I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 522: [Event] [Elven Utopian War] [61] Against Navas Dolphis



Celeste collapsed to her knees, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath. Her trembling hands pressed into the dirt, and a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her pale face.

Alicia, frozen in place by the shock of what had just unfolded, suddenly snapped out of her stupor. Her wide eyes darted toward Celeste as she rushed to her side.

"Are you okay, Senior?" Alicia asked as she approached Celeste.

"I—I'm fine..." Celeste replied, though she seemed quite drained. Her gaze, however, wasn't on Alicia. It was locked on Kendel.

Without hesitation, Celeste pushed herself to her feet, wobbling unsteadily. Her knees felt weak, but she forced herself forward as she approached Kendel's unmoving form. Dropping down beside him, her trembling fingers sought his neck, hoping to find the faintest hint of life.

Nothing.

No breath.

"No," she whispered.

This couldn't be happening. Kendel couldn't die-not here, not now. Instinctively, her hand moved to her belt, searching for the vial of healing elixir she always carried. But even as her fingers brushed against it, she froze.

It was useless.

He was dead after all.

And Kendel wasn't even bleeding profusely from anywhere. There was no visible wound to mend. He had been killed-not by a blade or poison, but by whatever ability she had used, Ars Fatum.

A sudden realization struck her like lightning. Something clicked in her mind.

She couldn't explain why, but she knew what to do.

She stretched her hand out over Kendel's lifeless body. A swirl of pale white sand began to gather in the air, shimmering like starlight. It moved as if responding to her will. The grains danced around Kendel, encircling him in a glowing spiral before descending to envelop him completely.

-BAM!

A thunderous shockwave rippled outward as Kendel's body convulsed violently. The sand seeped into his skin, disappearing beneath the surface as if drawn by an unseen force. His chest jerked, then began to pulse in rhythmic spasms. A faint ripple of white energy spread outward from him, washing over the space like a ghostly tide.

The process felt like an eternity, though it lasted only a minute. Finally, the sand faded away, leaving Kendel's body behind unchanged, yet something was different. His chest rose and fell with shallow, fragile breaths.

"...!" Alicia's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

She turned to Celeste in shock. "H-How?"

He was supposed to be dead.

Celeste sat slumped beside Kendel, her own breathing ragged. Her gaze fell to her outstretched hand, still faintly glowing.

"I... rewrote it," she muttered, as if she were speaking more to herself than to Alicia.

"What?" Alicia leaned closer, confused.

"I rewrote the Fate I gave him," Celeste said, explaining to herself. "Because I killed him with Ars Fatum, I could... reverse it. Change it. But only because it hadn't been long." Her voice

trailed off, and she stared at her hand again, flexing her fingers as though testing their

strength.

The knowledge had come to her instinctively. She couldn't explain how, but it felt like second nature, as if she'd done it before.

"Senior... what's happening to you?" Alicia asked.

"Hm?" Celeste tilted her head in question.

Alicia pointed her finger. "Your eye. Look at your left eye."

Frowning, Celeste raised her hand to touch her face. Her fingers brushed her left cheek, then moved to her eye. A faint chill ran down her spine.

Her left eye, once a vibrant teal blue, now shone with an ethereal white hue-pure, radiant, and otherworldly.

Celeste blinked in surprise. "This... What is this?"

She shook her head, dismissing her thoughts. She didn't have time to figure it out now. Taking

a mana vial from her pouch, she uncorked it and gulped it down in one swift motion. The

energy surged through her, revitalizing her exhausted body a bit.

Forcing herself up, she looked toward Amael.

***

-BOOOM!

A deafening explosion shook the battlefield, and I instinctively raised my arms to shield myself. The torrent of water slammed into me with great force.

Aegis absorbed most of the blow, but the impact was still enough to send me hurtling backward. My boots scraped against the ground as I struggled to regain my footing, my body groaning in protest.

"Damn it..."

