Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

"No—!!"

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

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

Blood spilled down his armor, staining the cracked earth beneath him.

No sound left my body as I stared at his body without fully understanding.

"Wilhelm…" I whispered.

Yennefer stood above me, motionless now. Her breathing heavy, hands still clenched.

But even she hesitated, as if unsure of what she'd just done—or what had just happened.

"Why did you do that?" I asked quietly, my voice trembling. "Why!?"

Soren shrugged. "We are at war, kid."

I steadied myself.

My body trembled, not with pain but with something colder. Something far, far worse.

….Rage.

A quiet, rising storm that screamed through my blood.

"You killed him…"

"He was already dying," Soren replied casually. "Imri's flowers had drained him dry. He was just a prop at this point."

I took a step forward, and the ground cracked beneath my foot.

"I gave you a chance to join us," he continued. "But you chose pride."

The air began to shimmer.

"I told you this wasn't your war to win."

Another step.

A low rumble echoed across the battlefield.

"You're right," I said quietly. "It's not my war to win."

I raised my head.

"But I can make damn sure it becomes your war to lose."

Without warning, I vanished from my spot.

I reappeared in front of Soren, flames bursting around me like an explosion.

He barely had time to react before I slammed my fist into his stomach.

The impact sent him flying backwards, tearing through tents and earth like a cannonball.

Valerius and Dagan jumped into motion, but I didn't wait.

One heartbeat later, I was in front of Dagan.

His axe was halfway raised before I grabbed it and him—and hurled both into the sky like they were made of paper.

Valerius swung his blade, but I ducked and slammed my elbow into his jaw, sending teeth flying.

He dropped, gasping for breath.

Phenex threw her daggers. Dozens of them.

"Muspelh."

But they melted before they even touched me.

The heat was rising, flames coiling around my body like a second skin.

Then I turned to face her, but before I could move—

"Retreat!"

A voice rang out.

Soren stood up from the wreckage, dusting himself off, blood running from his mouth.

[<Qais—!>]

Not now, Inna.

I drew in a deep breath as I whispered. "Naraka."

The left hand trembled violently and in an instant, a one-handed axe with a crimson crescent blade on one side appeared in my hand.

A long chain attached to its base looped itself around my arm.

The battlefield had fallen into silence.

Soren's expression tightened. No more lazy smiles or careless shrugs.

A fearful look appeared on his face.

"Naraka..." he muttered. "So that's who you are."

I took a step forward, dragging the chain with me. It scraped the ground with a hiss, carving glowing lines into the soil.

"Fall back," Soren repeated more sharply this time. "Now!"

Phenex didn't need to be told twice. She vanished into smoke.

Valerius scrambled up, wiping blood from his mouth, dragging Dagan's groaning form with him as they retreated.

Imri was already close to Soren as they began to scramble their teleportation portal.

But I didn't move nor did I chase.

I stood there, breathing heavily, watching the woman blocking my path.

Wilhelm's body lay still behind me.

His blood, warm and red, soaked into the ground.

"Yennefer." I whispered softly. "Move aside."

She didn't budge from her place, instead she took a battle stance while lowering her body.

"No," she said, voice low but steady. "I won't let you go after them."

I didn't waste my time as I leaped towards her.

She met me head-on, but I pushed through it, the chain twisting in the air behind me.

Our weapons clashed, ringing like thunder through the empty field.

Yennefer gritted her teeth as she slid backward.

I didn't let up as I surged forward, swinging Naraka in a wide arc.

She ducked just in time, the blade grazing her shoulder, burning through the edge of her armor.

But she didn't scream.

Instead, she twisted and thrust her sword toward my ribs.

I caught it mid-strike with the chain wrapped around my left forearm, metal grinding against metal.

"You're in my way," I growled.

"I know," she shouted back, driving her knee toward my gut.

I caught it and flung her to the side, but she rolled, landing on one knee, sword raised again.

I looked back at the group of clowns still opening the portal.

Raising my hand, I willed the mana to move.

"Argh!"

It did as I commanded and an invisible force grabbed Imri by his throat.

He was pulled back towards me while Yennefer also came from my left and I jerked my hands up to deflect the blow.

Imri's neck was just in my hand but Yennefer tackled my body.

Soren and Valerius jumped at me while Phenex opened the portal.

Dagan snatched Imri just in time as I looked at the other two.

Soren's fist connected with my jaw as Valerius slammed into my side, pushing me off balance.

The chain of Naraka snapped like a whip, wrapping around Valerius's leg and yanking him off me with a violent pull.

Soren didn't flinch as he raised his blade and drove it down toward my chest.

I caught it as my grip tightened around the blade, and the metal began to melt in my hand.

"You should've run," I said coldly.

Soren grunted and pulled away, but I didn't let go.

