I Am the Villainess

Chapter XXVIII: Enmity

Delora advanced slowly toward her father, her cold gaze freezing him in place on the cold snow-covered ground. Her face revealed no emotion; she felt numb, with a tinge of joy knowing that her father would finally meet his demise.

"Not once have you ever acted like a father," John's frightened gaze locked onto his daughter's golden eyes. "Not once have you ever acted like a man. Not for me, not for mother, not for Madea." Delora's anger reverberated in her words. "You've doomed us all to horrible deaths. And you will be the next one to fall."

"I'll give you money, Delora! All the money you want! I'll give you land, I'll give you anything!" His pleas fell on deaf ears; Delora had no intention of accepting any of those offers. "Please, Delora! Have mercy on your father!" His screams blended with the rumbles of the burning estate.

"Why should I bother with the concept of mercy when you never showed us any?" Delora's arms lifted, conjuring a torrent of red energy. Sharply shaped, the magic surged toward John's left shoulder, making him recoil from the impact.

"I was greedy!" John cried out, the pain overwhelming him. "I chose the estate over you." His eyes narrowed from pain, fixed on Delora's. "I wish I could turn back time and change everything, but I can't."

"You could be given a dozen chances, you would still choose yourself." Her words dripped with anger and pity. "I'll give you your redemption."

Delora strode with determination toward her father, prepared to end him. In a trance, she grabbed the back of his collar, keeping him in place as she raised her free hand, magic swirling around her arm, ready to strike the final blow. John's gaze remained fixed, trying to maintain bravery at the sight of his impending death.

Although he wished he could fight back, he knew it would be futile. In a corner of his conscience, buried where no one dared to peek, he understood that this was deserved. It was the only way to release himself from the guilt of past sufferings inflicted on the people around him and his own family.

He waited for the blow, but it never came. For a moment, he believed Delora had a change of heart, that she would spare him. That thought quickly soured when she spoke.

"Eligos. Do with him what you may." The mere utterance of his name terrified John; his eyes widened in terror. "I want to see you suffer until the very end." Delora's words dripped with animosity. He knew she meant every word, sentencing him to a fate that mirrored the chaos surrounding them.

''Delora, please, I'm begging you.'' Delora remained stoic in the face of her father's pleas, a cold determination etched across her features. Ignoring his cries, she dragged him towards the looming figure of Eligos, casting him down at the demon's feet with a callous disregard.

"I'll see you in Hell," Delora's parting words carried a chilling finality. In an instant, Eligos, with an otherworldly swiftness, crouched before the man. His elongated fingers deftly located John's jaw, and with a swift, gruesome motion, he ripped the man's face in two. The upper half soared away, leaving a gruesome trail of blood and gore.

Following the macabre display, Eligos repeated the ritual, tearing through the lifeless body before consuming the still-warm heart in a grotesque communion. For a fleeting moment, Delora blinked away, torn between the tragedy unfolding before her and a strange sense of satisfaction. In that instant, she grappled with the realization that, in the end, she might be no better than the man now reduced to a lifeless husk at Eligos' feet—perhaps even worse. The weight of her actions settled on her, casting a shadow on the satisfaction she derived from the demise of her father. There was no denying that she, too, had secured her place in the purgatory awaiting her for the rest of eternity.

As the last echoes of Eligos' feast reverberated, Delora found her voice. "Do you think they'll show up?" she inquired, her eyes fixed on the otherworldly creature crouching before her. With his final bite, Eligos turned his bloodied face toward her, her father's lifeblood still dripping from his chin.

"I can feel her soul getting closer," Eligos declared, rising to his full height beside Delora. His gaze locked on the southern horizon. "The awful sweet smell of her divine power, it makes me want to hurl."

"You can smell her power?" Delora questioned, a mixture of intrigue and caution evident in her tone. "Is it strong?"

"Strong enough, but nothing my own powers can't manage." Eligos emitted a low, beastly snarl as he slouched back down, closer to the ground. "It reeks of holy powers. They'll be here soon."

"Who's 'they'?"

"She brought some paladins and wizards with her. Most of them have concealed their presence, so I can't tell how many they are. Be prepared."

A sudden immersion of white and yellow light illuminated the woods behind the burning estate, a beacon catching everyone's attention. Delora's expression twisted with surprise and determination, acutely aware that this light heralded the beginning of a conflict where everything destined to fall would do so.

''This will be a sight to behold. Next time we see each other, your time will be up.'' Eligos' guttural voice boomed inside of her head, announcing his departure back inside of her. As he turned to dust and his essence found its way back into her body, figures are seen emerging from the woods surrounding Delora. 

Her head twisting and turning around herself, her heart palpitating with adrenaline. She was surrounded by a hundred of them, but fear was the last thing she felt. On the contrary, what she felt was euphoric excitement. There was nothing to hold onto anymore, the limits between what was right and what was wrong was completely tarnished with the desire to reach and end. 

Without a moment to collect her thoughts, shouts resonated around Delora, heralding the advance of a hundred men converging upon her. Swiftly, Delora brought her fingers to her mouth, producing a piercing whistle that reverberated in her own ears. Her eyes darted rapidly, scanning the surroundings as she sensed the magical powers awakening in her adversaries. The mana, like a gathering storm, coalesced, building strength for attacks from afar.

Delora had yet to locate Valeria and Corbeau, the two figures that truly mattered in this moment. With a swift movement of her hand, she deftly blocked the incoming attack— poisoned arrows. A mere graze from one of those would seal her fate.

Her gaze shifted from the scattered arrows at her feet to the heavens above, a formidable screech heralding the ominous arrival of a formidable menace. In the mere blink of an eye, tendrils of searing flames consumed the surroundings, their blistering heat not only liquefying the snow beneath but also claiming the souls of unsuspecting beings caught off guard by the sudden assault.

Delora's eyes darted around her, taking in the chaos as the flames from the Wrunix above melted the pristine snow in every direction. Just as she prepared to take action, a commanding voice echoed behind her.

"Enough!"

The familiarity of the voice strucked a chord, stirring a mixture of emotions within Delora. With a rapid shift of her gaze, discontent flooded her senses, overshadowing any semblance of compliance.