Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

Kaira had grown surprisingly close to Valerie. At first, she had been distant, almost cold, but somehow, Kaira had broken through that barrier, and before Kaira knew it, they had become friends.

Even though Valerie didn't speak much about her personal life, Kaira knew she was engaged—to a man who wasn't just her fiancé but also her best friend.

At first, Kaira had wanted Valerie to leave him. She had thought Valerie would be better off with her older brother, Glade. But lately, she had been hearing more and more about this man—Austin. Stories of his strength, his bravery. He had been chosen for the tournament, won his first match, and even stood against the demonic army.

It had only been a few days, but his name was already spreading across the country.

That was why Kaira was so curious. She wanted to see for herself just how strong he was.

"You shouldn't bother our guest, Kaira."

A deep, familiar voice cut through the air, making everyone turn. Walking into the room with long, confident strides was a man with wavy blue hair, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Teacher," Valerie and Austin stood up at the same time, their movements almost synchronized. Valerie, with a rare hint of warmth in her expression, greeted her former mentor.

Count Aron stopped in front of them, his sharp gaze settling on Valerie. "I heard about the ambush. You were taken captive?"

Kaira's eyes widened in shock. She had no idea her sister had been captured by demons.

"Yes," Valerie admitted, her voice steady. "They created a barrier to weaken me. But Austin arrived just in time and rescued me." Her tone held unmistakable pride—she never missed a chance to praise her Lord.

"A barrier, you say?" Count Aron frowned. "What kind of barrier was it?"

As someone deeply involved in the capital's strategic defense, he had studied countless demon attack patterns. But he had never heard of a barrier strong enough to suppress an S-rank.

Austin stepped in. "It was a Soul-Suppressing Barrier. The stronger your soul energy, the weaker you become inside it." His conclusion had come quickly, thanks to the System's analysis during the brief time he spent within it.

Count Aron's frown deepened. "A Soul-Suppressing Barrier, huh?" His voice carried a weight of concern.

"This can only mean one thing," he continued grimly. "They've transported Dark Water into this realm in massive quantities."

The room fell into silence.

Dark Water—the very essence of corruption. It was the bane of soul energy, a substance so vile that even a single drop could twist a person's mind, driving them to madness. If the demons had enough of it to fuel an entire barrier… then the threat was far greater than anyone had realized.

"If the barrier suppressed soul energy, then Dark Water must have played a role," Count Aron mused, his tone grim.

"The Council guards every coast connected to the Demonic Realm," Glade added, his expression tense.

"Then... either someone is working for the other side, or there's a loophole they're using to smuggle the accursed water."

Glade flinched at those words, and Valerie's eyes widened in shock.

Austin, however, remained completely still. He already knew the truth.

'One of the Council Heads is under the control of a Demon General…'

Specifically, the Succubus Queen. She had completely ensnared one of the Council's most powerful figures under her charm.

In the game, Luke had never encountered the Succubus Queen directly, not until much later in the story. But it had been heavily implied—she was the only General capable of orchestrating something like this. Despite being the weakest among the Demon Generals, she had remained hidden for an unusually long time.

But this wasn't a game.

This was reality.

And Austin had no intention of waiting for the pieces to fall into place. He needed to act—and for that, he would seek out Selner. She understood the forces at play better than anyone. If there was a way to counter this, she would know.

Before he could dwell on his thoughts any further, an excited voice shattered the tense atmosphere.

"Dad! I want to spar with him!"

Kaira had latched onto her father's arm, her eyes gleaming with determination.

Count Everhart sighed, already familiar with his daughter's stubbornness.

Then, another voice spoke up.

"Let her fight him, Father. You know how she gets when she sets her mind on something." Everyone turned towards the teenager as Elion made his way inside the reception.

Kaira's eyes sparkled as she looked at her father hopefully.

Count Everhart sighed before he looked at Austin saying, "How is your Shard control?"

"Excellent," Valerie responded instead of him; she seemed excited about something.

Aron hummed before he said, "Then let's do it like old times. To prove your worth to face Austin you must first catch his Shard."

Austin looked lost, unsure of what was happening, so he turned to Valerie for answers.

Valerie spoke gently, "Whenever someone challenges another, the Teacher first tests the challenger… by making them chase the other person's Shard."

"He believes that if your control over your Shard is so absolute that your opponent can't even catch it, then you've already won," Glade added, folding his arms.

"That's right," the Count chimed in. "If your Shard alone can beat your opponent, then there's no need for you to fight personally."

Then he turned his gaze toward the little girl and smiled. "That's why, Kai-ah… you're ready."

Austin turned toward her too, and to his surprise, Kaira was already tying her long hair into a neat bun, her expression calm and focused.

He hadn't expected the test to work this way. But seeing the fire in Kaira's eyes—and the excitement in Valerie's—he decided not to question it. He'd go along with it.

"Alright then," he said with a half-smile, summoning his dagger.

It was small—closer to a knife—but sharp and clean. As he lifted his hand, the blade rose and hovered in the air above it, spinning slightly with his control.

Everyone grew quiet, anticipation thick in the air.

Austin raised his hand higher.

"Go."

In a flash, both Kaira and the Shard vanished into a blur of motion.

Kaira dashed forward the moment the Shard shot off. The dagger zipped through the air like a dart, weaving between pillars and over tables with ease.

Kaira gritted her teeth and gave chase, her eyes locked on the flickering blade. She leaped over a chair, twisted past a stunned receptionist, and nearly crashed into a waiter.

"Too slow!" Elion laughed from the back.

Kaira reached out, fingers brushing the dagger's hilt—but it shot upward, dodging her grasp at the last second. She growled and jumped after it, only to land on a couch with a heavy thud.

The dagger spun mid-air, taunting her, then darted behind a curtain.

"Get back here!" she shouted, throwing herself after it. The curtain fell over her head.

"Still too slow," Austin teased, the Shard now zipping in loops above her.

Kaira tore the curtain off and bolted after it again, panting but not giving up. She leaped, ducked, rolled—every move sharp and wild—but the dagger never stayed in reach for more than a second.

It danced past her like it had a mind of its own.

Glade leaned against the wall, arms crossed, amused. "You're fast, Kaira. But Shard's faster."

She didn't answer. She just stood there huffing...and then tears welled up in her eyes and she ran away while crying.

"You bulllllly!!" Her cry echoed as she dashed away.

Austin helplessly looked at his lover and found her smiling in return.

Did he do something wrong?

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.