I twisted, dragging him forward, and headbutted him. His nose broke with a sickening crunch.

I hurled Soren aside like a ragdoll.

His body hit the ground and slid near the edge of the open portal.

Through the flickering gateway, I could see the last of them disappearing, Dagan with Imri, Phenex already gone.

But as I raised the axe to strike—Yennefer stepped between us again.

From behind I saw Soren running back into the portal with the pig-like body of Valerius.

That… made my reasoning snap once again.

I glared at Yennefer who kept on coming in my path.

"Why?" I whispered before my body blurred and appeared in front of her. "Why would you do that!?"

I raised the axe and slammed it down on her. She intercepted it with her blade but it broke under the impact.

Yennefer was thrown away but I quickly grabbed her leg.

I jerked my body back and threw her into a boulder.

Dust exploded from the boulder as Yennefer's body hit it with a thud, stone cracking under the force.

She coughed hard, blood spraying from her lips as she slid to the ground.

I walked towards her and then stood over her body.

"Why, Yennefer?" I growled again, voice hoarse. "Why protect them? After what they did! After what they took!"

She breathed heavily as she slowly lowered her body.

She just lay there looking up at me with those tired eyes.

"I have a daughter to protect." She whispered softly.

"WILHELM HAD A DAUGHTER TOO!!"

I snapped, raising Naraka over my head.

"You took away her father from her!!!"

Yennefer didn't flinch, she just looked at me.

"I know," she whispered. Her voice barely carried over the wind. "And I'll carry that weight for the rest of my life."

My arms trembled, the weight of Naraka still raised.

My hands clenched around the handle so tightly, I couldn't feel my fingers anymore.

"Then why did you do it!?" I shouted, my voice cracking under the storm inside me. "Why did you—!!"

"I care for my daughter more than anyone and anything." She cut me off. "I would go to any length to save her."

She didn't say anything else as she just kept on looking at me.

"Kill me now, Himmel." She said, spreading her arms in defeat. "…I can't promise, I can't promise that I won't harm you next time."

I breathed heavily as I slammed my axe down.

The axe came down but not on her.

It buried itself beside Yennefer's head, sinking deep into the cracked stone with a deafening clang.

I stood there, hunched over, chest rising and falling with every breath.

"The next time I see you…" I said through gritted teeth. "I will kill you."

I turned around as I walked away from her towards Wilhelm's body.

The recoil of using Naraka began to settle down as I fell to my knees.

Yennefer's presence vanished as well as I was left alone in the place.

I stared down at him, at the man who was once my mentor.

'...'

There was something he wrote with his blood on the dirt beside him.

It wasn't complete but I could tell with only the first few words.

He was trying to write. "Daughter."

I sat down on the ground as I stared at the body without saying anything.

The reinforcements arrived but it was already too late.

---

[Demiurge Kingdom.]

[Palace of Dignity.]

The portal opened up within the throne room as the group of Soren exited it.

Kryllios was already waiting for them as he stood there with his hand behind his back.

Soren immediately tensed up as he looked at his father.

"Cough! Cough!"

But his gaze quickly shifted to Imri who was coughing violently.

Imri dropped to one knee, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Phenex quickly walked towards him and rubbed his back.

Imri began crying as he hugged the woman. "He… was scary."

Phenex hugged him back as she comforted the boy.

Kryllios cleared his throat as he asked, "How did it go, Soren?"

Soren bowed slightly. "We killed General Wilhelm."

Kryllios remained silent for a while before he trembled.

"YES!!!"

He yelled at the top of his lungs as he began laughing hysterically.

"FINALLY A VICTORY!?"

Soren stepped back slightly as his father's wild laughter echoed through the grand hall.

Kryllios spun on his heel, throwing his arms into the air.

"You did it! You actually did it!"

His voice was shrill with triumph, his eyes gleaming with something between madness and pride.

"Wilhelm is dead," he repeated, like he needed to hear it again to believe it. "One of the greatest generals in the elves… gone!"

Valerius, still clutching his side with a bloodied cloth, muttered under his breath, "We almost didn't make it back…"

Dagan groaned nearby, still recovering from the earlier toss into the sky.

He leaned on a pillar, his forehead drenched in sweat. "He was a monster. That wasn't the same Himmel we fought before."

Kryllios ignored their complaints.

He stepped toward Soren.

"Tell me," he said eagerly. "Did the boy show it?"

Soren hesitated. "Yes."

"Did Lady Yennefer try to kill him?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Yes…" he replied. "But I don't think she can—!"

"Oh don't worry!" He replied, patting his shoulder. "She will kill him or will die trying!!"

Kryllios' smile didn't die down as he looked at the sky. "Finally, we are a step closer."

He then looked back at them. "Now, let's start the second phase."