I Am The Game's Villain Chapter 327 [Event] [Dolphian Kingdom Under Ruins] [13] John

"S-S–SE–SELENE?!!!" Alia's voice, booming with unexpected intensity, reverberated through the room following Selene's bombshell revelation.

The air thickened with tension after Alia's declaration, sparking a flurry of reactions ranging from disbelief to outright shock.

"Surely, you jest!"

"It must be so sort of prank!"

"But... he's a known criminal!"

"Well, he does have a certain charm..."

"Regardless! He hails from a less esteed realm!"

"And Alia, she's a Princess of Sancta Vedelia!"

"There is no freaking way!!"

Amidst the cacophony, Alia's complexion shifted from flushed embarrassnt to a ghostly pallor as the realization of her parents' likely overhearing dawned upon her.

Cautiously, she lifted her gaze to et her father's furious glare, while her mother attempted to diffuse the escalating tension.

"Are you kidding …?" Adrian, furrowing his brows deeply, struggled to reconcile the revelation, his gaze darting between his sister and John. Their occasional clashes had seed rely contentious to him, leading him to believe they simply harbored animosity toward each other.

"Ah, sister," Elizabeth sighed, her palm eting her forehead in exasperation, a rueful shake of her head accompanying the gesture. Selene had always been indifferent to the opinions of others, leaving Elizabeth to pick up the pieces of her sister's recklessness, particularly when it involved conversations with Victor.

"Classic Selene," Victor said, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

"This isn't funny Victor... I'm genuinely concerned for Alia," Celeste retorted, her gaze shifting from Adrian's stoic deanor to the troubled expressions of the King and Queen.

Whether it was Alia or herself, they were no different from royalty in other nations; their lineage and status were held in the highest regard, making them pri targets for strategic marital alliances sought after by kingdoms across the globe. As the heads of their respective families and as parents, Celeste and Alia's parents shared the common desire to secure advantageous matches for their children, preferably with other influential royal families.

So, it ca as a shock to many when news of Amael and Elizabeth's engagent surfaced. Amael, not of royal descent nor a mber of the main branch of the Olphean Family, defied conventional expectations. Yet, it was known that Amael still carried the esteed Olphean bloodline, and more significantly, hailed from the prestigious Falkrona House. This revelation altered the landscape significantly, prompting Duncan Tepes to push for the engagent with fervor.

"The real concern should be for him..." Cylien muttered, his gaze fixed on John, who wore an expression of extre irritation since Selene's revelation.

Jas Raven shook his head in exasperation before raising his hand high. "Begin!"

Selene wasted no ti in seizing the initiative, darting towards Alia with purpose.

"I'll handle her! You deal with the rest!" Alia commanded her companions before engaging Selene head-on.

With a resounding splash, Alia swung her sword, conjuring a barrier of tumultuous water to intercept Selene's jet-black rapier. The crimson veins coursing through Selene's blade pulsed ominously as it pierced through Alia's watery defense.

"Catch her!" Alia bellowed, using her free hand to conjure a torrent of water from the ground, erupting in a violent explosion that caught Selene off guard, hurling her backward.

Midair, Selene swiftly adjusted her stance and thrust her rapier forward. "Tepes Art: First Movent," she intoned, a line of blood emanating from her blade, hurtling toward Alia with deadly precision.

"Raging Waters of Anuket!" Alia countered, her voice echoing with power as she unleashed a barrage of water tendrils from her blade, intercepting Selene's bloodline attack in a spectacular clash. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

Selene twisted gracefully in the air, evading the majority of the water tendrils but unable to dodge them all. One grazed her arm, leaving a shallow gash that quickly closed as her vampiric bloodline kicked in

Undeterred, Selene landed lithely on her feet, her eyes narrowing as she assessed Alia with a predatory gaze, slits appearing in her crimson eyes. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a wave of dark blood hurtling towards Alia, who countered with a wall of water, the two forces colliding in a chaotic explosion of power.

-BOOOOM!

As the dust settled, Alia charged forward, her sword gleaming with boiling water but a sudden dark red fireball appeared in her vision. She quickly swung her sword.

-BOOOOOOM!

The forceful impact sent her tumbling backward, but she swiftly regained her footing, her gaze fixed firmly ahead.

"Take this seriously," John scoffed, his entire being enveloped in a sinister crimson blaze.

"What are you doing?" Selene questioned, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Given the predicant you've landed us in, I'll handle the rest for now," John retorted sharply, his eyes flashing with intensity.

