I Am The Game's Villain

[On the 44th floor]

"Lord Michael. Lend me your strength." Aurora muttered and a thick layer of golden mana coated her the golden blade of her sword. Then she took a step forward and in a golden flash, she appeared behind a three-meter tall wolf. It was a Disaster Beast.

The wolf didn't even notice Aurora's presence and its head was sliced off cleanly. 

"With this one, we are at thirteen," Aurora muttered.

"We are not late on time, that is good news," Carla approached. It was the afternoon of the second day and they weren't late but…

"We can't say that we are in advance either though…" Thomas added a little disappointed. They were really having a hard time finding Disaster Beasts and having reached thirteen was already impressive. The Mana Beasts were still Disaster Beast, some even five-star, they were strong but against a team with Aurora, Carla, Thomas and Ronald, they were no match. 

"I wish I could be strong like her…"

"I'm glad to be with them, ehehe."

"You bet with two beauties."

"Two handsome men as well!"

Their teammates were fighting but they knew that the job was done quickly thanks to the four great talents in their team.

To avoid being a burden, they preferred to handle daily tasks such as the night shift or cooking. Aurora was adamantly opposed because she saw them as equals, but the latter pleaded so strongly that she ultimately gave up.

"We are late," Ronald said, irritated. "I'm sure Alfred is already ahead of us dammit."

Thomas groaned hearing Ronald. "It's 'His Highness' for you and I'm pretty sure you are more worried that Layla is together with His Highness than anything else."

"Shut up, Thomas!" Ronald couldn't even deny when Thomas hit the bullseyes. Recently, Layla stopped hanging out with him. As always she was a lot with Alfred but she even started to hang around with Edward now. The icing on the cake was that both Alfred and Edward were in Layla's group!

"Do not mind that, Thomas," Aurora said with a smile. "We have known each other for more than a decade, there is no need for formality between us outside important ceremonies. I'm certain, my brother wouldn't mind either."

"Right…oh, yes, we recently received an invitation to celebrate your and Alfred's birthday, Aurora." Carla spoke remembering what her father said to her.

"Indeed, it will be next month, I hope you will all be here." Aurora nodded happily.

"I would not miss His Highness' birthday, of course." Thomas didn't even hesitate.

"If I have time," Ronald shrugged uninterested but there was a high probability of him coming since Layla would surely take part in Alfred's birthday.

"Me as well…I would like to give a visit to Lucius and Sylvia, it has been a while after all," Carla nodded. "Has his situation evolved, Aurora?"

Aurora shook her head sadly when questioned about her younger brother. "He is still unconscious…Sylvia is spending most of her time with him. I want her to use time for herself…"

Since the day Lucius Celesta fell into a coma, their always joyous castle became rather bleak. She could never forget those memories when they were all playing in the garden of the palace together. The unfortunate events started with Lucius and it continued with Edward's change after his mother's death, Miranda's mother death, Layla's mother death…her engagement with Edward that should have been a success to reinforce the Kingdom within…

"Sigh…I can't say I'm not worried, my father told me that His Majesty invited the Arvatra Empire on this occasion." Thomas muttered and the air turned slightly heavy. Their relation with the Arvatra couldn't be said to be really good after all.

"Aurora…I think you already know that but the reason why your father invited the Arvatra Empire is mainly-"

"I know Carla," Aurora replied. "An alliance between our countries through a marriage between me and the Imperial Prince. Father already made me aware of this decision and I agreed. I had already irresponsibly broken the engagement between me and Edward…It's my duty."

"Well, that Imperial Prince is better than Edward," Thomas said jokingly.

"I don't think so…" Carla muttered in barely audible tone.

"B-By the way, Carla…" Thomas turned toward Carla awkwardly. He was still in love with her but he lost against Jayden that time and everything got spoiled. Honestly he was happy that he ended up in the same group as her but the fact that Carla didn't even treat him differently than before hit him hard. It was like she really didn't care about him.

"I'm sorry, Thomas." Carla saw where Thomas was going hence she decided to take the lead. "I like Jayden as a man and I wish to be with him in the future."

"I-I see…" Thomas nodded and slumped his shoulders. 

"Did your father even accept that?" Ronald asked with a frown. "He will never accept that, right?"

"I'm on it." Carla said with a confident smile. "My elder brother is also helping him."

"Your elder brother is helping you? What kind of situation is that?" Ronald was dumbfounded.

"You are shocked because your elder sister will surely not help you to get closer to Layla?" Thomas hit right in the spot again.

"Tch." Ronald clicked his tongue and looked behind him. His elder sister, Louisa was their overseer therefore she was somewhere hidden to look after them. He felt even more uncomfortable knowing that she was there. She was too overprotective to him and it was embarrassing him a lot. How many times had Loid laughed his *ss off because of that?

