I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 517: [Event] [Elven Utopian War] [56] Celeste And Alicia VS Kendel Teraquin

Chapter 517: [Event] [Elven Utopian War] [56] Celeste And Alicia VS Kendel Teraquin



At the borders of Zestella, Alicia faced Kendel.

The disparity between their abilities was evident. Alicia had reached the seventh Ascension, an impressive feat by most standards at her age. But Kendel stood at the pinnacle of the eighth, his strength and skill radiating a clear gap in experience between them. Despite the odds, Alicia held her ground. Her years of rigorous training and her innate talents as a royal Princess were the only reasons she had lasted this long.

Vampires were renowned for their resilience. As long as blood coursed through their veins, they could endure. And Alicia, as a royal, possessed an extraordinary reservoir of both blood and regenerative prowess. Yet even with these advantages, the pace of the battle was wearing her down.

Kendel moved fast, his sword carving through the air in blinding arcs. Alicia parried and countered, her rapier a blur of silver, but his attacks pushed her closer and closer to her limit. Then, as she shifted to evade, her pendant-its amber jewel gleaming faintly in the dim light -slipped into view.

Kendel's eyes caught the sight, and his lips curled into a triumphant smirk.

'She brought it straight to me.'

To Kendel, this was nothing short of divine providence, a blessing from Freyja or even Eden himself. He had planned to infiltrate Ravenia, to scheme and fight for the Seed of Eden. Yet here it was, dangling before him, a prize begging to be claimed. The time and forces he would save by securing it now were immeasurable.

With a surge of confidence, Kendel launched a powerful swing, his sword crashing against Alicia's rapier and throwing her off balance. Seizing the moment, he reached out toward her exposed neck, his fingers curling toward the pendant that hung there. Victory was within his grasp-

But Alicia was faster. In a dazzling display of agility, she bent backward, her body arching gracefully as she somersaulted out of reach. She landed nimbly on her feet, her crimson eyes locking onto Kendel with narrowed eyes.

Kendel's hand hovered momentarily in the void before he retracted it, unfazed. His smirk deepened.

"I never would have believed that Lazarus Raven or Cyril would let you participate in this war," Kendel said, puzzled.

His disbelief was genuine. Victor was one thing-he was merely a Half-Blood. But Alicia? The sole princess of the Raven House? Her presence here was unthinkable.

Alicia remained silent, her lips pressed into a tight line.

Kendel's sharp intuition didn't miss a thing. His eyes glinted as he pieced it together.

"Ah, I see. You left on your own," he chuckled amused. "That's quite daring of you. At least now I can say with certainty that you're not part of any agreement between the Raven House and Utopia."

"...!" Alicia's eyes widened in shock, her breath catching as Kendel's words sank in. When her mind finally registered the implications, she murmured faintly, "Agreement?"

Now it was Kendel's turn to look surprised. He raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading for a brief moment. "Your grandfather didn't tell you? Nor Cyril?" He scoffed, his tone dripping with mockery. "They struck a deal with Utopia so that Lazarus Raven wouldn't take part in this war -nor his Kingdom. It's not hard to see why. Your grandfather is a Demigod, after all. A threat no one wants to face."

"I-Impossible..." Alicia whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

If what Kendel said was true, it would mean her Kingdom had betrayed Sancta Vedelia, aligning themselves with Utopia much like the Teraquins.

"Believe what you will, but it's the truth. Why else would your Kingdom abstain from the war? To conserve their strength?" He chuckled darkly. "Don't be naïve. They're waiting- biding their time. They want Sancta Vedelia and Utopia to tear each other apart, so they can rise as the dominant power in the aftermath."

Alicia's lips trembled, and her grip on the hilt of her rapier tightened until her knuckles turned white.

"It's a clever plan, I'll admit," Kendel sneered. "But unfortunately for them, I'll be the one to come out of this war as the victor."

In an instant, Kendel vanished from his spot, reappearing in front of Alicia with his sword already swinging down in a blur of motion.

-BAM!

The clash of metal reverberated through the battlefield as Celeste's blade intercepted Kendel's strike, deflecting it with enough force to send him skidding backward.

Alicia blinked, startled by the sudden intervention. When she turned, she saw Celeste standing protectively in front of her.

Celeste's gaze flicked to Kendel, then back to Alicia.

Victor had warned me. He said something didn't sit right-he suspected our House might be involved with Utopia. Celeste at first didn't believe him. She thought he was overthinking things. But...the truth was undeniable now, and Celeste could see how deeply it affected Alicia.

Her family, her Kingdom, were complicit in the horror striking Sancta Vedelia.

"Alicia," Celeste called out

Alicia looked up hesitantly.

"You're not part of this," Celeste said with a serious gaze. "Do you understand?"

"I—I..." Alicia bit her lip hard, drawing blood as she struggled to compose herself.

Celeste smiled faintly. "Let's focus on what we can do now. We'll defeat Kendel together. That will put an end to much of the fighting in Sancta Vedelia."

Alicia stared at Celeste for a long moment before nodding. "Yes, Senior."

Then Celeste and Alicia turned toward Kendel.

Kendel chuckled, shaking his head as though amused. His gaze darkened, a smirk spreading across his face.

"You are both strong, I admit, but for whom do you take me?" His voice suddenly lowered.

with disdain

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled violently.

