Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess-Chapter 196 - 195- Scar(1)

The moment Austin heard the Demoness' scheme, he knew that if he tried to escape from here, which he could have easily since Ameytr couldn't harm him, she wouldn't let Adam go.

And trying to bring Adam along without getting caught by the rows of demons outside the castle was nearly impossible.

There was a lot of risk and Austin wasn't going to let anything happen to Adam.

That's why, he devised a plan.

'System, the Death Disguise...release it in my mouth. ' Austin, thankfully, remembers all the tools he received from the system.

(A/N:- If you have forgotten—Upon swallowing the pill, the Host's heartbeat halts for five minutes, effectively simulating death. During this time, the Host is indistinguishable from a lifeless body. The effect persists until the orb's influence completely dissipates.)

And one of those rewards was the Death Disguise, a pill that was suited for this situation.

But there was still a problem.

The dagger was definitely coated with poison, so plunging it inside himself would cause serious injury, and might would render him powerless further.

[Ding!]

[The host can coat the dagger with the Absolute Barrier to avoid getting poisoned by the blade.]

Seeing that suggestion, Austin's eyes lit up.

That's right, thanks to the recent upgrade, the barrier would last for at least twenty minutes. So there was no problem.

Turning towards the older man, Austin heard him saying,

"Austin, kill me-" However,

"Father, say my goodbye to Val." Austin didn't think twice before plunging the dagger and biting onto the pill that appeared inside his mouth.

And for those five minutes, Austin was dead.

...

"H-How this can be?!" Ameytr's shock overwhelmed her consciousness as she staggered back. The wound on her stomach has already healed.

Austin stood there, the dagger from his stomach now lying on the ground, and thanks to his rapid regeneration, he wasn't bleeding anymore as well.

"You thought only you could deceive people, huh?" Austin grinned, hands crossed.

He was relieved that the Death Disguise worked as a wonder. She didn't suspect a thing.

The Demoness suddenly remembered something as she turned towards the nearby soldier, "Capture that man! He should not be-"

"Oh, he is already liberated." An uninvited guest appeared in the hall, making Ameytr flinch.

She turned towards the violet-haired witch who was levitating mid-air with a casual demeanor.

Her presence caused the cylindrical tank to vibrate with energy. The ground quivered as Astaroth showed fury upon realizing who was involved in this.

Selner turned towards humanity's greatest adversary before she said, "Oh, hello Astaroth. I must say, that's quite a glow-up you got there."

Those blood-red eyes seemed to be wanting to eat Selner alive. But naturally, other than radiating the untamed miasma he possessed, he couldn't do anything in his current situation.

Turning back to the Princess, Selner said,

"Adam has already been sent to a safe location, so you can't possibly bring him back here."

Ameytr clenched her fist, her body shaking with frustration and anger. She couldn't believe that despite being so close to her goal...despite having her prey in her arms, she failed to slaughter him.

It was the highest degree of failure one could incur. And she...she has embarrassed herself in front of her father.

No, this was wrong...this was unacceptable. She can't...she... doesn't deserve this...she can't live with the tag of a failure....no more...no more...

"I will kill you!!"

Her mouth opened wide as the scream erupted, dark magic twisting her voice into a monstrous echo. The sheer pressure made the air shake. Austin covered his face, teeth clenched, trying to bear it.

His feet skidded backward across the cracked floor, facing the crushing aura of an S-rank head-on. His skin burned under the weight of the darkness. His eyes barely stayed open, and hot tears spilled down from the heat.

"Agh... fuck!" Austin roared as he summoned his mace, tilting his body to dodge the surge of power.

With all the strength left in his legs, he lunged toward the Demoness.

He moved slowly—his body heavy, like it was dragging chains—but he didn't stop.

Demons around them had already collapsed. If not for the glowing barrier cast around the recovery tube, the Demon Lord inside would've been flung out by now.

Selner frowned, eyes narrowing with concern. Was he really trying to fight her like this? It was madness. He didn't stand a chance.

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'If it gets worse... I'll just grab him and run.' She clenched her jaw, never taking her eyes off him.

Austin kept going. Gritting his teeth, he raised his mace and slammed it down on the Demoness with everything he had.

"Screw you!!"

DHAK!

The spiked mace slammed into her shoulder—and the miasma wavered.

But she didn't flinch.

Her body stood still, her sharp teeth showing through a wicked grin, black smoke trailing from her burning eyes.

She raised her hand—calm and cold—and grabbed the handle of the mace.

TINK.

CRACK.

Austin's eyes went wide.

"No..."

Before he could pull it back, she crushed it—just like that.

Ashen Maul fell apart. Shattered. Turned to dust right in his hands.

[Ding!]

[Your connection with your weapon 'Ashen Maul' has been severed.]

[The soul of Ashen Maul will now return to the depths of the abyss.]

Austin read the system messages through blurred vision.

His heart sank.

To others, it might be just a broken weapon.

To him, it was a friend. A brother in battle. One he fought with through hell and back.

The Demoness smirked, loving the look in his eyes.

She stepped forward, ready to end it—

But suddenly, Austin bit down on his thumb, blood dripping down his skin.

"Austin..." Selner gasped. Her voice shook. "What are you doing?!"

Even the Demon Lord twitched inside the recovery tube, his eyes wide with alarm.

Only Ameytr stood confused, watching her father react to something she didn't understand.

Austin raised his right hand slowly. His breathing was steady. But his rage was not.

It boiled. It boiled like a storm about to break free.

Selner screamed, "Stop!! You'll die if you do that!"

But he didn't listen.

With blood on his lips, he muttered in a low growl,

"Hear my command... come to me—Scar."

And just then—

A deep voice echoed in Ameytr's ears. Her father's voice. Full of terror.

[...Run!]

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Ah~finally, it's here. Austin's true Shard. The one that even destroyed the Demon Lord.

Haah~it's going to be fun writing the next chapter.