"Princess!" 

Suddenly one of their teammates came running out of breath. 

"Are you alright?" Aurora and the others rushed to him.

The man had a pale face and was trying to recover his breath. "Mana Beasts! There are dozens of them coming here!"

"What's the problem then?" Another girl asked.

"They are Disaster Beasts!"

"....!"

Everyone opened their eyes wide in shock at his words. Here they were struggling to even get one but suddenly a flock of them were coming toward them now?

"I-I think they are 5-Stars or maybe Six-Stars Disaster Beasts on top of that!"

Everyone gulped hearing that.

Disaster Beasts were the second Category of mana beasts. The weaker one being 4-Stars and the strongest one being 6-Stars. 

It was hard to believe.

They were on the 44th floor and there were 6-Star Beasts here?

-ROAAAAAAAAAAR!

A thunderous roar of something that could be hardly called an animal rang and made the whole grotto tremble.

****

Three kilometers away from there, a hazel-eyed beauty was running.

"Professor." Louisa touched her earpiece.

["Louisa?"] It was Professor Almona's voice.

"Professor Mona, High-ranked Disasters Beasts have been located in my position. Authorization to help Group L."

["Authorization granted. How many?"] Mona asked.

"There are at least seven Six-Stars Disaster Beasts, Professor. Is that normal?" Louisa asked with furrowed brows.

["It is obviously not normal on this floor but it's not impossible either. Call me back after you helped them, Louisa."]

"Understood," Louisa nodded and tied her brown hair.

****

"Listen everyone! I will hold them back with Carla, Thomas and Ronald. You all retreat back to the 45th floor. We are nearly there!" Aurora ordered her weaker teammates. She knew that they wouldn't stand a minute against a 6-Stars Disaster Beast. Even for her, it will be difficult with so many.

"There are seven, Princess…" Thomas had a grave expression.

"How can that be possible?" Carla muttered dumbfounded.

"I want to end that quota quickly but not like that!" Ronald cursed under his breath.

"Everyone please," Aurora went in the front and unsheathed her sword. "We push them away with a single combined attack and rush to the upper floor. Don't use all your mana. Just enough to buy time for them and us."

"""Yes."""

Ronald Trueheart started summoning several dozens of lances made of earth.

Carla added her wind attribute to the lances enhancing their sharpness and destructive ability.

Thomas' vines headed straight toward the groups of beasts tumbling them down and slowing down their advances.

-ROAAAAAAAR!

One of the 6-Stars mana beast, a troll roared but it was too late to catch up to them.

Aurora's golden sword shot out dozens of beams throwing the lances at a tremendous speed.

-BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion rang and wind blasted away all the surroundings with great force. Taking advantage of this moment, Aurora and the others rushed to the shimmering door behind them. 

They jumped inside it but a few seconds after that, seven trolls jumped out of the explosion with injured bodies and bulldozed the door transporting to the 45TH floor.

"They are stubborn…" Louisa said with a displeased expression as she ran. Then as if feeling something off, she suddenly stopped her steps. She turned around and stayed like that for a minute. Her hazel eyes flickered a little before she turned back and stepped through the door.

*****

"Wow! I sweated a bit there!" A girl's voice rang on the 44th floor. She was accompanied by two other people. 

"It's because of you Raisa," a man with black and red hair said with a laugh.

"Don't speak to your senior like that Morino or else I will kill you." Raisa narrowed her eyes.

"Kill me then!"

"Enough you two," said a middle-aged man with a scarred right eye. It was Pyres. "Do you remember the targets?" He asked seriously.

"Yes, yes, the First Princess, the Olpheans' Heir and the Tempest Emperor's daughter, right?" Morino repeated what he was told before.

Pyres nodded. "We will start with Walter Celesta's target, the First Princess, she is just on the next floor-"

"It will be without me, Pyres." Raisa waved her hand and went ahead.

"What are you doing, Raisa?" Pyres frowned.

"I chose to come with you only for Olivia's daughter," Raisa said with a wide smile. "I killed Olivia but she took too much from me. It's my duty to send her daughter to her side, Pyres."

"Miranda Stormdila is ahead of Aurora Celesta," Pyres said but Raisa shook her head, not willing to listen.

"You and Morino can take care of that Princess without me, can you Pyres?" Raisa tilted her head. "And please Pyres, I ask you to not hold back like against the Heir of the Olpheans as before. You ran away from Myrcella, it was too funny but pretty pathetic."

"I needed the son and daughter of Thomen alive at that time but this time I just have to kill Aurora Celesta. It won't take long." Pyres said and went past Raisa.

"Good luck, 'Senior'"  Morino snorted and followed Pyres.

Raisa ignored him and grabbed her left arm. "I-I am so eager to see you, little Myra!"