Struggling as a Villain

Chapter 169: Chapter 168- Betrayal(3)

"Why can't we reveal our powers, Grandpa?! I hate it when they bully me." A seven-year-old Rose grumpily sat on the chair with her chubby arms folded as she sobbed in silence.

The girl always gets bullied and made fun of because of her hair and body, and people use their ether to make fun of her. In response to that, she was forbidden to use magic by her grandfather. It always infuriated her.

The old man across from her rested the book on the table and looked at his granddaughter with fond eyes.

With a sigh, he called out, "Come here, little one. I will tell you something about Sir Eden."

Rose still looked quite displeased but when it was about the founding member of the Dracon Empire, she couldn't stop herself.

Advancing towards her grandfather, she hopped to sit on his lap as the older one softly caressed the child's head and told her,

"Sir Eden was a librarian, someone who helped others find their book and made a small portion of his income out of it. Other than that, he used to sell bread, write articles for others, and also helped the hunters in carrying their load."

Softly he added, "And he used to do all of it even after receiving his powers."

Rose's mouth parted agape in shock, "If he had such a brilliant gift, why didn't he use it to afford a living?"

The older one nodded, "That would have been the most efficient option, but you know why he didn't use his powers, Rose?"

The little one pressed her little finger against her chin, but despite how much she pondered over it, she couldn't get a possible reason.

Her grandfather gave her the answer, "Sir Eden was uncertain about how to use his powers. Aware that his gift was far stronger than most and could easily tip the balance, he hesitated to take sides. Unsure of the right cause to support, he chose to withhold his power until he found a worthy motive."

Taking a pause he added, "A motive that can force him to use the gift he received from the heavens. And when he realised his motive, nothing in the world was able to stop him from standing on his belief until his last breath."

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A multi-caster and an endurance-type beast were the two enemies he was facing. Naturally, Richard couldn't go easy on them or he would be dead in no time.

Rose was, directly or not, connected with the first user of multi-chanting. And he realised it a few days earlier when she showed her vast knowledge about Eden, which was nowhere mentioned. And then he read her thoughts yesterday as well, proving to him that his hunch was right.

Rose is one of the apostles whose existence is devoted to eradicating evil. That is Richard.

Richard clasped his hand and conjured a long staff made out of nothing but the element of flame. He cannot overwhelm Rose's spell and disintegrate her magic using Scarlette's spell-defusing technique. Her ether count and the number of spells she is utilizing at once were quite vast.

He has no other option than to knock her out.

"Here it comes!" Richard braced himself as fiery stone orbs shot toward him, each one tearing through the air at a blistering speed. He dodged his body in a blur of movement, evading the projectiles with practised ease.

Steadying himself, he launched toward the pinkhead, intending to deal some hefty damage to the insane girl.

Realizing herself in danger, Rose chanted a barrier around herself. However,

*CLINK!*

The barrier shattered like glass under Richard's intense gaze, easily dismantled by his magic. With his staff gripped tightly, he charged toward her, intending to knock her out of position and contain her movements. But before he could strike, a sudden wave of blue fire erupted in his path.

Richard scowled, halting mid-air to confront the dragon's blazing fury head-on. It unleashed a relentless stream of flames, eyes narrowed to deadly slits, its jaws parted wide as it aimed to consume him in the inferno.

"How foolish," Richard muttered, barely fazed. He thrust himself forward, cutting through the torrent of blue flames. In a flash, he closed the gap, landing a powerful punch directly between the dragon's eyes.

**GRUOOOOOOOGH!**

The dragon roared, its massive form skidding backwards from the force of the blow.

But Richard had no time to press his advantage. Rose retaliated swiftly, summoning a vortex of water that engulfed him, trapping him in a dense orb of swirling aqua. The water pressed in from all sides, her magic working tirelessly to hold him in place. With every passing second, she expanded the orb, tightening her grip as Richard's flames struggled to break free.

"Ugh…" Richard clenched his fists, feeling his fire being stifled. Frustration mounting, he finally curled inward, gathering his energy, then burst outward, unleashing a wild surge of flames.

