I Am The Villainess Who Will Tame Every Yandere Heroine!-Chapter 44: Keeping Things Entertaining

The moment Seraphine caught up, she didn't hesitate, light surged from her fingertips, bending the shadows into shifting illusions.

The man barely had time to react before three identical versions of her stepped forward, each one radiating a blinding glow.

His eyes darted between them, unsure which was real, and that split second of hesitation was all she needed.

She lunged, twisting her body mid-air, and sent a sharp burst of light crashing toward him.

The force sent him stumbling back, hands raised to shield his eyes as her radiance seared through the darkness.

Seraphine landed gracefully, the soft fabric of her nightdress swirling around her as she pressed forward, relentless. She didn't give him space to recover. Another illusion came to life beside her, mirroring her every movement, and when she feinted left, the illusion lunged right.

The man struck out wildly, his blade slicing through empty air.

She grinned.

He was fighting ghosts.

Before he could realize his mistake, she was already upon him, twisting his wrist with practiced ease and sending his weapon clattering to the ground.

Breathless but exhilarated, Seraphine pivoted, sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard, gasping as she pinned him with a knee to his chest, her palm glowing with a final burst of Ethos.

"Not so fast," she murmured, her voice laced with amusement and just a hint of cruelty. The fight was over, and from the stunned look in his eyes, he knew it too.

He had never stood a chance.

"I'm sorry for this."

A sharp crack against her skull sent a white-hot jolt through Seraphine's senses.

The world lurched, her breath hitched, and before she could react, her body gave way beneath her. A gasp slipped from her lips as her vision swam, the once-sharp glow of her Ethos going away. She hit the ground hard, her fingers twitching weakly in the dirt.

'Who—? Who hit me?'

A shadowed figure stepped into view.

'Clara?!'

"I'm sorry for this, Lady Savior," Clara murmured, her expression clouded with something that almost looked like guilt - almost. But there was no stopping her. The man beside her smirked, his grip tightening as he pulled her away, vanishing into the darkness.

"No—!" Seraphine's arm shot out, desperate, grasping for nothing but air. Her body refused to obey, her limbs heavy, her strength stolen.

Darkness crept at the edges of her vision, and with one last ragged breath, the fight left her.

The night swallowed her whole.

"You did a great job," the man said, his smirk practically oozing smugness.

Clara sighed, crossing her arms as she stared at the ground. "Why didn't you use your power?"

"Well, you know me… I like to keep things entertaining. Where's the fun in winning too easily?"

The next day arrived with the soft glow of morning light spilling through the windows. Seraphine groggily blinked awake, only for her memories to come crashing back like an avalanche of terrible decisions. She sat up so fast that the room spun, her hands flying to her head. Bruises. Fantastic. Just what she needed, another reminder of last night's humiliating disaster.

Before she could process further, a sudden weight barreled into her.

"Lady Seraphine!" Mariella wailed, tackling her with the force of an overenthusiastic bear. Seraphine's face was unceremoniously smothered against Mariella's bosoms, her muffled screams of protest going unheard.

"What happened?! And where's Clara?!" Mariella demanded, still squeezing the life out of her.

Seraphine finally wriggled free, gasping dramatically for air. "She betrayed us…" she muttered, rubbing her temples.

"I don't think so," Calix chimed in, stepping forward with his usual serene expression. "The emotions I read where I found you… they didn't seem that way. But also… they did."

Seraphine squinted at him. "What?"

He nodded sagely. "A contradiction."

Right. She'd nearly forgotten that Calix could read emotions lingering in the atmosphere. And now that she thought about it… Clara had looked troubled, more like someone being dragged to a tax collector than a victorious traitor. So what was she supposed to be mad about?

The betrayal? The bruises? The fact that her ego had been utterly shattered? Because, honestly, at this point, her disciple's well-being was taking a backseat to the absolute rage bubbling up at the memory of that smug man's infuriating smile.

She was going to have to rescue Clara. But more importantly, she was going to have to win.

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[Ruination System Activation: First Extra Mission]

Objective:

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Return to the capital and reclaim Clara from the hands of her captors. Utilize your wit, charm, and overwhelming presence to assert dominance over the situation. Whether through diplomacy, deception, or sheer force, ensure Clara's safe retrieval while making a grand statement in the process.

Reward:

Successful completion of this mission will grant you 500 Ruination Points (RN), an increase in worship rating, and a strengthened connection with Clara. Additionally, humiliating your enemies in style may yield bonus rewards.

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'First extra mission, huh? Oh right… my main mission is to get stronger before the entrance academy.'

As much as this was an annoying detour from her grand destiny, this was…

"Fun!!" Seraphine declared, springing up from the bed, completely disregarding the throbbing ache at the back of her head. Getting stronger before the entrance academy sounded so predictable, so overdone, just like every cliché anime she'd skimmed through in her past life.

'Ugh. Boring. Thank the heavens above that there was a spicy little obstacle in the way. A good story needed conflict, after all.'

Besides, she had a bone to pick. Not just with that infuriating man, but the entire capital. The church.

Oh, this was her chance.

Her opportunity to cause a mess. A delightful, glorious mess.

"L-Lady Seraphine?" Both of her disciples blinked at her in stunned silence.

"Ah, sorry," she turned to them with a sheepish smile. "I was just thinking that we shouldn't let our fun be tainted by this unfortunate event… We still have a proper team to form before the entrance academy. And I won't let a teammate of ours just slip away."

"Y-Yeah!…"

"However," she added with a dramatic sigh, placing a hand over her heart. "I have to admit, I am… well, still mad." She wasn't, really. But she couldn't let these two think she was a completely heartless creature. Calix, ever the devoted follower, seemed to be getting attached to the others as well.

Sentimental fool.

"So, um… I need a moment to process this."

She could already feel the gears turning in her head. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Meanwhile, Mariella was practically vibrating with excitement, her smirk widening like a villain about to monologue.

'I can have Lady Seraphine to myself for a short while…'

"I can hear your thoughts, you know…" Calix muttered, half disgusted, half resigned to his fate. Seriously, what was wrong with the women in his life? Was there some sort of divine curse that ensured he was constantly surrounded by lunatics?

The woman merely shot him a knowing grin, unfazed. "Then you should know I have no regrets."

Calix sighed. He was too young to deal with this level of emotional turmoil. But well, this was the destiny he was entrusted with. To be the number one follower of the Sun Who Burns The World.