Villain Hiring: Help! Author Wants Me Dead

We didn't even get to breathe.

One second, I was screaming in triumph, riding the high of victory, and the next—

Shlck.

I froze.

I turned my head just in time to see Lina's body jerk awkwardly.

Then—Her head slid clean off her shoulders, almost gracefully, almost mockingly.

It hit the ground with a soft, ugly thud, green-vine like hair spraying out like some fucked-up halo.

For a full second, nobody moved.

Not me.

Not Vayu.

Not Kane.

The threads—thin, shining, almost invisible mana threads shone in the air, hanging like spider silk between Lucas's raised fingers.

He had done it.

He'd actually killed someone already?

The boy's violet eyes gleamed, too dark, too twisted, like something had snapped loose inside him.

Lucas straightened up, blood dripping from his cut arm, a crooked smile spreading across his stupidly perfect face.

"You should've run," The boy said softly.

Kane roared, sprinting at him like a bull—

And then—

Tchk!

A glint of metal.

Another blur.

Kane stumbled mid-charge, blinking like he didn't understand what had just happened.

"Wha—" he choked out.

And his body dissolved into motes of shimmering blue light, like sand slipping through invisible fingers.

An ice blade, Isla's, was still embedded in the ground where he'd been standing.

I stood there, heart beating too loud as my lungs refused to work.

Two of my team members gone in literal seconds.

Dead?

And then, Like salt rubbed straight into the wound—the system blared in front of me:

[System Update!]

[Team C Members: Lina, Kane — Killed.]

[Kill Points Redistribution Activated.]

[Team B (Lucas D. Romero) has acquired a portion of Team C's Kill Points.]

[Current Standings Updated.]

I barely registered it through the ringing in my ears when Vayu screamed, "PIXIE!", grabbing me by the shoulder hard enough to hurt.

"RUN! RUN NOW!

YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN!

YOU HAVE THE POINTS!"

Eren's shield slammed down in front of me instinctively, cutting off another whizzing blade from Maxin that would've taken my head off.

"MOVE!" Vayu snarled like a madman.

I staggered back, my surroundings spinning.

I had to run. Had to survive. Not for pride, but for my team.

For Lina and Kane, dammit.

We were just about to sprint—just about to make a desperate break for it when another sound ripped through the madness.

Another rustle.

Another set of footsteps.

This time, heavier.

Steadier.

More...dangerous.

Everyone froze like deer caught in headlights.

From the shadows of the shattered forest, walking like they owned the goddamn apocalypse—

Noah's Team A arrived.

Noah D. Romero at the front, his black robe swirling around him like a storm cloud, hazel eyes scanning the battlefield with an unsettling coldness.

Behind him, Erza and Aurelia walked, their faces strewn with panic as they drew their weapons open.

Hmph*

I found myself unable to help but smirk, realising that Noah's team was the slowest to realise about the boss monster's existence.

Lucas's face twisted immediately into something halfway between rage and panic.

Vayu muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer while I just stood there, completely cooked.

Because I knew the second Team A showed up—

We were meat.

"We finally found them all." Noah's voice was low, almost too annoyed, but there was something razor-sharp underneath.

Lucas immediately shifted his body, his threads floating in the air as blood strained his fingers.

"Team A..." he growled.

Noah tilted his head slightly, his gaze flicking toward me.

And for just a moment, for just one heartbeat—

His eyes softened.

Barely.

Almost like he wanted to leave everything behind and talk to me.

A blade flew across the air as someone screamed, breaking both of ours focus on each other and everything exploded into a second battlefield.

Vayu pushed me hard, shoving me behind Eren's shield.

"GO, PIXIE! FUCKING RUN!"

I tried.

God, I tried.

But the second I bolted, a blade from Ciel came flying straight at my chest.

I flinched, bracing for impact—

And it never came.

Because Noah moved.

Without hesitation.

Without a goddamn second thought.

He stepped between me and the blade, his black robe moving around him, catching the attack with a fast backhand that swayed along the air.

Ciel's eyes went wide.

Lucas's went wide.

Everyone stared.

I stared.

Because Noah D. Romero—the deadliest bastard in the entire generation as everyone called him had just protected me instead of finishing me off like he should've.

And he didn't even look at me after.

Didn't even say a word.

He just raised his hand…and pointed at Lucas?

"You're the real threat," he said coldly.

Lucas snapped, threads whipping toward Noah like snakes.

And with that, the battlefield shattered into a three-way war.

Us—Them—And Team A.

Chaos incarnated as all three of the teams started rushing towards the centre of the forest where the boss monster died.

I didn't even get the chance to breathe before all hell broke loose.

The second Noah made his move, everything exploded.

Lucas screamed—and not some cool anime villain scream, this was pure unhinged rage.

His threads lashed out in every direction, a web of shimmering death cutting the air into ribbons. Maxin, Isla, and Ciel split up instantly, following his command without even blinking.

Meanwhile, Erza didn't even flinch.The girl spun her blade once, grinning like a psychopath, and charged straight at Maxin.

Dario?He disappeared.

Literally.

One second he was standing there, the next he was just gone. Only a faint glimmer of mana hinted where he'd be next.

And Noah?

Noah didn't even draw a weapon.

He just walked.

Calm, slow, deliberate—like he was on a damn Sunday stroll through a meat grinder.

Lucas's threads whipped toward him, ready to shred him alive, when Noah flicked his fingers.

"Mana Drain."

The sound of clicking echoed through the forest as all of Lucas's threads disintegrated midair, shocking everyone.

I mean, I knew how his powers worked and what they did...but wasn't this too goated?

Like, what the actual fuck just happened?

***

A/N: Please note that this is the second month of my premium and thus, from the following month, the offer of all priv tiers being below 99 coins would be over.

So I request you to continue supporting me with gifts and golden tickets, and motivate me to upload more chapters by the day.

Every 1500 coins worth gift = 1 Bonus Chapter.

Every 5000 coins worth gift = 5 Bonus Chapters.

Every 15 Golden Tickets = 1 Bonus Chapter.