I Am The Game's Villain

-BOOOOM!

Several portions of the walls exploded in a cloud of dust and debris, the sound of the destruction drowning out every other noise. When the dust settled, only rubble and silence remained.

The gates stood untouched, their massive iron surfaces bearing no mark of intrusion. Yet, the walls flanking them told a different story. Jagged gaps yawned wide, granting an unobstructed path into Valachia. Smoke and dust coiled upward into the air, shrouding the devastation in an eerie haze.

Shuria and her companions froze in place. Their mouths hung open as the reality of the scene settled in.

"Princess Freyja's bodyguard is truly something else…" Edryn murmured, giving voice to the stunned silence that gripped them all.

Even the Blood Elves, who had once mocked him as the 'Vomiting Princess' or attempted to seduce him under the mistaken belief he was a frail woman, now swallowed hard.

Shuria was the first to shake off her shock. She raised her sword high above her head.

"The walls have fallen! With me, everyone!" She roared.

"Yeaaaaahhh!" She was followed by the resounding cry of the soldiers as they rallied behind her. Together, they surged forward through the shattered defenses.

Beyond the breached walls, the Valachian knights scrambled to recover. Those who had managed to escape the initial shock or had been stationed further back now struggled to shake off the lingering dizziness from the force of the destruction. But as they turned their eyes toward the advancing Blood Elves, their faces drained of color.

"The walls!" One of them shouted. "Stop them!"

Knights hurriedly raised their swords, forming a desperate line of defense.

Both the southern gates and eastern walls lay wide open. Reinforcements from the surrounding armies of Elashor would arrive soon, but time was against them.

***

After the walls had crumbled, I used the chaos—the thick smoke and the stunned defenders—to slip quietly into the city. The heavy stench of debris and charred wood filled my senses as I moved through the alleys and shadowed streets. Once I was safely concealed, I removed Bryelle's pendant.

My ears reverted to their human shape, my silver hair turned back to its natural stark white, and my eyes shifted from emerald to their usual amber hue. It was a necessary precaution; no assumptions could be made in a city like this.

"Princess," I whispered, addressing the golden bird perched silently on my shoulder.

A moment later, Freyja's voice rang clearly through the bird.

["My dear Loki. How may I assist you?"]

"I'm inside Valachia," I said.

There was a brief pause, followed by a soft giggle.

["Already? It seems Elashor is as impatient as ever."]

"Could you tell me now where Viessa is?" I asked.

["Of course. Simply follow my little bird. You never cease to impress, Loki. Kill her for me, and you will have your reward."]

Her words lingered in my mind. For a moment, I closed my eyes, extinguishing any flicker of doubt.

With a curt nod to the golden bird, I clenched my fists. The creature fluttered ahead, guiding me deeper into the heart of Valachia.

The closer I got, the heavier the apprehension I got. It gnawed at my mind, a feeling I couldn't quite explain. My thoughts were consumed by the woman I had been tasked to kill feeling really uncomfortable. A discomfort that went beyond the act of taking the life of a stranger.

The golden bird fluttered ahead and perched atop a modest house. She was here. I could feel it. Drawing my sword, I approached the entrance and stepped inside.

—CRACK!

Without warning, vines erupted from the wooden floor, surging toward me with alarming speed. I dodged instinctively, their sharp tips grazing the air where I had been moments before. The vines tore through the ceiling, punching holes until they reached the roof. The air grew dense as an overwhelming surge of mana gathered around me.

Sensing danger, I leapt out of the house just as a powerful gust of wind obliterated it. Splinters and debris rained down, and I shielded my face from the chaos. When I looked up, she stood before me.

Long green hair cascaded down her back, framing piercing hazel eyes.

"Viessa, I assume?" I called out. "We've met before, haven't we?"

The memory of seeing her at the shopping mall flickered in my mind. But Viessa said nothing, her expression unreadable as she stared down at me.

I tightened my grip on Trinity Nihil that I had taken out. This woman was no ordinary opponent.

If that was her aim to kill me, then I would feel no remorse ending this fight. And yet, an inexplicable sensation nagged at me. Why did she feel familiar, as if we had crossed paths somewhere other than the mall?

Or have I just gone insane after these last days?

More vines erupted, faster and deadlier than before. They lacked the ominous lethality of Alvara's vines, but their speed made them just as threatening. Calling upon Vysindra's Fire, I summoned flames to burn them down. The vines withered and curled into ash.

—BAM!

Viessa closed the distance between us in an instant. Her blade swung toward me, and I barely managed to parry it with Trinity Nihil. Sparks flew as our swords clashed.

"Do we know each other?" I asked, impatiently. Explore new worlds at empire

I needed to know if it was just me imagining things.

Again, she offered no reply, her expression as stoic as ever. My unease deepened. My movements grew sluggish. By all rights, her blade should have ended me already, yet she held back for some reason.

