Reborn As The Minor Villain In A Romance Fantasy Novel - Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Fall
There was silence at first.

The bodies that had been moving through the air slammed into the ground one after another, their lifeless forms bouncing off the cracked dirt.

The sound echoed through the ruins like dull thunder.

The one in front who had been leading the formation fell on a broken spike of stone.

The sharp edge pierced through his stomach, ripping through armor and flesh alike, and left him hanging there, blood dripping down in thin streams.

For a moment, everyone froze.

Then Rita shouted, “Ambush! Raise the shields!”

Her voice snapped the Awakeners back to reality.

In the same instant, glowing barriers flared to life in front of the front line, glowing with holy light.

But the attack didn’t stop… more arrows converged at them from all sides.

They moved at impossible speed guided by the mana poured into them.

The arrows hit the shields with metallic cracks, ricocheting off like bullets.

The Awakeners quickly turned their gazes outward, and that was when they saw who was attacking them.

Monsters.

But these weren’t like any normal beasts.

They were humanoid… grotesquely so. Their bodies were built like humans, but their heads were twisted, stretched, and warped into monstrous shapes that resembled animals.

Some had the heads of wolves, others like insects, some like pigs or birds, all mixed with features no creature should ever have.

They weren’t wearing clothes either.

The monsters were completely naked.

Their grayish skin gleamed under the red light, and their bodies carried twisted markings that only made them look more gross.

On their backs were wings… they were not made of feathers or scales though but leaves. Dark green, sharp-edged leaves that rustled even though no wind was blowing.

[Grotesque Abomination, B-Rank]

Some of the female Awakeners shielded their eyes in disgust, but before anyone could act, one of the monsters descended from the air, its leafy wings flapping slowly.

It landed heavily on the cracked ground with its claws dragging a trail behind it.

It was holding something in its hand… someone.

It was one of the wind mages from earlier.

A woman.

Her right arm was gone, blown off at the elbow, and the monster held her by the throat like a trophy.

The woman was wheezing for breath with blood spilling down her uniform. Her face was completely pale and wet with tears.

“Tekitekarigamnrogi!” the monster snarled, pointing its clawed finger toward the Saintess.

Then, with its other hand, it gestured with a throwing motion toward the wounded woman.

The monsters behind it howled in unison, raising their arms in the air, cheering in twisted excitement.

Their guttural laughter filled the ruins like some horrific chant.

Rita’s face hardened.

“Translator,” she said curtly.

The trembling girl beside her… who could use translation magic nodded, clutching her staff tightly.

Her voice shook as she spoke. “He said…『If you offer that beautiful pink-haired woman to us, we will give you this one. She doesn’t look good enough to have fun with.』”

The air froze.

Rita’s eyes widened for a second, then narrowed with fury.

Her holy aura spiked, flaring outwards like a rising flame. Every instinct in her screamed to strike but she forced herself to breathe.

“Calm down,” she whispered to herself. She couldn’t act rashly.

The woman in the monster’s grasp coughed violently, spitting blood down her chest.

“P-please… save me…” she cried weakly, her voice trembling. “I have a sister… she’s waiting for me…”

[ @Viewer123: what the hell are these monsters… that’s brutal ]

[ @SaintFan87: THEY’RE JUST TOYING WITH HER 😭 ]

[ @LuciusMain: Lucius PLEASE end them all!! ]

[ @RaidWatcher: this is messed up beyond belief ]

[ @HumanityFirst: I hope he wipes them out. No mercy. ]

‘I hate men,’ Rita thought bitterly as her fists trembled. It didn’t matter if they were monsters or humans… the cruelty was the same.

She stepped forward, out of the safety of the barrier.

“I’m here,” she said clearly, her holy aura glowing brighter. Her long pink hair shimmered like silk under the crimson light. “Hand her over.”

The monsters hissed and growled among themselves.

The one holding the woman didn’t hesitate. It reared its arm back and hurled the dying mage like a broken doll toward the barrier.

The impact shook the air. The barrier rippled and flickered, the holy light wavering for an instant before bending just enough to let the woman pass through.

