I Am The Game's Villain

The eerie silence that had fallen over the stadium was soon shattered by a wave of cheers and applause as Cyril casually walked away from the scene of the battle, leaving Ren groaning on the ground behind him. Fortunately, the protective bracers had softened the impact, sparing Ren from more severe injuries.

The crowd's response was overwhelming. Cheers and praises rained down upon Cyril, and the female students, in particular, were even more vocal in their admiration, singing his name and squealing in delight.

[<You saw that, right?>]

'Yeah…'

It had happened so quickly, but I had managed to catch the crucial moment. Cyril had taken a single, imperceptible step backward before executing a lightning-fast kick that struck Ren squarely in the stomach. The speed and precision of the attack were nothing short of deadly.

"The fight didn't last long, but you did notice the protective devices in action," Gamir explained. "This course is designed to help you progress by engaging in combat with your fellow students. One of the reasons it's an interclass course is to facilitate learning from your peers, be they older or younger. Sometimes, you may even unconsciously teach your comrades simply by sparring. Another point to consider: while these are friendly matches, take them seriously without going overboard, of course."

Gamir then directed our attention to the list of groups. "There are a total of nine groups. The matches will be between students from different groups, chosen randomly. However, you can switch places with your groupmate if both parties agree. Keep in mind that no student can fight more than three times until everyone in your group has had a chance to play. This rule is in place to prevent a single dominant player from accumulating points too easily."

Rightfully so. Allowing Cyril to play every match would be a one-sided slaughter, as few could challenge him on equal footing.

"That's precisely why you must exercise patience and strategy when deciding to participate in a match. You might want to save your three-fight quota to face stronger opponents, thus sparing your groupmates from battling them and potentially losing points," Gamir elaborated.

The students were beginning to grasp the significance of these rules. Gamir continued, "Cyril and Ren have already used one of their three fights for this initial round, which means they have only two left."

There were some complaints from our group, given that Cyril was undoubtedly the strongest among us. I couldn't help but feel that Gamir had called Cyril for the first match intentionally. Cyril, however, appeared unfazed by the situation, sporting a calm and collected smile on his lips.

I examined the list of groups once more and couldn't help but wince at the evident imbalance. It was clear that some groups were significantly stronger than others. The main contenders for the upcoming matches seemed to be concentrated in Groups A, B, E, and H, where the central figures of the Game were scattered.

Group E, in particular, caught my attention. It consisted of Alvara, Lykhor, Selene, Allen, and Percy. 

Group H, on the other hand, included Dentiel, Sephira, Cain, Cylien, and Sirius. 

Gamir proceeded to inform us of one more thing before the next match commenced. He mentioned the selection of an acting leader for each group, and immediately, the names of the leaders appeared next to their respective groups:

Group A: Adrian Dolphis

Group B: Cyril Magnus Raven

Group E: Alvara Freydis Teraquin

Group H: Dentiel Elaryon

"Hey!" Celeste attempted to protest Cyril's decision to appoint himself as the leader of our group, but Elizabeth restrained her with a shake of her head. 

She even glanced at Alicia for help but the latter ignored her, continuing to take care of her rapier.

"Whatever!" Celeste eventually gave up, crossing her arms in frustration.

It was quite a cute sight.

Since Cyril had won the first match, our group, Group B, was currently at the top of the rankings with one point, while Ren's group, Group C, lagged behind with -1 point. Cyril's victory was a relief, but it also came at a cost. He would only be able to fight two more times for our group, and there were plenty of formidable opponents in the other groups.

I couldn't help but wonder who had arranged these unbalanced groups. It was clear that someone had put all the strong and Great Nobles together while scattering the rest into different groups. Without a doubt, it was Gamir Teraquin, a man with clear biases favoring the higher races and high-ranking nobility.

The next matches that followed were rather uneventful and uninspiring. They lacked the excitement and tension that Cyril's match had brought. It seemed like a good time to take a nap or let my mind wander.

But just when I was about to drift into daydreams...

"Sephira Teraquin from Group H."

Gamir's voice called out Sephira's name, and we all waited in eager anticipation to see which group she would be pitted against. Sephira was undeniably strong, so the opposing group would have no choice but to select one of their best fighters to face her.

Sephira stepped forward, her gaze briefly meeting her foster father's. Gamir acknowledged her with a glance before turning his attention to a particular group.

