I Am The Game's Villain

"Finally!" Adrian\'s loud voice rang as he stood up. "Wait, who is Group C already?"

"Alicia and that guy\'s group…"

"Oh shit!"

"It\'s gonna be amazing!"

The collective roar of the students filled the air, punctuated by a medley of contrasting reactions.

"I can\'t believe it…" Victor muttered under his breath, disbelief that such match was going to happen.

"Seems like luck\'s taken a turn for the worse, hasn\'t it?" Roda chimed in, her eagerness to witness the impending fight evident.

"Yeah…" Celeste concurred, her expression clouded with concern. The prospect of Alicia and Adrian pitted against each other, with Amael thrown into the mix, cast a shadow of over her thoughts.

"Who do you think has the upper hand?" Cylien\'s question sparked a moment of contemplation among the group.

"Honestly... I can\'t see Adrian losing," Victor confessed, his inner conflict laid bare. Despite his support and preference for his sister and friend, he couldn\'t ignore Adrian\'s strength.

"It looks grim for Amael and Alicia," Selene declared, her words slicing through the murmurs.

"Why do you say that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Alicia only just unlocked her innate blood yesterday. She hasn\'t had time to recover, her body still adjusting. She\'s likely fatigued and won\'t be at her peak against Adrian. And even if she could muster the strength, I doubt she could surpass him," Selene explained.

"Alicia\'s proven resilient in the past. She\'ll bounce back swiftly," Elizabeth countered.

"Oh, sister. It took me days to recover from my awakening. Don\'t put her in the same bag as you. She is talented but you awakened it five years ago and recovered immediately and even fought against the rebels of Utopia… " Selene\'s voice trailed off, tension simmering in the air.

"Selene, enough," Elizabeth interrupted sharply, her tone dropping low.

Selene stared at her twin sister. "As you wish, sister."

***

I walked down the stairs when the Group was called out.

I could feel Martin and Leire\'s anxiety as the opponent was considerably stronger than the ones we had fought in the First Round. Moreover it was one of the Great Nobles of Sancta Vedelia. Their fear was understandable. Yet, amidst the tension, my attention was drawn to Alicia, who appeared visibly unsettled. It was evident she didn\'t need any added stress in her current state.

"I hope you\'re not reconsidering your position, Falkrona, given the slim odds of victory," Adrian taunted with a smirk, his gaze fixed on me.

"Not at all, for I am contemplating victory," I retorted confidently.

"Bet?" Martin interjected, perplexed by the exchange. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Adrian approached Alicia with a sinister smile. "The terms are simple, Alicia. If I emerge victorious, you\'ll be mine by day\'s end—marriage and all."

Alicia\'s eyes widened in shock, her disbelief evident.

"But in the unlikely event of your victory, which we both know won\'t happen," Adrian continued, "I\'ll call off the engagement."

Still reeling from the bombshell, Alicia turned to me questioningly, but I remained silent.

Adrian leaned in, whispering words that visibly shook Alicia, her complexion paling further as her lips trembled.

"Are you satisfied, Dolphin? Or perhaps you\'re pleading for mercy?" I interrupted, my irritation evident in my tone.

Adrian\'s smirk widened as he directed his gaze towards me. "I\'ll relish putting you in your place, Falkrona."

"Then give it your best shot," I retorted, stepping back alongside the others.

James arrived, casting a discerning eye over both groups before raising his hand.

"Take care of the others. I\'ll handle these two," Adrian commanded his companions, his focus fixed on me and Alicia.

Leire and Martin prepared themselves for the impending clash.

Alicia unsheathed her rapier, while I armed myself with a simple sword.

"Begin!" As James signaled the start, a surge of water surged towards us, propelled by unseen forces.

I swiftly swung my sword, cleaving through the oncoming wave, while Alicia deftly punctured a hole and slipped through its grasp.

"Handle the others," I instructed Martin and Leire, who nodded in acknowledgment before springing into action.

A forceful torrent of water gushed forth once more, its power unmistakable. The mana infused within it amplified its strength, making it a formidable opponent. Despite my efforts to fend it off with my sword, the sheer volume and density of the water proved challenging to overcome.

Meanwhile, Alicia\'s rapier emitted a sinister crimson glow, coated in blood that imbued it with a lethal aura. With each strike, the water around her turned a deep crimson hue, boiling as her blood took effect. Her demeanor remained composed, albeit with a hint of impatience, while Adrian looked on with evident satisfaction.

"Keep at it, Alicia!" Adrian\'s voice echoed with a mixture of malice and amusement as more torrents of water assailed her, striking her with force.

Alicia grunted in pain as she was sent tumbling backward, the relentless assault showing no signs of abating.

"Let it burn!" She commanded, plunging her rapier into the water, causing it to seethe and boil. Yet, more tendrils of water reached out towards her.

-BOOOOM!

"You\'re being rather ruthless with your fiancée," I said, standing in front of the now groaning Alicia.

"I do as I please with her, Falkrona. It\'s none of your concern," Adrian retorted, his smile twisted.

With a swift motion, I angled my sword, summoning a mana circle around it. With a leap, I charged towards Adrian, swinging my sword with intent.