I felt like I'd been fighting for hours, though it had probably only been around fifteen minutes. My chest heaved as exhaustion crept into every corner of my body. My muscles screamed with each movement, and a dull ache pulsed through my core.@@novelbin@@

Navas stood across from me, almost unscathed. He wasn't just strong-he was a monster.

I gritted my teeth, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth.

The truth was painfully clear. I was outmatched.

I had been holding back, refusing to use Fate until it became absolutely necessary. But now... I was beginning to realize I didn't have much choice. Navas wasn't even fighting at full

strength, and already, I was reaching my limit.

"I've heard a lot about you, Edward Falkrona," Navas said suddenly.

I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

Navas smirked slightly. "You might not know it yourself, but you're a rather famous figure among clandestine organizations. Behemoth, Ante-Eden, the Iris Project, even Caishen- they all know your name. The man who slew Brandon Delavoic."

"So what?" I spat.

He chuckled in response. "Do you not understand? Ante-Eden isn't the forgiving type. You killed their pseudo-leader, yet here you are, walking around unscathed. Iris Project has had their eyes on you as well, and yet they haven't touched you either. You're protected, Edward

Falkrona. More than you realize."

I stayed silent.

"Most others would've been killed by now," Navas continued, his smirk growing. "But you? You're useful to them. That's the only reason you're still breathing."

I narrowed my eyes, feeling only anger. "Brandon Delavoic is dead. Ante-Eden is no longer a threat," I replied coldly.

Navas let out a mocking laugh. "How naïve you are. Do you truly believe that? No, Edward. The only reason you're still alive is that these organizations want you alive-for now. But Behemoth?" His gaze darkened, his smirk vanishing. "Behemoth couldn't care less about you."

His mana surged, slamming into me like a tidal wave. The pressure was suffocating, crushing

the air from my lungs.

It was his killing intent.

And then he moved.

-BAM!

In an instant, Navas closed the distance between us. His fist drove into my stomach like a sledgehammer, the force stealing every ounce of air from my lungs.

"Arghhh!" I gasped, blood splattering from my mouth as I was sent flying backward.

"Edward!"

Annabelle called in worry. She appeared just in time to catch me, but the force of my impact dragged her down with me. Together, we tumbled to the ground in a tangled heap.

I groaned, forcing myself to sit up. "Ugh... Are you okay, Anna?" I asked, helping her to her

feet.

"I-I'm fine," she said, but her trembling hands and pale face told me otherwise. She was reaching her limit. Her connection to the Banshees' world was fragile now-she needed to rest and recover, but there wasn't time.

All of Annabelle's puppets sprang into action, rushing toward Navas in a desperate attempt to

hold him back.

"I will show you the difference between us," Navas said as he extended his hand, and with a flash of black and blue, a massive axe materialized in his grip.

This was bad—really bad. The weapon wasn't just powerful; it was crafted from the branches

of the Holy Tree.

Navas raised the axe high, its edge shimmering ominously. Then, with a cry, he swung it

down.

I grabbed Annabelle and dove to the side just in time.

-BOOOOM!

The axe struck the ground, splitting it apart with devastating force. A massive wave of water

surged outward, tearing a deep trench into the earth. Shards of rock and debris exploded into

the air, pelting everything in the vicinity.

I shielded Annabelle with my body, gritting my teeth as sharp stones struck my back. The pain

was sharp but manageable-I'd endured worse.

"Anna, you need to leave," I said immediately, setting her down.

"No, Edward—" She began, but I cut her off.

"Listen to me, Anna. "It's dangerous. That axe is made from the Holy Tree. It can hurt even

Banshees, and I'm not willing to risk your life," I said.

Annabelle clenched heer fists.

"I'll be fine," I said, forcing a smile to reassure her. "Trust me. Just rest for me, okay?"

After a moment's hesitation, she nodded reluctantly. Her form shimmered as she retreated

into her Banshee's world, leaving me alone to face Navas.