**BOOOOOOM!**

The explosion rocked the battlefield, and Rose was flung back, losing her hold on the spell as fire and water collided in a fierce eruption.

Rose's vision swam, her mind sluggish as she tried to piece together what had happened. The impact had left her dazed, but somehow, instinct took over. Darkness clouded her sight as she moved without thinking, driven by a primal, almost feral urge.

Richard barely had time to react as Rose, still on her knees, released a massive surge of sound waves in his direction. The blast cut through the air like a razor, forcing him to twist out of its path. But just as he did, a hulking minotaur appeared behind him, its body exploding on contact with Rose's spell, showering the ground in a splatter of blood and gore.

"Fucking hell…" Richard muttered, glancing over his shoulder as red stained the earth, evidence of the raw force Rose was unleashing. He tried to keep his distance, weaving through the air, hoping she'd burn through her ether reserves. But Rose showed no sign of tiring. Wave after wave of sound ripped through the battlefield, each blast more relentless, tearing apart anything in its path.

The deadly barrage carved through bystanders, too slow or too stunned to react. The sound waves were so powerful that flesh and bone were torn apart in an instant, sending shrill cries of terror echoing through the chaos. Blood splattered across the ground, and bodies dropped one after another, their faces frozen in fear.

Richard gritted his teeth, watching helplessly as over twenty students fell under Rose's attack, each life snuffed out with terrifying ease.

"Jasmine!" he yelled, summoning his shadowy ally. In a flash, she appeared beside him, her demonic wings unfurled, ready to follow orders.

"Get the students out of here, quick! And tell Lilia to focus on the evacuation!"

"As you command, my lord!" Jasmine immediately descended, gathering three students in her arms before soaring away. Others noticed her demonic wings but were too focused on survival to care.

But with the battlefield surrounded by the Ambrobates, leaving wasn't going to be easy. The thick barrier of twisted creatures blocked every exit, their eyes gleaming with dark intent. Richard's gaze returned to Rose. He had to end this fast before more lives were lost.

'I need to stop Rose anyhow now,' he thought, summoning the Ruyi Bang. Rising higher into the air, he waited for the next wave of sound that he knew was coming. Rose's attack streaked toward him, mere inches away. Richard steadied himself, but the force of the sound waves struck him like a wall of hammers.

**KEEWWWWWWWWW**

His head pulsed with intense pain, every nerve vibrating violently as his ears rang, nearly deafening him. His bones felt as if they were rattling apart, his vision blurring with each agonizing throb. It took every ounce of his strength to grit his teeth and withstand the assault. His grip tightened around the Ruyi Bang, twirling it in his hands as he fought to stay focused.

The legendary staff flared with a fierce glow, a volatile surge of energy coiling around it like crackling lightning. The tip of the staff glowed a menacing red, each pulse a warning of the unleashed power ready to strike.

Richard had never used this level of force on anyone, but right now, he had no choice. If Rose couldn't be subdued, he'd have to end this—no matter the cost. A grim resolve hardened in his eyes as he whispered, 'Help me, master...'

Channelling every ounce of power into the staff, Richard rocketed toward Rose, the sheer force of his acceleration breaking the sound barrier with a deafening boom. The pressure tore through the air, creating a shockwave as he closed the gap, his weapon aimed directly at her.

In that instant, the entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath, bracing for the collision of power.

And in the next instance,

**BOOOOOOOOOOOM**

A massive explosion which could easily take down the whole fort and the populace nearby, erupted once Richard's staff made contact with Rose.

If not for the timely barrier which a certain blond girl erected then Richard might have regretted unleashing this attack.

Everything seemed to have come to a pause to witness the result of the attack...however, unlike what one could expect from such a massive attack, Rose wasn't dead. Nor was she harmed.

However, the attack indeed took lives...but not of the person Richard intended to.

"You....!!" With his eyes growing furious, Richard stared at the crimson haired man who came from the Emberclad Empire.

Sacrificing his soldiers, the man defended Rose, and readied himself to take part in this battle.

"Today, the world will see the fake Flame Warden die..."

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A/N:- Yeah, best of luck with that.