Struggling as a Villain

Chapter 168: Chapter 167- Betrayal(2)

So it began.

Chaos ensued upon the school as the divine being from mythic landed on the ground, its mighty presence dawning upon the people, making them realize that their demise was near.

There were thousands of Ambrobates on the island, and more were incoming from all three routes. Their number and strength easily overwhelmed the security soldiers stationed around the Academy.

Most of the students backed away upon noticing the mighty Dragon and some fallen unconscious at the oppressive aura the beast was radiating.

Everyone was either running away, facing the monster or having fallen to their knees in fear.

The sheer pressure that the dragon radiated could easily make one's blood run cold.

The massive dragon had glossy black scales, sharp, gleaming claws, and piercing red eyes. Its wings are vast, leathery, and powerful, stretching wide with each beat. Smoke and faint wisps of flame escape its nostrils as it prowls, exuding a fierce, commanding presence.

Richard sensed no other creature like this in the vicinity and even this one was quite an unexpected presence. Dragons cannot be found on Clion...unless,

'It's someone's familiar...' Richard decided to ponder upon the origin of the beast later since his first job was to erase all the danger as soon as possible.

Marcus has already begun to move, however, his priority as of now lies in securing the guests and the students. Lucy, along with the other soldiers, have already begun their battle against the horde; however, none of them have approached the dragon yet.

'Is it...looking at me?' Richard noticed that the red eyes of the beast were locked in his direction, with smoky flames escaping its nostrils provocatively.

Before Richard could have stepped forward someone crashed into him from behind and hurriedly asked, "Sir Richard! What should I do?" Ethan was in a panic as he looked around himself. Ethan was anxious since mostly all of the beasts around were of a high ranking and could endanger the students' lives. Many have already been severely injured and were being taken away

And the most astonishing part; they kept increasing!

"Ethan, first calm down," Richard rested his hands on the silverhead's shoulders and urged him to take long breaths.

Ethan mimicked the movement and took some long and deep breaths before he heard the other one asking,

"Are you injured somewhere?"

Ethan shook his head, "No...I sensed them coming from a long distance but was so panicked that I wasn't able to call out."

"Thought so," Richard sighed, given Ethan's control over divine essence makes him quite sensitive towards Aembr, "Now, you need to focus on a single thing."

With his eyes parted wide, Ethan asked hesitantly, "That dragon...?" Ethan wouldn't have backed down if Richard had asked him to take care of it. Considering that the beast could cause the most damage to others, Ethan can at least keep it engaged until backup arrives.

However, "No Ethan, your duty is to take everyone to safety." Ethan frowned, warning to say something only for Richard to add, "You see, because the students are in the way, the soldiers aren't able to fight with their all might. And that would end up badly."

Ethan nodded before a fierce determination ignited in his eyes, "I understand, Richard, I will take them all to safety. You can count on me."

Richard nodded before he sent Ethan towards the students.

Returning his focus to the dragon, he found the big reptile now looking intrigued by something.

Richard stepped forward, now this time with clear intentions toward the being who had terrorized others.

A golden staff materialized in his hand, its divine illumination making Richard stand out as the redhead approached the Dragon with confident strides.

The dragon's thick, muscular legs flexed as it braced itself, eyes narrowing with a deadly gleam. Its rows of razor-sharp teeth glinted, and a wave of suffocating heat rolled off it, a clear and final warning to Richard. But Richard didn't flinch.

Without hesitation, he leapt forward, leaving a small cloud of dust in his wake. With a quick shift of ether, he lightened his body, launching himself high into the air. But as he ascended, the dragon took to the sky as well, its massive wings slicing through the air as it closed in with alarming speed. Its jaws parted, revealing a swirling vortex of fire building within its throat.

"Tch," Richard clicked his tongue, his mind racing. He thrust his hand forward, igniting a torrent of flames that met the dragon's fiery breath head-on. The two flames collided in a blinding blaze, the impact sending shockwaves through the air as the opposing forces clashed.

The explosion rocked the ground, everyone's heads snapping toward it. Richard knew he couldn't hold off the spell much longer. He released it, letting himself fall back to the ground.

