I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 738: [Final Event] [Blood Moon Festival] [20] Blood Moon Spell

”Here, you are ready, Princess,” Lera said softly, stepping back with a tired sigh after what felt like an eternity.

Ten long minutes—that’s how long it had taken to perfect every fold, ribbon, and layer of Celeste’s pristine white gown. The fabric shimmered faintly under the candlelight, flowing like starlight over her skin. Lera smiled faintly, her eyes glimmering with pride at the sight. ”You look... absolutely breathtaking.”

Celeste stared at her reflection in the mirror.

The girl staring back looked like a vision out of a dream—graceful, regal, radiant. The kind of beauty most could only envy. Yet, there was no joy in her eyes. No trace of the excitement a bride should have on such a day.

She had once dreamed of wearing such a dress, of course. Every girl did. She had imagined standing beneath the moonlight beside the man she loved—and that man had been Amael.

But now, seeing herself dressed as another man’s bride only hollowed her heart further.

With a quiet breath, Celeste forced her emotions to vanish. She straightened her shoulders, smoothed her gown, and reached down to lift the hem slightly so it wouldn’t brush the floor.

Just as Lera reached for the door handle, it opened from the other side.

”Y—Your Highness?” Lera stuttered, bowing her head instinctively.

Cyril stood there, dressed immaculately, a faint smirk curving his lips. ”I came to check on Celeste. She was taking quite a while,” he said.

Celeste froze at the sight of him. Her hands, resting against the silk of her gown, clenched unconsciously.

Cyril’s eyes swept over her from head to toe making her skin crawll. Then, with a small chuckle, he looked away as if he’d seen all he needed.

”Come,” he said, offering his arm. ”I’ll escort you.”

”I can go alone,” she replied curtly.

”Don’t be so shy,” Cyril chuckled. ”You don’t want to talk to your future husband before the ceremony?”

Celeste hesitated. If she truly had to marry this man, she would have to make her boundaries clear from the start. ”It’s fine, Lera,” she said at last, moving to stand beside Cyril.

The two stepped out. Outside, the world was bathed in the light of a crimson moon. Celeste glanced upward, her brows knitting. The moon had never been this red—not even during the blood moon festivals. Something about it felt... wrong.

”Strange night, isn’t it?” Cyril’s voice broke the silence. ”Almost poetic. The Prophetess inheriting her mother’s power.”

Celeste said nothing, her eyes still on the blood-hued sky.

”I know you’ve always hated that power,” Cyril continued. ”But you wouldn’t have awakened this much unless you’d accepted it. I can’t help but wonder what changed you, Celeste.”

He looked sideways at her, smirking. ”Or should I say... who changed you? Was it Connor’s brother? Did he tell you he’d only fuck you if you became the Prophetess?”

Celeste stopped in her tracks, glaring at him.

Cyril chuckled darkly. ”He’s probably after your status. Your body’s just a... pleasant bonus.”

”You’re disgusting,” Celeste spat, her voice trembling with anger. ”He isn’t like you.”

”Oh, I won’t blame him,” Cyril said, shrugging casually. ”Anyone who understands the worth of the Prophetess would want to claim her. And now...” He reached out, brushing a stray lock of her hair with his finger. ”Now, I finally have you.”

Celeste pulled back sharply. ”I don’t belong to you.”

Cyril’s smirk widened. ”You still don’t understand your situation, do you? You’ll obey me soon enough. And trust me, you won’t regret it.”

”CELESTE!!”

The shout shattered the tense silence.

Celeste turned toward the voice—several figures were running toward her through the courtyard. Her heart skipped. ”Father...?”

Her father was there, face pale with anger. Evan was beside him, along with John and Victor, all visibly agitated.

”Get away from him, Celes!” Victor shouted. His eyes locked on Cyril, burning with anger. ”Where is Selene?! What have you done?!”

Cyril only smiled, unbothered. ”You took your time finding out. I was beginning to wonder if you were pretending ignorance just to trap me.”

His gaze grew sharper, colder. ”But no—once again, you’ve proven what I always knew. You’re all too narrow-minded to see beyond your own little world.”

