Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

"Everything checked?" William asked as he glanced back at his squad.

Olivia gave a nod, and Charlotte was still tightening the strap of her bag around her waist.

"Mind telling me why I was suddenly dragged into this whole mess?" asked a certain green-haired mage.

William gave a casual shrug. "Well, there's no denying that you're a valuable asset to humanity. But right now, your skills are needed on the battlefield."

Thea had been added to the team at the last moment. When it came to versatility and escaping tight situations, no one was better than the mage who could create copies of herself.

"We needed a porter," came a voice from the left, and Thea immediately felt the urge to murder the speaker.

Olivia chuckled while Charlotte shook her head in exasperation. "Seriously, you have a talent for pissing people off."

Austin grinned. "Come on, what's better than having her clones carry our supplies?"

A vein throbbed on Thea's forehead as she glared at William. "I swear, if you brought me just for—"

"No, Thea. He's just messing with you," William cut in, holding up a hand. "Austin has a storage artifact with him. All our supplies are already stored. You don't need to worry."

Thea huffed. "Then take mine too, cocky brat."

She tossed her bag at Austin, who caught it easily and slid it into the inventory with a smirk.

Soon after, the golden-haired warrior stood and turned to face the group. They were near the shore now, ready to deploy.

William's gaze swept over his squad. "This came out of nowhere," he said quietly. "I won't lie—we weren't ready for this. We thought we'd be facing our arch-nemesis much later."

Austin heaved a quiet sigh. Of course, no one could've predicted they'd be facing the Demon Lord so suddenly.

While everyone looked ready to meet whatever end awaited them in this war, he didn't miss the subtle signs of tension.

Charlotte kept her hands constantly moving, trying to hide her fidgeting. Olivia was chewing on a small piece of metal again—her usual habit to calm her nerves.

"But… isn't this what we trained for?" William finally said, breaking the silence. "I know for a fact—the reason I picked up a sword was to slay that plague named Astaroth."

Olivia snorted. "Anyone who became a warrior for any other reason is either a lunatic or a plain murderer."

William hummed thoughtfully. "So… no matter how nervous we might feel, I know this mission is for the sake of those we love. Be brave, and march with me to the other side. There are beings that need to be wiped out."

One by one, everyone began to rise.

Austin could feel it—William's presence had a powerful effect on the team. Even he felt the pull, the sudden rush of determination, as if they were part of some epic scene in a movie.

Not long after, they stepped out of the tent and onto the small boat that would carry them to the other side.

A boatman stood waiting, ready to use his Shard to guide the vessel across. They had chosen a small boat to keep their arrival quiet and as undetectable as possible.

Of course, Austin had no doubt the enemy already knew they were coming—but hey, whatever floats their boat.

"Shall we head out, Sir Torus?" William asked.

The boatman gave a slow nod, his face pale with worry.

Charlotte approached him calmly. "Don't worry, mister. As I promised, I'll raise a barrier on your way back. It'll hold until you're out of their range."

The boatman gave her a grateful look. "Thank you for your kindness."

Austin sat at the far edge of the boat and pulled out the pouch of cookies Valerie had packed for him.

As he munched on the sweet, crumbly treats, he asked the system, 'Do you believe I'll fail?'

[If it's just the Demon Lord and his underlings, the current host has no chance of losing.]

Austin hummed. 'That sounds like I'm stroking my ego…'

[…More like you're being cautious. On the surface, you seem confident—but your heart rate tells a different story.]

Austin let out a chuckle. 'Well, can you blame me? This mission decides whether leaping through time actually changes our fate… or not.'

Meanwhile, on the other side of the boat, Thea narrowed her eyes as she watched Austin chuckling to himself.

"Is that guy sane," she whispered to Charlotte, "or did he trade his mind for power?"

Charlotte shook her head, "He often talks to himself, ignore that. What we should care about is his desperation to eradicate the demon race and his strength."

Thea hummed thoughtfully. She had already heard about Austin's duel with William, but a part of her still couldn't wrap her head around it. Was it really possible that a mere seventeen-year-old could make someone like William yield?

She had fought William once before. It was under the scorching sun, and she could still remember how terrifying he felt. Back then, she had lost all hope of surviving the moment their weapons clashed. His presence alone was overwhelming—like a wall that couldn't be climbed.

And yet, Austin had faced that same William in broad daylight... and won.

That alone made her curious. Maybe too curious.

So, without much thought, she casually flicked a knife at his stomach.

The throw was so smooth—so clean—that even Charlotte didn't notice. The knife zipped through the air in an instant.

"You know," Austin sighed as he caught the knife between two fingers, barely looking up, "...this is really not a great way to bond with your teammates."

The others turned their heads just in time to see the knife in Austin's hand.

Olivia lost interest almost immediately. Since Austin didn't seem even remotely bothered or willing to retaliate, it wasn't fun for her. William, on the other hand, simply shook his head with a faint sigh of disbelief.

"Thea… that wasn't nice, you know," Charlotte scolded, her tone a mix of irritation and worry.

Thea shrugged carelessly. "I was helping him train his reflexes. No need to thank me, bud."

Austin rolled his eyes and, without saying anything else, tossed the knife far into the ocean. It spun through the air before vanishing into the waves with a soft splash.

The rest of their journey passed in silence after that.

Eventually, the boarman brought the boat to the opposite shore.

As promised, Charlotte kept her barrier intact until she was sure he had traveled far enough away after dropping them off. Only when he was barely a dot in the distance did she finally lower the shield around the boat.

Once it was done, Olivia stepped forward, eyes glinting with impatience. "Shall we proceed?" she asked, almost licking her lips in anticipation.

Austin raised a hand, his expression now serious. "Wait. Let me check the area first."

Then, without another word, he leapt forward—soaring over the small hill that marked the edge of the shore in a single, effortless jump.

Olivia growled lowly. "He could have let us come with him."

William shook his head. "Scouting should always be done by one person. If there's danger, fewer lives are at risk."

Austin wasn't just checking for enemies.

He was looking for signs of the acid rain.

In their last journey through this realm, the rain had turned into one of the biggest threats. They couldn't even fight properly—because the S-rank warriors were too busy shielding themselves instead of attacking.

Back then, Rhea had found and killed the demon spellcaster responsible for controlling the weather here. But this time... things were different.

Austin was sure that Astaroth—who also retained the memories of the previous timeline—wouldn't leave that same demon in the same spot.

So, there was no point in trying to track it down again.

'Haa... at least the sky looks clear.' Austin exhaled slowly as he observed the dark clouds above. There was no sign of that skin-melting rain—for now.

He turned around and headed back to the group.

"The coast is clear," he announced calmly. "We can move ahead."

William gave a firm nod before leaping forward. The others followed right behind him.

"Ah—!" Charlotte suddenly cried out as she missed her footing and slipped mid-jump.

But before she could fall, William reached out and caught her in his arms.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. "T-Thanks..." she murmured, a little embarrassed.

William gave her a quiet nod and gently pulled her up to her feet.

Austin, meanwhile, pulled out a rolled-up map from his satchel and spread it open.

"Our destination lies to the north," he said, pointing at the top of the parchment. "But we can't head straight there just yet."

He tapped two red crosses on either side of a palace sketched in the middle.

"First, we need to clear these two outposts—left and right. They're guarding the main road."

Olivia leaned over and raised a brow.

"So we split?"