THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 710: A Spark Before the Collapse (1)

“Carmen…” Ada murmured, her voice trembling as she uttered the name of the woman who had spent years by her side—defending her, mentoring her, and supporting her through every trial.

Carmen...

The elder sister figure to both Ada and Frey Starlight.

The countdown had already commenced the moment Ada and Carmen regained consciousness. This trial would persist until one of them perished; those were the absolute rules established by Maika himself.

Whether it was Ada or Carmen…

The gravity of the situation was clear to both.

Information was surged directly into their minds by the Balance the second their eyes opened.

They understood now that Maika—Carmen’s biological son—was the mastermind behind this nightmare.

He had bided his time for the perfect opening.

While the demonic forces launched their assault on the Empire, he had blindsided Carmen with a devastating surprise attack, ensuring her defeat in the ensuing struggle.

Both Carmen and Maika held the rank of SS-rank.

Under fair circumstances, Carmen would never have been overcome by him.

Maika was well aware of this fact—

Which was precisely why he struck when she was at her most vulnerable.

As for Ada…

Combat was never her forte. Subduing her afterward required almost no effort.

Tears began to pool in Ada’s eyes as the sheer malice of their predicament sank in.

Either her life would end… or Carmen’s would.

It was heartless...

Beyond cruel.

Carmen was family. The thought of losing her in such a way was something Ada found impossible to stomach.

From the start, Ada had no intention of raising a hand against the woman who had been her pillar for so long.

Yet, Carmen’s expression held a look that Ada didn't anticipate...

Carmen looked entirely prepared to commit murder.

“Carmen… what are you doing?” Ada questioned tentatively as Carmen began to close the distance between them, one measured step at a time.

“There is no alternative, Ada.

One of us must die.”

“No!” Ada cried out, retreating several paces.

“I won't bow to this foul machine… and I refuse to fight you, Carmen!” she declared with conviction, stealing a glance at the timer—a full minute had already slipped away.

A thin, frigid smile touched Carmen’s lips.

“You are mistaken about something, Ada.

You cannot fight me..

And you cannot fight that device..

Simply because you are far too weak.”

Her voice was heavy, devoid of the reckless but affectionate warmth she usually possessed.

“I could end your life from this very spot, and I don't even rank in the Empire’s top ten.

That is the extent of your weakness… as a family head.”

Ada bit her lip. She was well aware of Carmen’s dark history..

How she had turned her back on her own child,

How she had lived a sordid life in isolation,

And how she had slain her son’s father before he could ever know of the pregnancy.

Carmen’s past was stained with terrible deeds.

Acts that were beyond forgiveness.

But none of that altered Ada’s devotion to her.

Everyone is flawed.

What defines a person is the path they choose after their mistakes.

Carmen had been Ada’s protector and teacher; that bond alone was enough for Ada to hold onto her with everything she had left.

“No matter what happens… I will not fight you,” Ada insisted, trying to anchor her own resolve.

The smile on Carmen’s face grew wider.

“Then if I am not to be the one who dies…

Will you take that place, Ada?” she challenged.

“Will you sacrifice yourself to save me?”

She drew nearer with every sentence.

“Will you throw your life away? Everything you’ve built?”

“Will you abandon Frey—and perish so far from his side?”

Ada’s eyes grew sharp.

“No.

I have no intention of dying.

And I will not allow you to die either.

Nobody is dying tonight.”

“Dear Ada… you know the world doesn't function that way.

At least, not the world we inhabit.”

The rules were unbreakable.

They were absolute.

Yet Ada was not bluffing. She was prepared to defy reality for her convictions.

From her robes, Ada produced a peculiar device she had carried for a very long time.

It was a tool gifted to her by that man.

His instructions had been explicit:

“Activate this only when you feel your world has utterly crumbled, when all hope is truly lost.”

The current situation didn't quite fit that description yet…

But Ada was desperate for the strength to demolish the cursed Balance holding them captive.

The object was a cylindrical trigger.

Its function was a mystery.

Its potential was unknown.

But Ada placed her faith in it—believing it was no ordinary trinket.

Without a second thought,

With unwavering determination,

She engaged the trigger.

The single-use artifact..

Her ultimate trump card, her final hope..

Was expended just like that.

