I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space - Chapter 308

Chapter 308: Nova X Arabella
Dragonweaver Castle

“Please… this way, madam.”

The woman speaking wore a strict, crimson-red uniform, the Dragonweaver crest embroidered proudly over her chest. She extended her arm in a practiced, respectful gesture, her posture flawless despite the urgency in her movements. She led the way at a hurried pace through the castle corridors, her steps sharp, controlled yet the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead betrayed her true state of mind.

Why has this psychopath come here…?

The thought screamed in the guard’s head as she dared a glance over her shoulder. Nova Virelan followed behind her in absolute silence, her expression unreadable, her presence suffocating. There was no visible hostility, no overt killing intent but that, somehow, made it worse.

Just minutes ago, Nova had descended from the air and struck the main gates of Dragonweaver Castle with such force that the shockwave rattled the entire fortress. For a terrifying moment, every guard believed they were under invasion. Alarms rang. Battle formations were deployed. The castle had gone into full war alert.

And then recognition struck.. Which rather then making it calm made it into chaos.

Nova Virelan is at the gate.

Panic spread faster than fire.

Orders were shouted. Mages took positions. Dragon Knights braced themselves for a fight they knew they could not win. The name alone was enough to make seasoned veterans pale.. Afterall she could just blow one whistle and whole Virelan household assassination unit be here… So they were kinda worried

Bit good for them Nova hadn’t attacked.

She had asked calmly to meet the Dragonweaver matriarch. No threats. No demands. Just words.

I came to talk. Not to fight.

No one believed her ofcourse

But again belief didn’t matter when refusal wasn’t an option.. And knowing she’s crazy doesn’t help anything either

In the end, one woman stepped forward. Brave, foolish, or simply resigned, she volunteered to guide Nova inside. Someone had to. And everyone else was more than willing to let her have the honour.

Outwardly, she maintained her composure. Inside, her heart pounded so violently she was certain Nova could hear it.

She had already discreetly signaled another guard ahead an urgent message sent straight to the matriarch. Whatever happened next, at least the castle wouldn’t be caught unprepared.

After what felt like an eternity, they stopped.

“We… we are here, madam,” the guard said, bowing slightly as she gestured toward a massive gate towering nearly twenty feet high. The doors stood open, revealing the chamber beyond.

Nova did not answer.

She didn’t acknowledge the guard nor slowing her pace. She simply walked past, her footsteps echoing as she crossed the threshold.

The moment Nova disappeared inside, the guard sagged slightly, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

“…That went well,” she muttered under her breath, forcing a weak laugh. “And people say she has mood swings every thirty seconds.”

She straightened again, trying to convince herself. Maybe she’s in a good mood. Or maybe I’m just really good at handling dangerous animals.

With that thought, she turned and retreated to her post. Whatever happened next was no longer her concern. That burden belonged to the matriarch now.

Nova stepped fully into the chamber.

It was enormous a vast training hall carved from reinforced gray marble, its surface scorched and cracked in places. The stone glowed faintly red, still holding onto heat, as though intense combat had taken place mere moments ago. The air itself felt heavy, saturated with lingering mana and pressure.

Her eyes swept the room in one smooth motion.

Two figures stood at its center, engaged in quiet conversation.

One of them immediately stood out.

A man with long, flowing crimson hair that fell past his shoulders like fire frozen mid-motion. His gaze was sharp, fierce burning with intensity and now tinged with a faint orange glow. He wore metallic orange armor that gleamed under the hall’s light, a long red cape draped behind him like the banner of a conqueror.

He looked like something pulled straight from the dreams of countless young nobles a heroic prince astride a white steed, arriving to save the world.

The so-called Chosen One.

Our all lovely protagonist who had finally emerged from his long recovery.

A recovery he needed because of his all around bestfriend Razeal.

Areon Dragonweaver.

Anyways she didn’t care about his face or anything

But

What caught her attention which made her eyes narrow was the mana.