A resounding boom echoed as Adrian countered with a sword of water, displaying his prowess even in the face of my attack. From his blade, two tentacles lashed out, seeking to ensnare me from either side.

Vaulting over him, I seized his arm and hurled him away, refusing to grant him respite. Without rest, I raised my sword once more, channeling a vast amount of mana.

"Reverse Pillar of Vysindra," I intoned, unleashing a devastating torrent of fire toward him.

"Do you honestly believe that will work against my water?" Adrian laughed derisively, his sword flicking upwards as a protective barrier of green-tinged water surged around him, shielding him from my assault.

"Yeah, we\'ll see about that," I retorted, and thrust my sword once more. "Reverse Pillar of Vysindra."

"I told you it\'s useless!" Adrian countered confidently, gathering a colossal amount of mana above him, drawing a giant circle in the air. "Anuket Raining Wave! Take him down!"

A multitude of tentacles descended menacingly from above, their sheer numbers posing a formidable threat. I stepped back, narrowly avoiding the first strike, but soon found myself besieged as more tentacles followed suit. Each impact gouged the ground deeply, underscoring the potency of Adrian\'s attack. It was evident he wasn\'t holding back, especially against me.

Quickly infusing Ruah into my blade, I unleashed the Anathemas Fire to cut through the encroaching tentacles. However, in a momentary lapse of vigilance, one of the severed tentacles shot forth like a jet of water, piercing a hole in my arm.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I remained vigilant, slashing through the incoming tentacles with precision. As another wave of cut tentacles surged towards me, I reacted swiftly, slashing my sword upwards.

A towering wall of purple fire erupted before me, engulfing the tentacles and incinerating them in a blaze of flames.

"Salamander!" Alicia\'s voice boomed suddenly, capturing Adrian\'s attention.

Standing next to the burning blood Salamander, Alicia commanded it with authority. The fiery creature opened its mouth wide, unleashing a torrent of bloodied flames.

"Anuket—" Adrian began, but was swiftly enveloped in a cocoon of thick water, shielding him from the searing heat. Yet, the force of the attack propelled him backwards, crashing into the wall with a resounding thud.

Harnessing Samara\'s power, I propelled myself forward at incredible speed towards Adrian, sword at the ready. With a swift strike, my blade cleaved through his watery cocoon, revealing Adrian\'s intense glare.

"Where\'s that smirk now, Dolphin?" I taunted, seizing his shirt and pulling him from the dissipating cocoon.

"Get your hands off me, Falkrona!" Adrian roared, his anger burning as the cocoon of water transformed into menacing tentacles. Stepping back, I managed to evade the first two, but the last grazed my waist, tearing away a chunk of flesh.

"Damn annoying ability," I grunted, feeling the pain shoot through me as I retaliated with a Ruah-infused knee strike.

Adrian staggered back several meters, coughing up blood, but quickly regained his composure.

But before Adrian could fully retaliate, Alicia surged forward, thrusting her rapier towards him from behind.

Adrian\'s reflexes kicked in, and he swiftly tilted his head, seizing Alicia\'s arm and throwing her to the ground with a forceful motion. "It might sting a bit, dear Alicia," he remarked coolly.

Raising his right hand, Adrian conjured a sphere of swirling water, forming a menacing gauntlet-like shape.

Alarm bells rang in my mind. This was a dangerous situation, and I knew I had to act fast.

With a sense of urgency, I dashed towards Alicia, but I feared I wouldn\'t reach her in time.

"Salamander!" Alicia\'s call rang out, and her fiery companion roared loudly before hurtling towards Adrian.

Adrian grunted in pain as the Salamander\'s claws sank into his shoulder, but he ignored the injury and retaliated with a powerful blow from his water-infused fist.

The impact sent Alicia reeling, blood spilling from her lips as her eyes widened in shock.

"Get lost!" Adrian roared, using his water tentacles to forcefully hurl the Salamander away.

"That\'s my cue! Burning Claws of Vysindra!" I shouted, closing in on Adrian and delivering a fierce blow with my fist.

Adrian cried out in pain as my attack struck him squarely in the stomach, despite the protective water barrier. He rolled several meters before coming to a stop, but I could see that it wasn\'t enough to keep him down for long.

As Adrian slowly rose to his feet, I turned my attention towards Alicia. "Are you able to continue fighting?" I asked, extending my hand towards her.

But Alicia recoiled, refusing my assistance as she struggled to stand. "I... I can manage," she insisted, her voice strained.

"Really?" I pressed, reaching out to touch her stomach slightly visible from her torn clothes.

"...!" Alicia flinched as my hand made contact, attempting to pull away, but I held her hand firmly. "Just stay still," I urged, carefully examining the visible damage inflicted by Adrian\'s attack.

The extent of the damage was evident; Adrian\'s attack had taken its toll.

"It seems your regeneration isn\'t functioning as it should," I remarked, withdrawing my hand and arching an eyebrow.

Alicia remained silent, her expression unreadable. It was clear she was still seething over the bet, a wager made without her consent.

Nevertheless, I couldn\'t ignore the possibility that Adrian\'s unusual water manipulation was exacerbating the situation. Whatever he was using, it wasn\'t just ordinary water. And coupled with her recent growth…