curtain falls. Rivera lowers her head, closing her eyes and cradling her abdomen as if meditating.

"You're not going to spare me, are you?"

"Mm. Of course not."

The nonchalant response comes with a light chuckle.

As expected, I knew this fox would never spare me.

I had already come to terms with it. After all, this damn fox wouldn’t save me now after going this far.

Reality set in. But more than death, I feared what would happen to my father.

For Rivera, who had spent her life with a singular goal in mind, another defeat was enough to bring unbearable shame.

"Why did you come here to kill me?"

Unexpectedly, Yohō asks a question. It had been four years since she last saw Rivera, but the sudden reappearance of this hated figure—Rivera—puzzled her.

The uncertainty was clear. Even as she conceptualized her domain, the question lingered.

During the fight, her thoughts had drifted, albeit briefly.

Yohō's question caused Rivera to furrow her brows coldly. Her closed eyes opened, shining brightly once more.

"I thought my father was suffering because of you."

The word "father" coming from her mouth struck Yohō like a bolt. She stiffens, clearly stunned.

"...What?"

Rivera mutters in disbelief.

"Fa... Father...?"

"Yes. Father."

Yohō’s eyes burn with confusion, wondering if she had heard wrong, if it was all some illusion.

The golden fur gleams with a faint blue hue. Her pupils contract, her head drops.

"Father... Father... Father... Father..."

She weakly chants the same word over and over.

"What... What’s going on? Why are you acting so scary?"

Rivera, startled by her actions, tries to call out to Yohō, whose behavior has completely shifted.

Yohō’s eyes widen. Her focus narrows to a single word, as if her whole mind was fixated on it. The memory of the man, dim and fading, starts to surface.

At that moment, a distant past she had long forgotten begins to stir in her mind.

"...."

Her form blurs. She weakly raises her head again.

Yes. It’s all gone now. She couldn’t even remember it clearly anymore.

One.

Thud, thud.

Yohō takes a weak step, leaving the fallen Rivera behind. Her body moves slowly.

"Where... Where is he?"

Rivera tilts her head, calling out weakly.

Yohō freezes at the sound of her words. She had moved a few steps ahead, her distance from Rivera widening.

"To meet...?"

Yohō trails off, her voice faltering.

"To meet the... Captain."

A flicker of hope shines in her eyes. A small glimmer reignites within her.

She fixes her determination.

"I’ll meet him...!"

In that moment, Yohō bends down and leaps into the air, making a swift, graceful jump toward the sky.

Thwack.

Her body bounces like a spring, smashing through a window as she soars toward her destination.

"Huff..."

She swallows the falling tears. It’s not time to cry yet.

The truth is still uncertain.

One.

If what Rivera said is true.

"Captain... Captain... Captain..."

Her words carry nothing but truth.

"I’ll go... I’ll go meet him...! I’ll apologize...!!"

If I can meet him, everything will be okay.

If I can just see him once...

"I’ll wait just a little longer...!"

Yohō’s hope surges as she races across the kingdom.

---

Father. What does "father" mean to Rivera, the Golden Dragon? Was it the dragon who raised her since childhood? No.

Then, was it a kindred spirit, a companion who lived alongside her through the long years? No.

For her, "father" referred to only one person.

And this became an undeniable clue for Yohō.

It became the final, definitive proof that confirmed everything.

A trust that planted itself and bore fruit.

Now, she had to act. Yohō, having climbed the massive clock tower, gently lands toward the base.

"Hah... Hah..."

Breathing heavily, she couldn’t stop now.

The flame of hope could disappear at any moment. She had to catch it before it faded.

With a burst of strength, Yohō moves.

She moves quickly, faster than the wind, darting through alleyways.

She twists her body, changes direction in an instant, and leaps again.

She climbs a building, lands lightly, crouches, and transforms again. Seeing a canal, she morphs into a dolphin, swimming gracefully through it.

Running like a dog, pushing her body like a wild beast.

Dirt flies as she runs, even as she tumbles, but she gets up and continues towards her destination.

"Captain...! Captain...! Captain...! Captain...!!"

She has to say everything she left unsaid. She has to ask him.

Yohō feels anxious, her heart racing again with worry. It disappears. It disappears again.

It vanishes. Leaves. Never returns.

It is terrifying. It is unnatural.

So, she must meet him as quickly as possible.

"I might never see him again... I might never see him again... I might never see him again... I might never see him again... I might never see him again... I might never see him again... I might never see him again..."

She inhales, then exhales deeply. Yohō mutters softly.

"Don’t leave... Don’t leave... Please... Please... Please... Please... Please... Please..."

She’s anxious.

She feels uncertain.

She lands on a roof and smashes through a window. The beastkin couple inside jumps back in shock.

The man, presumably her husband, begins to confront Yohō.

"What... what are you?!"

The captain is gone. Yohō, confirming this, feels her hopeful gaze grow cold.

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She quickly avoids looking at the beastkin couple and leaps again.

She can’t track her master’s scent. So, what should she do now?

"Ah!!"

"What is this?!"

"Eh? A fox spirit? No... NINE tails?!"

Yes. It’s a matter of searching everything. The fox, now bruised and battered, weakly takes a step.

This is the last chance. If he’s not here...

Drip, drip.

Tears fall down her cheeks. Yohō’s eyes are filled with sorrow.

"Where... Where is he, Captain?"

Weakly, Yohō reaches out her hand. She no longer has the strength to break things. She quietly nudges a half-open door.

Of course, Yohō, now drained of energy, wouldn’t be able to break down the door.

She rattles the door a few times before hearing a voice from the outside.

"Eh? Is Rivera back? Rivera?"

A very familiar voice echoed in Yohō's ear.