It was leaking from him. Not subtly. Not carefully.

It poured from his body in waves.

Nova could feel it even from a distance the oppressive heat, the sheer density of power pressing against her senses. Her keen perception pierced straight through the surface, and what she saw made her raise one eyebrow in surprise.

Two mana pools.

One sat where it always should deep within the core of his being.

The other pulsed unnaturally at his heart.

Her gaze sharpened.

The heat radiating from him wasn’t just elemental it was overwhelming, unstable, and far more potent than it had been even a month ago. The difference was staggering. Sky and earth didn’t begin to describe it.

Dragon Heart… Nova did not need more than a heartbeat to understand what she was seeing.

The moment her senses brushed against Areon’s presence, the truth unfolded almost automatically in her mind. Two mana pools. One where it should be deep within the core of his being and another, unnaturally close to his heart. That alone was enough to raise alarms in most people.

But Nova was not most people.

No not only dragon heart… she thought, her gaze sharpening almost imperceptibly.

There was something else too. Something layered beneath the raw mana output. His body radiated heat not wild, not chaotic, but dense and persistent, as though his very flesh had learned to burn without consuming itself. Even standing still, Areon was drawing mana and heat from the environment around him. It flowed into him naturally, greedily, like air into a flame-starved furnace.

A constitution? Nova realized. A strong one of that too

Not awakened by chance. Not shallow or borrowed. This was something deeply rooted, something that had fused itself to his body. Fire or heat related magbe… She couldn’t tell the exact nature yet, but the effect was undeniable. With every passing second, his presence felt heavier and seems to be getting stronger.

He was growing even as he stood there.

The difference between the Areon she remembered and the one before her was stark. It wasn’t a gradual change. It was the kind of leap that split a person’s life in two before and after.

And yet, despite all of that, Nova didn’t linger on him.

She didn’t feel threatened or impressed. She just barely felt interested.

Her eyes slid past him almost immediately, moving toward the person she had actually come to see.

Nova was painfully aware of her own reputation. She knew better than anyone that if she wanted to meet Nancy directly, she wouldn’t be allowed to. Not after what had happened days ago.. Dragonweaver family be on full guard towards nancy and even if not.. In truth, most noble families kept their children far away from her anyways. No one wanted Nova Virelan anywhere near their heirs.

So if she wanted answers, there was only one path.

She would deal with the heads of the family themselves.

So now

Only through this way would she be able to reach Nancy and even then, it would be under watchful eyes, in the open, surrounded by guardians strong enough to intervene if Nova decided to snap.

No one trusts her.

Fair enough.. She thought

“I’m happy you succeeded,” Arabella Dragonweaver said, her hand coming to rest on Areon’s shoulder. Her lips curved into a proud grin, and for a brief moment, the wild crimson of her eyes softened with genuine recognition.

She was pleased. Deeply so.

Areon nodded, though the expression on his face lacked the pride one might expect. “Thanks, Mother.”

Then, almost immediately, his brows furrowed.

“But… where is Nova?” he asked, the worry slipping into his voice before he could stop it.

Areon’s voice was calm, yet there was no pride on his face none at all. Instead, faint worry lingered in his eyes, etched too deeply to hide. Beneath that calm exterior, his heart was still suffering.

The secret poison embedded within his draconic heart the one Razeal had given him.. whic had nearly destroyed him.

After that humiliation, he had thrown himself into brutal training. Not out of ambition, but shame. Rage. The unbearable feeling of being powerless. He hadn’t even been able to fight his own battle. Worse he had been manipulated so easily, led like a fool into someone else’s design.

He took so much painful effort not to speak of it. Not to let even a hint of that agony escape his lips. The poison had burned him from the inside out, devouring his strength, his pride, his sense of self. Every breath during that time had felt like punishment.

Still… he endured it.

Now, the poison was gone. His body was stronger far stronger than before. Anyone could see that much.