”Cyril, I don’t know what you’re planning,” Harvey’s voice rang out coldly, ”but give up immediately. Central Vedelia is already sealed off on all sides. Every street, every rooftop, every gate is guarded by knights. You have nowhere to run. Hand over Selene and surrender yourself.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, dozens of mana circles ignited around Cyril, brilliant symbols flaring in shades of gold and azure. They spun and interlocked, enclosing him in a glowing sphere of force.

The sound of compressed mana filled the air as the barrier solidified.

A sharp ripple distorted the space behind Cyril.

Alector appeared in a burst of light, his long robes fluttering as his staff leveled forward. His face was calm, but his eyes burned with disappointment.

”Cyril Raven,” he said coldly. ”That’s enough. You’ve truly disgraced yourself. Are you following the same path as your grandfather after everything he did?”

Cyril’s lips curved into a crooked smile. Then he laughed.

”The same path as my grandfather?” Hee repeated, his voice dripping with scorn. ”No... it’s always been my path.”

The moment the words left his lips, crimson mana erupted from his body, bursting through the air like a wildfire.

”...!”

Celeste instinctively stepped back as a wave of mana exploded outward, making the ground quake beneath her feet. His power wasn’t just rising—it was skyrocketing, tearing through normal limits in mere seconds.

”His mana... it’s rising exponentially!” Alector’s eyes widened in shock. ”Peak Ninth Ascension?! No—” He clenched his staff, his voice trembling. ”He’s reaching the Demi-God Realm?! That’s impossible!”

The very air trembled violently, the stone tiles cracking under the pressure. Every knight in the courtyard froze, the sound of their armor clinking swallowed by the sudden roar of surging mana.

Then, the sky changed.

A deep, throbbing hum filled the night as a massive crimson mana circle materialized far above them—swirling like a blood-red eye staring down upon the capital. It expanded outward, devouring the sky, until its eerie glow covered all of Central Vedelia in a dome of scarlet light.

Evan looked up, his face pale. ”W–What in the world... is that?”

Harvey’s voice faltered. ”No... this can’t be... that scale of spell—!”

Alector’s expression turned grim. He could feel the nature of it—the density of blood mana, the sinister hum pulsing from the spell. It wasn’t just powerful; it was forbidden.

”Blood Arts...” He whispered. ”Judging by that scale, and the blood essence woven into the mana... this is a Forbidden Spell.” His face darkened further. ”But that can’t be. Only the Vampire Witch could use such a scale of Blood Arts. Don’t tell me—”

”Cyril,” he growled, summoning new mana circles to bind him tighter. ”What have you done?”

Cyril’s eyes snapped open—glowing a deep, feral crimson. His pupils narrowed into vertical slits, and a cold smile spread across his face.

”Nothing really,” he said softly.

-BOOOOOOM!!

The containment barrier shattered like glass, the explosion sending a shockwave ripping through the area. Knights were thrown backward, and Celeste barely managed to raise her hand in time, conjuring a shimmering mana shield in front of her. The force blasted through, tossing her hair wildly as dust and debris filled the air.

”Cyril!!” Victor roared, lunging forward. In a flash, he summoned his sword, Ruah flaring around him as he slashed downward with all his might.

Cyril caught the blade barehanded. His palm glowed crimson, mana crackling along his fingers as the metal groaned under the pressure.

”You want to see Selene, huh?” He murmured with a cruel smirk.

Victor’s teeth clenched. ”What did you do to her?!”

”Oh, nothing much,” Cyril said lightly. ”She missed her dear sister so much... I just granted her wish.”

”What—?!” Victor’s eyes widened, but before he could move, a chilling instinct shot through him. He raised his arm just in time—

-CRACK!

His bones screamed in protest as a shockwave struck him point-blank. HIs layer of Ruah flickered, shattering as he was launched backward, crashing violently into the marble wall behind Celeste. The building splintered from the impact.

”Victor!!” Celeste cried out, her voice trembling with panic.

”Stop this madness, Cyril!” Evan shouted, rushing forward. His entire body shimmered with icy blue mana, frost spreading across the ground beneath his feet. ”You’ll destroy everything!”

Cyril only laughed. He leapt back gracefully, pulling out a small vial filled with dark red liquid.

He held it up between his fingers, the blood inside swirling unnaturally. ”You talk too much,” he said, then crushed it.

The vial shattered, and the blood exploded into vapor, seeping into his right arm. The air turned thick, suffocating. Every people present felt the aura shift.

