Hero? More like a villain

Ray reclined on a floating tech mattress, a gift from his father, produced by a round floating ball unique to the Subaru family. It functioned similarly to a storage ring but was limited to their family.

Meiru, Nero, Heili, and Kamare sat down, preparing some lunch.

"Ray!" Heili called out as she walked over to the resting boy. 'He actually looks quite cute when he's sleeping peacefully like this,' she thought, reaching out to touch his fair, delicate skin. But before she could, Ray grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"Ow, ow, ow! I'm sorry, okay? So stop squeezing! It hurts, you know," Heili cried, and Ray immediately let go. He noticed the red marks on her skin and apologized, "I'm sorry."

After that, he got up from the mattress, which promptly disappeared, and walked over to Kamare and the rest of the group. Heili stood there with her mouth wide open, eyes full of shock. Did he just apologize? She snapped out of her daze and followed behind Ray, still shocked as she inspected him. 'Is this really Ray?'

As she continued to glare at him, Ray felt increasingly uncomfortable, but he didn't let it bother him and kept eating.

.....

"Found you," two cute yet creepy voices echoed from the nearby forest, their eyes locked onto one person—Ray!

"Ray!" Meiru shouted as she pushed him aside just in time for a black shadow to swoop down and snatch her.

"Arrgghhh!!" Meiru cried out, her body bleeding profusely in the mouth of a massive monster.

"Meiru!" Nero screamed, panic overtaking him as he saw the creature—a giant snake, nearly three meters long, its thick body covered in jet-black scales.

"Oh, come on, sis, you missed him," whined a young girl who appeared beside the snake.

The snake then wrapped its tail around Meiru, pulling her from its mouth, but kept its tail coiled tightly around her. "I really did miss, huh? Well, I won't next time," it hissed.

"What the hell do you girls want?" Ray demanded, his voice laced with anger, his veins bulging as he glared at the snake and the girl.

"Well, we just came for you. You see, our mother has been pestering us to cripple you in the dungeon ever since your dad humiliated them. They couldn't take it lightly, so they're making us do the dirty work," the girls explained, giggling.

"But no worries—we get to fight someone strong. I can't wait to see your face when I break your bones," Cyan said, her voice dripping with sadism as she smiled creepily.

"Tch, we'll see about that. {Flame Knuckles}!" Ray growled as he leaped forward, his fists engulfed in flames, and struck the snake's head.

Boom! The impact echoed through the area. Ray jumped back a few meters to reassess the situation, but before he could react, a huge tail slapped him in the abdomen, sending him crashing to the ground.

Seeing the situation escalate, Kamare decided to join the fight.

_____

"What's that?" Iris asked, her eyes widening as a booming sound echoed from a distance.

"Probably some of the other kids fighting," Krumi shrugged it off.

"Don't worry, Iris. If anything comes our way, I'll protect you," Sheila assured her with a warm smile, cuddling Iris close.

As they continued moving forward, another loud Boom! reverberated through the air, this time stronger and fiercer.

"I think someone is in trouble," Iris yelled, sprinting toward the sound.

"Iris, wait!" Tael shouted, chasing after her.

Determined to help those battling the monster, Iris felt confident with the Blood Knight by her side. She was sure she would be safe.

However, things didn't go as planned. Out of nowhere, Iris saw a bright red light hurtling toward her. She barely had time to react before feeling a sharp, searing pain in her left arm. When she looked, her arm was burnt away.

Before Iris, a boy with red spiky hair and gray eyes stared in shock. Alongside him, Ibuki, in her human form and covered in blood, looked at Iris with a mix of horror and concern. The scene was chaotic—Iris's arm was severed, blood spraying from the wound, and Cyan was slightly injured, adding to the turmoil.

"It hurts," Iris cried out, her eyes trembling as her body bled profusely.

"Iris, calm down!!" Krumi cried out, her panic evident as she rushed to hold Iris in her arms.

Ray, initially shocked by the sudden appearance of Iris, was bewildered. He had thought a monster was approaching and had intended to deal with it swiftly before resuming his fight with Ibuki and Cyan. The fact that Iris had come from that direction was unexpected. Her aura felt strangely inhuman, making it hard for him to gauge her presence.