"Argh!" I groaned as her next strike sent me crashing through the wall of another house. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and before I could recover, she vanished and reappeared in front of me.

Her vines shot out again, coiling tightly around my arms and legs, pinning me in place. I struggled against them, but they held fast. Viessa raised her sword.

Desperately, I called upon Vysindra's Fire once more, igniting the vines in a blaze. But these vines were different. They were sturdier, resisting the flames and taking longer to burn away. Sweat beaded on my brow as I fought to free myself.

Viessa loomed over me, her blade poised to strike. As she brought it down, I shouted, "Reflect!"

A shimmering mirror materialized between us, catching the force of her strike and sending her hurtling backward. She landed gracefully backwardly.

At that moment, I wrenched myself free from the tightening vines and surged forward with Trinity Nihil in hand. "Answer me!"

I thrust the blade forward. But just as I closed the distance, Viessa did something that stopped me cold—she cast her sword aside.

"What—!"

-Spurt!

The sensation of steel piercing soft flesh froze me in place. My hands trembled as I stared at the vivid crimson blooming from her chest.

"Aah…" Viessa gasped softly, her face twisting in pain.

The blood flowed freely, tracing a vivid path along Trinity Nihil's white blade, pooling on the ground below. My grip on the hilt slackened as I stood paralyzed, overwhelmed by a surge of emotions I couldn't comprehend.

"Why…" I croaked, my voice cracking. My anguished eyes locked with hers. A wave of guilt and confusion crashed over me. I felt like I'd shattered something irreplaceable.

Viessa coughed, blood flecking her pale lips as she raised a trembling hand. Her fingertips, slick with her own life's essence, brushed against my cheek. A faint smile played on her lips, even as her body trembled with agony.

"I—I was happy to see you again… after all these years, Edward…" She whispered. Another cough wracked her body, spilling more blood down her chin.

I caught her as she fell, cradling her frail frame in my arms. My heart pounded erratically, my lips quivering as I struggled to find words. "I—I feel like I know you…"

Her hazel eyes, dulled by encroaching darkness, looked into mine with an aching softness. "At the shopping mall…" She murmured. "For a moment, I felt… young again. It brought back such… good memories."

"What are you saying? Hey!!! Stay with me!" I said, yanking Trinity Nihil free. Desperation took hold as I fumbled with a pack of healing vials, pouring their shimmering contents over her wound. But the blood didn't stop.

It was no use. A wound inflicted by Trinity Nihil could not be undone by mere vials.

"D—Don't… It was my destiny," Viessa whispered, shaking her head faintly. With trembling fingers, she reached toward her wrist and tore away a delicate green bracelet adorned with a silver, lozenge-shaped crystal. She pressed it into my hands. "A—Always… wear it…"

"Hey… stay with me!" My voice cracked as hot tears blurred my vision. My blood ran cold, my chest tightening as an inexplicable sorrow consumed me.

Viessa's hand rose shakily one last time. Her fingertips grazed the back of my head as she leaned forward, her lips brushing my forehead in a final, fragile kiss.

A jolt, like a lightning strike, surged through my body. My vision blurred, and a strange, searing sensation spread across my chest.

Suddenly, my surroundings shifted.

I found myself in another place, an expanse bathed in blood, its atmosphere heavy with an unnatural stillness. A cold dread settled over me as I scanned the area, unsure if this was a memory, a dream, or something else entirely.

"I dare any of you to touch her."

The voice was mine.

I turned my gaze and froze.

Before me stood a man—a version of myself. White hair almost red because of the amount of blood covering his body, and amber clear eyes, with the same scar I had running on the side of my jaw. He was clad in an elaborate suit of medieval armor.

He gripped Trinity Nihil tightly as he pointed it at an entire army. The glare alone seemed to hold them at bay.

In his arms was a woman.

Her face was pale, her body limp, as though she were caught between life and death. I couldn't see her features clearly, but the way he…'I' held her… it was fiercely protective.

And then I saw her.

Standing off to the side was Viessa. Her youthful face shone with an expression I couldn't place—concern, and worry, or perhaps something deeper. It was definitely her, yet different. Her features were softer, a bit more youthful.

"A–Argh!"

Pain erupted in my head, snapping me out of the vision. I clutched my temples, doubling over as the weight of what I'd seen threatened to crush me.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in the present. Viessa's lips were still pressed against my forehead, but her strength was fading.

She pulled away, her bloodied face etched with a gentle smile.

I staggered back, my breath ragged. Horror gripped me as I looked down at her.

Viessa's bloodied smile widened ever so slightly. "T—This… is the last kiss… from your big sis…"

And then her hand fell limp, her body going still in my arms.

-Thud.

The sound of her lifeless hand hitting the ground was deafening in the eerie silence that followed.