I Am The Game's Villain

Within the towering spires of Fangoria's royal castle, chaos had erupted like wildfire.

The heavy stone walls trembled under the relentless assault of Hybrids. They surged at the castle from every direction, their numbers seemingly endless. Some slipped easily through the defensive lines, forcing the royal knights into a desperate scramble. Clashing steel, battle cries, and the blood-chilling shrieks of the Hybrids echoed through the corridors.

Inside the grand hall, the students of Sancta Vedelia's Elite Academy huddled together—but not out of fear. These weren't ordinary teenagers. They had fought in the Utopian War. They had seen horrors most people couldn't imagine. And yet, despite their hardened resolve, a knot of tension wound tighter in every chest. Nervous glances were exchanged. Fingers clenched over sword hilts or ready to summon mana circles. The last time a Behemoth attacked, it ended quite badly after all.

"Why the hell are they attacking the one city we're taking a trip to?" Someone muttered among the crowd of students.

"No clue, man. Are we cursed or something? Stalked?"

"These damn hybrids…"

"How many of them are out there? How are these freaks even living in Sancta Vedelia without anyone noticing?"

"I don't know!"

"But think about it—if they're going straight for the castle, doesn't that mean they're after something? Or someone?"

That last question hit Amelia.

She flinched, her eyes instinctively darting to John. He held her hand firmly, his gaze sweeping the hall ready for anything. She was happy that he was here but she couldn't help but feel guilt.

If the attack here was because of her…

She couldn't let that happen. Not again.

John was protecting her. And she was grateful, beyond words. But if her classmates—her friends—died because she was the target, she wouldn't be able to live with it. And yet, giving herself wasn't an option either. Not after what John had told her.

Her blood, her heritage… Deborah Dolphis. Her supposed ancestor—if the stories were true—wasn't just dangerous. She was a calamity.

Talks of reincarnation. Of being a vessel. It all sounded like myth, fantasy meant to scare children. And yet… what if it wasn't? What if all of it was real? Could she afford to be wrong?

No.

She wasn't going to sit here and wait to be taken.

She would fight.

But not here. Not in this castle filled with people who had nothing to do with her past.

She couldn't let any of her classmates die for her.

And John…

Her heart clenched at the thought.

He was strong. But if something happened to him because of her… if she lost him—

She swallowed hard, pushing the thought down.

No. She wouldn't let that happen either.

She would fight.

But on her terms.

-BOOOOM!

The wall to their right exploded with a deafening roar.

Chunks of stone blasted inward like shrapnel, and a shockwave of dust and force knocked several students off their feet. Screams erupted. The air turned smoky, with heat, and panic filling in.

But Priscilla was faster than fear.

In a single, fluid motion, she raised her arm and summoned a shimmering dome of mana that expanded outward, shielding the students just in time. The barrier pulsed with mana, absorbing the brunt of the blast. Rubble bounced harmlessly off its surface as silence fell for a brief, breathless second.

Then the dust began to settle… and from within that gray haze came the sound of laughter.

A dozen… two dozen… no—more. Hybrids poured in through the shattered wall like a flood of nightmares. Their bodies were malformed and jagged, part-human, part-monster, and entirely unnatural. Fanged grins stretched across their faces as they stepped into the hall, their eyes glittering with bloodlust.

"Brace yourselves!"

Percy Moonfang stepped forward immediately. "Knights, form up! Protect the students!"

The royal knights, already battle-worn didn't hesitate. Swords were drawn, and they surged forward as one, meeting the wave of Hybrids head-on.

Priscilla turned to the students behind her. "Support the knights—don't let them fight alone!"

The students snapped into action, casting hastening mana spells, and barriers.The hall lit up with mana circles as dozens of auras flared to life.

But the Hybrids just kept coming.

More and more of them poured through the breach. Their numbers shouldn't have been this high. It didn't make sense.

Priscilla gritted her teeth. "How the hell did they get in this easily…?" She whispered, eyes narrowing. "This is the royal castle. They shouldn't have—"

Meanwhile, in the heart of the chaos, Cylien knelt beside Celeste, who had fallen to her knees, clutching her head still in pain.

"Celeste! Are you okay?!" Cylien called out.

Celeste's eyes were wide and watery.

"I… I saw him," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Amael…"

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"He'll be fine," Cylien said quickly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. He's with Rodolf. You know how they are. If they're working together now, they must have a plan."

But Celeste shook her head, her lips trembling.

"No… no, he's in danger. I saw it. I saw—"

Her words were cut off by a growl.

"Found the Prophetess!" One of the Hybrids snarled.

Several of them broke from the main fight, eyes locked on Celeste. They rushed forward in a blur of claws and limbs.

Cylien stood instantly, sword drawn, stepping in front of Celeste. "You're not touching her," she said coldly.

The hybrids lunged.

But they never made it.

A crimson wind tore through the hall.

In a single, silent instant, the charging Hybrids were shredded apart. Blood burst into the air like a storm of red mist. Their bodies hit the ground in twitching heaps, severed and mangled.

Through the haze of gore, a figure walked calmly.

