I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 346  [Epilogue]: [Second Game: First Part]

"If you know who you're up against, I suggest you kindly...to scram with your tail between your legs."

[<Are you showing off in front of Celeste or you just turning on your restrained arrogance.>]

"Both." -BOOOM!

I swung Perseus with a powerful vertical strike towards Navas. The amber slash gouged the ground deeply, covering it in an amber hue and destroying everything in its path.

"Such things don't work on me," Navas declared, raising his hand and summoning a wall of water filled with potent Prana.

-SPLASH!

Navas's water completely countered the force behind my attack, but...

?" Navas's eyes widened as he saw the water suddenly turning into flakes of amber, falling to the ground like a beautiful amber rain.

"Divine Sword Perseus!" I stabbed Perseus into the ground and grinned.

The ground cracked, and from all the fissures, an amber light shone.

A tremendous amount of mana left my body and seeped into Perseus before plunging into the ground.

"Amber Quake!"

-RUUUUUUMBLE!

The ground trembled as an amber light exploded. Rays of amber shot out in hundreds, striking everything above the ground.

Navas quickly summoned a flowing sword and cut away the rays, dodging them with ease thanks to his incredible speed. However, his water sword was taking damage from countering the rays; upon contact, it started to become rigid and heavy.

"Now..." I observed Navas dodging the rays and freed my hands from Perseus, still stabbed in the ground.

Summoning another Providence of Athena, "Khryselakatos," I felt immense pressure in my arms as the muscles stiffened. Wielding another Divine Weapon would take a toll, likely rendering me out of commission for a week, but against such a monster, I had few other choices.

Pulling the string of Khryselakatos with all my strength, I narrowed my eyes, aiming at the moving Navas. Gathering a vast amount of mana, I formed a long and robust arrow. "First Form."

My bow transformed, growing larger, and the arrow lengthened with a sharper, bigger arrowhead.

Pulling back the string with even more force, I channeled additional mana. Some of my veins couldn't withstand the pressure, exploding and causing blood to seep from my arms, but I ignored it until finally releasing the arrow.

-BOOOOOM!

The arrow shot out at great speed, hitting the exact spot where Navas appeared.

"!" Navas noticed the arrow just in time and released a terrifying tsunami of water, but my arrow tore through the wall of water, continuing its path with immense power.

In the end, it reached Navas, who attempted to catch the arrow bare-handed now that it had lost all its momentum.

-BAM!

He recoiled several meters and halted.

-Thud.

My arrow fell to the ground, disappearing into amber particles.

Navas examined his palm, blood leaking from it.

"You stopped that? As expected of a monster. But even you shouldn't have emerged unscathed from your fight against King Reiner, am I right?" I laughed.

Navas's figure blurred suddenly, and I swiftly canceled Khryselakatos and retrieved Perseus, though I was a bit late due to my exhausted state. It might hurt—

As I braced for impact, a powerful icy wave swept in front of me, striking Navas and heavily weakening his rush. I didn't need to turn around to understand who it was.

Navas frowned as ice covered his legs and arms. He stared behind me and smiled.

Shit!

"Stay here!" I swung Perseus, but a pillar of water sent me tumbling to the ground.

I quickly raised my gaze and watched Navas on the verge of reaching Celeste, whose mana seemed to erupt, freezing everything in front of her and slowing down Navas significantly, but the latter was stronger.

Don't give up, body of mine. Not yet.

I canceled Perseus and jumped to my feet.

"Samara!" Utilizing Samara's powers, I threw myself right between Celeste and Navas.

Reaching out my right arm, I muttered, "Aegis Athena!"

A powerful amber light shot out, covering my entire arm and forming a large shield.

Prana suddenly burst out of Navas, the most powerful I had ever sensed in my life. It shattered all the ice around him.

Watery horns protruded from Navas's head, and a bluish sphere of water shone above, radiating with extremely condensed Prana.

Soon, it burst toward us.

I raised the shield and prepared myself for the impact.

-BOOOOOOOOOM!

Aegis Athena bore the brunt of the attack, and it felt like my arm bones snapped. Despite planting my feet firmly, I couldn't withstand the shock, and I was propelled away, crashing through the wall with my shield.

"Ugh..." Blood filled my mouth as I fell to my knees.

"A-Amael!" Celeste rushed toward me, her expression filled with worry.

"I... told you to run," I grumbled, trying to push myself up but failing and falling back to the ground.

Celeste caught me. "I-I can't!"

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Ah... save that expression for your future husband or whoever.

"You managed to survive my attack," Navas' voice cut through the air as he stared coldly at me. "Are you human? And that mana... it's very similar to Alea Olphean's mana... Connor Olphean died, so you can't be him. Did she have another son?" He asked as he slowly approached us.

"You talk too much," I snorted, sitting on the ground.

"D-Don't!" Celeste suddenly wrapped her arms around me from behind and glared at Navas. "L-Leave him alone, and... I-I will come with you!"

I immediately frowned. "What are you—"

"Y-You, shut up!" Celeste's glare silenced me.