The moment she disappeared, he was already charging at me.

He gripped the axe with both hands, the sheer force of his movements sending tremors

through the ground. He swung it down, aiming to cleave me in two.

-BOOM!

I narrowly dodged, rolling to the side as the axe struck where I'd been standing moments

before.

I smirked immediately, noticing one of his hands. "Looks like you're a fan of your watery

hand."

The hand I'd severed with Trinity Nihil had been replaced by an arm of flowing, translucent water-a crude but effective substitute.

"You talk too much," Navas retorted.

He swung the axe again, and this time, water erupted from the ground, surrounding me in an

instant. "!"

The liquid prison thickened, its walls shimmering as they solidified. Jets of pressurized water

shot toward me, sharp as blades and fast as lightning.

If I took even one hit, I'd be in serious trouble.

-Crack!

Before I could summon my fire, the water froze. The whips of liquid turned to solid ice,

shattering as a blade sliced through them.

Celeste appeared.

"Finally decided to show up," I said, stepping free of the icy cage as she broke it apart with

her blade.

"Yeah, sorry about the wait," she replied with a strained smile. It was clear she was

exhausted.

I noticed something strange about Celeste-one of her eyes had turned white. I had an idea

about it but now wasn't the time to ask.

Navas was already upon us.

Celeste swung her blade immediately, summoning a thick wall of ice. It was an impressive

defense, but Navas shattered it easily with a single swing of his massive axe.

"Raven Arts!"

Alicia darted in from the side, her rapier thrusting toward Navas's exposed flank with great

speed.

Navas twisted his body at the last second, narrowly dodging the strike, and retaliated with a devastating horizontal swing of his axe.

The sheer speed of his counter was breathtaking. If Alicia took the hit, she wouldn't survive.

But her instincts saved her. She stepped back just in time, avoiding the blade, though the shockwave that followed knocked her off balance and sent her stumbling.

Seeing my chance, I charged.

My body ignited with Vysindra's Fire, the flames coiling around me in six glowing rings. I felt

the fiery fire of the dragon coursing through my veins, burning hotter with each step.

A vertical slit appeared in my amber eyes as the fire surged. My body screamed under the

strain, but I clenched my teeth and pushed forward.

"Burning Claws of Vysindra!"

I roared as I lunged, my fist ablaze with searing purple fire. Fate intertwined with my attack, amplifying its force as I struck.

Navas reacted swiftly, raising his axe to intercept my flaming punch.

-BOOOOOM!

The impact was explosive. Heat and force rippled outward, scorching the air and shaking the

ground beneath us. I felt my finger bones crack under the strain, but I didn't stop.

I poured every ounce of strength into my attack, summoning more fire, more power.

-BOOOOM!

"Urghh!"

A second shockwave rippled outward. This time, the price was steeper-my entire hand shattered, bones splintering from the force of the collision.

Navas held his ground, but I saw him sliding back inch by inch.

Just a little more!

I gritted my teeth and summoned another ring of Vysindra. The purple flames erupted

brighter and hotter.

But then, Navas released his Prana.

Prana and mana burst from him like a tidal wave, and a sharp horn erupted from the right side

of his head. His body swelled, muscles bulging as he unleashed a monstrous strength.

"Damn it!"

In an instant, the tide turned.

Navas pushed back against my broken fist with his axe, and I was forced to retreat under the

weight of his strength. He didn't let up for a moment, his eyes turning cold. Without hesitation, he raised his axe high, preparing to finish me off.

I saw the blade glint as it came down, and for a brief moment, my life flashed before my eyes.

-SPLASH!

At that moment, a giant wall of greenish water erupted between us, blocking the attack and shoving Navas several meters back.

I gasped, the pressure of the water forcing me to my knees. When it finally dissipated, the

swirling liquid began to coalesce into a figure.

The figure stepped forward with a stern expression.

Navas narrowed his eyes, then let a small smile creep onto his lips.

"Reiner."