To Love A Villain

Under attack

I felt like a fool, my legs felt weak

What am I even doing here? I was so happy when I healed a finger but this is my reality. I can barely heal a finger...

That's all I'm worth. I fell to my knees at the energy drained from me.

But as I half-stood amidst the chaos and despair of the city, a sudden blast of magic erupted in the distance behind me, illuminating the sky with a dazzling display of orange, and sent a gust of violent wind in my direction that blew my hair. My eyes widened in awe and my heart skipped a beat.

I shot my head around and watched the spectacle unfold.

The first blast, a brilliant burst of fire, lit up the night sky with tongues of flame that danced and flickered with an intensity that seemed to defy the darkness itself. With each explosion, waves of heat radiated outwards, engulfing the corrupted creatures in a blazing inferno that consumed them with merciless efficiency.

"Hael," The name just slipped out of my mouth.

Following closely behind, a blast of ice shattered the air with a piercing cold that sent shivers down my spine. In its wake, frost spread like tendrils across the ground, encasing the corrupted creatures in a prison of icy despair that left them frozen in place, their movements slowed to a crawl and then ceased.

Bursts of earth magic erupted from the ground with a rumble that shook the very foundations of the city. Rocks and debris flew through the air with deadly precision, pummeling the corrupted creatures with unrelenting force and crushing them beneath a barrage of earth and stone.

The mages were at work,

The master, along with the archmages were here

But

Where I was standing, there wasn't a single mage there. No one had reached this part of the city! As chaos reigned in the streets, my heart pounded with fear as I realized I was alone, surrounded by a stampede of panicked people fleeing from the miasma-corrupted animals that prowled the city like shadows in the night. With no mage nearby to protect me, I felt vulnerable and exposed, a lone target in the midst of the chaos.

And then, from the shadows, a panther emerged with a menacing growl, its eyes gleaming with a feral hunger as it stalked towards me with predatory intent.

!!!

My breath caught in my throat as I backed away, my mind racing with desperate thoughts of escape.

But the panther closed the distance between us with frightening speed. I fumbled to my feet and moved, but with each step it took, my heart hammered in my chest, the sound deafening in my ears as terror threatened to consume me whole.

Frantically, I searched for any means of escape, but the streets were a maze of chaos and confusion, with no clear path to safety in sight. The panicked cries of the fleeing crowd echoed in my ears, a cacophony of fear and desperation that only served to heighten my own sense of dread.

With no other options left, I braced myself for the inevitable confrontation, steeling my resolve as the panther lunged towards me with claws bared and teeth. In that moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl, every heartbeat echoing in the stillness as I prepared to face my greatest fear head-on. I brought my arms ahead in defense, my body moving backwards, and I was already falling before I knew it.

But just as the panther was upon me, its claws slashing through the air with deadly precision, a sudden blur of movement caught my eye.

In the blink of an eye, someone was in front of me. He clashed his sword with the beast and pushed him off while I fell butt flat on the ground.

Ahin!

I couldn't be more glad to see him but my joy didn't last when I saw another panther coming in to join the one already facing Ahin

Oh No...

I scrambled to my feet when Ahin gestured to me with his hand to stay put, "Stay behind me," He said and I didn't move.

As the miasma-corrupted panthers lunged forward with a menacing growl, Ahin's instincts kicked into overdrive, his muscles tensing with a readiness born of years of training and experience. With a calm determination in his eyes, he braced himself for the coming onslaught, his sword held firmly in his grip as he prepared to face his adversaries head-on.

The first panther sprang forward with lightning speed, its claws slashing through the air as it aimed for Ahin's throat. But Ahin was ready, as he sidestepped the attack with a swift, fluid movement, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he countered with a swift strike of his own.

The blade connected with a resounding clang, sending sparks flying as it met the panther's claws in a clash of steel and fur. With a grunt of effort, Ahin pushed back against the creature's assault.

But even as he battled against the first panther, the second lunged forward with a ferocious snarl, its teeth bared and eyes blazing with a feral hunger. With no time to spare, Ahin spun on his heel, his sword arcing through the air with deadly precision as he met the creature's attack head-on.

I was awe-struck as I watched him.

The two adversaries clashed in a whirlwind of motion, their movements a blur of speed and agility as they fought tooth and nail for supremacy. With each swing of his sword, Ahin drove the panther back with a barrage of strikes.

It took him some analyzing but after a few more strikes, Ahin redoubled his efforts, his movements becoming more fluid and precise. He finally laced his sword with magic and as the panther jumped towards him, he cut it in half.

This was closely followed by the second panther attacking. Ahin kept his sword laced as he threw it in the air as soon as the second panther jumped towards him. The sword pierced the beast's throat, leaving it gaping open. He delivered the finishing blow with that move that sent the panther crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

My God...

As the creatures lay motionless at his feet, Ahin pulled his sword out, then turned to me with a weary smile, his chest heaving with exertion

"Are you alright," He came to me, his sword dripping with black blood.

"Yea..." I nodded, "I'm fine," But I noticed his worried expression, "Are you alright?"

He paused, "Yea," He gulped, his eyes darting around the place, as if he was looking for someone.

"Ahin," I grabbed his hand, "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" When I grabbed his hand, he looked at me, startled, "Oh, um," His eyes started moving around again, "I can't find Rika,"

!!!

***

>>Hael

I watched as I stood in the sky. That girl Rika, that oaf's little sister, was surrounded by wild corrupted beasts.

Hmmm

If this girl dies like this, that oaf would be distressed enough to forget about My Lady, right?

He's a nuisance and I would like him gone, so this is a good opportunity.

I relaxed and sat down on the magic invisible chair I made with magic in the sky and watched as Rika tripped on the road.

The wild beasts surrounded her before she could get up and the moment she raised her head to look up, she was face to face with a black panther.

Dread was imminent in her eyes but before she could react the beast attacked her.