Alector’s face went pale. ”No... don’t tell me—”

Cyril raised his arm skyward. A massive mana circle bloomed above him, connecting to the crimson dome that blanketed the city.

Then the world turned red.

A pillar of bloodlight shot upward, piercing the heavens, merging with the colossal circle above. The ground rumbled. The crimson dome began to spin.

Cyril’s lips curled into a smile as he whispered. ”Blood Moon Spell.”

A dark red wave burst from the crimson pillar, rippling outward like a living tide. It passed through everything—through stone, through air, through flesh.

And then, all at once, silence.

The world stilled. Even the wind seemed to stop breathing.

”W—What... happened?” Harvey asked cautiously, looking around.

”Ugh...”

Harvey spun around—and froze. One of the knights, armor glinting faintly under the red light, had just driven his sword into another’s chest. The victim collapsed wordlessly, eyes wide in disbelief. The attacker turned, his face slack, eyes glowing dull crimson.

”What are you—hey! What are you doing!?” Another knight shouted.

But before he could react—

”Ugh!”

”Augh!”

The sound of blades clashing erupted around them. Screams pierced the silence as several knights turned on their comrades, their movements jerky and unnatural.

Not all of them—just some. But it was enough to plunge the area into chaos.

The Blood Moon Spell had taken hold. Its crimson light pulsed like a heartbeat, spreading its corruption across Central Vedelia. Every flicker of red on the horizon marked another mind being consumed.

”Cyril!!” Alector’s voice rose, his composure finally breaking. ”Immediately cancel this spell! Do you even know what you’ve unleashed?!” His staff trembled with the mana he was holding back, his rage echoing louder than any battle cry.

Celeste barely heard him. Her eyes darted to Victor—his uniform still worn was torn, blood dripping from his arm. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself back to his feet, glaring up at Cyril. But then... his expression faltered.

His gaze fixed on something behind Cyril.

A figure, floating limply in the red light.

”S–Selene...?” He whispered.

The name barely left his lips before he started walking forward.

”Selene! It’s me—Victor!”

Celeste however had a bad feeling about it.

”Victor, wait—”

Her voice was drowned out as the figure lifted its head. Selene’s body was trembling, her shoulders slumped, her hair flowing around her like silk threads in the blood-red wind. Her skin glowed faintly crimson, and dark markings—veins of living blood—crawled across her arms and face.

”Selene!!” Victor shouted louder.

Slowly, her head snapped sideways. The motion was too sharp, too sudden. Her eyes met his—and Victor froze. Those eyes weren’t hers. They were empty, hollow, crimson like the moon itself.

”V... Vic...tor...” She muttered weakly.

Victor’s lips parted in relief. ”Yeah! It’s me, Selene, it’s—”

-SPURT!

He gasped. His body went rigid.

He looked down—Selene’s hand had pierced his chest. Her fingers were buried in his flesh, blood dripping slowly down her wrist.

”...!”

He caught her arm on instinct, stopping her from driving it deeper. Blood dripped from his lips as he spoke her name hoarsely. ”Selene...”

She stared blankly at him, expression void of emotion. Then her lips moved again.

”Vi... ctor...”

And this time, her hand pushed deeper. Her nails scraped bone.

Victor’s face twisted in pain. ”Gh—ah!”

Before she could finish, a surge of frozen air swept.

A torrent of ice exploded between them, forcing Selene back as shards of frost scattered in every direction. Celeste stood at the center of it, her long blade drawn, glowing with blue-white mana.

”Something’s happened to her—” Celeste started, but then stopped, a sudden chill racing up her spine.

”Celeste!”

Victor’s voice roared as he lunged forward, wrapping his arm around her just as Selene’s claws sliced through the air.

-Spurt!!

Blood splattered the ground. Victor’s back erupted in pain as her nails tore through his back and scraped against his mana-coated skin. The Ruah layer had absorbed most of it, but the force still burned.

”Victor!” Celeste gasped, turning toward him.

”I–I’ll stop her,” He grunted, his breath ragged. ”You... you help the others deal with Cyril.”

”But—”

”Go!” He shouted, forcing her back, eyes locked on Selene’s twitching silhouette. ”I don’t know what kind of spell this is, but it has to be stopped—canceled, destroyed, whatever it takes!”

