I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 402  The Tsundere Sis-Con

n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"AH!" A sharp cry escaped my lips as I crumpled to the cold floor, gasping desperately for air. My body trembled, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. I was alone, thank goodness—alone in the corridor where no one could witness this pathetic sight of me.

Sweat clung to my skin, soaking through my clothes as I shivered uncontrollably. The chill in my blood was more than just a physical sensation—it was as if the very essence of my being had turned to ice. Instinctively, my hands flew to my cheeks, searching for some tangible sign of the wound I had just experienced.

But there was no blood. Only the lingering imprint of her cold, deathly touch.

This was the second time I had come face to face with her, and the encounter was no less terrifying than the first. A year had passed since that initial meeting, yet nothing had changed. Her presence was still as chilling. This time, however, the sensation was even more vivid, more real—as if she had reached into the core of my being and left a mark that no one could see but me.

[<Amael…are you okay?>]

"Did you see what happened?" I managed to ask as I regained my composure.

[<I didn't see anything, but I can guess…you met 'her' again, didn't you?>]

"Yeah…" I nodded, my eyes drifting to the window, the outside world a blur beyond the glass. [<Amael, you know she wouldn't really hurt you, right? As strange as she is, she's not a threat.>]

"She pierced my cheeks with her nails, Cleenah. For a moment, I thought she was going to tear my mouth apart."

[<You can't get hurt in that place. Your physical body wasn't there—only your presence. But…I suppose she does have her quirks.>]

"Why is she so obsessed with me? Or rather, with Samael?" I asked, ignoring Cleenah's awkward attempts to defend that woman.

Silence followed my question.

I was almost certain Cleenah would offer some evasive answer, as she often did when I pressed too hard. But this time…

[<Do you really want to know?>]

"..."

Nihil's words rang in my mind at Cleenah's question. He had warned me—urged me to stay far away from the Avatars of Samael, and by extension, from Samael's truth itself.

"No," I muttered, shaking my head as if to dispel the thoughts. "It's fine."

Yet, the knowledge that she was somehow within me gnawed at my sanity. The very idea that such a being could have a presence inside me was deeply unsettling. Last year, she had barely spoken to me, her presence a faint, shadowy whisper in my mind. But recently, she had begun to take up more space in my life, creeping into my thoughts with increasing frequency.

I couldn't decide if I should be relieved that someone so powerful was close to me or utterly terrified by it.

As I wrestled with my thoughts, the sound of approaching footsteps broke through the haze of my mind. I glanced up to see Aerinwyn, her expression severe as she strode down the corridor.

"No more trouble will be tolerated. This is my final warning," Aerinwyn declared, her voice tinged with authority, well she had a high status in the academy.

"Make sure Cyril understands that his people are on thin ice. I hope he doesn't think I'm foolish enough to believe they have nothing to do with these incidents."

"Yes, Senior…" Alicia answered meekly, trailing behind Aerinwyn like a scolded child. Her usually bright demeanor was subdued, her head bowed in deference.

I nearly forgot that Alicia was part of the Presidium.

Usually, it would be Christina trailing closely behind Aerinwyn, but since my mother's disappearance, that role had shifted. Now, to my surprise, it was Alicia—a first-year student—who had taken her place.

"Your response lacks conviction, Alicia. Are you going to handle it, or shall I take matters into my own hands? I assure you, I won't hesitate when it comes to your brother," Aerinwyn warned, her stern gaze boring into Alicia with a stern intensity.

"No, Senior, I will handle it," Alicia replied, her voice firmer now as she nodded her head.

Alicia dealing with Cyril?

Might be fun to watch.

"Good." Aerinwyn acknowledged with a curt nod, her gaze briefly settling on me as she prepared to walk past without further thought.

But I couldn't let the moment slip by. "Instead of burdening Alicia, why not consider taking your own sister as your second, Senior?" I suggested with a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes.

Aerinwyn halted mid-step, her sharp eyes cutting back to me. "Do you have something to say, Mr. Olphean?"

"I'm just curious," I replied with a casual shrug. "Cylien is part of the Presidium, isn't she? I would have thought she'd be the natural choice to step into my sister's role."

By the way my dear sister forced a lot to get me in the Presidium but I refused. No way, I could last long with Aerin as President.

Aerin's mismatched green eyes, each with a different shade, regarded me in silence for a moment, weighing my words. "I only surround myself with competent people, Mr. Olphean. I trust you're clever enough, like your sister and brother, to understand what that means."

I glanced at Alicia, who was staring at me with her aloof expression but it was different. As if silently questioning what the hell I was doing. But I kept my expression neutral, even as I nodded slightly. "I guess that makes Alicia the most competent first-year, then," I said, acknowledging Aerinwyn's decision with a hint of irony.

Without another word, Aerinwyn turned away, her attention no longer on me as she continued down the corridor. Alicia hesitated for a moment, casting one last puzzled look in my direction before hurrying to catch up with her.

"You should head back now. Your class starts soon."

"Yes Senior..."

Ah…

I couldn't help but wonder if Aerinwyn had any inkling of the disaster that was about to descend upon Sancta Vedelia. In the game, everything was seen through Victor's eyes, making it difficult to gauge what others were doing unless you actively sought them out as part of a heroine's storyline.

But here, I had a different perspective—a broader view of the unfolding events. As much as Aerinwyn suffered from what could only be described as a severe case of tsundere-sis-con syndrome, she was undeniably a crucial asset in the coming war.

....

....

After taking another ten minutes to calm my racing heart and recover from the shock—both from Nihil's sudden death and the overwhelming revelations—I forced myself to keep moving. My thoughts were still chaotic, trying to make sense of everything that had happened, but I had a class to attend, whether I was ready or not.

It was the last class before the semester's exam, and then there would be no rest—the war loomed too close for that. As much as I wanted to skip the exam and dedicate every second to training, I knew I couldn't. There were crucial events set to unfold during this class, and I needed to be there, to witness them firsthand.

If John wasn't as lovey-dovey with Amelia I might have asked him but whatever. I trust myself more obviously.

[<You also don't want to get scolded by Christina or beaten up by your mother when she returns.>]

Shaddap.

The thought of my mother, with all her quirks and eccentricities, made me sigh. She was such a weirdo that I could almost predict her reaction—after being rescued from her kidnappers, her first order of business would likely be to check my grades. She was annoyingly similar to my mom back on Earth in that regard, always so concerned about academic performance.

I couldn't help but let my thoughts drift back to my family on Earth. It was a rare, bittersweet moment of nostalgia—one of the few times I allowed myself to remember them. But that brief, tender memory was the only soft moment I would have that day.

I arrived at the stadium—a medium-sized arena, yet large enough to accommodate all the classes from every year. "Fuck..."

It was an Inter-Year Class.

I scanned the crowd, spotting familiar faces. Alvara sat with her legs crossed, an arrogant posture masking the instability flickering in her eyes. She looked poised, but I knew better—something was unsettling her.

On the other side of the stadium, Cyril was there too. He lounged lazily in his seat, arms stretched casually across the backs of the chairs next to him, his cold, crimson eyes fixed ahead with a detached intensity. Yeah.

Something's definitely about to happen in this class.