Struggling as a Villain

Richard stood in the observation tower, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield below. Thousands of warriors clashed, their weapons flashing under the blood-red sky. The air was thick with the scent of iron and burnt flesh.

The Crimson Clan's defenses were holding, but barely. Their warriors, cloaked in black and red, fought with savage determination, their fangs bared. Yet, the Asian Alliance pressed forward, their ranks disciplined, their war beasts tearing through the front lines.

He could see the number of vigilantes attacking the base exceeded his expectations. On estimation, they were above several thousand, along with their tamed monsters and tech support.

"How in the world have they infiltrated the outer ring?" Richard asked Lena since the outer ring was incredibly durable and something that Richard himself tested recently. He even has to utilize several six-circle magic to demolish the protective ring.

"There is one mage in there who can nullify the magic sequence. And since the outer ring is fueled with magic..." Lena paused as she saw the radar picking on entities infiltrating the base from under the ground.

Richard frowned, "They are using burrow fiends to create infiltration passage."

"They would instantly get behind our forces and annihilate them." There was a tinge of concern in Bella's voice, however, the sense of agitation was far more vivid.
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Her aura made the observatory room seem smaller as she asked, "Brother, I should go and support them."

Richard thought for a moment before saying, "They are too mixed up for an AOE attack. You need to be careful, Bella."

The raven-haired nodded, "I will be." Saying so, the woman tore through the window and launched toward the sea of soldiers.

"Emily," Richard turned towards the blond girl, "I want you to crush those enemy ships with your barrier."

"Understood."

Lena pressed the button, and the glass of the roof parted from the middle before Emily jumped into the air.

She stretched out her hand, and a massive invisible force spread across the sky.

Then, she clenched her fist.

A deep groan echoed as her barrier tightened around the ship like an iron grip. The metal hulls creaked, twisted, and caved in as if crushed by an unseen giant. Soldiers screamed, scrambling to escape, but the pressure only grew stronger.

The largest warship, still brimming with weapons, let out a horrific shriek as its body snapped in half. The debris dropped and caused wreckage, dragging screaming men into the depths of the abyss.

One by one, the ships imploded, their metallic frames bent like fragile glass before dropping to the ground. Within moments, what was once a mighty fleet had been reduced to nothing but fallen debris and dying echoes.

"That's ...a very strange way of using a Barrier..." Lena couldn't help but feel that the warriors of Clion are naturally built differently.

Richard heaved a sigh as he levitated out of the watch tower, his form remaining human before he thought,

"I guess these beasts need to be tamed out first..."

Closing his eyes, Richard connected with the core of the world. His consciousness became one with the Aembr traveling across the planet; each being was connected with him.

Filtering out those who were not on the battlefield, Richard called out,

'Identify your true lord. The one who stands above all, the one your instincts bow to. Cast aside the false chains that bind you and heed the call of the rightful ruler.'

A powerful ripple spread across the battlefield as Richard's voice echoed—not through the air, but through the very essence of life itself. The connection ran deep, reaching everyone being bound to the world's core.

The monsters in the midst of battle hesitated. Their roars faltered, and their claws stopped mid-swing. Some turned their heads, ears twitching as if hearing an ancient command buried in their instincts. The war beasts of the Asian Alliance trembled, confusion flashing in their eyes.

A low growl of satisfaction escaped his throat as Richard voiced, "Now, this is going to be fun."

On a single command, he directed all the beasts to attack the ones they had been fighting for.

It was a mayhem, seeing hundreds of beasts lunging at the Asian Alliance's troops and the militants from the Crimson's side, exploiting the chance to open fire at the enemy.

Not to talk about, Bella now has enough space to launch some of the most terrifying spells known to mankind.

Her presence alone on the battlefield broke the confidence of several soldiers as they began backing off—only to be blocked by an invisible barrier that had completely surrounded the battlefield.

Lena heaved a sigh, witnessing the sight of the changing tides of the war.

Just a few minutes ago, it seemed that the Asian Alliance might completely overwhelm them; however, now, things have completely shifted.

'With them here, I shouldn't worry about the Crimson Clan's safety.'

°°°°°°°°

Back on the island named after Clion, Amelia was currently sleeping soundly while Lilia and Violet were in the room with her.

Bellarine and Rena were currently standing outside the room and having a light lunch.

"How have you been doing lately?" Bellarine suddenly asked as she gracefully sliced the meat before coating it with the reddish-brown sauce and bringing it to her lips.

Rena shrugged, "Just fine. I can eat, sleep, and spend time with my brother and Richard. More than fine...it seems perfect."

Bellarine raised her brows, "But you dislike it, no? The situation of war?"

Rena exhaled an audible breath before asking, "I mean, everyone dislikes this feeling of living under constant fear of what would happen tomorrow. Thankfully, the apocalypse has allowed us to become accustomed to this feeling."

Bellarine rested the fork and knife on the plate and wiped her mouth before she asked, "And what about after the war? Will you be able to stay away from the battlefield?"

Rena was taken aback, "Will Aembr and those big human groups disappear after the war?"

Bellarine shook her head, ushering Rena to say, "So surely, it's impossible to live without danger around us."

Bellarine heaved a sigh, "You don't understand, Rena. Baby is aiming to build a world for himself and his loved ones where there would be no place for battles and blood. Will you be able to accept that world?"

Rena paused for a moment. She now realized that this was a test, actually, to see if Rena was up for becoming Richard's partner or not.

Looking at Bellarine dead in the eyes, the brunette straightforwardly stated, "My obsession with Richard is far greater than my fondness to anything else. So there is no chance for me not to follow him."

Bellarine further asked, "If you say so, then I assume you have already assumed me as the head wife of my baby, right?"

Rena smirked, "That is still undecided."

Bellarine glared at the girl, but before she could have said anything,

"Madame Duchess!" Lilia's voice echoed from the other side of the door.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.