Selene regarded him for a beat before turning her attention towards Alia's companions, who were locked in combat with her own allies.

"What do you think you're..." Alia's words trailed off as John interrupted her with a decisive gesture.

"Curse of Hecate: Fireball," John uttered, his hand outstretched as a dark aura coalesced into a blazing sphere hurtling towards their adversaries.

Alia, like the others, felt a shiver run down her spine as she beheld the ominous energy surrounding the fireball.

Reacting swiftly, Alia drew her sword and traced a large, intricate mana circle in the air, channeling potent energy from her bloodline.

"Waterball!" she called out, her voice resonating with authority as the water she summoned took on a dark, foreboding form, colliding with John's fireball.

-BOOOOOOOM!

The collision of the two opposing elents sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Flas and water exploded outward in a fountain of heat, engulfing the field.

Alia gritted her teeth against the searing heat of the flas, her concentration on her mana as she poured all of her energy into maintaining the water barrier. Sweat beaded on her brow as she fought against the overwhelming force of John's curse.

'I-Is that a Curse?'

She had only heard about it but had never fought soone using Curses before and she had to admit it, it was extrely powerful.

"Not yet!" With a surge of willpower, she reinforced her mana circle, channeling even more mana into her waterball as she pushed back against the flas. Slowly, inch by inch, she began to gain ground, her barrier holding strong against the onslaught.

anwhile, John furrowed his brow as he focused into maintaining the fireball, his hand stretched out.

But his fireball flickered and sputtered as it threatened to collapse under the pressure of Alia's dark water.

For a mont, it seed as though the two forces were locked in a stalemate, neither side able to gain the upper hand. The air crackled with tension as the two of them struggled against each other with all of their mana clashing.

"Enough... stop giving that look!" Alia's voice rang out as she poured even more mana into her spell. John's expression remained unchanged, the facade of indifference masking his true feelings towards her. But Alia had grown weary of his facade.

Her mana circle expanded further, pulsating with power. Her erald eyes glowed with a sinister green hue, and dark tendrils of water spiraled around her, wrapping around her arms like threads.

"What... what is that?" Roda muttered, visibly stunned by the spectacle unfolding before them.

"I've never seen anything like this... it's unlike Alia's usual mana," Victor muttered, stealing a glance at Celeste for any insight, but even she was transfixed by the unprecedented display.

"Since when...?" Adrian's voice trailed off, his shock mirroring that of his parents'.

Alia gritted her teeth against the pain, a pained groan escaping her lips as more watery tendrils enveloped her arms..

John, sensing the shift in Alia's deanor, narrowed his eyes, a flicker of realization crossing his features. "This idiot..."

A groan of pain erupted from Alia as she extended her arm once more, the watery tendrils around her writhing violently before rging with the mana circle. Erging from it, they transford into massive whips adorned with thorned mouths, a stark departure from Alia's usual serene mana, tapping into her Bloodline, the divine bloodline of Anuket.

The five thorned whips lood nacingly, instilling fear in the hearts of onlookers before lashing out towards John.

()

"Shut up..." John grunted, his own frustration echoing Hecate's exasperated voice in his mind. He clenched his fist tighter, his eyes ablaze with a deeper crimson hue. With a swift motion, he summoned a fiery sword from his remaining hand.

Despite the gravity of the situation before him, John remained steadfast in his confidence. He sensed that his awakening was progressing, nearing its final stages. His curses had grown in potency, imbuing him with greater power.

With decisive resolve, he dispelled his fireball and propelled himself forward, slashing at the thorny whips that threatened him. Though they regenerated swiftly, he persisted in his assault.

As a third whip lunged towards him, John t it head-on with his blazing sword, incinerating the water with searing heat. Concealed by the billowing smoke, he launched himself into the air, evading another whip's strike by a hair's breadth. Yet, despite his agility, a deep gash appeared across his waist.

"Urgh..." John grimaced, the pain shooting through him as he hastily stabilized his stance. Strangely, the water within the wound seed to gnaw at him from within, intensifying his discomfort.

()

Upon hearing Hecate's urgent words, John swiftly employed his cursed fire to cauterize his wound, enduring the excruciating pain as he did so. But his focus remained fixed on Alia, who was visibly struggling to maintain control. This wasn't the Alia he knew, not entirely. Beneath her familiar exterior, he glimpsed the presence of another, a monstrous entity lurking within her.

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