Celeste hesitated, her lips trembling. Then she nodded. ”Be careful.”

He gave a strained smile through the blood and pain. ”Always.”

Celeste ran forward, her blade drawn, her heart pounding against her ribs. But she had barely crossed a few meters when her world stopped.

A wet, hollow sound echoed behind her followed by a faint gasp.

She turned.

And froze.

Cyril stood there, his arm buried deep through her father’s chest. The crimson light of the Blood Moon painted them both in the same cursed hue.

”U–Urgh...” Harvey coughed, blood spilling from his lips. His body convulsed weakly in Cyril’s grasp, the light fading from his eyes slowly. His hands trembled as he reached out not in defense, but in confusion.

”Father...?” Celeste whispered, her voice breaking. Then her knees gave way as tears welled up in her eyes. ”F–FATHER!!!”

Her cry ripped through the air. She bolted toward him, heedless of the danger.

Cyril turned his head slowly, his smirk widening as he met her tearful gaze. ”Oh, how touching,” he chuckled. Then, with a casual motion, he threw Harvey’s body toward her.

”NO!!” Celeste caught him mid-fall, stumbling backward from the weight. She clutched him tightly, her trembling hands pressing against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. But the warmth under her palms wouldn’t stop, it would only spread faster.

”Father! Please, stay with me! Don’t close your eyes, please!” She pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation.

Harvey’s fingers twitched, faintly brushing her cheek. ”Ce... leste...” He whispered weakly. His eyes were unfocused, his breathing shallow. ”You must... stop him...”

”Don’t speak! We’ll heal you!!”

Her eyes glowed both white as she used Ars Fatum to keep him alive as long as possible while using her mana to force the healing despite mana being only useful for minor injuries.

Meanwhile Evan’s expression was contorted into pure rage.

”CYRIL!!!” Rage flared through his body, mana bursting outward in waves of frigid energy. The air turned white with frost, the ground cracking beneath his feet.

Cyril turned toward him lazily, brushing Harvey’s blood from his hand. ”Ah, Evan,” he said mockingly. ”Finally showing your fangs. Ninth Ascension... I suppose you’re not completely useless after all.”

”SHUT UP!!!” Evan roared, launching himself forward like a comet, the air howling around him as he drew his sword of frost.

But before he could strike, golden mana circles appeared midair one after another trapping Cyril once more in a field of radiant light.

”That is enough, Cyril,” Alector said sharply. He stood, staff raised high, his expression cold and stern. Light-element mana gathered at his fingertips, weaving nine layered circles around his target. ”You’ve gone too far. Surrender now or—”

”Or what?” Cyril interrupted with a smirk. His crimson eyes gleamed.

Then something shifted.

”...!”

Alector’s gaze snapped upward, his instincts screaming.

-BOOOOOOM!!!

An explosion of black mana ripped through the air. Alector barely had time to raise his barrier; the golden light flared, shielding him but the dark hand that emerged tore straight through it.

”Gh—arghh!!”

The shadow claw slashed across his chest, slicing through his robes and drawing blood. He staggered back, gasping, clutching his wound.

When he looked up again, the air before him twisted like smoke. From that swirling darkness, a figure began to take shape.

At first, it was just a blur, blood droplets hovering in midair, swirling together with tendrils of black mist. Then, slowly, it became clearer.

A woman.

Her form was cloaked in living shadows, her body coiled with streams of dark blood that floated like liquid smoke. Her skin was pale beneath the corruption, her hands blackened and dry like charred bone. And through the veil of black vapor, two crimson eyes glowed with haunting intensity.

Alector’s breath caught. ”Another... Forbidden Blood Art,” he muttered, disbelief and pure revulsion warring in his voice. ”You... You went this far?”

This was beyond sacrilege. Beyond insanity.

He could feel the essence—countless lives sacrificed.

’Curse you, Lazarus...’

He doubted Cyril was the main responsible, Lazarus was the one likely who prepared and sacrificed without a single shred of pity.

”How many innocent people did you slaughter for this?! How much blood did you spill for your madness?! Who have you desecrated?!”

Cyril’s smile widened. ”Oh, come now. You don’t recognize her?”

Celeste’s head snapped up at those words. Tears still clung to her lashes as she turned, slowly, toward the figure emerging from the shadows.

Her throat tightened.

”E–Elizabeth...”