I Am The Game's Villain

"Are you that eager to get a niece? For God's sake," I sighed, utterly exasperated by John's persistence. "Just wait for a year."

"What does that mean?!" John suddenly grabbed my shirt, demanding answers.

"Get off me! I took time to put on that damn tie!" I retorted, annoyed at his disruption.

"Silence, please," a loud, calm voice cut through the commotion. The noise in the stadium gradually subsided.

John reluctantly released his grip and stepped back, shooting me a determined look. "You will tell me whatever you've planned."

I couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. "Do you really want to hear it?" I smirked, my tone both meaningful and provocatively angry, just to irritate him.

"B-Bastard!"

I chose to ignore his protests. 

For God's sake.

I beg you, Eden.

Give him a girlfriend already.

Our attention was then drawn to Gamir Teraquin, who had stepped forward and was addressing everyone through a microphone.

"I will start by displaying the groups you will be included in," Gamir announced.

I turned my gaze toward him. He stood there with an aloof expression, using a microphone to address the assembled students.

A massive screen suddenly appeared above us, displaying a list of groups and the names of their members below.

"Once you find your group's letter, please stand in the assigned area on the ground," Gamir instructed.

I narrowed my eyes, scanning the list to find my name among the groups.

"I found mine…" John muttered, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Group A... with Victor, Adrian, Rodolf, Roda, and Amelia…"

"Good for you," I grinned.

John groaned, clearly unhappy with his luck, and then stomped away toward his designated area.

Now, let's see which group I'm in...

Not Group A.

But Group B.

Oh, for heaven's sake.

I found my name listed under Group B, alongside Elizabeth, Celeste, Alicia, and Cyril. I let out a resigned sigh and made my way toward our designated area. Each group had roughly forty members, creating a diverse mix of students from different years.

The center of attention in our group was undoubtedly Cyril Raven. He was surrounded by a group of third-year students who seemed to be his lackeys, basking in his reflected glory.

"Looks like we're in the same group, Amaya."

I turned to my left and saw another gathering of attention within our group. Celeste and Elizabeth were engaged in a cheerful conversation.

"I hope we can hold our own against the others, Celes," Elizabeth replied, her smile radiating confidence.

"Don't worry about that! You and I are quite strong!" Celeste beamed with optimism.

It was clear that Celeste was doing her utmost to ignore Cyril, who was also in our group. Her attempts at avoidance were rather conspicuous from my vantage point.

The last popular figure in our group was Alicia. She sat gracefully on a bench, meticulously tending to her golden rapier. A few first-year students mustered the courage to approach her, but a mere glance from her crimson eyes sent them scurrying away.

As for me, I garnered some attention as well, but no one dared to approach. It was a lonely existence.

I cast a glance at John, who was a short distance away, muttering to himself. He was also alone and grumbling. My mood brightened slightly. I was genuinely glad he had accompanied me.

[<There is a reason why you won't ever get a male friend.>]

'Don't worry about that.'

"How are you doing, Celes?"

A sudden commotion erupted as Cyril approached Celeste and Elizabeth. Cyril couldn't resist stirring up trouble when he found out that Celeste was in the same group as him. Celeste's once joyful expression immediately contorted as she heard Cyril's voice from behind.

"Can't you leave me alone? I'm talking," Celeste snapped.

Cyril chuckled and continued his approach. "How long are you planning to avoid me like this, Celes? Eventually, like all women, you'll fall for me."

Celeste shot back defiantly, "I'm not like other women."

"And I'm not like any ordinary man, Celes," Cyril replied, leaning closer due to his height advantage over Celeste. "You'll never find a better man than me, and deep down, you know you can't escape me." He added a whispered something in her ear, too soft for me to hear.

Celeste's eyes widened in shock at whatever Cyril had said. She flinched and looked up at him in disbelief.

Cyril's smile widened as he continued, "See? You're already mine. Accept it and embrace it. Even your father doesn't take any action against me, because he knows this is the best outcome for both of us."

Celeste remained silent.

"Enough, Cyril," Elizabeth had seen enough and pulled Celeste behind her, facing Cyril squarely. She stared back at him with a calm, unwavering gaze.

"Oh?" Cyril's smile disappeared abruptly and lifted Elizabeth's chin slightly while the latter didn't move away, still gazing calmly at Cyril. "Connor really marred your beauty, Elizabeth, and everything that made you beautiful."

For the first time, I saw Elizabeth's usually composed expression twitch.

"Thankfully, he's not here anymore to further disrupt the balance of the Houses or meddle between us, Celes," Cyril said, his smile softening as he looked at Celeste.

"Get away from her!" Celeste slapped Cyril's hand away and grabbed Elizabeth's arm. Her voice trembled with anger. "You're disgusting. How could you say something like that?"

"How?" Cyril raised an eyebrow before bursting into laughter. "Do you feel indebted to him because he intervened on your behalf each time I confronted you last year? That's rather touching, Celes, but the dead can't hear or see the pleas of the living." He said this with narrowed eyes and a crooked smile.

Celeste glared at Cyril with anger, her eyes filled with indignation, while Elizabeth maintained her usual calm gaze, although something seemed off about her demeanor.

"Sooner or later, everything will belong to me. You, Celes, and eventually Selene will belong to me," Cyril declared before turning and walking away.

In just two minutes, he had managed to upset both Celeste and Elizabeth. It was an impressive feat, to say the least. The usually composed expressions of both girls had been disrupted.

However, Cyril's words about Elizabeth and someone named Connor caught my attention. It was clear that something had happened between them.

"You should have already been briefed by the teachers about this class but I will explain it again with the first match. It's simple, you will see," Gamir Teraquin's voice rang. "I will call the first two people who will fight. Cyril Raven and Ren!"

I didn't know who Ren was, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding for him.

Let's pray for him and his pride.

We were all seated in our assigned group tribunes within the stadium, surrounding the central field where the matches would take place. Cyril confidently leaped down from the tribunes and landed on the field. He then approached a container filled with bracers. Cyril equipped two of them, which emitted a blue glow before becoming transparent. These bracers were meant to protect the fighters from serious harm, as this was still a school class. If the bracers stopped glowing, it indicated that the wearer had taken sufficient damage, and the match was over.

Gamir elaborated on the rules for a few minutes, allowing Cyril and Ren to prepare for their duel. Ren, a third-year student, seemed visibly nervous and kept a watchful eye on Cyril. Since personal weapons were allowed, Ren wielded a sword, while Cyril chose to go without any weapon. He simply stood there, waiting for the signal.

Gamir raised his hand, and after a brief moment, he shouted, "Start!"

Without wasting a second, Ren let out a yell and closed the distance between him and Cyril in the blink of an eye, swinging his sword with incredible speed.

Sancta Vedelia's students were all blessed by the Holy Tree, and that fact alone made it clear that underestimating anyone from the academy was a grave mistake. This was especially true for a Third Year student from the most prestigious academy in Sancta Vedelia.

I rested my arms on the barriers, my eyes locked onto Cyril's every move. It was essential to gather as much information as I could about this formidable opponent.

Cyril effortlessly evaded Ren's initial sword swing and took a small step backward. I was about to analyze his movements further when suddenly, a deafening sound rang out.

-BAM!

I blinked in surprise, and before I could fully comprehend what had happened, Ren was sent hurtling through the air at an astonishing speed, crashing into the protective barriers. The bracers that had shielded him shattered into countless pieces, and his unconscious form tumbled to the ground.