Villain Hiring: Help! Author Wants Me Dead-Chapter 198: The Queen Of Kalki’s

The Auction house descended into chaos.

It was almost like the world had broke apart the moment the horns on that man's head caught light.

People screamed. Nobles who had spent their lives pretending to be untouchable suddenly turned into frightened children. Dresses ripped, chairs crashed, and shoes hammered against marble as the crowd pushed against each other to get away from the elevated platform.

The air was filled with shouting, orders, curses, and prayers.

Everyone crashed out at once, their voices clashing like broken glass.

"Run!"

"Get back!"

"Protect the heirs!"

"Guards—where are the guards!?"

The sound of hundreds of bodies moving at once was terrifying. A sea of silk and gold, all crumbling into panic.

I could barely breathe as I stood behind the thick glass wall with Team A and Sia, who herself looked too shocked to even open her mouth.

My eyes were fixed on the Hollow standing there, sword in hand, blood dripping from its edge like paint from a brush.

He wasn't moving, but somehow his stillness was worse than the chaos around him.

His horns caught the chandelier's glow, and his pale, lean frame looked almost carved out of bone.

The nobles didn't care. They stampeded over each other, tripping, crying, begging. These were supposed to be the "pillars" of the human world, but right now, they looked exactly like what Grandpa once said, ants, scrambling before a storm.

A loud crash jolted me. I turned and saw King Venus slam his fist against the glass wall in front of us.

The wall cracked, then shattered into glittering shards. Beside him, King Philip moved with the same force, his cloak flowing behind him as he leapt through the broken glass.

The two kings descended together like storms. Their presence was heavy, sharp enough to cut through the madness.

For the first time since the Hollow revealed himself, the nobles froze.

The sight of Venus and Philip striding across the marble was enough to make the guards rally, their formation tightening as they encircled the elevated platform.

"Form the circle!" Philip's voice thundered.

"Do not let him leave this hall!"

Venus's deep voice followed, laced with anger. "Surround him. Shields front. Spears ready. Keep the heirs away!"

His words sent a shockwave through the room.

Guards rushed in from hidden doors and the shadows of the hall, weapons gleaming under the auction lights.

The nobles regained a little of their arrogance, hiding behind soldiers as they shouted for protection.

But I couldn't look away from the Hollow. He hadn't moved. His eyes, cold and gray, slid slowly across the crowd as though memorizing every face.

The sword in his hand still dripped blood, but his grip was steady.

Too steady.

He wasn't afraid. Not of the kings. Not of the guards. Not of anything.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. My mother's words echoed in my mind. "Pale, dead-like hands…horns on their forehead."

This was exactly what she had warned me about when I was just a boy. Back then, it felt like a story. Something far away. Something that couldn't reach me.

But now it was standing right here.

King Venus stopped only a few steps away from the platform. His eyes never left the Hollow, his sharp jaw clenched tight.

"I didn't think I'd see one of your kind again," Venus said. His voice was low, almost calm, but I could feel the hatred behind every word.

Philip joined him, his hand already glowing faintly with power. "Why reveal yourself now? What are you after?"

The Hollow tilted his head. For a moment, he looked almost curious, like he didn't understand the question.

Then, slowly, he raised the sword higher, letting its edge glint under the chandelier's light.

Gasps rippled through the nobles. Some staggered backward, others clung to the walls like frightened animals.

"Hold!" Venus barked, lifting his arm to stop the guards from charging.

His eyes narrowed. He was studying the Hollow, testing him, trying to measure something only he could sense. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The silence that followed was crushing. My own heartbeat was so loud it felt like everyone could hear it.

Then, the Hollow finally spoke.

"Humans…" His voice was rough, like stone grinding against stone. "You've grown bold."

A shiver ran down my spine. Every noble in the hall froze again.

Venus and Philip shared a quick glance, and I caught it, the unspoken tension, the silent agreement. Whatever this creature was, he wasn't weak.

I could see it in the way Philip's shoulders stiffened. I could see it in the way Grandpa Venus flexed his hand, as though preparing to draw on every ounce of his strength.

And still, the Hollow smiled faintly. A smile that didn't belong to anything human.

The nobles whispered furiously behind us.

"Is this possible…?"

"They were wiped out…weren't they?"

"A Hollow, here?"

My chest tightened. The kings, the nobles, the guards, everyone looked shaken.

For the first time since I arrived at this auction, it felt like the whole world had tipped over, and no one knew how to set it right again.

But the Hollow didn't care.

He slowly raised the sword above his head, the same blade that had rejected every hand before him.

The weapon hummed softly, a strange, low sound that made the air tremble. The glow running along its edge flickered, didn't lash out.

The Hollow gripped it tighter, and the hum grew louder, shaking the chandeliers above.

Gasps and shouts echod throught the building structurs.

A noblewoman fainted. Someone screamed, "That sword belongs to humanity!" but their voice was drowned out by the storm building in the hall.

I could barely breathe as I stared at him.

The pale looking man, as if in cue, softly muttered something.

But what he said was heard throughout the seven floors.

"This sword belongs only and only to our lady, the hollow princess...AS WELL AS THE FUTURE QUEEN OF KALKI'S"

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A/N: What do you think about the chapter, guys?