Transmigrated as the Villain Between the Heroine and the Villainess

While Azrael and Elvara were inside the old woman's small hut that smelled of herbs, the rest of the team walked the empty street under the moon.

At first the mission had felt exciting. Now that feeling was gone. It was just long, tense waiting.

"I want to see a ghost," Selvara said softly in the dark. "Maybe it will be more interesting than the kids at the academy."

Orion cracked his knuckles. The sound was loud in the quiet night. "I hope it fights back. This hiding in shadows thing is annoying."

"Do you ever think about anything besides fighting?" Lyra snapped, pulling her cloak closer. "It is cold. And it is creepy."

Kaelen did not join the arguing. His hand rested on his sword. He kept watching the houses and the dark forest beyond.

He was focused and alert.

"It is too quiet," Seraphina whispered. Her hand glowed with a small, clear light. "No animals. No insects. It feels like the whole forest is holding its breath."

"Be patient," Isolde said. Her voice was calm and steady and cut through the tension. "Whatever is here knows we are waiting. Maybe it is testing us. Or maybe it likes watching us wait."

Then the air changed.

The night suddenly felt much colder. The moonlight seemed to get dimmer, even though the sky was clear.

A heavy, crushing feeling filled the street. It was hard to breathe.

A figure appeared at the far end of the road.

It was not a man. It was not just bones. It was not a normal ghost.

It was a mix of all three. It looked terrible.

Its skin was thin and grey over a skeletal body. It moved in short, jerky steps. It was tall and very thin. Its head was mostly a skull with only a few long, yellow teeth left.

They could see it grinding those teeth, a small scraping sound.

It looked like it hated something. Hate came off it in waves.

It walked slowly toward them, each step heavy.

All the fun and bravado from the academy faded away. Some of them felt real, basic fear.

This was not a story someone told. This was a monster.

The creature stopped. It scratched its skull with long, bony fingers.

The sound was dry and rough.

Then a voice came. It came from its mouth.

It spoke grinding his teeth and said one thing in a terrible way.

'Kill them. Kill them all.'

It moved with that same hatred. When it put its foot down, the road cracked under the blow. Lines spread out on the stone like a spiderweb.

Crack.

At that moment they all understood. This was not a normal job.

This was something even the best adventurers might run from.

But they acted anyway. Orion, Lyra, Isolde, Kaelen, Selvara, and Seraphina attacked from a distance. They worked together and sent a storm of magic.

Lightning shot out. A ball of fire flew. Wind cut like a blade. A spear of crystal shot forward. A shard of black ice flew fast. All of it hit the same place where the creature stood.

Two other students in the group, a boy and a girl from third year, did not fight. They ran. Their faces were white with fear.

The attack hit. The ground where the monster stood blew up in a huge burst of light and power. Part of the road was destroyed. Smoke and pieces of rock flew up.

When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left.

He was gone.

Then someone screamed.

It was the boy who had run. He was fifty yards away down the street. In one breath the creature was suddenly right in front of him.

A single punch to his stomach crushed him. He fell and breathed his last.

The skull head turned and stared at the girl who was still running.

At first they thought the creature was running, but its movement was not normal. It blinked out of one place and appeared another. It closed distance instantly.

It was like the monster could teleport.

They saw it reach the girl. Its bony hand rose to smash her head.

"No, don't!" Kaelen shouted.

It was too late. She died.

Now there were only six of them left.

"Make a circle!" Isolde shouted, sharp and clear. "It uses speed and strength. Do not let it get close!"

They moved fast. They backed into a tight circle, standing back to back in the middle of the street. Weapons were ready. Eyes searched the dark.

They did not wait long. The creature appeared in front of Orion like a fast blur of grey and black anger.

It swung a huge fist. Orion hit back with his lightning-wrapped sword.

The hit made a boom that shook the village.

Orion was thrown backwards. He skidded and his arm went numb.

"He is strong!" Orion panted.

Before the monster could press the attack, a wall of black ice rose from the ground between them. Selvara made it.

The creature looked at the ice and simply punched it. The wall smashed like glass.

Lyra sent a wave of fire that tried to burn the monster. The flames roared, but the creature walked through them and was not hurt. Its grey skin did not even blacken.

"It is not working!" Lyra yelled.

The creature lunged at her, but a cage of shining crystal shot up and trapped it. Seraphina looked pale and strained as she made it.

The creature looked at the crystal bars and pushed.

The crystal cracked and then exploded outward.

This felt like a nightmare.

Each thing they tried: attack or defense it broke under the creature's power.

Kaelen ran at it, his body shining with a soft golden light. "I will hold it! Attack together!"

He met the monster with his fist. Sparks flew. Kaelen was strong but the creature was stronger.

He was forced backward, step by step. His feet scraped the stone.

The others used the opening. Isolde sent sharp winds that cut the creature's skin.

Lyra and Orion mixed fire and lightning to make a spinning, powerful storm.

Selvara and Seraphina kept sending ice and crystal shards.

They all attacked together. Magic and steel rained down. For a moment it looked like it might work.

The creature had to defend. It raised its arms to block.

Then it roared.

The sound was like something breaking inside your head. It knocked them all off their feet. The combined attack fell apart.

The creature moved with impossible speed.

It was suddenly in front of Orion and Lyra. Its long arms grabbed both of them by the throat and slammed them into the ground.

Then it was in front of Selvara. Its fist struck so fast it smashed her ice shield and sent her flying.

It kicked Kaelen in the side and he crashed into the wall of a nearby hut.

Seraphina was the only one left standing in the broken circle. She stared at the creature, frozen with fear.

It walked toward her slowly and deliberately. Its skull face showed no feeling. Its bony hand reached out.

She could not move. She could not breathe.

This was the end. They were all going to die here.