But happiness?

No.

That never came.

Just as he emerged from his training, still trying to steady himself, he learned something else something that nearly shattered his restraint.

Someone had tried to rape his sister.

Well good thing she got saved which made his relived..

Yet… the irony wasn’t lost on him. The very person who had humiliated him had also saved his sister.

When he heard someone had tried to rape her, his blood had turned cold. The relief that followed knowing she had been saved had left him shaken. Conflicted. The same man who had crushed him had also done something he would never forget.

I’ll have to thank him, Areon admitted to himself. And he meant it.

He had only just returned, barely informed of the full details. He had shown his progress to his mother, demonstrated the strange new constitution he himself didn’t fully understand. When Arabella had explained it to him, he’d actually been worried at first. A power that harmed its wielder was never a blessing.

But now, reassured, his thoughts returned to the one person he hadn’t seen yet.

His sister.

“Well,” Arabella said slowly, her smile flickering as she sensed a familiar presence approaching, “I’ll tell you.. but it seems you’ll need to wait.”

Areon blinked. “Wait? For what?”

Her smile widened. Far more than it should have.

“We have a guest.”

A guest?

Areon followed his mother’s gaze, finally turning toward the entrance of the hall. He had been so absorbed in his own recovery, his own thoughts, that he hadn’t even noticed someone entering.

The moment he saw her, his expression collapsed.

His lips twitched.

What is this crazy woman doing here…?

Nova Virelan walked towards them calm and silent, her presence alone warping the atmosphere of the hall. Areon’s instincts screamed at him to step back and he listened.

He moved without thinking, retreating half a step, instinctively placing distance between himself and her. Not out of fear, exactly but self-preservation. Areon was many things, but he wasn’t stupid.

Nothing good ever came from getting involved in Nova Virelan’s business.

He knew that much.

Strength didn’t mean recklessness. Being powerful didn’t mean slamming your head into a mountain just to prove you could. That kind of thinking was reserved for lunatics and Nova was frighteningly close to fitting that category.

Let Mother handle her, he decided instantly. Arabella was the only person he could think of who might actually match Nova’s madness.

Two dangerous women meeting in the same room.

Areon resisted the urge to turn around and walk out.

Instead, he stayed where he was, standing quietly behind his mother, hoping .. No praying that these two women’s would ignore his presence entirely.

He didn’t want to be involved.

“Ohhh, what do you want now?”

Arabella Dragonweaver though didn’t even bother hiding her amusement. She leaned slightly forward as she spoke, one hand resting lazily on her hip, the other gesturing in the air as if Nova’s very presence were an entertaining inconvenience.

“Even coming all the way to my castle,” she continued, her lips curling into a grin that bordered on feral. “If this is about declaring war again, I’d like to say no in advance. I’m terrified.”

Her tone made it painfully clear that she was anything but.

Her long crimson hair flowed freely down her back, catching the light as she moved, the vivid red strands shifting with every subtle motion of her body. She wore a tight red-and-white combat uniform, designed less for modesty and more for dominance. The fabric clung to her form unapologetically, emphasizing every sharp line and powerful curve. When she turned toward Nova, the movement made her chest rise and fall noticeably, the fabric stretching in a way that was impossible to ignore.

She smirked wild, unrestrained and very deliberately provocative.

Nova’s gaze followed the motion without expression.

Her eyes tracked the brief movement of Arabella’s chest with clinical indifference, then lifted calmly to meet the Dragonweaver matriarch’s face. A face Nova privately categorized as extremely punchable. But she didn’t react. Not even a twitch.

She wasn’t here for games.

“I’m here for your daughter,” Nova said flatly. “I need to meet her.”

There was no hesitation. No polite phrasing. or request.

It was a statement.

Arabella blinked once slowly then crossed her arms beneath her chest, her smirk widening as she looked Nova up and down with exaggerated scrutiny.