-BOOOOM!

Deep cracks spread like veins, and from the earth emerged ancient roots, twisting and splitting apart with unnatural speed. The writhing mass of roots began to form a towering, monstrous figure-a hulking creature of wood and bark, five meters tall.

Two golden horns, shimmering faintly with radiant Prana, crowned its head. Its glowing green eyes pierced through all knights.

Alicia and Celeste froze momentarily, their wide eyes fixed on the abomination that now loomed behind Kendel.

Kendel spread his arms as he stared coldly at the two Princessed. "I am Kendel Teraquin, Prince and King of the Royal and Noble Lineage of Teraquins. A mere Human and Vampire can

do nothing against me!"

The creature opened its massive maw, a soundless roar resonating through the battlefield. Ominous green vines shot out at incredible speed, hissing as they sliced through the air

toward Alicia and Celeste.

"What is this?!" Celeste blurted out in shock, narrowly dodging the onslaught of deadly vines.

Alicia, equally startled, managed to evade but struggled to catch her breath. "I-I've read about this before..." She muttered, her gaze locked on the monstrous entity. "The Teraquins

had the ability to control Tree Spirits."

"Tree Spirits?" Celeste asked not understanding.

Alicia nodded, recovering her breath. "Yes, they were born during the Divine Era, when the Gods themselves walked among mortals. These spirits would appear to aid the people. But they've been extinct for centuries-or so we believed."

Her words faltered as her eyes lingered on the creature, almost awestruck despite the danger.

"Is it dangerous?" Celeste asked, her grip tightening on her blade.

Alicia's answer never came. The creature's gaping maw began to glow ominously, a concentrated greenish Prana gathering within it. The energy pulsed with devastating strength, making the very earth tremble beneath their feet.@@@@

"Senior. We have to stop it, or else—"

She turned to Celeste but Celeste stood rigid, her wide eyes glowing an unnatural white.

"Senior!"

Celeste's mana reserves were nearly depleted, gasping for breath.

Despite her battered state, Celeste smiled faintly.

The threat was gone.

But the battle wasn't over.

Kendel stood amidst the destruction, his expression unreadable as he regarded the lifeless,

frozen Tree Spirit. Slowly, his gaze shifted to Celeste.

"As expected of the Prophetess," he said, honestly impressed. "Such power... It would have

served far better within our family."

He added before raising his sword. He seemed exhausted but he had enough strength to deal

with an exhausted Alicia and Celeste obviously.

Alicia immediately stepped in front of Celeste, her rapier raised defensively as she glared at

Kendel.

But Kendel didn't care. He could easily deal with both of them in their current state even though he was himself exhausted. "Now, I'll take both the Prophetess and the Seed. Zestella won't last long after this blow."

"Didn't you need the Prophetess alive?"

Suddenly a new voice rang.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. A suffocating pressure descended upon the battlefield,

forcing both Alicia and Celeste to the ground. Kendel turned toward the source of the voice, his expression hardening.

From the battlefield emerged an imposing figure. His green eyes glinted lightly, and his long

coat billowed behind him as he approached.

Both Alicia and Celeste froze in recognition.

It was him.

The man who had dared to attack the Dolphian Capital, leading a raid so audacious it left

Sancta Vedelia in shock. He was the one who had stolen the Behemoth's Horn from the

Dolphian Royals-Navas Dolphis.

"What are you doing here?" Kendel asked not even bothering hiding his disgust.

Of course he hated humans but Hybrids were at the top.

Navas smiled, unbothered by Kendel's insult. "I'm here because the Utopian King was

worried. Afraid you'd fail-again."

"Fail?" Kendel's tone turned icy as he gestured toward the battered Celeste and the struggling Alicia. "I already have the Prophetess and the Seed. My task is nearly complete."

Navas took a step closer. Alicia gasped, her knees threatening to buckle under the sheer force of his aura.

9th Ascension.

When Navas turned his gaze toward her and Celeste, Alicia flinched. Even Celeste felt an involuntary shiver run through her.

"I see," Navas muttered, his smile widening as he stepped forward.

But just as Navas moved, a flicker of violet light streaked through the air.

In an instant, the violet blur was upon him.

-SPURT!

Navas stared in surprise as his right hand was severed cleanly, the dismembered limb flying

through the air before landing with a dull thud.

The violet blur skidded to a stop, tumbling awkwardly to the ground before scrambling

upright.

"...!" Celeste gasped as her eyes fell on the figure.

It was him.

The person she had yearned to see all this time.

Amael stood there, his chest heaving, a wide smirk spreading across his face despite his

evident exhaustion. In his hand was Trinity Nihil, its blade glowing with a divine white light

and particles of white sand swirling around it.

"Amael Idea Olphean..." Kendel muttered darkly.

Navas turned his gaze to his severed hand on the ground before slowly raising his eyes to

Amael. A murderous glint flashed in his green irises.

Amael felt an icy chill run down his spine, but before the confrontation could escalate further,

a new force intervened.

-SPLASH!!!

A massive wall of water erupted between Amael and Navas, a swirling tsunami of elemental

that engulfed everything in its path. The torrent surged toward Navas and Kendel with

incredible force, dividing the battlefield.

Navas's eyes narrowed. He leapt through the watery barrier, but when he emerged on the

other side-

Amael, Alicia, and Celeste were gone.