"She will face a member from Group E," Gamir announced.

A collective gasp rippled through the audience. Group E was undoubtedly one of the strongest, with formidable members.

All eyes turned toward a striking girl with an umbrella who sat gracefully in the highest row of the tribunes, isolated from the rest. Alvara's yellow eyes locked onto Sephira, and for a moment, they flickered to a shade of green. Sephira returned her cousin's gaze with a complex expression.

Alvara, who had been watching in silence until now, suddenly smiled. "Lykhor, would you?" she asked softly.

Lykhor Elaryon, the silver-haired sophomore who shared a class with Alvara and had an evident fondness for her, smiled in response. "As you wish, Alvara."

Allen Teraquin, who was also part of Group E, chimed in, "You know what elder sister wants, right?"

Lykhor didn't spare a glance for Allen. Instead, he gracefully jumped from the high tribune, landing before Sephira.

I noticed worried expressions on the faces of Celeste and Elizabeth, as well as concern from Cylien and Sirius. It was entirely understandable.

Lykhor, Cylien's cousin, was extremely strong and was without doubt among the top of the second years.

"I hope you won't hold this against me, Sephira," Lykhor said with delight as he unsheathed his gladius.

Sephira didn't respond verbally. Instead, she readied her bow.

"Start!" Gamir's command marked the beginning of the match. Sephira wasted no time, sending an arrow hurtling toward Lykhor at incredible speed. In a swift motion, Lykhor swung his gladius, effortlessly slicing the arrow in mid-air.

Sephira's determination was evident as she pulled the bowstring again, summoning a green mana circle in front of her. The wind swirled, forming a new arrow. Once the wind pressure reached its peak, she released the arrow, sending it hurtling straight toward Lykhor.

Lykhor smiled and launched himself into the air, heading directly for the arrow. His gladius gleamed with a green aura, the manifestation of Ruah. With a powerful vertical slash, he swung his sword, cutting through the swirling winds surrounding Sephira's arrow. However, Sephira's tactics were far from over. Another arrow followed immediately after, hidden skillfully by Sephira's timing.

Lykhor remained composed. He raised his free hand, summoning a mana circle that whirled quickly in front of him. "Withering Howl," he chanted.

Out of the mana circle, a dense wind energy took the form of a gigantic mouth, unleashing a deafening roar. The condensed wind effortlessly destroyed Sephira's second arrow and hurtled straight toward her. She managed to evade the brunt of the attack by somersaulting away, but the shockwave still shook the stadium's walls.

Lykhor landed gracefully on the ground, his cheek slightly grazed and oozing blood. Sephira, who had been knocked to the ground, coughed as she tried to regain her composure. She barely had time to react as the condensed wind energy continued its relentless pursuit. Using her legs, she somersaulted again, narrowly avoiding the attack, which left a large dent in the stadium wall.

As she crashed to the ground, Sephira quickly shot an arrow at Lykhor, hoping to catch him off guard. However, Lykhor effortlessly evaded the attack, his irritation growing evident.

"Let's finish this," Lykhor muttered, his expression no longer friendly. A green aura enveloped him and then dissipated.

A deafening explosion resounded as the ground split apart, creating a chasm. Sephira narrowly avoided a kick that shattered the earth beneath it. She retaliated with another arrow, but Lykhor avoided it with ease. His irritation mounting, he closed the distance between them and swung his gladius. A sharp crescent wind wave sliced through the air, gouging the ground and grazing Sephira's right arm.

Sephira cried out in pain and was flung backward when Lykhor landed a powerful kick on her injured arm. There was a sickening crack as her arm took the brunt of the attack. She struggled to maintain her grip on her bow, biting her lip in determination. Despite the pain, she released another arrow at Lykhor, who was already charging toward her.

Lykhor halted his rush, swinging his gladius again. However, when he looked back at Sephira, she had vanished.

A tingling sensation alerted him, and he glanced upward. Above him, Sephira floated, her expression deadly serious. Her body emitted a deep bluish-green aura, and a matching mana circle appeared before her, causing tremors throughout the tribunes.

"It's Aerin's circle!" Celeste exclaimed.

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed.

The significance of this seemed to impress even Cylien and Alvara.

With blood trickling from her mouth, Sephira pulled her bowstring once more, releasing it with all her might.