Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

The chamber fell into stunned silence, and everyone stared up at the flickering image in the sky.

A battlefield, scorched and broken.

Flames burned in the background, tents torn apart by wind and fire.

The moans of the wounded could be faintly heard even through the spell's projection.

But it wasn't the chaos that held their attention.

It was the figure kneeling at the front—bloodied, but unmistakably Wilhelm.

"Is that… the Central Army camp?" Pasithea asked, her voice quiet and cold.

Mariam's expression darkened. "It is."

Anger surged in my body as I glared at the scene.

Maybe it was the way Wilhelm's body was slumped or maybe it was the man floating in front of them all—the Demiurge, Soren.

He looked the same when I saw him in my engagement.

There was nothing that stood out about him, yet I couldn't contain my anger.

He looked down at Wilhelm with a calm smile.

Then he spoke—and though it was on the projection, the spell made his voice echo across the entire palace:

"People of Alfheim. Your proud commander kneels before me."

"Your soldiers have fallen. Your borders are broken."

"And now, your hopes… are bleeding in the dirt."

Gasps echoed across the room.

I could feel the anger radiating from Selyra beside me.

Pasithea's knuckles turned white around the arms of her chair.

"I make no demands," Soren said. "Only a promise."

He turned his head slightly, eyes boring into the projection.

"This war was never yours to win."

Then, as if for dramatic effect, he slowly raised Wilhelm by his collar, dragging him to his feet like he weighed nothing.

Wilhelm's face was bruised, but his eyes were defiant.

"Your commander is brave," Soren said. "He fought until the end. I commend him."

"But bravery cannot stop what is coming."

And then, he turned his gaze directly toward us.

As if he knew we were watching… as if he could see us.

"Himmel," he said softly.

I stared back at him through the projection.

"If you're watching this… You have five minutes."

He placed a dagger in Wilhelm's throat.

"Come find us, if you want him alive."

The projection remained in the sky, and another young boy appeared on it… holding a clock.

Imri smiled eerily. "Your time starts now."

Everyone's gaze turned towards me as I slowly closed my eyes.

I felt Mariam walking closer to me. "Himmel—!"

"Muspelh."

I whispered, and in the next instant, the world around burned in flames.

The chains that were holding me down burned down immediately, leaving behind molten steel.

It sizzled over my skin but didn't do any damage.

I stood up, and the next instant my shoulder blades twisted.

"Himmel!!"

Two wings emerged from behind my back as I burst towards the sky.

The sky cracked open as I shot through the roof, flames trailing behind me like a comet.

Debris rained down, but I didn't slow.

The palace below shrank as I soared higher, faster.

The air was thin, the wind loud in my ears—but none of it mattered.

Behind me, I felt Mariam on my trail, but I didn't slow down.

I pushed my wings harder, the projection above the palace began to fade, the countdown ticking down in my head with every second.

The wind roared past my ears as I flew, the city of Alfheim shrinking beneath me.

I didn't know where they were.

But I could feel it.

Somewhere beyond the forests. It was beyond the mountains, towards the East.

Wilhelm's mana lingered faintly, like a trail of smoke in the wind, and I chased it.

Behind me, Mariam flew as well, her robes fluttering wildly, eyes locked on mine.

"Himmel!"

Her voice boomed in my head, making me flinch.

"It's a trap!!"

I turned back to look at her. "Get out of here!" I yelled. "If you get involved, then the Demiurge will have a reason to send even demigods."

"Come back with me!" She replied. "You shouldn't get involved as—."

"I will only save him and come back!" I cut her off. "Now go back!!"

She kept following me for a while but eventually stopped.

Mariam knew it better than anyone else that her involvement would only make things worse for the elves.

A plain of grass appeared ahead, scorched and blackened like the battlefield we'd seen.

Smoke curled up from the sky, broken tents stretched around.

And in the middle, just as the projection had shown, stood Soren.

Wilhelm was still on his knees beside him, blood dripping from his lip.

Soren turned toward me before I even landed.

"Four minutes," he said with a smile.

I slammed into the ground like a meteor, a ring of fire bursting around my feet.

The earth cracked beneath me, smoke swirling.

I drew in a deep breath as I looked at him.

"You've made your point," I said. "Let him go."

"How long did it take him?" Soren asked calmly.

