Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

"Something is coming!" William exclaimed, his voice sharp and alert.

A sudden glimmer burst from his palm as his Shard appeared, shining brightly and ready to attack. His body shifted slightly, placing himself between the grand doors and the others inside the throne room.

The heavy silence that had settled moments ago shattered—just like that.

A tremor shook the ground beneath them.

The others tensed.

Thea's fingers curled tightly around the hilt of her dagger. She didn't need to say anything. The overwhelming pressure that flooded in through the cracks of the throne room's door told them all they needed to know.

Something wild… something unrestrained was charging straight for them.

Multiple presences. Strong. Unfamiliar.

Their intent was hostile.

"What in the world…" Thea whispered, her throat suddenly dry. It wasn't fear. It was instinct—pure, primal instinct—warning her of a storm.

"Probably the Gene—"

*Dhak!*

Charlotte didn't get to finish her words.

A loud crash tore through the throne room as the thick, stone walls behind her exploded inwards. Dust and debris scattered into the air like shrapnel. A gust of wind surged through the breach.

From the wreckage, three enormous figures emerged.

The Parasite Chief surged in from the right side, dragging tendrils of dark ooze behind him. His many eyes darted in all directions, trembling.

The Orc Lord came next, charging in from the left like a stampede of beasts. His muscles rippled with fury, and a massive axe was clenched in his fists.

Between them stood the Elven King, regal yet ragged. His once-golden robes were stained with black blood, and his bow was already drawn.

But none of them looked at the humans standing between them.

Their panicked eyes were fixed ahead—towards the shattered inner chamber.

Beyond that path… were Austin and Astaroth, caged inside a huge dome of darkness.

"Our Lord is in there," the Parasite Chief muttered, almost in disbelief. There was desperation in his voice, as if everything else in the world had lost meaning.

He tried to step forward.

Only one.

But it was already too far.

William stepped in front of them, eyes firm and unshaken.

He raised his Shard, the blade pulsing with a quiet, steady light—like a heartbeat of defiance.

"Only after you defeat me," he said, his voice calm, unwavering.

The Elf's hand trembled slightly, the sharp edge of fear buried beneath his fury. His voice shook the air like a curse, "Move aside, humans, or I swear in the name of my creator—I'll grant you a death so horrifying, it'll make you tremble even in the afterlife."

But William didn't budge.

He stood his ground like a wall—solid and unmovable. The others behind him shifted, readying themselves. They all knew the odds. Victory was a distant dream, but none of them stepped back.

Then suddenly,

[Notice: The dome is inaccessible to any mortal. The Host's companions don't need to risk their lives to protect it.]

A mechanical, emotionless voice echoed in the air.

William blinked, caught off guard for a moment. "Oh really? Well, then... go ahead," he said, easing back his sword. He took a step aside, hand still near his weapon just in case.

The Parasite Chief growled deeply, like a beast denied a kill.

With a sharp motion, he extended both arms forward. From within his sleeves, thousands of black insects burst out, flooding the ground like a wave. Their legs clicked, their wings buzzed, and together they rushed toward the glowing dome that floated at the center of the chamber.

The swarm was enough to strip flesh from bone, enough to bring down stone walls in seconds.

But the moment the first wave of insects touched the dome… they didn't devour it.

Instead, the dome devoured them.

A low hum filled the air as the insects vanished into the light, one after another—swallowed without resistance. No cracks formed. No scratches appeared. Not even a ripple disturbed its smooth surface.

The Orc Lord scoffed, his tusks flaring with rage. Without another word, he charged toward the dome, muscles bulging and axe raised high above his head.

"Ghaaaaa!"

With a deafening roar, he brought the weapon down in a brutal arc, aiming to shatter the glowing orb in a single blow.

The sound of the impact rang across the hall like a war drum—deep, heavy, and echoing. The ground beneath their feet shook violently. Dust fell from the cracked ceiling, and the massive chandelier hanging above swayed dangerously, its crystals chiming with each tremor.