The dragon spun mid-air, wings thrashing as it dove straight at him, its massive body ready to crush him beneath its weight.

But Richard only smirked. Gripping the Ruyi Bang with both hands, he took a batter's stance, muscles flexing as he tightened his hold.

The dragon showed no hesitation, still barreling down. Just as it was about to hit, the staff surged in size, catching the beast in one swift, brutal swing.

**BOOOOOM!**

The impact echoed, fierce and thunderous, as Richard watched the dragon go flying back, flung by his perfect strike.

The dragon caught itself mid-air, snarling, as smoke curled from its nostrils. Its scales shimmered in the light, black as night, deflecting any sign of weakness. With a deafening roar, it launched a blazing torrent of blue flames toward Richard, fierce and unrelenting.

Richard's eyes narrowed, flames of his own igniting around his hands. With a sharp chant, he threw up a wall of scorching crimson fire, blocking the dragon's assault. The two flames clashed, hissing and sparking in mid-air, each trying to consume the other.

Not waiting for the dragon to regain momentum, Richard unleashed his next spell—a ring of blazing fire that spun around him like a vortex, ready to defend or strike. With a quick flick of his hand, he sent blazing spears from the ring hurtling toward the dragon.

The dragon dodged with surprising speed, weaving through the flames before retaliating with a swipe of its razor-sharp claws. Richard barely dodged, feeling the rush of air as the dragon's claws sliced past, close enough to singe his hair. He leapt back, raising both hands, summoning a blazing circle beneath the creature—a trap of intense flame meant to sear any who stood within.

But the dragon beat its wings, lifting above the fiery ring, undeterred and glaring down with furious eyes.

The dragon's wings beat with power, sending gusts of wind downward that almost knocked Richard off his feet. Its eyes narrowed, filled with a savage intelligence as it spiraled around, preparing for another assault.

Richard felt the intense heat building within him, his own flames swirling at his fingertips. With a swift gesture, he unleashed a wave of blazing orbs, each one sparking with an ember at its core. They shot up toward the dragon, streaking through the air like a fiery storm.

The dragon twisted mid-flight, dodging the majority, but a few orbs struck its scales, erupting on impact. It roared in anger, smoke and embers trailing from its side as it retaliated with a blast of dark, churning fire. Richard held his ground, summoning a shimmering shield of flame that met the dragon's attack head-on.

**WHOOSH!**

The clash of fires whipped around them, casting light and shadow across the battlefield. Richard gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his brow. The shield held, but he knew the dragon wasn't done.

The creature lunged, swooping low, its jaws snapping at him with a savage growl. Richard sidestepped, his body moving on instinct. In one fluid motion, he raised his hand, a searing column of flame erupting from the ground and striking the dragon's wing.

The dragon snarled, but it didn't falter. It angled itself, wing now trailing smoke, and dove again, determined to close the distance.

Richard's smirk returned. He began a rapid chant, his voice like a steady drumbeat. The air around him shimmered with heat, and flames spiralled up his arms, gathering at his palms as he prepared one final, explosive strike.

However, before he could have launched the final strike, someone cast a spell from behind, urging Richard to side step at the last moment.

Turning around his eyes were met by a familiar face, standing there with her hands raised and ready to unleash another attack.

It was Rose.

"You know you don't have to do it, right?" Richard suggested; he seriously didn't want to hurt this girl, knowing she was just forced into this whole mess.

However, Rose was no longer in her sane mind to hear his words, as seven spell circles began to swirl around her, each one of them creating cracks in the air, as they promised a devastating blow.

On the other side, the Dragon also parted its mouth, a red spell circle appearing before its maw, as it seemed the reptile was also planning to go all out with this one.

Richard, who was in between, heaved a sigh, "So you all want violence, eh?"

His body turned crimson, each feature now enshrouded by flames and the only part visible was his featureless eyes.

The members of the Emberclad Empire were frozen at their spot upon noticing him.

The Flame Warden.

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A/N:- We are heading toward the final arc. Maybe like 100 chap more?