Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

Adam's arms trembled.

It had been over half an hour since the battle began, and still, the monsters kept coming. Their numbers weren't thinning—they were growing.

Right in front of his eyes, he had watched his comrades fall. One by one, his soldiers—men he had trained with, laughed with, bled with—were struck down and silenced forever.

The town that had once buzzed with life, made prosperous by a newly built trade route, now lay in ruins—a graveyard soaked in blood and smoke.

And yet, the town wasn't empty.

The only human left standing was Adam, but the population had not decreased. It had simply changed.

They surrounded him.

Beings that didn't belong in this world—skin glowing red like molten metal, claws long and jagged, eyes wild with hunger. Their teeth bared, twitching with the urge to tear into flesh. Their very presence oozed one thing: a craving for human blood.

Adam held his Shard—a pair of worn batons—so tightly his knuckles turned white. They were the last things tethering him to hope. If he dropped them, he wouldn't live another second.

He didn't want to die.

Not yet.

Not before spending a few quiet years with his wife. Not before seeing his daughter walk down the aisle, glowing with happiness.

But no matter how hard he tried to hold on to hope, some part of him already knew the truth.

He wasn't getting out of this alive.

These demons—though low in rank—numbered over a thousand. And even if he managed to break through, to escape… how far could he really run? How long before he was dragged back, torn apart?

'And even if I make it out… others will die in my place.'

This wasn't just a massacre.

It was a trap. A carefully laid ambush designed for one purpose—him.

"You're a resilient human," came a voice—smooth, feminine, and dripping with mockery.

Adam slowly turned his head and looked up.

A demon hovered above, dark wings spreading lazily as they flapped just enough to keep her afloat. Her blood-red eyes locked onto his with wicked amusement.

He didn't flinch.

"We don't regenerate like worms," he said, meeting her gaze with steel. "That's why we train. That's why we endure."

No fear in his voice.

He hadn't been trained to kneel before monsters.

He had been trained to erase them.

The demoness grinned, her fangs glinting as she hovered just out of reach.

"I really admire your ability to yap nonsense in the face of death," she said mockingly. "You think provoking me will make me angry?"

Adam raised an eyebrow, the corner of his lip twitching in a tired smirk.

"You're not angry?" he said. "So… you just look ugly by default?"

Her smile cracked.

In a blink, she vanished—and reappeared right in front of him, her face twisted in rage. Before he could even register the movement, her hand was around his throat, lifting him off the ground like a ragdoll.

"Guh—!" Adam choked, his legs dangling, vision shaking. His grip tightened around his batons, and he swung desperately, striking her hand.

A sharp crack rang out—but the blow barely left a scratch on her crimson skin.

She didn't even flinch.

If anything, the tiny scratch only made her angrier. Her grip tightened.

Adam's body kicked and twisted—his air was vanishing. And in that moment, he knew.

Mocking her had worked.

Maybe not in the way he wanted—but it had gotten to her.

Pulling him closer until their faces nearly touched, the demoness growled, her voice low and venomous,

"Consider yourself lucky I want you alive. Otherwise, you'd already be a lifeless husk."

Adam's body stiffened.

Alive.

She wanted him alive.

The realization struck him hard—and fast.

Valerie.

That had to be it.

Clenching his jaw, Adam summoned his last ounce of strength. His hands, though trembling, brought his Shard together as he channeled his Soul Energy into them.

There was no escape now, and rather than allowing himself to be used to bait his daughter, Adam preferred to end his life right here and now.

He raised his batons, intending to snap them with the collision.

He drew in a sharp breath, but then—

Dhak!

A sharp blow to his neck. Sudden. Precise. Brutal.

The world tilted.

Darkness claimed him before the batons could connect.

The demoness caught his limp body before it fell and let out a soft, wicked chuckle.

"Now your worth…" she murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "will be decided by how your precious loved ones react to your absence."

She turned toward one of the lower-ranked demons—a hunched, snarling creature with a twisted spine and dull eyes.

With a wave of her finger, she pointed to its chest.

The creature groaned, throat gurgling in discomfort, but didn't flinch as glowing symbols began to burn themselves into its flesh—a message that would let them know where they could find him.

The demoness grinned, eyes gleaming with sadistic delight.

"This," she whispered, "is going to be very interesting."

°°°°°°°°°°

"Mmm…"

Averis stirred, mumbling softly as consciousness slowly returned to her. She felt unusually warm, cocooned in a strange sense of comfort—though she could already tell this wasn't her bed.

And then her eyes fluttered open.

"Ah!" She jolted upright, breaking free from the arms holding her.

Her sudden movement startled everyone in the room.

Her eyes widened—not from fear, but sharp, fiery aggression—as she glared at Austin.

"Don't assume I've forgiven you!" she snapped, pointing a trembling finger at him, doing her best to look furious.

Austin blinked at her, letting out a soft, helpless sigh.

"I'm not assuming anything," he said gently. "You looked tired… so your big brother carried you."

"What big brother?!" she shot back, arms crossed as she turned away from him with a scoff. "You're no one to me!"

But the moment her gaze swept across the room, she froze.

Valerie was sitting there, calm and collected.

"Hello, Avy," Valerie said with a small smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Averis stood there, stunned. Her mouth opened slightly as she struggled to find words.

"You're still… with him?" she finally asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "Even after how he treated you?"

Compared to Averis, Valerie had endured far worse.

Austin had only yelled at Averis once—said things he shouldn't have, yes. But to Valerie… he had done more than just raise his voice.

He had shut her out.

Day after day, he ignored her. Pushed her away. Insulted her with silence more painful than any words.

It wasn't a single outburst.

It was slow, quiet torture.

And yet… here she was.

Still by his side.

Valerie rose from her seat and slowly approached Averis, her steps quiet, deliberate. She gently placed her hands on the girl's trembling shoulders, grounding her in place.

In a voice as soft as a whisper, she spoke,

"You're right. He treated me badly… worse than I ever expected. And I can only imagine how much it hurt you too."

Her words weren't dramatic—just honest. Warm. Understanding.

"I know how you must've felt," she continued, her eyes tender. "Because… we both love him more than anyone else, don't we?"

Averis's brows twitched. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she turned her face away.

She didn't answer.

But her eyes—those stubborn, conflicted eyes—were glistening. The anger she tried so hard to hold onto was slipping through the cracks.

She did love him. And that made everything hurt even more.

Valerie smiled gently and cupped Averis's cheek, guiding her to look back.

"But everyone deserves a second chance, no?" she said softly. "He made a mistake. A painful one. But if we don't even give him the chance to make things right… wouldn't that be unfair, too?"

Averis didn't respond right away.

But her breathing slowed.

And her eyes wavered.

She was breaking—and beneath that anger was a heart desperate to forgive.

Austin heaved a sigh and said, "Okay, let's go and have dinner. We haven't had anything since morning." He knew forcing her to take any decision right away would be unfair so he decided to give her some time.

Valerie smiling nodded before she ushered Averis, "Let's go?"

However, "I won't go out. Just because you apologize doesn't mean I will suddenly have a change of heart." She walked away from Valerie and sat down on her bed, with her back facing them.

In a heavy voice she said, "You all leave."

Valerie looked at her Lord with a troubled look but Austin didn't appear to be bothered at all.

Sitting back down on the couch, he told the butler, "Sebastian, please bring everyone's food here. Let's have a family dinner here."

Averis flinched and turned to look at him with her lips parted.

Valerie smiled happily. It has been a while since they all shared a meal.

Sebastian smiled warmly as he bowed slightly and said, "As you wish, my Lord."

Finally, the family was reuniting.

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.