But the dome didn't shatter.

Instead, it responded.

In an instant, a pulse of energy surged outward—twice as powerful as the force delivered.

BOOOOOOM!

A massive shockwave erupted.

The Orc Lord, caught completely off guard, was flung backward like a ragdoll. His massive body tore through the air before crashing into the stone wall with a thunderous crack. The wall split apart from the impact, sending chunks of debris flying.

William barely managed to leap to the side, rolling across the floor as the beast shot past him like a cannonball.

The creature's body crashed through the thick palace walls, tearing them apart, before landing outside with a sickening thud that echoed across the courtyard.

A heavy silence followed, broken only by the faint crackling of debris settling around them.

Olivia grimaced, folding her arms tightly. "That must've hurt," she muttered, glancing at the gaping hole where the Orc Lord had vanished.

Charlotte, however, wasn't focused on the wreckage. Her eyes remained fixed on the untouched dome. What kind of barrier is this? she wondered. Even a Demon General's full-force strike didn't leave a mark...

Zephyr took a step forward, his face hard with resolve.

Unlike the others, he didn't speak. His expression alone carried the weight of his thoughts—cold, composed, yet heavy with responsibility.

His fingers curled around his Shard, a sleek, brown crossbow etched with ancient runes. The weapon responded to his touch, humming softly as a faint glow lit up its limbs.

Then the air began to shift.

A sudden stillness spread through the hall, like the breath of nature itself had paused to watch. The light dimmed. Shadows grew longer. Dust lifted from the ground and hovered in place.

Zephyr slowly raised the crossbow, aiming it at the dome.

The energy gathered around him grew intense—so thick it could be felt crawling over their skin.

The floor beneath his feet cracked with a loud snap. Dust rained from the ceiling as small tremors echoed through the marble. Outside, thunder rumbled, as if the sky itself was answering his call.

From the heart of the crossbow, an arrow began to form.

Forged from pure ether, shaped like a bolt of compressed light, it pulsed with volatile force. It was no ordinary attack—this was his strongest arrow, the kind only used when no other option remained.

The others could only watch, awestruck.

For the first time, they felt the weight of Zephyr's title.

The strongest General.

In that quiet, trembling moment, he whispered—not to them, but to himself.

"If this doesn't work…" His voice was low but steady. "Then I would be a failure… as your servant."

And with that, he pulled the trigger.

The string released with a thunderous snap.

A blinding streak of energy burst from the crossbow, tearing through the air like a falling star. The arrow didn't simply fly—it screamed forward, leaving behind a trail of distorted wind and crackling ether.

The force behind it cracked the floor in a straight line, flinging loose stones to the sides as it rushed toward the dome.

Everyone held their breath.

The sound of the impact never came.

Because the instant the arrow touched the surface of the dome—it vanished.

No explosion.

No ripple.

No reaction.

As if the arrow had been swallowed by the air itself.

For a moment, Zephyr just stood there, arm still extended, crossbow still aimed.

"…What?"

The word escaped his lips barely above a whisper.

….

[Meanwhile inside the dome]

"Did you see that? The struggle of your soldiers?" Austin asked.

From others' perspective, no one was there to listen. But on the ground was a dark puddle.

The Demon Lord growled, "What do you aim to do with this?"

Austin chuckled, leaning back in his seat, "You still don't understand?" He asked, looking amused.

The Demon Lord was slowly regenerating, his legs slowly reforming as he stood back on.

Austin tilted his head, looking completely unbothered by the seven foot tall Demon before him as he said, "I am going to torture you until you break the pact yourself and then I bestow death upon you."

Astaroth scoffed, "You believe you can?" He charged at Austin, only for the blond one to raise a finger and soon several tentacles wrapped around the Demon.

Austin smilingly told him, "I can spend eternity with you here, and not even a day would go by outside. The sole purpose of my life is to get rid of you and I won't step out of this place until I fulfill that."

"So, let's continue the fun, okay~"

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Three chapters max, before we see 'The End'.