She landed in the arms of one of the Saintess’s healers, limp and shaking.

“Quickly, stabilize her!” Rita ordered.

But before she could move again, a strange smell reached her nose.

A sweet floral scent yet underneath it was something rancid.

A cloud of pink smoke drifted toward her. She breathed once, and it entered her lungs.

Her eyes widened instantly.

The world began to spin.

Her mana circulation stuttered. The holy light that always flowed around her flickered out and her staff dimming in her grip.

‘What…?’ she thought with a gasp. ‘My magic… it stopped working.’

The pink mist thickened, swirling around her like tendrils. Memories she had buried deep down began forcing themselves to the surface.

Her hands trembled.

“No…” she whispered. “Not now…”

The monster landed right in front of her, its claws digging into the dirt. Its breath reeked of blood.

Slowly, it leaned forward, grinning wide enough to show its cracked fangs.

Rita stumbled back, clutching her staff. “S… Stay back!”

The creature’s grin widened even more.

Its claws reached out and with one swift motion, it grabbed the fabric of her dress and ripped it down the front.

The sound tore through the air.

Rita screamed, stumbling backward and falling onto the muddy ground.

She looked up, her body was shaking violently and the holy glow was gone from her hands.

The monster loomed over her and she could see it was aroused…

‘No… No… No…’

She raised her staff again, whispering the incantation through trembling lips.

‘Holy Hymn!’

Nothing happened.

‘Jacob’s Ladder!’

Nothing happened.

‘HEAVEN’S DEVASTATION!’

Her entire mana flow was paralyzed.

The smoke… whatever it was was sealing her holy energy.

The monster crouched closer and its shadow fell over her face.

She could hear the whistling of more arrows in the distance; the others were being pinned down… which meant she was alone.

Her body curled into itself and her arms wrapping around her chest.

‘Someone… please… save me.’

And then, a familiar voice broke through the chaos.

“Damn,” Lucius’s voice came from above her. “Why are all these monsters horny fucks?”

A shadow passed over her, and before the monster could react, Lucius’s foot slammed into its face.

The impact was loud.

The creature’s skull cracked and imploded, its head exploding into a mist of blood and bone.

The body flew backward, smashing through a half-broken wall and disappearing into the rubble.

Rita blinked, she was completely stunned.

Lucius stood there, brushing his hands together as if he’d just swatted a fly.

“Hey, Rita,” he said casually. “Are you okay?”

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She was trembling.

Lucius sighed, crouching down to lift her up gently by the shoulders. “You’re fine now,” he said softly. “Don’t worry.”

He could feel her shaking even in his arms.

‘Does she have some sort of trauma?’ he wondered silently.

The remaining monsters screeched, their glowing eyes all locking onto him.

In the next instant, dozens of arrows lit with mana shot in his direction, tearing through the air like a storm.

Supreme Man, who had been on standby nearby, charged forward instinctively with a huge staff in his hand.

“Get behind me!” he shouted as he used a single thrust of his staff to blow the first round of arrows off course.

But Lucius only chuckled, he lifted Rita with one hand and secured her properly. She didn’t have the power to move…

“Wow,” Lucius said flatly. “I’m trembling.”

His voice dripped with sarcasm as he straightened.

Supreme Man’s eyes widened.

He could feel it… Lucius was doing something.

The entire town started to glow.

The space around Lucius began to shake as his smile widened.

The air became heavy and almost impossible to breathe. It was as if the world itself was being forced to fold.

Supreme Man realized immediately what was about to happen.

“Everyone, back! Fall back!” he shouted, sprinting away from Lucius. Even he didn’t want to be caught in whatever was coming.

Lucius raised one hand, closing his eyes.

The monsters roared and surged toward him, hundreds of them flapping their leafy wings, snarling as they charged.

Lucius smiled and closed his eyes.

“How about all of you just die?” he said.

His eyelids lifted, revealing the cold, glowing purple rings in his eyes… his Eyes of Space.

Reality cracked.

And then, he snapped his fingers.

“Fall.”