“You want my daughter?” she repeated. Then she laughed, a low, amused sound. “Wow. That’s definitely not how you ask for someone’s hand.”

She tilted her head, feigning thoughtful consideration.

“And let me tell you what you’re doing wrong,” Arabella continued cheerfully. “First go back. Second ask your mother to put you back where she got you out from. Third tell her that this time she should have a boy.”

She tapped her own temple with a finger.

“And maybe ask her to screw a few bolts in here too. Yours seem to be missing. Or maybe they were never installed in the first place.”

Her grin turned sharper.

“I mean, seriously. What is going on in that head of yours? I always knew you’d never get a man, but coming after my daughter? That’s just wrong.”

She spread her arms dramatically, as if presenting an undeniable truth to the room.

Areon immediately raised a hand to his face.

Why, he thought grimly, was I born to this woman?

He pinched the bridge of his nose, already regretting every life decision that had led him to witness this. Why can’t she ever just… talk normally? And worse why is she intentionally provoking this crazy women?

Areon took another small step back, instinct screaming at him. This was exactly how people died.

Nova, meanwhile, didn’t react.

Not a flicker. Not a shift in posture. Not even a tightening of her jaw.

“I am serious,” she said, her voice colder now, stripped of any tolerance. “I have something important to discuss with her. And I am not in the mood for this bullshit.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“So don’t.”

Arabella rubbed her chin theatrically, humming as though she were considering a complicated proposal rather than being threatened by one of the most dangerous women alive.

“Well,” she said lightly, “I can see that you’re very serious about my daughter. But again I’m her mother. I can’t just hand her over to anyone.”

Her eyes flicked deliberately over Nova’s body.

“I need to check your qualifications first.”

She leaned forward slightly, voice dropping into a suggestive murmur.

“Let’s see how good you are in bed. I’ll judge whether you’re satisfactory enough. If you pass… maybe I’ll consider it.”

Arabella licked her lips slowly, eyes glittering with mischief.

“And ohhh,” she added, tilting her head, “I still wonder is it purple down there too?”

She winked.

The room went still.

Nova stared at her.

Dead eyes. Empty. Utterly devoid of humor.

The last threads of patience she had brought with her snapped quietly.

“I will ask you one last time,” Nova said, her voice dangerously calm. “Tell me where she is.”

Her hand moved slowly to the hilt of the sword at her waist.

“Or there will be consequences.”

Areon flinched.

Without thinking, his own hand went to his weapon, fingers curling around the grip as adrenaline surged. His heart pounded. He didn’t want to fight but he definitely didn’t want to die either.

Arabella noticed everything.

The shift in Nova’s posture. The restraint. The way she wasn’t exploding the way she usually did.

Her smile softened not mockery this time, but curiosity.

“…Alright, alright,” Arabella said, lifting both hands. “I was joking.”

She studied Nova more carefully now, her crimson eyes narrowing.

“But seriously,” she added, tone shifting, “I’ve never seen you hold yourself back like this. What happened?”

Her voice dropped.

“What do you want with my daughter?”

Nova didn’t hesitate.

“It’s about my brother,” she said.

Her voice was calm, but there was weight behind it now. Not anger. Not threat. Something heavier.

“She knows something about him. Something important. And I need to ask her about it.”

Nova met Arabella’s eyes directly.

“And don’t worry,” she added. “I mean no harm to your daughter.”

She paused for a brief moment, then continued, her patience thinning.

“I don’t want to waste my time. So let’s not play these stupid games. I’m not in the mood today.. Really Not.”

The hall fell quiet.

Arabella studied Nova closely.

Really studied her this time.

The mocking grin faded. The wild provocation drained from her expression, replaced by something more calculating. Arabella had lived long enough, fought enough battles, and raised enough monsters to recognize when someone wasn’t bluffing.

This wasn’t a threat.

This was urgency.

And it involved her brother.