Imri stepped out from the side, the clock still ticking in his hands. "Three minutes."

"How are you so fast?" Soren asked, looking back at me. "You aren't even an Eternal but are faster than a high-level Etern—."

"Soren." I cut him off coldly. "Let me go."

"Well, if you listen to what I have to say." He replied calmly, grabbing Wilhelm by his hair. "Will you?"

I stared at his hand gripping Wilhelm's hair and felt the fire rise in my chest again.

It took everything in me not to act.

One wrong move, and Wilhelm would die before I could even blink.

"Talk," I said, voice sharp. "But keep your hands off him."

Soren let go, and Wilhelm fell on his face.

Only then did I notice the six blooming flowers on his face.

"..."

It was Imri's ability that drains mana and life force.

"I will keep it short." Soren said, taking my attention. "Join us."

"...."

I tilted my head in confusion as I looked at him.

"Think about it." He said, tapping the side of his forehead. "You will only wait for your death if you stay with the elves."

"Why should I join you then?" I asked. "Wouldn't I be dead either way?"

"My father is a beloved man." Soren said, but I saw no sheer truthfulness in his face. "He will surely give you a better life—."

"Are you done?" I asked, stretching my neck slightly. "If you want to fight, then don't waste time."

As in cue, his other team members also arrived by his side.

Phenex's daggers flew by her side.

Imri popped out from behind.

Dagan with his axe and Valerius on his side.

'How the fuck is this pig still alive?'

I remember ripping off his head at our first and last meeting.

'Nevermind, I can do that once again.'

[<Qais…be careful.>]

Soren grabbed Wilhelm by his hair and placed the dagger on his throat.

Wilhelm's tired face looked at me. "Go away." He whispered. "Y…you can't take them head-on."

"Just stay put." I replied. "It will be over soon."

Soren smiled softly as he pushed the dagger deeper into his throat. "You seem quite confident—."

"Rejection of Time."

I whispered, ignoring him completely.

The world around me turned grey as everything and everyone slowed down.

I began walking towards Soren, who was frozen in place, unable to move.

My footsteps echoed in the frozen world.

I walked past Dagan and Valerius like they were statues.

Their weapons half-drawn, expressions twisted in focus.

Then I stopped right in front of Soren.

The dagger was still pressed against Wilhelm's throat.

A thin red line had just started to form there.

"Not this time," I said quietly.

I grabbed the dagger and snapped it in half with one hand.

The pieces dropped to the ground with a soft clink.

Then I knelt beside Wilhelm and gently pulled him into my arms.

"Hmm?"

But just as his body leaned on me, I felt my instinct scream of danger.

Before I could even understand, I felt something rushing towards me… in my frozen world.

BAM!!

My body was instinctively drawn back as I felt a pain in my midsection.

Looking down, I found a woman pushing my body back.

It all happened in a split second, and before I knew it, I was slammed into a tree.

I crashed into the tree with enough force to crack the trunk.

The bark split behind me, branches raining down as I slid to the ground, coughing.

Pain bloomed through my ribs.

The Rejection of Time was broken and everything returned back to normal.

My eyes snapped toward her, and my body immediately turned cold.

She wore a mask and covered her body, but how could I not recognize her?

Anger, confusion and dread made my body much more unstable.

"Y-yenna?"

Yennefer didn't seem to be herself as she clenched her fist and threw a punch at my face.

I dodged her in time, but she didn't stop there.

She moved like lightning, her fist missing my jaw by inches.

I barely managed to twist my body in time as her leg came sweeping low, trying to knock my feet from under me.

"Yenna, stop!" I shouted, trying to reason with her.

There was no hesitation in her strikes, or any emotion.

I raised my arms to block her next barrage of punches.

Each one hit like a hammer. My arms stung, but I didn't strike back.

"Snap out of it!" I growled. "It's me, Himmel!"

But she didn't even flinch. Her foot slammed into my chest, launching me backward again.

This time, I slid through the dirt, carving a line into the ground as I came to a stop.

Soren's voice boomed from behind. "This is what you get for being oversmart!!"

He raised Wilhelm by his hair and pulled out another dagger and placed it on his throat.

I rushed towards him, but Yennefer immediately grabbed my body and slammed me down.

"No—!!"

My words halted abruptly as he sliced Wilhelm's throat.

My body felt limp as I saw him fall down lifelessly.