Elizabeth.

Her black hair was slick with blood.

"E–Elizabeth… Thank you," Cylien said, momentarily stunned.

But Elizabeth didn't even glance her way. Her gaze was fixed on Celeste.

"You had a prophecy," she said coldly. "About Darling?"

Celeste nodded, still pale and shaken. "He—"

But she didn't get to finish.

With a sharp crack, Elizabeth stomped the floor, launching herself forward like a rocket. The marble beneath her feet shattered. She soared through the air, straight through the castle's stained-glass windows in a cascade of shards and light.

The wind howled in behind her.

She was gone.

"Elizabeth!! Damn it!"

Priscilla cursed under her breath, mana crackling around her fingertips as she watched Elizabeth rocket through the shattered windows and vanish into the sky like a missile. The sudden explosion of glass and wind still echoed through the hall.

"She was actually behaving for once," Priscilla muttered,clenching her teeth. "And now she's back to doing whatever the hell she wants..."

For a while, Elizabeth had followed orders—more or less. But this? This was the old Elizabeth. Wild. Unpredictable. Dangerous for both others and herself.

Across the hall, Selene stood frozen, her gaze locked on her twin sister's retreating figure. She felt a knot tighten in her chest. A part of her wanted—needed—to follow. But something held her back.

"Selene! Come on—we have to protect Celeste!"

Victor's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned her head sharply toward Celeste, who was still shaken and clutching her temple. For a moment, Selene moved to act—

Then a twisted, gleeful voice rang out.

"Guys!! I found the Vessel! The Dolphian Princess is here!!"

It was one of the Hybrids. The moment he shouted, all eyes shifted from Celeste… to Amelia.

A chilling silence fell for half a second.

Then—

"No," John growled, stepping in front of Amelia. "You bastards aren't touching her."

Flames erupted around him.

A torrent of red-hot fire exploded outward, flooding the hall with searing heat. The ground cracked beneath his feet as the sheer force of his magic melted the edges of the stone walls. He didn't even care if he scorched the whole damn place—he'd turn it into ashes before he let them lay a hand on her.

"John…" Amelia's voice trembled, one hand still tightly gripping his.

"Stay back," he said."Just stay safe, Amelia."

"I—I can help you—"

"No!" He snapped, without turning. "Not this time."

"Those who can't fight or are injured—fall back with Percy through the rear door! Now!"

Priscilla pointed to a side corridor, where groups of wounded students and shaken nobles were already fleeing. The knights held the line as best they could, giving them a path to escape.

Amelia looked at the door.

Then she looked at John—his hand no longer holding hers, now engulfed in flame as he faced down more than a dozen Hybrids alone.

She made her decision.

With one last glance back, she ran—her heart pounding in her ears—not toward safety… but toward the door.

John's eyes widened as he caught her figure slipping past the threshold.

"A–Amelia!!"

-BOOOOM!

A swarm of glowing mana circles shot toward him. They struck like hammers, launching him off his feet and slamming him hard against the stone wall behind. Dust and sparks filled the air.

His head rang.

Then came the cutting sound of swords slicing through the air—several Hybrids lunged at him, blades raised to finish the job.

Before they could land a single blow, a streak of silver light sliced through them.

Victor landed beside him, sword drenched in blood. With a sharp twist, he sent the last Hybrid flying, their body crashing into a pillar.

"Get up, buddy," Victor said, extending his hand. "Stay focused."

John grabbed his hand and pulled himself up, shaking the dust from his hair. "I need to get to Amelia—"

He stopped.

The hallway door was already sealed shut. Thick layers of protective mana circled its edges—locking it from the other side.

"They sealed it with barriers," Victor explained quickly, reading his expression. "To keep the Hybrids from following. Percy's leading the evacuees himself. She'll be safe."

John clenched his fists, a pit growing in his stomach. Something didn't feel right. His instincts screamed at him, but the magic seal was airtight.

He turned back to the battlefield. "Then I'll kill every last one of them until I can open that damn door."

Meanwhile…

Amelia's boots pounded the stone floor as she ran down the left corridor, splitting from the crowd.

Her vision blurred.

She didn't know why she veered off—only that something was calling her.

The mark on her neck burned, glowing faintly.

Just like in Dolphis.

The Horns of Behemoth. It was reacting again. Drawing something toward her—or warning her to get away. She didn't know which.

She had to keep moving. Had to get—

A shadow stepped out from a side hallway, blocking her path.

She stopped short, breath catching.

"J–John?" She whispered hopefully despite having left him willingly.

But no… it wasn't him.

The figure stepped forward, and light revealed his face.

Percy Moonfang.

Relief bloomed in her chest.

"Senior!" she cried out, gasping. "I have to get away—there's something—"

She didn't get to finish.

A sudden, brutal fist slammed into her stomach.

Her breath fled her lungs in an instant. Pain lanced through her as she staggered back, choking.

Her eyes met his.

His yellow gaze was… wrong.

Dark.

"S–Senior…?" She whispered, barely able to speak.

Then her knees gave out.

And she collapsed.