Beauty and Beast

"I never expected that I would meet you here, Nero Claudius," Arcueid greeted Nero Claudius, who had turned into the beast 666, known as Draco and the Whore of Babylonia, from behind as she sat down beside her. 

They watched primitive tribes set up a bonfire and engage in fucking each other brazenly in the wilderness. 

She didn't understand why Nero Claudius was so engrossed in observing other people having sex.

Draco is an attractive, petite blonde-haired girl with green eyes, adorned in a crimson dress and a golden crown.

"I know that being the beast 666 might make you degenerate and fall into a hole of hedonism, but do you think it's really fun to peep at other people like that?"

"That was art, UmU..."

"You don't understand what the work of art means, White Princess. Or shall I call you Golden Princess? Your beauty indeed fits better with the name Golden Princess rather than White one." Draco quickly recognized Arcueid's identity, thanks to the fast spread of rumors about her deeds in this land. 

Even the primitives living in their own world knew who the Golden Princess was and thought of her as a deity, based on those rumors.

Although this place was isolated from the world, it didn't mean that no one ever visited or spread information. 

Someone deliberately did so, tempting her with the outside world while she was trapped there and could do nothing against it. 

For Arcueid, knowing her identity was not a problem for Draco. Her weakness for beautiful women made her overlook that issue.

After all, except for Arcueid, the women in this land seemed primitive and ugly to Draco. 

If it weren't for the Counter Forces tightening their grip on her, Draco wouldn't have isolated herself in this land and been forced into voyeurism to satisfy her hedonistic tendencies in this bitter, cold place.

"Are you flirting with me, Nero?" Arcueid playfully asked.

"You should give up. You should understand that I'm still a newborn. Zelretch should have already told you that news."

"I forgot that you were indeed still a newborn, Princess. Your performance so far, however, seems to say otherwise," Draco replied.

"Since when did you know my other identity, Princess? I think, except for Eclipse Princess and Zelretch, there is no one who knows that I am one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors."

"My mother," Arcueid answered.

"Tch..." Draco hated it when the White Princess suddenly mentioned Gaia to her, as much as she hated Alaya for imprisoning her in this place.

"So, what do you want, Princess?"

"Your imprisonment is over. My mother has granted me permission to set you free."

"Although Alaya probably sent some heroic spirits or counter guardians to put you back in your place, it shouldn't be a problem for you to handle them, right?"

"My authority is limited. If you were arrested by them again, I can't save you."

The atmosphere crackled with energy as Arcueid unraveled the shackles binding Draco. 

The primal forces of nature seemed to respond to her command, as if acknowledging the awe-inspiring strength within the White Princess. 

Arcueid didn't trust Nero's character, but she trusted her own invincibility and powerful strength, knowing she could handle Nero if she made any malicious moves.

"I only accept favors as payment, Princess, not servitude. If you set me free to make me submit to your will, then leave." Draco didn't leave despite being freed by the White Princess and slumped on the ground, watching primitives engaging in debauchery with their ugly faces. 

She didn't understand why she watched them in the first place, despite their ugliness.

Probably, her mind was already messed up after being imprisoned here for who knows how long and being forced by the Counter Forces to watch ugly people. 

Despite being acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in Rome in the past, the aesthetics of those primitives seemed messed up.

Ugliness was beauty in their eyes, while beauty was ugly. She often faced insults from them as they passed by, even children making fun of her for being ugly. 

It was as if Alaya and Gaia wanted to destroy her self-esteem by punishing her in this manner.

This all began when she messed up Alaya's plan and destroyed Christianity, burning them at the stake. 

Alaya was outraged and punished her for it. She was banished to this parallel world within these limited tribes and couldn't escape the barrier set by Alaya. 

It seemed that this place had a reversed recognition of aesthetic beauty.

Even so, she didn't want to know. Maybe it was only this place. After all, in other places, they still recognized Arcueid as the Golden Princess. 

This place seemed isolated from the rest of the world, perhaps intended to punish her or keep her in her place.

But if they saw the world-class beauty suddenly insulted as ugly, she wondered how the princess would react. 

Arcueid, unaware of Draco's thoughts, watched the debauchery alongside her without forcing her to leave.

They didn't exchange words and stared blankly at the unfolding scenes in front of them while watching the sunset. 

Occasionally, natives of the tribe passing by made fun of them before leaving. 

Arcueid simply frowned at them, while Draco endured the insults without fighting back.

"Why do you still stay here, Princess? Have you also lost your sense of beauty perception, just like them?" Draco didn't understand why the White Princess was willing to watch these ugly primitive tribes with her and endure the same insults.

"I just want to understand my people's suffering personally," Arcueid answered. "I want to know how you feel being forced to watch such atrocity. And, in the end, they don't deserve to live, whether in the surface world or mine. I won't accept their twisted perception. I deny their existence. Moreover, they insulted you."

Draco didn't deny Arcueid's assessment of them or reject the fact that Arcueid considered her as her people. 

She watched as the primitive tribe members were burnt by their own bonfire, their existence wiped out from the planet, leaving no contribution to society or the world. 

That's their end. 

Their very end. 

Death in the hand of True Ancestor. 

And Crimson Moon's heir. 

They shall be honored to die in the noble princess' hand. 

Not an ugly beast like her. 

Isn't it?