I Am The Game's Villain

"I can't believe it! How dare they!" Amelia's voice resonated with anger, her mood abruptly shifting due to the mere presence of two individuals.

"Calm down, Amelia. Nothing actually happened in the end, did it?" Cylien's comforting hand patted Amelia's shoulder, an attempt to soothe her escalating emotions that appeared to be having limited effect.

"Um... I have a question, girls..." Celeste's tone lacked its usual cheerfulness as her gaze lifted hesitantly, bearing a weighty curiosity.

"Celeste?" Cylien's eyebrow arched inquisitively.

Celeste scratched her cheek, a hint of awkwardness coloring her expression. "It's nothing of great importance... just a question that's been on my mind for a few minutes now." She paused, her hesitation palpable, before summoning the courage to articulate her thoughts. "Am I considered a rowdy woman?"

The air seemed to hang in suspended silence as Celeste's inquiry settled among them, drawing a collective pause from the three friends.

"Actually, forget I even asked," Celeste hastened to backtrack, her words an attempt to retract her vulnerable query, though her efforts proved in vain.

"Celeste?! Don't let those two losers influence your self-perception!" Amelia's glare was leveled at Celeste, her concern for her friend evident, though she was oblivious to the fact that her own emotions were most affected by the 'losers'.

"No, that's not what I meant..." Celeste's voice wavered, her hands making a dismissive gesture as she attempted to downplay the significance of her question. "I was merely wondering if men tend to prefer women with a more composed demeanor, like Cylien," she added, glancing towards Cylien as if seeking confirmation.

A soft chuckle escaped Cylien's lips in response to Celeste's inquiry. "I'm not an expert on men's preferences, but I do know that you are more popular than I am at the Academy, Celeste. Your charms are the reason why the most sought-after man in the Academy, Cyril, has set his sights on you."

Celeste's mood seemed to plummet instantaneously upon hearing Cyril's name. "I'd rather not be popular if it means avoiding him," she retorted with a distinct sourness in her tone.

Amelia couldn't help but interject, her laughter ringing out at the situation. "The vampire girls would be gnawing their own nails in frustration if they heard you say that!"

"I can't stand him," Celeste huffed, crossing her arms with a resolute air. The intensity of her dislike was palpable; she had endured Cyril's advances for quite some time now.

Celeste's revelation prompted Cylien to inquire further. "Have you informed your father and Evan about this?"

Cylien's query was met with a sigh from Celeste. "I did tell my father, but he dismissed my concerns since Cyril has never actually laid a hand on me. As for my brother, he's the only one who has confronted Cyril about his behavior, yet Cyril appears unfazed."

"My brother is utterly useless too…" Amelia muttered under her breath, her thoughts drifting to her twin brother who was closely associated with Cyril, yet didn't extend a helping hand due to the promises Cyril made to him.

"I could ask my sister for advice, Celeste, if you'd like," Cylien hesitantly offered, showing her willingness to help her friend, even though she didn't want to burden her sister with such matters.

Celeste offered a warm smile, deeply appreciative of her friends' support. "Thank you, but it's okay. I can handle Cyril—" Her words were cut off as her attention shifted to the two 'losers' who were surreptitiously observing them, only to feign disinterest by pretending to inspect the surrounding clothes. Their ill-timed presence in the women's lingerie section only exacerbated the situation.

Celeste's eyes turned frigid as she stepped forward, heading directly toward the duo.

"Celeste?" The puzzled expressions of Cylien and Amelia quickly transformed into determined ones as they followed her lead.

Nora, who had been standing nearby, felt a sense of exhaustion settling in but was about to intervene when—

"Ah!" A sudden collision resulted in coffee staining Nora's dress. "I-I'm terribly sorry!" The man stammered, his face pale with distress.

Suppressing her anger, Nora shot him a cold glare before pivoting on her heels and making her way to the restroom to deal with the coffee stain.

"The rowdy woman is on her way," the man who had the blue eyes muttered audibly, his words conveniently reaching Celeste's ears.

"Yes! I'm a rowdy and undisciplined woman! And you're about to get a lesson in what that really means, you perverts!" Celeste's voice rang out as she sprinted toward them.

"Disregard the plain chicks and find the other one," the masked man sneered with disdain.

"Y-You losers! Look at your clothes before opening your mouth!" Amelia snapped angrily.

'Are they seeking death?' Cylien sighed a little amused but nonetheless followed them.

"Wait!"

However, the 'losers' had already scampered off.

"Where are they?"

"This way, I saw them!" A stranger's voice directed the girls toward the men's section, prompting them to give chase.

….

….

Inside the women's restroom...

"I kind of enjoyed that," Nora mumbled, an annoyed expression crossing her face as she struggled to remove the stubborn coffee stain from her white dress.

"I'm with you on that."

"...!"Nora's attention snapped to the presence of the two 'losers', who had apparently followed her into the restroom.

***

"I'm with you on that," I whispered with a faint smile as the restroom door gently closed behind John and me, sealing off our encounter with Nora.

"U-Um…this is the Ladies' section…" Nora's voice held a hint of awkwardness, accompanied by a shy smile.

"Don't worry, this will be quick," I approached her with a playful tone, trying to put her at ease.

"N-No, I'm sorry…" Her voice wavered as she attempted to move away from me, but I swiftly blocked her path, trapping her against the wall.

"It will be over before you know it," I murmured, my face inching closer to hers, hoping to catch her off guard.

Nora's eyes widened in panic. "I-I can't—"

She was cut off as a sudden spatter of blood erupted. Her gaze dropped to see a knife deeply embedded in her chest. My intended strike at her heart had been thwarted as she narrowly evaded it.

Curse it! She managed to move in time!

Frustration welled up within me as I realized my aim had been off. I intended to strike her heart directly, but she'd shifted at the last possible moment.

Nora's expression shifted from fear to a ice-cold one.

"Move!" John's urgent voice pierced the air, and I quickly leaped backward, just in time to evade Nora's retaliatory attack.

In an instant, John was beside me, his blazing sword driven with force into Nora's abdomen.

"AGHHH!" Nora's anguished scream resonated through the air, yet her resilience was unsettling.

"Finish her!" I shouted, urgency in my tone. But Nora's recovery was quicker than anticipated. With a swift movement, John was sent flying through the air, his body propelled by her monstrous strength.

"You will pay with your lives!" Nora's voice, laced with venom, carried a promise of vengeance.

Before I could fully react, she vanished from sight, claws aimed at me.

Fast!

Instinctively, I tilted my head and delivered a powerful and fast punch to her stomach, the exact spot that John's sword had struck. Her pained groan was overridden by the excruciating sting as her claws sliced into my arm.

I winced and took a step back.

We can't let her even rest a moment.

-BAM!

In a burst of movement, John's burning fist connected with Nora's cheek, propelling her toward a nearby mirror. The crashing sound as she collided with the mirror, causing the washbasin to shatter, echoed through the restroom.

Seizing the opportunity, I lunged at her with my short sword, its blade coated in Ruah.

"C-Cough!"

But her speed was unparalleled. She evaded my attack at the last moment, narrowly avoiding a lethal strike aimed at her neck. Instead, she sacrificed her left arm, which was severed as my blade sailed through the air.

However, I wasn't finished. John had closed the gap between them and unleashed a searing wave of dark-red fire that struck Nora's stomach, causing her to shriek in agony.

"AHHHHHHH!" Her scream reverberated through the room, yet I paid it no mind as I surged forward, wielding Trinity Nihil.

"It's over—"

-BOOOOM!

A blinding, whitish substance exploded from Nora, enveloping both of us in a disorienting haze.