That act alone proved the depth of her love for Carmen..

She was willing to bet everything on a gamble for her sake.

Ada staked their very existence on the engineer’s creation.

As the trigger was pulled, the device erupted in a brilliant light, emitting a strange wave of aura that caused everyone nearby to wince.

There was no mistake..

This trigger held something terrifying, a power that was monstrous.

Even Frey felt the jolt of that peculiar aura.

Hope flared in Ada’s heart as the radiance intensified.

But then…

In the end…

The impossible occurred.

The light flickered out.

The aura vanished into nothingness.

The device simply… went cold.

As if nothing had happened at all.

The trial’s countdown continued to bleed away.

They were right back where they started.

Ada went rigid, her breath catching in her throat.

“Huh?”

She couldn't comprehend it.

Was it a dud?

Had it failed?

What had gone wrong?

“Ada…” Carmen whispered after seeing Ada’s attempt.

“What are you trying to achieve?

Are you truly depending on something you don't comprehend to flee from the trap you're in?”

A shadow of disappointment passed over Carmen’s features.

She was also ignorant of the device's nature, but she knew Ada had obtained it from a mysterious source..

A tool intended for a specific purpose,

At a specific time,

In a specific scenario.

Everything about it was erratic and uncertain.

Ada had gambled on blind faith.

Consequently, the device had failed to respond..

Leaving them in the exact same peril.

“Time remaining: 3 minutes.”

The clock kept winding down… second by agonizing second.

Only three minutes remained to decide..

Or both would face execution.

In that moment, it appeared Carmen had already made her choice, unlike Ada, whose spirit was beginning to fracture after her final hope failed her.

“Why… why isn't it working?”

She was told to use it only when the world collapsed..

When all was lost..

And yet, the device remained silent.

As if it were informing her:

This is not the place,

And this is not the moment.

I was created for a different destiny entirely.

But what did that matter now…

When Ada’s life was on the line?

From a distance, Maika and Frey observed the drama..

Each experiencing vastly different emotions.

Maika looked ecstatic, particularly as he watched Carmen prepare to strike Ada down.

Everything he had orchestrated was falling into place so perfectly it felt surreal.

“I'll confess… that odd aura gave me a momentary scare, but Ada Starlight remains as pathetic as ever. She is powerless to change a thing.”

Slowly, Maika shifted his attention to Frey.

“Now, Frey… witness it with your own eyes.

See the true nature of the woman you placed your trust in.”

He continued his taunts..

But was instantly cut off as Frey unleashed his aura, slamming Maika to the ground under a suffocating weight.

Frey pressed a finger to his lips, demanding silence with a gaze so chilling it vibrated through Maika’s soul.

“Choose your words with care.

You have only three minutes of life remaining.”

Frey made his intent clear: he would end him the moment the trial concluded.

He would have done so already if not for the condition that Carmen and Ada would die instantly if the master of the Balance was killed.

That single detail was the only thing keeping Maika breathing.

Frey was consumed by fury because of it.

With rage simmering within, Frey spoke sharply to the presence in his mind:

“Nameless… you were once the peak of this world, damn it. Are you telling me you cannot halt this wretched device!?”

Nameless replied with his usual cold, detached tone:

“Not in my current state.

I cannot interfere with the fundamental laws of life and death.

If the Balance had been cast on you—or myself—I could have overturned it.

But on Carmen and Ada?

It is impossible.”

The Balance was a creation of Wesker.

It possessed an absolute authority.

Once triggered with all requirements met, it reached a level of power that was insurmountable..

And unfortunately for Frey, the trap was already sprung.

If he had only arrived sooner, before Maika finished the ritual…

If he could have somehow diverted the Balance's target to himself instead of them…

If only.

But nothing in Frey’s life had ever yielded to his desires,

Not even with Nameless by his side.

All he could do was stand as a witness..

Forced to swallow another piece of bitter reality.

“Once more… I am forced to stand here and watch those I value die before me.”

He spat the words out, trembling with wrath.

Meanwhile, even with his face pressed into the dirt by Frey’s overwhelming aura,

Maika was grinning like a madman as he watched his mother advance toward Ada.

“Now, you wretched woman… kill her.

Finish it.”

This was the climax he had been yearning for.