Arabella exhaled slowly.

Her memories stirring. That boy had saved Nancy.

Maybe he told her something, Arabella thought. Something she didn’t tell me?

The idea unsettled her.

Still, she didn’t sense malice from Nova.

“All right,” Arabella said at last. “You can meet her.”

Nova didn’t relax.

“But,” Arabella added, lifting a finger, “you won’t force her to say anything she doesn’t want to.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“That’s non-negotiable.”

“I only want to know what she knows,” Nova replied immediately. “Nothing more.”

Arabella didn’t argue.

She snapped her fingers once.

The sound echoed sharply through the hall.

The air rippled.

A man appeared instantly, dropping to one knee before her as if pulled from existence itself. His presence was overwhelming thick with draconic aura, dense and ancient. He wore full-body armor etched with dragon sigils, each line glowing faintly as if alive.

Nancy’s guardian.

The one Arabella had chosen personally after the previous ones had failed her.

“Bring Nancy,” Arabella said, looking down at him.

The guardian didn’t move.

Silence stretched.

Arabella frowned.

Slowly, she lowered her gaze, irritation flashing in her crimson eyes.

“What?” she asked.

The guardian remained still, head bowed.

“Young Lady Nancy,” he said respectfully, “Ordered me not to follow her. She stated she had important business to attend to.”

Arabella’s brows knitted.

“And she also specifically ordered me not to inform you, Matriarch.”

The air changed.

Arabella’s eyes flared.

“You..” Before she could finish, a quiet voice cut in.

“How can you be so careless?”

Nova’s gaze had shifted to Arabella. There was no accusation in her tone just blunt dissapoinement.

“She just went through that incident,” Nova continued. “And you let her move freely?”

Arabella stiffened.

That hit harder than any insult.

“Mother?” Areon spoke up frowning too.

He had stepped forward slightly now, worry etched clearly across his face. “What does he mean?”

Arabella didn’t answer him.

Her expression darkened completely, the earlier confidence gone in an instant.

“Find her,” she ordered sharply, eyes blazing as she looked back at the kneeling guardian. “Now.”

Her voice cracked like a whip.

“Find her wherever she is.”

“Yes, Matriarch.”

The guardian vanished instantly, his presence dissolving into nothing.

Arabella clenched her fists.

This was her fault.

She had ordered him to follow every one of Nancy’s commands without question. That was on her. Not the guardian.

But why would Nancy do this?

Why would she deliberately disappear especially after what had happened to her?

Arabella’s jaw tightened.

A familiar unease crept into her chest.

And then

A face surfaced in her mind.

White hair.

White eyes.

A boy who had smiled calmly while calling himself one of the three supreme gods.

Arabella’s breath caught.

Her instincts screamed.

No…

Her fingers trembled slightly before she curled them into a fist, forcing herself to remain composed.

“No need,” Nova said suddenly.

Arabella looked at her.

“I’ll find her,” Nova continued. She shook her head once. “I’ll be faster.”

There was no arrogance in her voice.

Just certainty.

Nova Virelan commanded one of the strongest intelligence networks in the world. If anyone could trace a disappearance quickly, it was her.

Arabella didn’t argue.

She only nodded once.

—-

Ten minutes later.

They stood before a portal.

“This is where she entered yesterday,” Nova said, her gaze fixed on the swirling gateway before them.

The portal pulsed faintly, its surface rippling like disturbed water. Runes etched into the surrounding stone glowed dimly, unstable.

Arabella’s face drained of color as recognition struck.

The same portal.

The very same one tied to the incident that had nearly destroyed her daughter.

Without a word, Arabella stepped forward.

And walked straight into it.

“Mother!” Areon moved instantly. He didn’t hesitate even a second before following her inside.

Nova watched them go.

Then she stepped forward as well.

The portal swallowed them whole.

The moment they crossed over, the air changed.

Heavier and Colder.. The snow

—-