I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 335  [Event] [Dolphian Kingdom Under Ruins] [21] Elizabeth And Cain

In one of the bustling stadiums, a ferocious battle raged on, captivating the attention of the masses more so than any other match, primarily because the combatants weren't your average contenders.

"Redgrave Blood Art!" Cain's voice echoed through the arena as he deftly traced a circle with his sword, summoning forth a spear of crimson blood aimed at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, her eyes ablaze with a fiery hue, calmly observed the approaching spear before effortlessly slicing it apart with a precise thrust of her rapier.

"Raven Art! Fire Blood Ball!" Sirius' voice cut through the tension as he materialized behind Elizabeth in a swift maneuver, channeling a formidable amount of mana to conjure a massive, swirling vortex of fiery blood, hurtling towards his opponent.

Undeterred, Elizabeth raised her rapier, conjuring an even larger, ominously glowing mana circle. "Tepes Art... Chiroptera's Breath," she murmured, her voice carrying an air of command as a majestic crimson bat-shaped breath surged forth from her weapon, colliding with Sirius' fireball and engulfing it in a spectacular explosion.

-BOOOOM!

The ensuing shockwave sent a cascade of blood and flames cascading from the heavens, leaving spectators awestruck by the display of power.

To call it impressive would be an understatement.

Beside me, I sensed a palpable tension, and when I turned to look, Alicia gripped the guardrail with a frustrated expression, her gaze fixed on Elizabeth.

It was easy to forget at times, but Alicia had been raised and educated alongside Elizabeth and Selene during their childhood, groomed as Vampire Princesses through an agreement between the Raven and Tepes Houses to prioritize the education of their daughters.

"Lady Elizabeth! Please, enlighten me on what's happening!" Cain's voice cut through the tension, his expression a mix of confusion and concern as he directed his plea towards Elizabeth.

I turned my gaze back to the drama.

"If that scoundrel has coerced you into this engagement in any way, please confide in me! I may be of assistance!" Cain's words tumbled out, laced with a desperate urgency.

A grimace tugged at my lips. Why did it always seem like I was cast as the antagonist in these conflicts?

"You're overthinking things, Cain," Elizabeth replied with a weary sigh. "Amael and I love each other, plain and simple."

The calm certainty in her voice sent a jolt through my heart.

"It can't be!" Cain's disbelief was visible. "I've known you, Lady Elizabeth, for as long as I can remember! You're not one to fall for someone so easily... you're not like that..."

Damn...

It was clear that Cain harbored deep feelings for Elizabeth, yet she seemed to have relegated him to the friendzone. But didn't he strike me as someone who would accept such a situation?

I mean, in the game, he did seem to accept Victor and Elizabeth's relationship quite readily, if I recall correctly.

[<Victor isn't a criminal though?>]

Shaddap.

"Cain... I'm sorry, but this is how it stands. The engagement has been sealed by mine and Amael's choice. Please, try to understand," Elizabeth spoke, her smile tinged with a hint of irony.

"I-I can't comprehend it, Lady Elizabeth... I've been by your side all these years, loving you for who you are... and now, this man! He appears just a few months ago, and how... How could you have fallen for a criminal so swiftly?" Cain's voice trembled with a mix of hurt and confusion.

He had a valid point.

"You can't control who you fall in love with, Cain," Elizabeth replied with a heavy sigh.

"And what about all these years with me? Were they meaningless? Even now... you're holding back against me! I can sense it," Cain's words rang with a sense of desperation.

Alicia, upon hearing this exchange, narrowed her eyes.

"Are you alright? Do you want to confront her?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow at Alicia's evident agitation.

She glanced briefly at me before shaking her head. "It's... nothing."

"Good, then stop gripping the guardrail so tightly, it's distracting," I quipped.

"..." Alicia meekly released her grip.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth remained silent, her gaze fixed on her trembling hand clutching the rapier.

In the midst of the tense silence, a dark crimson aura enveloped Elizabeth, and the metallic scent of blood intensified. It was markedly stronger than before...

In the blink of an eye, Elizabeth blurred into motion, appearing before Cain in an instant. With a swift kick, she struck his stomach with incredible force.

-BAM!

Cain doubled over, his body contorting from the impact as he was sent hurtling across the arena at breakneck speed. The shockwave of the blow rippled through the air, reaching even where we stood.

Spitting blood, Cain lost consciousness almost immediately.

"I forfeit," Elizabeth declared, her voice cutting through the stunned silence, shocking everyone present.

"Are you certain, Miss Elizabeth?" James asked, his tone filled with concern. "You'll be leaving your comrades to fend for themselves."

"Yes, I forfeit," Elizabeth reiterated before swiftly exiting the stadium, her expression obscured by her dark bangs.

Alicia, standing beside me, followed Elizabeth's departure with a clenched fist and a fleeting glance, her annoyance apparent.

But more unsettling was the faint smile I thought I saw on Elizabeth's face as she struck down Cain.

Truly scary, that smile.

The remainder of the match unfolded in a rather dismal fashion.

With Elizabeth absent, Sirius stood alone, and his opponents fell swiftly before him. In the end, Sirius' group managed to complete the exam successfully, albeit lacking the dramatic flair that Elizabeth's presence would have undoubtedly provided.

As the field was being cleared, I glanced at my phone, a frown creasing my brow.

Time seemed to slip away unnoticed, yet there was still no response from that jerk John.

It wasn't unusual for him to ignore me, but he should have arrived by now...

But he was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, do you know where John is?" I called out to Selene, who was engrossed in conversation with Victor, clearly irritated by my interruption. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Selene turned towards me, annoyance evident on her features. "No, I don't."

Then, as if realizing the implications of John's absence for her own group's performance, she added hastily, "You're his friend, aren't you? Call him immediately."

"As you wish, sister-in-law," I muttered sarcastically, attempting to reach John on my phone.

But there was no answer.

What on earth was going on?

A sense of foreboding gripped me.

And where was Amelia?

Shouldn't she be with her parents?

"We will now proceed with the next match of the third round. Group H will face off against..." James's voice trailed off as my thoughts raced.

I needed to find him…

"...Group C!"

I made a move to leave, but Alicia's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Where are you headed, Senior?" she called out.

Damn.

I turned reluctantly, groaning inwardly as I caught sight of our next and last opponents.

Group H...

And there, amidst them, stood Alvara.

"How about we just forfeit? I mean, we're already qualified, right?" I suggested, hoping to avoid what seemed like an inevitable confrontation against that freak.

"Eh?" Leire and Martin stared at me in disbelief at my proposal.

"No," Alicia's response was firm, her tone leaving no room for argument as she strode ahead, with Martin and Leire trailing behind.

Damn it.

Amidst the cheers and anticipation from the crowd, I glanced around one last time, desperately trying to spot John.

"There's something I need to remind both of you about," James spoke up, his gaze fixed on me and Alvara. "No intentional harm towards each other, and no disrespect like in your previous matches. Understood?"

"Of course, Professor," Alvara replied with a charming smile, gracefully twirling her umbrella.

"Yeah, whatever," I muttered, disinterested.

My heart began to race, unease settling deep within me.

"Then..." James raised his hand to signal the start of the match.

"Senior," Alicia called out to me, her expression marked with a frown.

"Yeah," I responded with a heavy sigh, focusing on Alvara.

This wasn't going to end well.