"Okay." Surprisingly, I found myself obedient in an instant.

"Y-You want me, right?!" Celeste turned to Navas.

Navas smirked. "Indeed, we want the future Prophetess, and I might have accepted before, but..." His cold gaze settled on me. "This... boy is dangerous. I will kill him." He extended his hand, forming a blade of Prana to strike me.

Celeste hugged me tightly, shielding me with her body.

Wait, this can't be happening.

Ignoring the pain screaming through my body, I was about to summon a Needle of Fate, but—

"Can you leave my students alone, please?"

-BOOOM!

Navas blurred and vanished from my sight, flung away at bullet speed, crashing into an empty jar where the Horn was, shattering the glasses.

A blond-haired man appeared before us.

"P-Professor Raven!" Celeste beamed.

"In what kind of mess did you both end up..." James Raven sighed, grimacing at my condition.

"You took your sweet time, Professor Raven. He has the Horn," I mumbled, spitting blood.

"D-Don't speak to him like that! He's our teacher!" Celeste complained.

"Are you my mom?"

"I-I am the class representative!"

"Oh, for Eden's sake..." I rolled my eyes.

James ignored our bickering and focused on Navas, who stood up.

"James Raven," Navas smiled. "It's been a while. You've grown quite since the last time."

James closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "You've stooped very low, Navas."

Navas chuckled. "Coming from you, James, that's quite ironic. Sacrificing yourself, your wife's happiness, your son's happiness, your daughter's happiness for what? Countless lies and a mere stone to stop an incoming tsunami. Where will you stand at that time?"

"..." James remained silent.

"At least, I'm not convincing myself with false hope, James," Navas said as he began to disappear. "I will bring back the Kingdom, Sancta Vedelia, to its true golden age with Deborah's knowledge."

There was a moment of silence before James turned to us, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "You two should get healed."

"I'm fine, Professor, but Amael…" Celeste's gaze fell upon my battered state.

"I'm in pretty bad shape, indeed, but it doesn't help that you're hugging me so tightly, Celeste," I remarked.

Celeste's eyes widened as she finally realized she was embracing me tightly against her chest, my head nestled in the soft warmth of her ample breasts.

As much, I found the sensation very comforting, her perfume adding to the sense of relaxation, all I really wanted was to drift off to sleep somewhere safe.

"I-Idiot!!" Celeste's cheeks flushed crimson as she quickly released me.

I let out a weary sigh and shook my head. "I don't want anyone to see me like this, Professor. Could you arrange a secret trip to Zestel? I'd prefer to recover there with the headmaster."

By 'like this,' I was obviously referring to my recent awakening. It was hard to ignore the striking resemblance between myself and Connor, Christina, or even our mother. I was too exhausted to deal with them, and I needed to have a conversation with Melfina, who was the first to become aware of my situation.

James regarded me calmly. He didn't seem surprised by the revelation, or perhaps he had harbored suspicions all along.

"I'll make the arrangements. Celeste will accompany you," James said.

"Thank you. And could you also inform my sister that I'm alright?"

"Of course," James nodded before disappearing.

"Ah…" I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of exhaustion as I slumped onto the ground, my gaze fixated on the shattered ceiling above.

Finally, this Event was over, even if it meant losing the Horn. Life doesn't always unfold smoothly; it's not a game, after all.

"Hey, Amael," Celeste's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Hm?" I looked up, meeting her gaze.

Celeste's grin was radiant with gratitude. "Thank you."

I returned her smile. "You're welcome, Prophetess."

-Bam!

"Urgh! What was that?" I glared upward.

"That was for calling me heavy. From now on, it's just Celes," Celeste declared firmly.

So she wasn't foolish after all.

"What's with that look?" Celeste narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

I shrugged. "Why should I call you Celes?"

"W-Well," Celeste twirled a strand of her hair nervously, "I mean, we're practically childhood friends, right? Don't you remember? We used to spar with each other, and I always came out on top."

Damn. I do remember that, but back then, I was just a typical boy who wouldn't harm a fly.

"I don't remember that."

"Liar."

"I never lie."

"You are a poor liar. You might learn a few things from Earth." Celeste giggled.

I don't need to learn things when I'm freaking strong.

And who the heck is Earth anyway?

…

…

… Nôv(el)B\\jnn

…

Hovering high above the ruined capital of Dolphis, a young man surveyed the scene below. The remnants of Behemoth were making their escape now that their task was done. Meanwhile, knights and citizens alike worked together to aid each other in the aftermath of the attack.

Yet, the focus of the golden-haired man's attention was on the distant Palace

"I feel your, Nyr."

His golden eyes narrowed as vertical slits formed within them. "And I smell you, Ephera."

"Isn't that right, Heldora?" He asked the void.

A sudden golden aura emanated from Earth's body, coalescing into the form of a majestic golden dragon head behind him.

A low grunt rumbled from the dragon's mouth, accompanied by a fiery burst of golden flames. Its draconic eyes narrowed with a dangerous intensity.

"I smell Vysindra."