"It hurts, please help me," Iris mumbled, her body growing colder as her color drained.

[ You are constantly losing HP ]

[ HP reduction rate is higher than healing rate, due to this the Gemaris may die out of blood loss. ]

"Kaguya, we have to help her!" Alka shouted, her worry palpable.

"Wait, I'm sensing something off. Let's observe first," Kaguya advised, holding her ground.

As Iris's screams of pain subsided, her bright blue eyes closed, only to open again with a terrifying transformation. Her eyes shifted—one to a deep purple, the other to black, both with skull-shaped pupils.

"You bastards!!" Tael and Ozymandias shouted in unison, rushing to confront Ray's group.

Bzzzzzzz!! Tael felt a strange, powerful energy emanating from Iris, reminiscent of the night she had awakened, but far stronger.

"Krumi, get away from Iris!" Tael shouted urgently, his gaze locked on Iris.

Krumi hesitated, her protective instincts warring with her desire to stay by Iris's side.

Tael, acting swiftly, grabbed Krumi by her shirt and pulled her away from Iris.

As Iris's hair transformed into alternating stripes of purple and black, a chilling pressure radiated around her. The very ground beneath her shattered into fragments, and the creatures in the Rift began to panic, fleeing from this overwhelming unknown threat.

"What is happening to Iris?" Alka wondered aloud as the void space trembled.

"As I suspected. Someone who is a Gemaris shouldn't be so weak," Kaguya said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Alka asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"Another personality—one with Iris's true powers. This is who she really is," Kaguya explained, pointing to Iris, who now bore an unsettling smile.

Iris stood up from the ground, her burnt arm dissolving into dust before re-forming as if it had never been injured. She looked at Tael and Ozymandias, who had ceased their battle, stunned by the dramatic change in her.

Suddenly, 20 shadowy figures materialized in front of Iris, their weapons—knives, swords, and guns—poised at her.

"Iris, stand down!" one of the figures commanded nervously.

Iris chuckled darkly, her voice tinged with amusement. "How could she let herself be injured? Ah, that personality is so annoying. She should sleep like the good little girl she is. Heheheheh."

"Who are you and where am I??!" Iris wondered whiles she was in a dark void and she saw a girl materialize in front of her, grasping her face with a cold, detached expression.

"I am the monster you keep trying to bury. I am you. Your true self. I am death. Now go to sleep, Iris. Let me handle everything," She stated coldly and Iris trembled as her eyes grew heavy, succumbing to the Death. She soon fell asleep, leaving Death in control.

"I won't say it again—stand down, or we'll use force," the Subaru servant commanded coldly.

"Ants," Death scoffed before she released an overwhelming pressure that caused most of the servants to collapse, bleeding heavily under the strain. Only 13 remained, barely able to stand.

"Now, now, don't worry," Death said with a sadistic smile, "I don't plan to kill you all. Iris wouldn't like that." Her gaze was cold as she looked at the surviving figures. These servants who were confident in there abilities were now scared and trembling.

"But why not play a game with Iris?" Death suggested. The ground around her began to swirl furiously with blood that came from her body, and several Blood Knights emerged.

The Blood Knights charged towards the children, who were shielded by the black-suited servants. The knights relentlessly attacked the protective barriers, trying to breach them. One knight hammered a shield with its spear, causing the barrier's light to flicker and weaken.

"Children, once the shield goes down, you must run away at all costs, you hear me?!" one of the black-suited men advised urgently, his fear evident.

"Ye…ss," the group replied hesitantly, their voices laced with anxiety.

"Iris Subaru! Immediately cease all attacks, or you will be disqualified and punished after the games!!" a woman inside the shield shouted desperately, hoping to provoke Iris into compliance.

Iris glanced at the woman, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "The fun has yet to begin," she murmured in a low, menacing tone.

Ray, who had once exuded pride, now trembled in terror. Just moments ago, Iris seemed like an ordinary, weak girl, but now the pressure around her was suffocating and monstrous.