A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

The black sedan slowed to a stop at the waterfront's edge, its sleek finish reflecting the hazy glow of distant lights from a seaport far away.

The air reeked of salt water and had a metallic bitterness to it, the metallic smell from decaying hulls.

Five figures emerge from the vehicle, all of which immediately command a presence over the chaos in the surrounding area.

A young man with bright pink hair stood at the forefront. The color, bright as it was, became an unintentional beacon under the scattered illumination.

He scanned the area, taking in the maze of containers, towering cranes, and moored vessels.

One of the men in black suits, a bodyguard with a stoic expression, stepped forward to break the silence.

"Young Master, this is the last known location of the target," he informed, his voice steady yet cautious.

Lin, furrowed his brow. "But....there doesn't seem to be—!"

He abruptly halted mid-sentence, his expression shifting as his nostrils flared.

A potent, metallic scent hit him—a smell that felt unnervingly familiar.

Blood

The stench was so pungent that it overpowered the customary smell of the harbor, and he felt a clear flinch knowing what this could mean.

'Shit!' Without thinking twice, Lin sprinted forward, his lean figure darting across the dock's uneven pavement.

The four bodyguards exchanged brief glances before following suit, their polished shoes slamming against the concrete as they tried to keep up with his pace.

Their search took them to the far end of the harbor, where the constant lapping of ocean waves filled the strained silence.

Lin stopped short, his eyes narrowing as they settled on an unsightly sight before him.

A pool of blood stained the ground, its stark color almost black in the dim light.

"Haah...Haa....this much blood?...shit" He gasped, his jaw tensing.

And then he saw her.

The figure stood just a few paces away, poised and intimidating.

The faint illumination from a nearby ship's mast outlined her silhouette.

A sword hung at her side, its hilt glowing faintly.

She stood with an eerie stillness, her head tilted slightly, as though aware of their arrival long before they reached her.

The guards, trained to react in such situations, didn't hesitate.

'!?'

"Show yourself!"

Guns were drawn as one, the ominous clicks of chambers loading shattering the silent air.

All the barrels pointed at the mysterious figure, their black suits instinctively spreading to cover Lin.

But still, the woman did not budge, a silhouette with a glint of amethyst visible, until a beam of light finally swept across her body.

The harbor's revolving floodlight lit her up fully, revealing flowing amethyst hair that cascaded like silk down her back.

Her eyes, an unearthly shade of violet, fastened on Lin's, the gaze so icy it seemed to pierce the humid air.

For an instant, all five men stood stock-still—not in fear, but more in a sense of awe.

Her beauty was otherworldly, disarming them in ways their training hadn't prepared them for.

Lin regained his composure first, his voice sharp and steady.

"Who are you?"

The question cut through the quiet like a knife; his voice was full of confidence, but one could still sense a hint of discomfort underneath.

The chilling silence that followed Lin's question was broken, not by the woman ahead, but by a deep, smooth voice from behind them.

"Shouldn't matter much, does it?"

The sound sliced through the air like a razor, prompting Lin and his entourage to snap their heads around.

'!'
Enjoy new adventures from empire

There stood a man, few paces away—a striking figure illuminated by the silvery glow of the moon.

He was wearing a crisp white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a casually tugged collar that made him look like the most nonchalant of them all, which only increased the tension.

He sported silver hair under the moonlight, which framed a sharp face with piercing blue eyes that glinted like the sea at midnight.

He twisted a pen between his fingers, aimlessly playing with it as though it were a weapon.

"You see," the man continued, his tone conversational, "this little thing is made of metal. Isn't it amusing?"

He twirled the pen lightly, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"Y-you? Huh!?" Lin's eyes widened in recognition, his breath hitching.

The features, the voice—it all clicked into place in an instant.

His voice quivered with the words, "Professor Aven?"

"It's good you recognised me, Lin", Avendial tilted his head with a mocking gaze, observing the guards who had their barrels of guns drifting in his direction. His eyes tracked each of their footsteps and movements, watching for any signs that they might fire.

Hearing his name uttered so nonchalantly, accompanied by that mocking tone, triggered an instinctive anger within Lin. Memories of his mother discussing this professor flooded his mind. Coupled with the unsettling atmosphere of this place, where his instincts clearly sensed that something was off, he felt an urgency in the air.

Enhanced by the humiliation of the past few days, frustration over how things had gone lately, and raw, unrelenting anger at how this man always appeared repulsive, he tensed hard as his pink locks swayed a little under the barked order.

"FIRE!" Lin directly addressed the other, not caring about the consequences.

The gunmen responded instinctively, pulling their triggers into a deafening cacophony of gunfire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Light flashes filled the air as the acrid scent of gunpowder wafted everywhere, but Aven-no, Avendial—moved like a phantom.

He didn't rely on speed to dodge the bullets.

His movements were almost languid, deliberate and precise as if he could have foreseen where each barrel was directed before the trigger was pulled.

His body swayed, ducked, and twisted with a grace that was almost theatrical.

His eyes remained sharp, unbroken in focus.

Then, like a coiled snake striking its prey, he lunged.

The pen in his hand became a deadly weapon, plunging into the temple of the nearest bodyguard with brutal efficiency.

"Khugh—!?—drip"

Blood sprayed in an arc, painting the ground a deep red as the man collapsed.

'!?'

Lin froze, his heart racing as he stared at the horrific scene, the metallic scent now overwhelming.

Avendial twisted on his heel and delivered a powerful kick to another guard's wrist before anyone could react.

The man's gun spiralled into the air, spinning wildly before Avendial snatched it mid-flight.

Bang! Bang!

He fired without missing a beat—two sharp cracks echoed as the bullets found their marks with deadly accuracy.

"Khuckh—Thud—Thud"

Two more guards crumpled, their bodies falling in slow motion.

Each had a bullet cleanly lodged in the center of their foreheads, blood pooling beneath them like crimson halos.

Their weapons fired wildly as they fell, stray bullets ricocheting harmlessly into the night sky.

In the mayhem, Lin could only stare, his body frozen as Avendial disassembled the final remaining gun with mechanical ease.

His hands moved swiftly, snapping apart every piece of the weapon before tossing the useless fragments onto the blood-stained ground.

Finally turning to Lin, his expression was calm, though his eyes held a glint of cold amusement.

He tilted his head slightly, his voice low and deliberate as he spoke.

"I expected you to order open fire, but attacking your professor? I suppose you lack some basic moral teachings."

"Y-you!—swish" Lin moved forward without a second thought, charging at the man in front of him, his fists snapping out in quick, calculated bursts.

His athletic build, evident from the sharp contours of his muscles, moved with a practiced grace, each punch and kick demonstrating the physical prowess of someone well-acquainted with sports and combat.

His movements were powerful, his strikes sharp enough to generate a faint whoosh through the air.

But none of them connected.

Avendial moved as a shadow, sidestepping, pivoting, and leaning just out of range with an ease that belied his precision.

Lin's strikes seemed to slice through nothing but the dead space where his target had been a moment before.

'Damn it?!' Lin's brow furrowed in frustration, sweat beginning to bead along his temple.

With each failed strike, he adjusted his stance, seeking an opening.

Yet, no matter how much force or speed he applied, Avendial always seemed one step ahead.

"Is that all you've got?" Avendial taunted, his voice calm yet sharp enough to cut through the heavy tension.

Lin's teeth clenched at the mocking tone, his pink hair sticking to his forehead as he threw a sharp hook aimed at Avendial's ribs.

Avendial twisted his body just enough to let the fist sail past harmlessly, his feet gliding over the ground as though he was dancing rather than fighting.

Anger flared in Lin's chest.

He kicked at Avendial's knee, but he just sidestepped the attack, and Lin's foot hit the ground instead. "Stand still, damn it!" Lin growled, his voice husky from effort.

"Why should I?" Avendial dodged another wild punch. "You're just swinging around like an angry child. It's almost cute."

Those stung, more than he liked to admit.

His moves quickened, his steps filled with anger.

He was throwing all his might at a flurry of strikes, punches, elbows, and knees, but Avendial dodged every blow with infuriating ease.

His calm demeanor wasn't even ruffled a single line.

Lin's chest labored as his pace slouched on; exhaustion crept up on his limbs.

He went one step back, wheezing for air as he slightly hunched down because of the effort.

"Done already?" Avendial said, his voice heavy with fake disappointment. "I was hoping for something more. impressive."

"Kugh, you bastard!" Lin gritted his teeth and prepared himself for another rush, but Avendial moved before he could.

In a sudden flash of motion, Avendial stepped into Lin's reach, too fast for Lin to move aside.

Bam!

His fist flew out—only not at Lin's face as Lin had anticipated but lower.

The punch caught Lin smack on the seat of the pants with a sharp crack.

A jolt shot through Lin's body at the unexpected strike, his balance tipping forward.

His knees buckled, and he fell heavily to the ground, thudding down.

He gasped, his hands grasping at the ground to steady himself, but his face burned with humiliation and anger.

Avendial towered over him, the moon's light framing his figure as if he were some kind of celestial judge.

Avendial tilted his silver head slightly, and glanced down at Lin kneeling at his feet with a faint smirk.

"Is that all you have?" Avendial asked with a soft voice laced with derision. "Because if so, this will be over a lot sooner than I thought it would be."